The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-02-10
AIMS OF KALAKAUA.
BE Was to Have Gone to Wash
ington.
INTENDED INVESTMENT IN
SAN DIEGO.
Fine Traits in His Character
He Was a Sincere
Christian.

| OOlOhSA "
the late KING Kalakaua's chamber
lain, who was stricken with /;
severe attack of pleurisy caused by
a cold caught during his visit tt
Southern California with the King
had so far recovered yesterday al
to be able to leave his bed anC
walk about the garden surround
| ing the house on Howard street
where he is staying. The cham
berlain when seen yesterday by
Chronicle reporter expressed con
siderable sorrow and indignation
over the reports that have been
published concerning his late pa
irons habits of life and line OF
belief.
"Now, l will tell something
about His Majesty" said the Col
onel, that the world does not
know. In the first place his whole
heart and soul was in having the
provisions of the reciprocity treaty
between the islands and the United
States preserved intact and taken
out of the operation of the McKin-
ley bill. This was the true reason
of his visit to this country. In fact,
so much was he wrapped up in the
matter that h&d not sickness over
taken him it was his intention to
have gone to Washington on fly
ing visit in order to personally see
the President and Secretary Blaine
on the subject.
che had purposely delayed his
departure on the Charleston in
order to be able to hear from his
Minister at the capital. This he
had confded to me as secret, and
had not his sickness overcome him
he would, regardless of his weak
ened constitution have made the
trip.
"He had fear of the effects of
the cold and terrible winters in the
East, but had made up his mind to
brave the consequences rather than
return to Honolulu without having
accomplished his purpose. He in
structed me to telegraph to Mr..
Carter to see the Secretary of
State and ask his influence to have
the President call tho attention of
Congress to the matter before the
4th of next March. The cause of
his nervous condition was his in
tense anxiety over this matter. He
was so earnest in the project that
during the session of the last Ha-
waiian Legislature he would not
countenance any legislation that
would in the smallest way have a
tendency to alter or interfere with
the existing tariff treaty"
On being questioned in reference
to the rumor that the Kahunas, or
praying men of his people, were
praying him to DEATH" and that
the knowledge of that fact had
such depressing effect upon HIM
that he had given up the fight
against death and yielded to his
fate, the chamberlain, on declaring
the whole story an untruth, stated:
"ln the first place the King by
his education and association with
the outer world was entirely above
such superstitions. He would listen
to the old Alii's, and then smile
when they had left. To show how
utterly groundless the story is, 1
will state that for some days be-
fore his death l did not allow His
Majesty to see or read any of his
letters from Honolulu. He, in fact,
received no information whatever
of the doings there, and could not
possibly have known anything
about such an absurdity, had it
really happened. He knew nothing
whatever about the appearance of
q school of the alulaaa or reddish
in the harbor of Honolulu after his
departure, which is generally ac-
cepted by the Kanakas as the fore
runner of the death of member of
the royal family.
"The King did not expect to die. |
On the contrary, he would not ad-
NIT that he was sick to a degree
greater than lndisposition caused |
by the change in the climate. He
was always cheerful, and when 1
urged upon him the necessity of
absolute rest and the cancellation
of all his engagements he smiled
and said to his friends, aGeorge
thinks l am sicker than l am"
"During his visit to San Diego
he became very much infatuated
with that country, and announced
his intention of investing in land in
hat place, and a few days before
ais last illness instructed me to
lotify the Hawaiian Consul there
hat he would make arrangements
IN his return on the Charleston
he expected to come back on the
,ruiserl to secure some Desirable