The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-07-11

Of his cOuntenance IS agreeable, and lie Is mild
and afable 10 his manners, and possesses great
warmth of feeling; for l have seen him shed tears
upon the departure Of those 70 whom ne was
attached, and has the art Of attaching others 70
himself. Although a e0nquerer, he is extremely
popular among lis subjects and not without
reason. for since he attained the supreme power,
they have enjoyed reTose and prosperity. He
has amassed a considerable treasure in dollars,
and possesses q large stock of European articles
of every description, particularly arms and am
muniti0n; these be has acquired by trading with
the ships that call at the islands. He unier-
stands perfectly well how to make a bargain
but is unjustly accused of wishing 10 Over-reach
in his dealings. l never knew Of his taking any
undue advantages on the contrary, he is dis
tinguished for upright and honorable conduct in
all his transactions. War, not commerce, seems
TO be his principal motive IN forming SO extensive
a navy. Being at peace, his feet was laid up in
ordinary during the whole time Of my stay.
When he chooses to fit it out, he will ind no
difficulty in manning his vessels. independently
of the number of white people he has constantly
about him, and who are almost all sailors, he will
find, even among his own subjects, many good
seamen. He encourages them 70 make voyages
in the ships that are constantly touching at the
islands, and many Of them have been as far as
China, the northwest coast of America, and even
the United States. In a very short time they
become useful hands, and continue so as long as
they remain in warm climates: but they are not
capable of standing the effects of cold.
During my stay the building of the navy was
suspended, the kings workmen being employed
in erecting a house, in the European style, for his
residence at Hanaroora. When | came away, the
walls were as high as the top of the first story.
His family consisted Of the two queens, who
are sisters, and a young girl, the daughter of a
chief, destined to the same rank. He had two
sons alive, one about fifteen, and the other about
ten years of age. and q daughter, born when l
was upon the island.
The queen was delivered about midnight, and
the event was instantly announced by a salute Of
sixteen guns, being a round of the battery in
front of the house.
[ was informed by Isaac Davis, that his eldest
son had been put to death by his orders in conse-
quence of criminal connection with one of his
wives. This took place before he fixed his resi-
dence at Wahoo.
His mode of life has already been described.
He sometimes dressed himself in the European
fashion, but more frequently laid aside his clothes,
and gave them to an attendant, contenting him
self with the marc. Another attendant carried q
fan, made of feathers, for the purpose of brushing
away the flies whilst a third carried his spit box,
which was set round with human teeth, and had
belonged, as [ was told, to several of his prede-
cessors.
1t is said that he was at one time strongly
addicted to the use of ardent spirits; but that,
finding the evil consequences of the practice, he
had resolution enough to abandon it. l never
saw him pass the bounds of the ~strietest tenn
perance.
His queen, Tamena, had not the same resolu-
ton and although, when he was present, she
burst not exceed. she generally aVailed herself of
his absence in the moral to indulge her propensity
for liquor, and seldom stopped short of intoxica-
ton. Two Aleutian women had been left on the
island, and were favorite companions of hers. 1t
was a common amusement to make them drunk
but, by the end of the entertainment, her majesty
was generally in the same situation.