The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-08-05

HONOLULU, July 4, 1899.
MY DEAF FRANK Il have just returned from q
procession in honor Ct the day ~ celebrate, and
propose spending = part Of the day in the q~uietness
Of NY Office in answering your last letter. The
procession Of course vas quite a different affair
from those Of former years in which you partici-
psted, while engaged in our house. The people.
the business, and in fact the whole aspect Of the
islands is changed. OF the original native race
but 3 very few remain, and the only Eve women Of
the old aboriginal stock remaining on Oahu, held
the place of honor in the procession by marching
ct the head in front Of the banrer-bearer. who
bore aloft upon q bamboo pole the new Gag Of
Hawaii dragcnsi in blue where the former Sag
had the union jack. The governor, 8 Chinese Of
immense gir,h and short stature, in the uniform Of
q Mandarin, with an immense tail borne by two
Chinese boys in white brocade, and surrounded by
his staff consisting of Colonies and Major Generals
in European costume, came next after a band of
soul-piercing Chinese musical instruments. Two
bamboo bearers held sleft the portrait of a former
Minister of Foreign Affairs, under which was
written, surrounded by q gilded ornamentatien Of
Chinese dragons and devils, in gilded Chinese
characters an inscription the Interpretation of which
was, 4" Paier pairiR." But you would scarcely
recall The likeness of His Exeellency as presented in
the picture, with a tail of extraordinary length,
whose ends were gilded as a mark of respect. Few
statesmen, Washington alone excepted, were ever
held in such estimation and veneration, as il His
Exceliency by the entire Chinese population Of
these islands. They venerate his memory as the
founder Of the country, into which their fathers
were introduced by his efforts. at the public expense.
After passing through several streets, to the joss
house On Fort street. formerly a church, but lately
purchased by the Chinese, (the American population
having become SO small that they could not support
a Minister and after reading of the Declaration of
Independence in the Canton dialect and singing in
that Of Che-foo, the procession moved on to the
palace, where the governor and suite partook of
samschu, (the national drink) and rice fried in
oil A short address was made to the populace in
Chinese, which was received with tumultuous
uniforms, with the ends of their tails dropped into
the muzzles of their guns in token of peace and
f~estivity, sang the national anthem of God save the
King in Chinese, accompanied by the playing of
Yankee Doodle on q drum by a runaway American
sailor boy. After the ceremony the assemblage
dispersed under the most tremendous explosions Of
frecrackers and a few lately imported stinkpots.
which added much to the s~olemnity Of the occasion.
The usual ball was omitted on account of the lack
of white ladies, aud the incompatibility of Chinese
feet with dancing. In the evening fireworks, closing
with an ~allegory, in which the Genius Of Hawaii
was ret on fire with a bottle of samschu, and dis
appeared in fame and smoke, leaving only q few
pinches of white ashes.