Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
THE SAD DEATH OF KING KALAxAuA.
The Similar Death of = Fosrner Hawaiian
King Away From Home.

AtnE aWay FROM htome<
The sad death Of King Kalakaua. far away
from his beautiful islands and his loving. gentle
and vanishing people, recalls the death OF
Lihc Liho. former Hawaiian king in
England in 1874. In many respects the two
kings were much alike-weak and vacillating
in moral traits; much beloved by their people;
often under the domination of question
able foreign influence and habits; great travel
ers on missions of national advancement, and
both dying, comparatively young, in far
distant lands.
Liho Liho assembled the throne not long
after the fall of idolatry in Hawaii For some
time he was under the influence and evil
habits OF irreligious foreigners, but in his sober
moods, seeing the impending danger to his
throne and race. under the teaching of his
gentle queen and her advisers. he called halt
anu embraced Christianity. His new faith so
awakened his mind and inspired his aims that
he resolved TO visit England. pay his respects
to her king and enlist ihe active Christian sym-
Hawaii.
His departure. in company with his queen
hameha-mara, (s.iade of the warrior King
hamehameha) in 1924 is ore of the most beau
tiul and sad episodes in the history of this
dying race. This queen WAS the first princess
TO embrace Christianity. and she ever after
used all her influence TO advance her faith.
She built the first Christian school at Honolulu
ana was always active in every good work for
the elevation and welfare OF her people
The day of departure for England was a
public holiday, and the young king passed
along from his palace to the seashore he bid a
fond farewell to his people. kissing with kindly
,Ms9nng an the little children presented to him.
Nhen the queen passed through the crowd of
warm hearted subjects those near her fell on
their knees and kissed her feet weeping
bitterly, while the thousands who thronged the
beach made loud wailings in unfeigned sorrow.
When she reached the shore and was about 10
embark she paused. and in the manner of her
country chanted a wild lament farewell to
her beloved isles. After she had thus emptied
her heart she beckoned to the multitude 90 be
sui. and then said: II am going 10 a distant
land and perhaps we shall not meet again.
Let US pray to Jehovah that He NAV preserve
us ON the sea and you on the land" As the
boat left the shore the queen waved her hand
to the people and cried: aloha nui oukou'-
great love be with you Many wGded into the
water as she moved away, while others stood
on the shore waving their hands in sorrowfal
farewell. crying "Au-wei au-we! (alas
alas till she had passed away from their
sight The same chronicler observes that the
SAD PREsENrIuESr OF THE PEOPLE
was soon TO be realized. On the 22d of May,
1874, their majesties reached Portsmouth and a
few DAYS later appeared in London. They were
scented to court and only few DAYS after their
arrival in England, they were taken i'll. On the
Sth of July the queen died and the king broken
hearted, had serious relapse and expired a
week after her death.
England paid what honor she could to the
royal dead, as our own government have done
to halakaua. frigate was appointed TO con-
vey the bodies and the living attendants back
TO hawan. Bitter were the waiiings Of the
people when the terrible news became known.
The royal collins were carried ashore and
placed on funeral cars, each drawn to the
church by forty inferior chiefs. while the air
resounded with lamentations. But this great
national calamity, at the very dawn Of their
Christianity. did not shake the faith of the
people in God or in the teachings of their
Young and sainted queen. Instead of renew
lns, their heather rites and abandoning their
new found faith they appointed a set time of
mourning. during which all ordinary pursuits
were to be suspended that the nation might
humble itself before God, as well as thank
Hum for the safe return of so many loved ones
No doubt at this time thousands of hearts in
England and America beat in sympathy with
the Hawaiians in their great national loss.