St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-03

questions, when the gentleman of the
limy head roared out something in a
truly terrible voice, and at the same
time fine young TOngan,
VERY OILY AND THREE-QUARTERS
NUDE,
came rushing out from the interior to-
ward us. With much pOliteneSS and
evident agitation he conducted us away
from the veranda and back TO the big
house, where, in broken English, backed
up by much gesticulation, he revealed
TO us the appalling fact that we had
had treSpasSed upon the privacy or no
less person than his majesty the king.
Having humbly apOlogiZed for our III
nOcent intrusion and received reaS-
surfing answer. we were uShered through
the window into sort of drawing-rOOm,
well furnished apartment, with a
number of red velvet chairs set around
a long mahogany table-One chair lit
tie higher than the rest, acting, no
doubt, as a throne. Here We waited for
about half an hour, when his majesty
entered, accompanied by an interpreter,
and was graciOuSly pleased to accord us
a formal interview. He shook hands
very pleasantly with our party, and we
all sat down on the red velvet chairs,
the interpreter sQuatting on the floor
between.
The king, seen at closer quarters, was
really noble specimen of Semi-Say-
age, standing quite six feet four inches.
of wonderfully well prOportioned and
athletic build, upright as dart and
moving grandly in spite of his advanced
age. The ravages of time, however,
were visible i'll the Sunken eyes and
half-Open, nervOuSly-twitching mouth.
The dark face. contrasting so strangely
and strongly with the snOw-white hair,
presented a curious study. Wrlnkled
with age and inane in expression now,
it still bore unmiStakable signs of what
it had been in days gone by. The
Sunken eyes still shot forth at times the
same fierce, strong glare that must have
lighted them when. in the bloody days
of yOre, he. then victorious savage,
DISDAINING TO CLUB AN ENEMY
who had spoken of him in sighting
terms. tore with his own hands the Of
tenders tongue from between his jaws
and cOntemptuOuSly swallowed ii be-
fore the wretched victims face.
The garb of this curious specimen of
royalty, though more elaborate than
that in which we had seen him first, was
of an extreme simplicity, still consisting
merely of white linen shirt, girt in
round the waist with lOin cloth of
gaudy-figured calico reaching to just
below the knee. and he went barefoot.
On our stating that we should like
very much to inspect his house, 1T he
had no objection. we received haSty
Yes" of permission. and there our in
terview ended. His majesty rose and
haughtily strobe off through the Will
dow to his beloved cookhOuSe, where no
doubt he tore off his society shirt with
all speed. Meantime. being left quite
alone, we availed ourselves of the per-
mission we had obtained to view the
TOngan palace. and, passing through an
inner door, found ourselves in spa
ciOuS, entirely unfinished hall, from
which broad staircase rose to the re-
gions above. Half way up the landing,
covering the entire fall of the wall, was
an enormous oil painting of the En-
per0r William in full military uniform,
mounted on white charger and sur
rounded by brilliant staff.
At the top of the staircase were found
the royal bedrooms, all but one dirty,
unused and full of lumber; the fur
nished or state apartment containing an
enormous gilt bedStead. quite large
enough to accommodate four people.
The bed had never been slept in or APP
parently touched, since it was placed in
its present position years before. and
there it stood, and probably still stands.
all dusty, tarnIshed and dim, the mat
tresS decaying, the delicate and costly
lace curtains dropping piece by piece to
the dirty floor. In fact, the only habit
able room in the whole place was that in
which the king received us. The rest
were either stores for rubbish or Occu-
pied in purely native fashion and re-
sorted to only for sleep, when bamboo
pillow and mat spread OH the floor
were all the furniture required.
We saw no more of his majesty. or in
deed, of any one else, but quietly lei
ourselves out by the way we had en-
tered; and thus ended our visit to the
best known of all the royalties of the
Pacific isles.