The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-06-24

(Kamehsmeha the eOnqucrius King, Romance, ot
Hawaii. by {. y, Newell, author oi kalani q oahn
q. 7. Putnam \ sons. New York and Lcndonl
II soeps strange fatality that of the many
trayellers who have written of these islands, 50
few an aypia tasteless oxtravacancc. hrtios and
sush cr rhodomoutafe and meiodrarna. &c only
for tie auditnee of Stenth.rasc theatre
In rAese hleniishes the book aburnds. In de-
scriptive passages, rarely is one adjective az q
time sufficient % express the abounding emotions
Of the writer Of this romance.
We read Of singing priest girls grooming their
melodious HieieS, as they. gazed with supplicant
(sfc) faces upon the midnight moon. Soft and
sweet was their prayerful chant There was not
a sibilant consonaut in their hiri-like notes
which wropeht their fearful kpy, from the ripplng
river the siching air made drowsy with perfume
aud the deep monotone OF the mighty cataracts."
Again, "the sacred vale, where every flower
cried Hush in sottes, undeTtone.r Better STILL
''the loud mouthed sea forgot its hluster in this
hallowed hour, hounderinc less noislly than usual
far down on tie rrck bound shore. Ghs rcsouud-
inc diuSes OF tho ocean wave now softened into
the tenderest bassoou known to Rlovcr's car. am
For bit OF meloirama take the account OF the
great battle Of the NnlaiHH rali. The King to John
IuuRg-"heone Ana take the GcArd and win the
pass, or never come back again = Tho butly
boatSvain-"Aye, aye, my King, II shall be done.
Shall save the gallant King, who has fought 50
we'll, or shall bring his mead upon 4 spear.
Il is well TINT Mr.. Newell, knight Compan-
ion Of the ROYAL order Of kapiolani,N etc, en-.
titles his work Romance, for such iLdecd il is,
defects of style, there must be noticed the gross
injustice done to the memory of Captain Cook.
1t must be borne in mind that any Subs;yatum
Of fact which this romance is built can only be
derived from the oral accounts given by the ma
tveS 60 the earliest Hawaiinn-speaking foreigners
who were able OF careful enough to reduce the
same to writing Then probably near half a CEN
iury elapsed between the death OF the great navi-
gator. and the first written record OF the event
from the native pciut of view.
The character of Cook stands as high, as mos;
humane and iudicious in his dealing with the var
leiy OF SavaceS amongst whom his duty led him. as
II stands Is an intrepid explorer. frStrate sailor
as well as the most able astronomer OF his century
On his return from his second voyage he was
horuced with the Fellowship of the Royal Society
distinctly on the ground of his success in caring
] for the health Of his men. That he performed a
| voyage of over three years with one hundred and
| eighteen men throughout all climates from Lat.
/ - North 10 Il South with the loss of only one
man BY sickness. and this 4 hundred years aSo,
But with regard to the events which led TO his
/ death. The almost incredible maleyOleuCe with
which these are told in this romance, seems to be
| based on some prejudice not worth specifying
here, except by saying that 1t is copied from
esriier writers who drew their inspiration from
the same source.
ltis true that Cook was received by these ua-
lives as deity, and that all sorts Of unintelleble
acts which seemed 10 fall n little short u Adora-
/ ton were done TO him or for him. 1t Is wholly
4 untrue 10 represent Cook as consciously, roceH-
! lnG or trading upon superstition or legend of
which he knew nothingat all. L. is true he suffered
himself 20 be bound about with strips Of red 'Hpg
and to so through certain ceremonies, with
what patience he could Ii Is untrue that he either
i assumed or diScarded divine attributes de did
as he bad always done, showed 4 fearless conf
Il dencs amongst sAYsceS and humored their whimS
as far as he could without detriment 10 his ships
or hindrance TO the duty entrusted to hun.
BE sailed away from these Islands on the best
Of terms with everybody; the natives begged him to
leave behind him his lieutenant King and Cook,
unable TO comply, and unwilling 10 offend, said
that II he returned again would take their re
Qcest into conSderatiol.
But for the accident, the Resolution spIingiug
her forenAsf, and thereby necsssitatiug return
the rnelGnchoiy end Of the navigator would have
eqen spared, and tue fame Of his visits 10 these
islands vcnd have simply fallen into rank Will
the rest Of his achievements from New Zealand &c
Behring's Straits.
The romancer does not seem capable Of appre
ciating an interchange of presents at anything
but money value, and that assumed az the price:
which curiosities may have reached century af
ter the event referred to- He says that kaneha
uleha purchased OF Capt. Clarke light long irOI
daecers fnE a spendid feather coat which wa,
worth the whole armament Of the two ships II
what sense can this be true: Clarke received what
10 him. was mere earnestly without any intrinsic
yslne- The young warrior got both curiosity and
intrinsic value.
Again, the romance writer saws that for hel.
rnti and feather cloak "the magnanimoas Christ
IN returned a linen shirt and cheap cltlsss.'
hsTe again our romancsr cannot see above ped
lers view of the transaction. To witness II ap
pe1-ed otherwise. In return for q beautiful ans
Spndid feathersd cloak, the Captain pu, a liner
shitt on His Majesty, and git his own hance
arolnd him What could be q more fttir.
! present, or a more graceful compliment? Ont
chieit1in presents his most precious Ornameut-
the other diS3rtns himself and giris his Owl
sword around the vans; of his friend.
Sonething which Is not understood by the cri.
lcators or prtMnulS1tors Of these stories Is. tha
Cook and his officers were not traders o. none
makers. their purchases Of ciOaks, helmets. clubs
/ paddles etc. were curioSitieS. Wherever the.
went, they wanted wood, water and fresh psoyis
ions and they p4id for them IL the equivalents mos
keenly desired by the natives they dealt with, al
ways eIeep.fng firearms OF which they had non
( but their own complement.
II lis a pity that j story which enlbodies some IL
tersstng Eerapsof HaEaiun History, as well q
Legendary lore, should be dishgared by such blem
lsheS Of slle, and by such ruius.ifable prejudice