The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-29

Captain. This being submitted to
good naturally, they showed by signs
that they wanted to look at the arms
and legs, which were accordingly
barred for their inspection, and their
superior whiteness was much adj
mired. One inquisitive dame, who /
certainly was not chary in the dis
play of her charms, inquired in vivid |
pantomime if they Were white all |
over? And upon being given to un-
derstand that they were, expressed |
her incredulity on that point, wind
ing up with an ancient New Hebi- |
dean saying, to the effect that ttsee
ing's believing and that she would
not be satisfied with any other .testi-
mony than that! The gentlemen de-
clined to place the matter beyond
doubt in the manner indicated, and
as it was growing dark by this time,
they adjourned the investigation, and
rejoined the Chief, with whom they
eat supper of yams, ETC., by the light
of big fire that had been built near
the hut. After supper the drums
began to beat, and a Triton shell was
blown, at which signal the multitude
collected on the cleared ground, and
dancing was kept up until-to use an
original expression-''the wee snia'
hours ayont the twae."
The visitors were then shown by
| the Chief each to a hut by himself
where, on clean mats, they slept un-
til day-break.
De Ia Tour says that they would
have probably slept longer but that
they were thoroughly aroused by the
following performances The might
previous, out on the sing-sing ground,
had been placed four large log-drums,
forming a hollow square and at the
first dawn of day a performance COM
menced-a low boom, boom, boom,
boom, on one of them. This sound,
vibrating through the,still air, broke
his slumbers, and was supplemented
by a grand flourish of the drum-stick,
and then silence. With a deep sigh
of relief De la Tonr rolled over, and
boom, boom-boom, bOOm-boom,
boom-burst. forth from taOo drums,
and two performers kept this up for
five minutes, wound up with a double
flourish, and then ceased De la Tour
started back-he had half started off
his couch-and with a heart full of
gratitude to the chief, who he took it
for granted had killed the two drum
mers-eomposed himself for another
nap. He felt himself sliding off into
that vast dream-land that lies be-
tween this world and the next, when
boom, boom, boom L-boom,- boom,
boom boom, boom, boOD1!-bel-
lowed out three drums, whose volume
of sound make the light thatch of the
hut tremble. !! SosdidDe la Tour, but
it was with suppressed rage, but as he
was about to burst out of the hut and
massacre the whole tribe, trio of
dourishes, followed by a death-ike
stiffness, caused him to pause. He
went to the door of the hut and
,peeped out. All was still, land the
three drummers had just risen--to go
go away probably-and so, hurting
maIediction after them, he sat down
again, buried his throbbing head
the "pickled salmon they had had
the night before had not agreed with
him, he told me, and thought ::
" Here I am, walked up at an I'M
earthly hour in the morning, unable
to sleep again, with long walk back
to the beach before me, and such a
thing as pick me up not to be had
| short of Queensland, while the Cap
tain, I suppose, is snoring away on
the other side of the village uncon-
, scious." Boom, boom, boom, boom
boom, boom, boom, boom !-boom,
, boom, boom, boom, boom! roared out
: all four drums, and as De la Tour
J kicked open the door to his hut, he
J saw the Captain burst from his, i'm
} mediately opposite -while. from all
quarters of the village men, women
: and children poured into the open
, space and made their bow to the
, chief, who was calmly seated on his
/ platform, from which he rose on see
ing his guests, and in dumb show
the drums made such a noise that he
t knew speech was useless; he made
| them sit beside him, until a quartette
! of stormy fourishes ended the re-
; VeilLe.
Such, he explained, was their daily
; morning custom. At the first grey
dawn one drum was beaten, to gently
rouse his people. AS the long rays
of the coming sun shet above the
: horizon two drums heralded the cir
, cumstance. When all the East was
glowing with brilliant color, three
drums sent forth their warning notes,
; / and when the " orb of day'' Gas De
la Tour said the chief particularly
; called the SUM rose in sight, four
drums hailed his re-appearance, and
all the people met upon the sfng-sing
ground to do him and their chief due
: honor!
Breakfast was partaken of rather
hastily soon after this, and then the