The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-05-14

bright seeds and shells and flowers
in their hair. l tell you they are
handsome"'
When we had rested and had
more speeches the King arose and
escorted Us. single file. through a
large village TO the Council-house.
which was a grass hut thirty-fve by
fifty feet. and crowded with chiefs.
There must have been a hundred, all
solemnly sitting cross-legged on
their mats throws, according to their
rank.
They wore flowers in their hair, =
continued Pueaka. ''and strings of
bright-red seeds around their necks.
and they fairly glistened with cocoa
nut oil. Each carried staff of
polished wood and a fan. We were
shown to a raised bench at one end
of the house. with one Of the fine
mats at our feet. There wasn't a
sign Of woman anywhere.
Then one of the big chiefs stood
up, and took the speaking staff the
orator always holds while he is ad-
dressing the house. l can't remem,
Der all he said, though It was very
well translated"
4 remember" said Tusi-Tusi.
The first man who spoke was the
Kings orator. He made US welcome
to the village Of Tifua and Fipula-
tc the birthplace Of the Malietoas,
and the seat Of government. l tell
you he talked ike q book
The chief responded = said Pue-
aka. and Tusi-Tusi here made a fine
speech in thrilling Fenimore Cooper
style that seemed to please every
body.
Then came kava, this time made
by one of the high chiefs. After
about two hours of speeches a great
noise was heard at the end Of the
village, and procession filed along
to the music Of drums. First came
four men bearing q litter with $50
pounds Of roast pig on it. then came
men with tarO. chickens, ducks. bread
fruit, cocoanuts, vans and fish, about
sixty men in all
These things We're all piled up
before the house, and presented to
us-cooked edibles enough for 1,400
people. Then the feast began: ban
ana leaves were laid on the ground
for tablecloths, and the tid-bits picked
out for the guests. 1 was hungry,
and the way l tackled the spring
chicken and cocoanut milk was a
wonder to the aborigines.
After the feast the oldest Of the
chiefs stood up among the noun
tains of grub and divided it out
among the chiefs of the villages, who.
when their names were called, ad-
vanced and took their portion.
After it was all divided but the
big hog and about a ton of fruit and
tish-which was our share to take
home with us-the feasting began in
the village.
I'VE sat around and smoked
awhile, and then those six old chiefs
got up, oiled themselves we'll with
cocoanut oil, and danced the seeva
for US, a thing they had never done
for foreigners before. They kept it
up for two hours, doing the widest
things, prancing and leaping and
throwing themselves like mad
After more speeches and kava
the King escorted us back to his
house, and we lay off in the shadow
Of the palms and smoked, starting
homeward at 10 o'clock that night
Did you ever see Malietoa
again ?" [ asked.
oh. yes, said Pueaka: eve saw
him many times. What 4 shame it
is to think that he is now in the
power Of the Germans, his beautiful
islands the scene Of riots and war. l
cannot believe that Bismarck knows
half -"
Bother Bismarck = returned Tu-
si-Tusi. with warmth. IF the Amer
leans had any spirit at all they would
not have calmly laid by and"
But they had no authority from
their government
"Oh, well" [ said, rising and shak-
ing the sand from my dress, If you
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