He Hoikehonua is the first geography text issued on the islands and one of the few non-religious publications undertaken by the missionaries. Notably it includes Hawaiian population statistics, island by island, from the first census of the Hawaiian islands undertaken by the American Mission in December 1831 (p. 190-191). The preface states this volume was prepared by U.S. missionaries Samuel Whitney and William Richards, and it is Richards' own copy at AAS. More than a dozen contemporary sources were utilized, including geographies and periodicals. The first three quarters of the book cover the rest of the world. The last 50 pages are dedicated to "O ka hoakaka ana o na moku Ma Ka Moana Pakifika (Concerning islands in the Pacific Ocean), including not only the Hawaiian islands, but also "No na Aina o Nukelani" (New Zealand), and "Nu Holani" (New Holland, i.e. Australia).
English translation of title from Forbes: A geography, something describing the form of the Earth, and things on it