The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-01
PALACE OF WOMEN.
An Evening at Cards With the
King of Apemama.
RETlNUE OF DUSkY LADIES.
On Moonlight Nights the Air Was Like
Bath of MIk-Domestic Affairs
of Old Tembinok'.


OF many women, or rather the ground
which 1t includes, is several acres in ex-
tent. a terrace enclosed it toward the
lagoon; on the side OF the land a palisade
with several gates. These are scarce in
tended Tor defence; man. if he were
strong, might easily pluck down the
pa!lsade; he need not be specially active
70 reap from the beach upon the terrace.
mere Is no parade of guards, soldiers or
weapons; the armory is under lock and
Key, and the only sentinels are certain in
conspicuous old women lurking day and
night before the gates. BY day these
crones were often engaged in boiling syrup
or the like household occupation; by night
they lay ambushed in the shadow
or crouched along the palisade - the
crouches of the heaven-sole guards upon
tyrant's life
Female wardens make fit outpost for
this palace of many women. OF the num-
Der OF the kings wives have no guess,
and but loose idea of their function. He
himself displayed embarrassment when
they were referred to as his wives, called
them himself my family" and explained
they were his 'cutcheons" (cousins). We
distinguished four of the crowd. the kings
mother. his sister, grave. trenchant wo-
man, with much of her brothers intelli-
gence; the queen proper, to whom, and 10
whom alone, my wife was formally pre-
scented, and the favorite of the hour, a
pretty, graceful girl, who sat with the
KING daily. and once, when he shed
tears, consoled him with caresses.
am assured that even with her his re-
Iations are platonic In the background
figured multitude of ladies-the lean. the
plump and the elephantine, some in sacuue
frocks, some in the hair breadth ridi; high
born and low, slave and mistress: from
the queen to the scullion. from the favor
lite to the scraggy sentries at the palsade
Not all these of course are of my family"
many are mere attendants; yet surpris-
ing number shared the responsibility of
the kings trust. These were KEY bearers
treasurers, wardens of the armory, the
napery and the stores. Each knew and
did her part to admiration. Should any,
thing be required-a particular gun per-
haps or particular bolt of stuff-the right
queen was summoned she came bringing
the right chest, opened it in the kings
presence and displayed her charge in per-
feet preservation, the gun cleaned and
oiled, the goods duly folded. With
out delay or haste and with the
minimum of speech, the whole great
establishment turned on wheels like ma
chine. Nowhere have / seen order more
complete and pervasive. And yet / was
always reminded of worse tales of trolls
and ogres who kept their hearts buried
in the ground for the mere safety, and
must connde the secret to their wives. For
these weapons are the life of Tembinok'
He does not aim at popularity, but drives
and braves his subjects with a simplicity
of domination which it is impossible not
to admire and not to sympathize with.
Should one out of so many prove faithless;
should the armory be secretly unlocked;
should the crones have dozed by the pail
SADIE and the weapons find their way I'M
seen into the village, revolution would be
nearly certain, death the most probable re-
suit, and the spirit OF the tyrant of Ape
mama hit to rejoin his predecessors of
Market and Tapituea. Yet those whom
he so trusts are all women and all rivals.
There is indeed a ministry and staff of
males: cook, steward, carpenter and su-
percargoes; the hierarchy of a schooner.
The spies. his majesty's daily papers,"
as we called them. come every morning to
report and go again. The cook and stew
ard are concerned with the table only.
keep tally of the copra at f3 a month and a
percentage, are rarely in the palace; and
two at least are in the other islands. The
carpenter, indeed, shrewd and jolly old
Rubam-query, Reuben ?-promoted on
my last visit TO the greater dignity of gov
ernor, is daily present. altering, extend
ing, embellishing, pursuing the.endiess
series of the kings inventions; and his
majesty Will sometimes pass an afternoon
watching and talking with Rubam at his
work But the males are still outsiders;
none seems 10 be armed. none Is intrusted
with 4 key; by dusk they are all usually
departed from the palace; and the weight
OF the monarchy and OF the monarch's life
repoSes unshared on the women.
Here is a household unlike, indeed, to
one OF ours; more unlike still TO the
Oriental harem-that of an elderly, child
less man, his days menaced, dwelling
alone amid a bevy of women of all ages,
ranks and relationships. the mother, the
sister. the cousin, the legitimate wife, the
concubine. the favorite, the corn, and she
of yesterday; he, in their midst, the only
boner, the only male, the sole dispenser Of
honors, clothes and IuxurIes, the sole
mark of muititudinous ambitions and de-
sires. doubt if you could find man IN
Europe so bold as to attempt this piece of
tact and government. And seemingly
Tembinok himself had troublein the begin
ming. | hear Of him shooting at q wife for
some levity on board q schooner. An
other on some more serious otfense he slew
outright; he exposed her body in an open
box, and TO make the warning more men,
orabe) suffered il 10 putreiy before the
palace gate Doubtless his growing
wears have come to his assistance, for upon
so large q scale it is easier to play the
father than the husband. And today, at
least TO the eve OF a stranger. AL seems TO
so smoothly. and the wives 10 be proud Of
their trust. proud of their rank. ana proud
OF their cunning lord. | conceived they
made rather a hero of the man. y popu-
lar master in q girls school might perhaps
offer s figure Of his preponderauug sta
ton But the master does not eat, sleep.
live and wash his dirty linen in the midst
OF his admirers The master escapes. he
has room Of his own, he leads private
life; If he has nothing else ne has the holI-
DAYS, and the more unhappy Temninok'
is always on the stage and on the stretch.
In ali nv coming and going l never
heard him speak harShiy or express the
least dlspleasure. An extreme. rather
heavy o.cnity-the dignity Of one sure
10 be obeved-marked his demeanOr; so
that | was at times reminded OF samuel
( Richardson in his circle Of admlrInS wo-
men The wives spoke up and seemed 10
I volunteer opinions. like our wives At
hone-0r say, Ike dotln- but respected
aunts. Altogether, | conclude that he
rules his sera..io much more by AT than
terror. and those who give different ac-
count tand who have none OF them en-
;avsi my opD0-tTuit!es of observation