The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-13
QUEENS OF
PLAYED PROMINENT PARTS in THE
ISLAND KINGDOM.

@S SnOWt@ENF F&HFS IN TIL
ISLAND KINGDOM.
How Queen KAahumann Rsaahai.he.
"Woman's Rights"-Royaa Procession.
In, One OF which y Dowager were Sew
enty-two Yards of Cashmers.
When the missionaries arrived at Ia
waii, March 30. 1920, the condition 8
woman was that OF q slave. She coult
not eat cocoanuts. bananas, d O.
fish, and n 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 8
drunken orgie ont on the ocean in :
canoe, and urged him to throw down tht
idols In the heaiaus, or temples. and &c
clinch the matter by eating in public
With q group OF women who were feast.
ing by themselves ct q little distance
from the royal abode. Staggering over
to them, Liholiho. who was d very diff.
ferent character from his famous father,
sat down and publicly ate some Of their
food The cry went up. 1.-THE tabu ID
broken"
The torch was applied to the idols, and
woman's emancipation began. Queen
Kaahumanu was q huge. heavy mortal,
and like all the chiefs she was proud and
cruel. At first she treated the mission
aries with disdain, Offering only the tip
OF her little finger In salutation, but she
became a jealous convert and remained
to the time Of her death, In 1889, at the
age of %, Q 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 conqueror, 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 a
state occasion in 1898 she was carried in
procession, seated in a whaleboat ON a
frame of wickerwork borne on the shout
ders OF 20 men.
The boat and platform, 80 feet long by
Ii feet wide, were covered with costly
broadcloth relieved by beautiful colored
tapas (native bark cloth. The Queens
dress was q scarlet silk mantle and a
feather coronet. An immense Chinese
umbrella, richly gilded and decorated
with tassels and fringes Of the same
gaudy color, supported by q chief wear
ing . helmet, screened her from the sun,
Chiefs held aloft kahilis, or ROYAL
stats, 30 feet high, the handles sur
rounded by alternate ivory and tortoise
shell rings, beautifully wrought and
polished, the upper part being ar
ranged 90 az to form o column or plume
scarlet feathers Of IL feet In diameter
and from 10 to IA feet long. al more
magnificent insignia of rank, conveying
ut NICE the ideas Of grandeur, state and
beauty, as they lowered and gracefully
nodded above the multitude, was never
by barbarians.
Another royal lady, Kinau, who after.
ward shared authority with Kamehame-
10 Eli Kauikeouli), her title being Kaa-
III, appeared In q scarlet pan, b
long piece of silk wound round the body
and limbs, with two long streamers. The
Is Q very graceful costume, especial.
y when worn by . wahiue native wo
nan) on horseback, with the gayly col
,red streamers afoat in the wind. The
'wo dowager queens appeared in this
procession. One Of them wore 70 yards
# cashmere Of double width, one-haIf
,eing orange and the other half scarlet.
This was wrapped about her figure till
Ter arms were supported by the mass In
horizontal position, while the remain
Ter, forming an extensive train, was sup
,orted by o retinue selected for that pur-
,ose.
The richness and variety of the dresses
md colorsr and the exhibition OF the
wealth and power Of the chiefs, their
lereditary symbols of rank, the stately
splendid cloaks and helmets, and
lecklaces OF feathers, inter1ningled with
he brilliant hues and deep green OF the
and wreaths from their native
orests. rendered the spectacle at once
Inique and attractive. Groups of sing
rs and dancers, TO the number of many
undred, ever and anon met the process
ION, enthusiastically shouting their adr-
alton in the willing ears of the chiefs.
Queen KamaInalu and Liholiho made
voyage to London In 1923. Before the
nip weighed anchor at Honolulu the
neen chanted a farewell:
20 heaveni @ earthl o mountains,
seal @ my counselors and my sub
farewellls
The royal travellers created q sensa-
ON in London. Queen Kamamalu ex-
Ibited herself In loose trousers and d
ing bed gown Of colored yelyeteen, but
modistes soon clothed the ladies
! all the gear OF fashion. Corsets for
10 first time encirclsd their ample
,aists, and the London ladies, In their !
ICE for the new lions, sought patterns f
10 turban that graced the brow Of the
ueeu.
But, alas, the royal pair caught the
Ieasles and died In London, poor chill
Of nature that they were, far from
10 palm groves and bosky bowers of
leir native islesl The bodies. In lead
,fins framed In wood and covered with
imson velvet, were sent 10 HonoIu1u !
the frigste Blonde In charge Of Lord
yron, . cousin Of the poet.-Godsy's
&86& 4