The Red Cloud chief., 1894-04-27

"Noman's R~ights'-RoyRl Professions,
In One of which n Dowagcr Wore Sew
eniy-two Yards Of Cashmere.
When the missionaries arrived mt Ha-
wall. March 80. 1920, the condition of
woman was that of Il slave. She could
not eat ~cocoanuts. bananas, oranges or
fish, and one of the curious tabus, or in
terdictions, forbade her eating any kind
Of food with men.
Queen Kaahumanu sent for the new
king, Liholiho, who was engaged in a
drunken orgie out on the ocean IN q
canoe, and urged him to throw down the
idols i'll the heaiaus, or temples, and to
clinch the matter by eating in public
with a group of women who were feast
ing by themselves at O little distance
from the royal abode. Staggering over
to them, Liholiho, who was q very diff
ferent character from his famous father,
sat down and publicly ate some of their
food. The cry went up, "The tabu 10
broken"
The torch was applied to the idols. and
woman's emancipation began. Queen
Kaahumenu was q huge, heavy mortal,
| Uuu IihS I'LL tft Ctlcko bIt WuS IIouuu iiu
cruel. AT first she treated the mission
aries with disdain, Offering only the tip
Of her little finger in s%alutation, but she
became a jealous convert and remained
to the time Of her death, in 1899, ut the
age of 80, n firm and conscientious Chris
tian. beloved by those who intimately
knew her and universally respected for
her abilities. She had ruled as consort
Of the great conQueyor, as Joint sovereign
with his son, Liholiho, and as regent dur
ing the minority Of Kauikeouli.
Kamamalu, the queen of pleasure low
ing Liholiho, was fond Of display. On q
state occasion in 1898 she was carried In
procession, seated In O whaleboat on q
frame of wickerwork borne on the shout
ders Of 20 men.
The boat and platform, 80 feet long by
10 feet wide, were covered with costly
broadcloth relieved by beautiful colored
tapas (native bark cloth. The queens
dress was O scarlet silk mantle and q
feather coronet. An immense Chinese
umbrella, richly gilded and decorated
with tassels and fringes Of the same
gaudy color, supported by q chief wear
1 luH u ltlLltt, kCIttIlSu DCI lIOLu Nv Suus
Chiefs held aloft kahilis, or royal
stats, 80 feet high, the handles sur
rounded by alternate ivory and tortoise
shell rings, beautifully wrought and
highly polished, the upper part being ar
ranged so as to form q column or plume
of scarlet feathers Of II feet in diameter
and from IL to IA feet long. A more
magnificent insignia Of rank, conveying
at once the ideas Of grandeur, state and
beauty, as they lowered and gracefully
nodded above the multitude, was never
devised by barbarians.
Another royal lady, Kinau, who after.
ward shared authority with Kamehame'
hs III (Kauikeouli), her title being Kaa'
humanu II, appeared in q scarlet pau, q
long piece of silk wound round the body
and limbs, with two long streamers. Thu
pau Is a very graceful costume, especial
ly when worn by q wahiue (native wo
man) on horseback, with the gayly col
ored streamers afloat in the wind. Thu
two dowager queens appeared in thiI
procession. One Of them wore 70 yard.
}. Of cashmere Of double width, one-hali
being orange and the other half scarlet
!. This was wrapped about her figure till
her arms were supported by the mass In
q horizontal position, while the remain
der, forming an extensive train, was sup
ported by q retinue selected for that pur
pose.
The richness and variety Of the dresses
and colors, and the exhibition Of thu
wealth and power Of the chiefs, theil
hereditary symbols of rank, the stately
kahilis, splendid cloaks and helmets, ant
I necklaces Of feathers, intermingled will
the brilliant hues and deep green Of thu
! flowers and wreaths from their NATIVE
: forests, rendered the spectacle at onc'
= unique and attractive. Groups Of sing
ers and dancers, to the number Of man!
hundred, ever and amor met the process
sion, enthusiastically shouting their adu
lation in the willing ears Of the chiefs.
Queen Kamamalu and Liholiho mad
. a voyage to London in 1928. Before tn
n ship weighed anchor at Honolulu tn
queen chanted u farewell:
I 80 heaven! o earth! o mountains
o sea! o my counselors and my sub
jects, farewell!"
The royal travellers created q sense
ton in London. Queen Kamamalu ez
: hibited herself in loose trousers and
:, long bed gown of colored velveteen, bu
Partisan modistes soon clothed the ladie
: in all the gear Of fashion. Corsets 70
the first time encircled their ampl
waists, and the London ladies, in thei
rage for the new lions, sought patterns G
the turban that graced the brow Of til
queen.
But, alas, the royal pair caught tn
measles and died in London, poor chi
dren of nature that they were, far froI
the palm groves and bosky bowers
their native isles! The bodies, in lea
collins framed in wood and covered wit
crimson velvet, were sent to Honolulu
in the frigate Blonde in charge of Lor
Byron, a cousin Of the poet.-Godey
Magazine,