Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-11
THE KINGS BIRTHDAY.
CELEBRATION OF ROYAL MILE
PdSTS In HONOLULU.
-Four Hundred Pigs for Dinner =
Laying Treasures at Princely
Feet-Nautical Sports.
IREcoRD-UyIoN Correspondence


going from all parts of Oahu Honolulu |
ward people in buggies, carts, or on
horseback natives horseback or afoot, or |
in small steamers Cinnamon occasionally
on horseback, but generally shoes in hand,
and their baggy pants blown tight around
their pathetic legs Everybody and the
cook tried TO get into the Capital to see the
great 'doings, for it was the Kings jubilee
birthday.
You see, our monarch has arrived at the
ripe age of so years old, and his loyal SUBJ
iects must needs lay out many ducats to
help him enjoy himself. The Legislature
appropriated S15, 900 to assist in the glo-
rious event, and if the experience of similar
past occasions is repeated, this sum will be
trebled and passed in as bills as after
thoughts to the next Legislature. Every
body sent presents-as the Liberal press
here sarcastically remarked = from
chicken to many shekels. Beef and pork
were most general, for use at the grand
feast, or " luau.'
a dim idea of the number of these pres
ent may be cleaned from the fact that the
transportation cost of pig on the coast
steamers being one dollar, about four hun
dred dollars were paid for the pigs brought
from other islands to the city. Behold us
then en- route, but very uncomfortable from
a slight drizzle which persistently lasted all
day.
AT THE CELEBRATION.
The morning of the 18th was ushered in
by a number of salutes from the cannon
ON the hill, playing of bands and the usual
display OF bunting. The days exercises
consisted of grand reception, which com
menced at 10 o'clock and ended at 5, ten
dered to the King by representatives of the
whole people beginning, of course, with
royalty and ending with the populace"
How un-American everything here is,
from the gilt throne down to the "popu-
Lace"
The palace, which is inaccessible and
closely guarded at all times, was this day
thrown open. Delegations and societies,
boards and officers took their places in the
long programme, and marched into the
presence with their elegant presents to lay
at the royal feet. There were all kinds of
gifts-from an expensive rare feather cloak
to kukui scarf pin, and from thousands of
dollars in gold within silver caskets to the
modest so cent-piece, which dropped in the
huge calabash placed there for the purpose,
with an apologize tinkle that it was so
little. The feather cloak is very extrava-
CANT affair, when one remembers that the
materials for making the same are feathers
plucked from an almost extinct bird, only
Two of which feathers are found on a single
bird. And the calabashes, gracious There
were scores of them. What on earth will
ever be done with them is a mystery. One
novel feature was the individual calabash,
on the same principle as individual salt OF
butter dishes, which obviates the necessity
ior the royal fingers to dip from the same
dish as his commoner companions, and is
withal tony to a degree. | did not count
the number OF elegant Bibles presented on
velvet cushions. which loaded down the
tables. Il is to be hoped the lids of some
of them may be occasionally turned over
The Honolulu Board of Health presented
mis- Majesty with one thousand dollars in
gold, in a handsome silver casket What a
CHASTITY suggestion of the money making
facilities in leprosy and such things the gift
produced? In short, there were many
thousands of dollars worth of gifts pre-
scented to his Majesty that day. The Gala
bashes, numerous as they were, were none
of them worth perhaps less than ten dol
lars for they were made of hard or rare
woods, and beautifully polished.
THE KINGS GREETINGS.
The crowd went in at the main entrance.
end were guided into the presence cham
Der, bowling to their Majesties, and then
poured out in a rapid stream from room to |
room of the palace, some even venturing |
80 far as the roof, then hurried out at the |
north entrance, and out, still on to the gate |
! shall not now attempt any description of |
the palace or its grounds.
That night was devoted to q grand dis |
play of fireworks. About the time the |
be- 4I,o II,
and perhaps detained many at their homes. |
But a great crowd assembled at The public |
square in front of the palace, the most of
the display being sent up from the roof of
that building.
1t was understood that heavy expenses
had been incurred, and a great display was
anticipated. l was much disappointed,
however. l have seen much finer fire.
works at my American home on the ma
tional holiday. There were plenty of
rockets which shot shot far in the air and |
exploded in colored lights and plenty of
Roman candles. There were a few wheels
and other pieces, but at the last the coat of
arms, and then the portrait of the King,
shot up and blazed with star-like radiance
above the crowd below. l have certainly
seen this surpassed but perhaps the cost
of transportation and the like make this
in reality an expensive show.
SPORTS ON AND IN WATER.
The next day was devoted to boat-racing.
The docks were filled with gayly-decorated
ships, and small steamers with flying colors
flashed back and forth in the bay. The
yachts started off in fine style, and after
they were well out at sea, with the prospect |
of being out there several hours, the boat
racing commenced, chiefly with whaling
boats; and a row of long, shell-li race
boats shot out afterwards with rapid and
graceful strokes. This racing club is called
the Kings, and seemed verY expert One
thing was always noticeable: The craft
which spun out vigorously and distanced
its fellows at the start, usually came back
way in the rear, some steadier. apparently
slower boat coming in on the home-stretch
with powerful strokes.
A swimming and diving race were ap-
pendages to these, the swimming race, of
300 wards, being wen by man who swan
it in four minutes. The diving race was
won by the champion diver, who remained
under water a minute and half.
The next day, Thursday, the 18th, the
grand historical procession was to have
taken place. But the drizzle had become
a heavy, continuous, tropical rain. And
rain it did Coming down at last in
streams No one could be seen on the
streets but Cinnamon Indifferent to water,
or stray native woman with her clothes
la ballet Thursday night it rained. Fri
day it rained Saturday, clouds and occa-
sional drizzles during the day, renewed
hope in the dampened ardor of the gen.
eral festivities, and the postponed his
torical procession of Thursday came off.
l must be forgiven if l seem to see things
in wrong light; but when one has lived,
as it were, in the backwoods of the United
States, where the Governors salary amounts
to s., 600 year, and where the annual ex-
penses of the Territorial Government only
amounts to about 100000, and then at last
emerges into kingdom with royalty and
crowns and palaces costing hundreds of
thousands of dollars, and where the yearly
expenses leap up to over million dollars,
I saw, under these conditions one naturally
expects grandeur and magnifcence in af-
fairs of this sort. l will seek at least to be
truthful, and state things as they really