The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-10-03
COURT OF OAHU.
{ From the Ne,c York 43rertiser,
Ian. %, 1929.


the king, queen, and one of the
ladies of the Court of Oahu. The
next parsonage of Importance is
Karaimoku, the premier, who has
assumed the name of Billy Pitt
Billy being, we presume, more
euphonous than William. He is
thus described by Mr.. Stcward:-
Karaimoku or Mr.. Pitt, the Prime
Minister, is another individual ex-
tensively known to the civilized
world. He is man of very superior
powers and of great political saga
city. From his youth he has held
pre-eminent rank in the nation, both
MS counsellor and us a warrior.
He, too, is q tine-looking man; APP
parently between fifty and sixty
years of age; and was dressed in a
suit of lead-coloured silk camlet, with
white Marseilles waistcoat and white
stockings.
He is fond of pleasantly, and, at
times, is very playful in his CONVEX
sation. Not long since, accompanied
by one of his most intimate friends,
he took tea with Mr.. Ellis. After
partaking to their satisfaction of this
beverage, they both turned their
cups upside down, and placed the
spoons across them. Mr.. Ellis asked
the reason for this. Karaimoku an
swered, 1T is so with the foreigners,
when they wish no more,'' to which
Mr.. Ellis replied, Perhaps with
sailors in the forecastle it is-but
gentlemen merely leave the spoons
in the empty cups" A few even
ings after, the same two gentlemen
were at Mr.. Ellis tea table again.
When Karaimoku had finished, he
was careful to leave his spoon and
cup in the manner Mr.. Ellis had
mentioned as customary in good
society; but his more negligent
friend, forgetting the previous con-
versation, arranged his as in the
previous instance on which, Karai-
moku, laughingly, said to Mr.. Ellis
=" You see that fellow still belongs
to the forecastle--he has turned his
cup up again!'
Pride of birth prevails as strongly
in these isles as in the most aristo-
cratic Of European nations, and the
descendants of the ancient kings of
Hawai- arc as vain of their origin as
the scious of the stately tree of Este,
or of Hapsburgh.
The whole body of chiefs may be
divided into three classes, or grades
of rank; the first embracing the
royal family, and those most init
mately connected with it; the
second, those holding hereditary
offices of power, and the governors
of the different islands; and the
third, the rulers of districts, and all
inferior chiefs. Those included in
the two first grades are usually called
High Chiefs; and those of the third,
small or low. The high chiefs are
few in number, and closely allied,
both by blood and marriage; form
ing in fact but one family. Still,
they are filled with the pride. of
birth, and even the highest tena-
ciously prefer the slightest grounds
of precedence.
In one particular, the aristocra-
teal system of Hawai- is infinitely
more polite than that of France, her.
self, the region of courtesy and re-
finement. The Sale Law" is put
to the blush by that of the Sandwich
Islands, for, in the latter, rank is
hereditary in the female, and not in
the madeline. Thankful should the
ladies of Hawai- be, that they were
born in the rude islands of the Pa
cilic, instead of the baronial castles
of the old world.
There is much poetry in the no.
menclature of this people. Keopu.
lani is literally, "The gathering of
the heavens, or of the clouds of
heaven" - Tameha-meha, "The
lonely one. "--Tameha-maru, name
assumed by the queen after the
death of her father, 1.-The shade of
the lonely one. "-Kuahu-manu,
"The feather mantle. "-Kalakua,
"The way of the Gods. "-Kapio-
lani, "The captive of heaven. -
Lealea-hoku, 'The necklace of
stars, or the starry necklace.
The ladies of Hawai- are distin-
guished by pinguitude that must
be absolutely appalling to our fair
readers.
The governess of Tauai, the sister
of Taumuarii, is said to weigh near
four hundred; Namahana, one of
the Queens of Tamehameha, weighs
two hundred and ninety; her sisters
Kaahumanu and Kalakua nearly the
same, and her brother, Kuakioi,
Governor of Hawai-, though little
more than 20 years old, three hum
dred and twenty-five pounds. This