Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-30
CHAT FROM THE ISLAND KINGDOM

CHAT FROM THE ISLAND KINGDOM.
The RECORD UNION correspondent at
Honolulu, b. l., writing under date of
December Sd, says:
About two weeks ago King Kalakaua
went to Kauai. He sailed in the G. Il
Bishop, one of the fastest of our inter-island
steamers. The night on board was per-
hans the first upon which he retired at
reasonable hour since his return, and from
the manner CT his snoring one would i'm
agine he had not slept in ak months. His
roval effort in this direction drove sleep
from every other eyelid, and resembled the
noise of great stones interrupted in their
course as they crashed together on their
wav through shallow fume of muddy
water. The only representative foreigner
who went forth to meet him on his arrival
was George N Wilcox, large planter.
The native preacher delivered an address
in the vernacular and J. NJ. Moore, pede-
pogue recently from San Francisco, did the
same in English, proving himself rare
satirist. In the evening Kalakaua, sur
rounded by torchlight circle in the Gov
ernor's yard, talked to few natives about
his travels. He was succeeded by the Gov
ernor, who misapprehending his royal
guests announcement of native liquors, as
sailed all alcoholic drinks. In view of his
maIesty's indulgence since his return the
words were ill-timed, and occasioned GER
tain royal uueasiness, of which the Gov
ernor stood in blissful ignorance. The ma
tive appointed to lead in cheering and
applause at the proper time had bad cold
and could scarcely make himself heard. 1t
is very amusing to see natives setting about
to cheer. Instead of standing erect and
saying Hip, hip, hurra P" they double
up like jackknife and yell, "Ship, ship,
SIP, p, p, D." with a rapidly accelerating
utterance and an indefinitely ascending
scale OF p's till they run entirely out of
breath, and then the "hurra comes stray
Cling, faint, and uncertain.
The party having withdrawn to the
yeranda of the Governors house, num-
bes of young women began to sing old
ballads in English, but we're interrupted
by two hoodlum hula hula horribles, which
abomination was not abandoned till the
following morning. A trip in canoes a
short distance up the neighboring stream
completed his Msiesty's entertainment till
Nc It ktu lOI IlOdOluios ~ hCNSA
seemed to have occurred to him that
profitable hour could have been spent In
the schools upon the leland, and that he
might have uttered an encouraging word
to both teachers and scholars. While
parrot.like he extols the Siamese Govern
ment for shaking off many of its peoples
ancient customs because of their uselessness
and degrading tendencies, and for forging
onward in its commendable desire to be
abreast with the advancing tide of civiliza-
ton, he continues to hold his nation down
and behind by patronizing and defending
that relic of barbaric sensualtY, the un.
holy hula. King Kalakaua is like the pro-
verbal prophet =" not without honor save
in his own country" Realizing this, he
will soon go abroad again, where he is bet
ter appreciated-in Vienna Gardens, for
instance. He has now set out upon tour
of Hawaii. He says he has ordered a
heliotrope and lot of carrier. pigeons,
which ought to arrive by next Christmas
He also says that he talked with President
Arthur about the reciprocity treaty be-
tween The United States and the Hawaiian
Islands, and that the President declared
himself in faver of its continuance, adding
that some Of its opponents had been in
duced to cease their opposition.
Gold and silver weddings have been eel.
ebrated with remarkable frequency lately.
1t is safe to say that those now meditating
entrance upon connubial Joys are not so
likely to hive till the celebration of these
glad anniversaries is due for them. The
young men and women of our day abandon
themselves to the lassitude which fastens
itself upon them, and vampire like sucks
up their vital energy. How different was
the lot of their predecessors, who found toll
a necessity, and are now reaping the bene-
fits of the arduous physical exercise of
their youth. During visit to one of our
leading institutions of learning inquired
if any time was devoted to calisthenics.
"No," was the reply "the children's pa
rents do not wish them to be over exer-
cised." Poor, dear mammas afraid that
their darling's brow might be soiled by a
sweat. bead. Though missionaries, they
forget that man shall live by the " sweat
of his brow" In former times horseback
was the only means of travelling upon land,
and moonlight cavalcades one hun1red
strong used to enjoy invigorating gallops
to romantic groves and glens. Now car
riages are used almost exclusively by for
eigners, and for ridiculously short dis
tances, while lounges and easy.chairs are
in great demand.
According to our postal rules letters OF
short postage are detained in the Honolulu
Office. Some time ago fund was raised
to pay deficiencies, since when the memory
of certain correspondents has become i'm
paired to the extent that they forget to
put any stamps at all upon their letters,
while the number of short paid letters has
doubled. a bag of Chicago mail matter
came here by the last steamer. "What a
wonderful affair is our modern postal sys-
tenn" is, or will be, the thought of some
big. footed maiden.
There have been so many failures in at
tempts to fittingly celebrate any national
event recently that the anniversary OF
Hawaiian independence was allowed to pass
without an effort in that direction. The
day November 2Sth) is commemorative OF
the concurrent action of the United States,
England and France declaring the auto.
nomy of our kingdom.
Her Britannia Majesty has sent word to
her Commissioner here to learn how many
British subjects are upon the Sandwich
Islands.
Here is an item from a Honolulu paper
1.-THE weather has been quite cool for sew
eral days. The thermometer has regis
tered about 70' in the morning during the
week"
The next Legislature will consider the
expediency of laying and inter-island
cable.