Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1856-08-09
HONOLULU, I'll. l., AUGUST 9, 1856.


L wis soon drinking deeBlS 5f Tie dark cup or
slumber; during an hour or two all was opaque, o.
lvion and annihilatiOn inundated HE with their
gloomy waves. But soon my intellectual darkness
began to clear up, and dreams fitted by on their
noiseless wings.
The eyes of my soul opened, and SAT- thf
chamber il really was. might have believed
myself 10 be awake, but vague perception told
me that was ASLEEP, aiit that something singular
was about to take place. The .od1f ef the rnSffi
had increased in intensity, and felt slight head
ache, which attributed very reasonably to Some
glasses of champagne | had drank. | looked
around my chamber with a feeling expectation
which nothing justified the articles Of furniture
were in their usual places, the lump shone on the
console, softly shaded by the milky whiteness of
its globe of polished crystal; the paintings repOsed
beneath their Bohemian glasses; the Curtains hung
laDguishngy everything had a sleepy aiia tram
quill air. Meanwhile, ut the expiration Of d few
moments this calmness seemed to be disturbed; the
wainscOt creaked, the stick of wood buried itself
in the ashes, emitting suddenly fash of blue
flame, and the disks of the chttaih f$tlires seemed
Ieyes of metal, attentive Ike myself 10 what was
passing.
My eye rested by chance on the table on which
had placed the foo. of the Princess Hefmonthis.
Instead of being iIRIr,0teable as Nas beSStng to
foot tka. Rad beef embalmee tHrihg four thou
sand years, 1t agitated; drawing itself up and
leaping over the papers like afrghteaed frog. One
would have thodght it in contact with votaic pile
heard very distinctly the sappihg Of its little heel
hard as the heel cf gaZelle.
I | became somewhat dissatisfied with nv acGu-
sition, preferlng sedentary paper-weights, and
thinking 1t unnatural to see feet walking without
legs, and began to experience something which
strongly rcsembled fear:
Sudderly saw the fold of one of nv curtains
move, and heard patting of person hopping
on one foot. | must cthfess that Vas alternately
hot and cold, that felt breeze at nv back and
that suddenly my hair stood on end throwing my
nsht-cap to Il distance of two or three feet.
The curtain opened, and | saw advance the
strangest figure imaginable.
T, This was a young girl of deep coffee-color,
like the Bayaderc Amani, perfeEt Beatty of the
purest Egyptian type; her eyes were in the form
of an almond, and her eyelashes so black that they
seemed TO be blue; her nose was delitately carved
almost Grecia, aid site might have been tdkeh for
a statue of Corlnthlan bronze, had not the hish
checkbones and the slighter African mot,,E uniis-
takably, proved her to be Of the hieroglyphc race
or the Banks of the Nile.
Her arms, slender and spindIe-hke, like those Of
very young girls, were encircled with species of
metal braceIet ara strings Of beads het hair was
braided, and On hef breast hung an idol in green
clay, which, by its seyep-brancheb rrip, might be
recognized Isis, tie cOnductreSs of souls; gold
plate shone on her forehead, and some traces of
paint appeared beneath the copper hue of her
checks:
As to Het Costume, it was fery singular Imag-
inc garment made Of strips tg elotI spotted with
black and red heroglyPRiEs, starched with bitiiten
and seeming to belong to a mummy newly un-
swathed. BY one Of those transitions of thought
so frequent in dreams, feard the hoarse voice of
the curiSsity-merchaRt repeating, like monoto-
rotss refrain, the phrase which lie had uttered in
his shop, with an intOnatiOn so enigmaticaI.
f'Old. Pharaoh viii b. mpch dissatisfied; he low
ed lis daughter well, the dear FAN"
Strange peculiarly, which did not re-asufe me.
the apparition had but one foot, the other haying
Been bF6kep off at the ankle She directed her
self VIII hop towartS tie table where the mum
my's ft't't agitating and fulterpg with redoub
led vitality Having reachedit, she leaned th the
edsS; ahd saw tear giisteH in her eye. Though
she did not speak, Icearly discerned her thoughts
she looked at the foot-it was indeed her own
with az expression Of sadness mingled with inf
mite grace BITE the foot jumped ard ran here and
there as if moved BS steel Springs two or three
times she eStehtded her hand 70 seize it, but with
oht, success.
Then there t8yk place between the Princess
Hermonthis and her foot, which appeared to be en-
dowed with separate life, very curious dialogue
IN ancient Coptic, 5tcE as might hive been spoken
thirty centuries since in the country of Ser fortu
nately on this night understood Coptic to perfec-
ton.
The Princess HcrmOnthis said, in tone sweet
and vibrating as a crystal hell, %Well my deaf
little foot, YOU fly nc always and vet took good
care of you, bathed you with perfuned water in
an alabastcr basin, polished your heel with pumice
stone dipped in palm oil, your nails were cut with
golden pincers and rubbed with the tooth of the
hippopotamus was carefGI to choose for yot tsst
be5s embroidered and paiited, with peak s6es which
were the envy of all the youfg girls in Egypt; you
wore OF your toe rings representing the sacred
scarabgus, and carried one of the li.htest bodies
which the LATEST foot tStIsd DESIRE"
The foot replied, poutingly ara with chagrih:
"You know that am not my own propertyi am
bought and paid for; the old merchant kSe# very
we'll what he was about he wished you to es-
poifse him, and this is a trick he has PLAYED you
because YOU would not. The Arab who broke open
the royal sarcophagus ii tie sbtetFdean PIT of the
Metropolis of Thebes was sent by him; he wished
to prevent your being present at the assembling of
the dark people in the cities underground. Have
you FIVE gold pieces to buy IRE with Z"
Alas, no! My jewels, my rings, try purses of
gold and silver, all have been soen," replied the
Princess Hermonthisi sItfa Sigh.
6rrincess," exclaimed /, then, 81 have never de-
tanned unjustly the foot Of anybody although you
have not the five louis which it cost me, will re-
Store it to you willingly Should be in despair to
be Che cause of lamehess TO amiable person as
the Princess Hermonthis."
uttered this discourse in dignifed and gal
lant tone, which seemed to surprise the young
Egyptian.
She turned upon me a look of gratitude and her
eyes became illuminated with BLUSH light,
Size took her foot, which this time allowed itself
to be taken, and adjusted ii to her ankle with as
much address as Woman puts on her slipper.
This operation terminated size walked two or three
steps aroand the room, if to be certain that she
was indeed lame no longer.
"Ah how rejoiced will my father Se, he rho
was so distressed at my mutiIatiOn, and Sho, from
the very day of nv birth. employed whole ma