Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-18
THE DEAD KING OF HAWAII.

THE DEAD KING or HAWAII.
A correspondent who is in receipt Of private
letters frcm the Sandwich Islands furnishes to
us the following account of the late king:
The Hawaiian king, Lunalilo, died on the
50 of February, after a reign of only one
year. He was in the prime of manhood, hay
ing just passed his thirty ninth birthday, was
beloved in an uncommon degree by his sub
jects, and might apparently have had long
and prosperous reign, but for his unhappy ad-
dicton to intoxicating liquor. His death was
the direct consequence Of intemperance. In
spite of promises made when he assembled the
throne he continued in excessive indulgence
and on several occasions made disgraceful ex
hibitions of his infrmity. The recent visit of
British Admiral to Honolulu was the occas-
deeply and on one occasion slept out of doors.
The consequence was a cold leading to fever
and consumption. His death is sincerely
mourned by all his subjects, both native and
foreign. He was man of kind and genial
disposition, well educated and of independent
mind. He would doubtless have done much
service to his people, had he lived. in leading
them out of hcathenish customs and supersti-
tons, still prevalent among them. He
breathed his last in his private town residence
in the early evening. Preparations were i'm
mediately made for the removal of his body
to the palace near by, and in the dead of night
under the light of clear moon, a solemn
procession made its way through crowd of
silent spectators, with the shrouded bier. On
the following day in accordance with the Ha-
waiian custom, the body lay in state in one Of
the rooms Of the palace. 1t was dressed in a
black suit, the head resting on a white satin
pillow, while beneath was one of the beauti-
full feather cloaks, the peculiar badge of Ha-
waiian royalty. Around the bier stood num-
bers of men, each holding erect a kahili,
which is staff set round about with feathers,
making gigantic plume. They are of vari-
Gus colors, black, yellow, green and purple,
and when numbers are seen together as on
this occasion, the effect is very beautiful.
The hahilis are always carried before and
fact the royal standards. 1t was a solemn
scene as the dead monarch lay, surrounded
by the officers Of his cabinet and of his staff.
The people passed through the room with
the doleful vail which the Hawaiians utter
over their dead was continually heard. After
thus lying in state for few hours, the body
was enclosed in a lead coffin and would still
remain unburied for two or three weeks while
the elaborate casket was being made.
On other occasions of this kind, heretofore,
there have been observances far more objec-
tionable. The natives have been wont to as
semble at night upon the palace grounds and
perform the hula, licentious dance. During
the period, while the predecessor Of the late
king lay in state, the royal premises were
nightly the scene of abominable rites. But
Lunallo Enthusiastically forbade that these
heathenish customs should be observed for
him. He furthermore gave directions that his
body should not be laid away in the mausc-
leum where the remains of all the other kings
lie IN SOlelnn oruer, OUT tnat ne snOulu De Dur"
led by the side of his mother in the cemetery
connected with one Of the churches. He will
long be remembered with affection in spite of
his unhappy weakness. He left no successor
in the regular line Of inheritance, and the va
cant throne will therefore be filled by the
choice Of the legislature. There are two can
didates for the crown, Queen Emma, widow
of former king, and David Kalakaua, q
chief of high rank. The latter in all probab.
ly will be successful. He is man of charac-
ter and education, and will probably make a
worthy sovereign, although he will not be SO
ready to lead the nation onward in civilization
as was he whom his people called "ke ala To-
komaikti-that is the kind chief-Lunaliio.