The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-08-31
lie Is A KING At II.
NEW MONARCH IN ONE OF Tut
SOUTH Pacific ISLANDS.
Another who Hardened His People with
Debt Interesting News brought Up
ny Miss Hoppin.

When the bark Helen w. Amy
arrived in San Francisco lately af-
ter her long voyage from Butaritari,
she had but one passenger OH board
and this was Miss j. X. Hoppins,
missionary from Kusaie. Miss
Hoppin has been five years OH
Kusaie. There were but six other
white persons there and some hun
dreds Of natives. Miss Hoppin took
trips to other islands in the Caroline
group and also to the Marshall ISL
ands. She had variety Of exper-
fences, the most annoying Of which
was breaking down in health from
overwork, which made change Of
climate and scene and a long rest
necessary.
Miss Hoppin, says the Chyonfeie,
brings the news that there is new
King on Apemama, and perhaps the
youngest king IN all the world who
is actually ruling. The individual
now on the throne at Apemama
island is just "a years old-and as
many weeks as it takes the Helen
w. Almy to sail from Kusaie, which
is about seven. The fourteen-year-
old king Of Apemama succeeds old
Ten Benoke, made famous by
Robert Louis Stevenson. The
present ruler was Ten Benoke's
son. and since his coronation he is
getting the venerable chieftains
much excited by dignifying his
playmates with cumbrous titles.
He likes the missionaries very well
and manifests a disposition to let
them train the girls and boys to
wear clothes and behave.
The island Of Kusaie has king
who plunged the country into debt
the first year he had things his own
way. That was six years ago, and
his subjects have been working out
the debt ever since and now have it
nearly paid. The original burden
was 5000, but it created more
trouble in Kusaie than Cleveland's
bond transaction did in the United
States.
The name of the King who in
duced the chiefs of the island to
buy things OH credit is Togusa. All
the very high chiefs died and left
no heirs, and counsel was called
to elect new King. Togusa was
chosen because he had been a COM
mon sailor for six years and was
educated" He had been in San
Francisco and could chew tobacco.
He bought whaleboats the first
thing and in that way plunged the
country into financial difficulties.
Since then the natives have been
compelled TO work three months in
the year making copra for the ling
to pay on account.
Letters reached Miss Hoppiu in
Kusaie which indicate that mis-
sion station is soon to be re-estab-
lished in the Ponapcs. The
Spanish Government has been
compelled TO pay TI7, 500 indeinn-
ity for ousting American mission
aries from the Ponapes three years
ago. The claim Of Spain was that
it was war measure, as the ma.
lives had become insurgents. The
houses of the missionaries were
burned.
Kusaie is country that woutt
please the new woman, for the
natives inherit through the mother
II king marries beneath his sta
ton his children have his rank only
while he lives. but the children o
a queen are princes always.
, 81 was connected with til,
training school for girls at Kusaie, ;
said Miss Hoppin at the Sailors
Home yesterday afternoon. 81
had girls from the Gilbert island
and from the Marshall islands il
the school. The boys lived il
separate native houses. Their,
were two training schools for them
one for the Gilbert islanders ant
one for the Marshall islanders. W.
kept them u'ilil they married, anc
then sent them off 70 other lowe
islands as teachers. The native.
always welcome these teachers
and they are doing much to civiliz'
the islanders. A boy from tn,
Gilbert islands will marry a cir
from the Gilbert islands, but nj
other"