The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-07
Joseph Nawahi Buried at Scene
of His Boyhood.
HILO WE'D WITH HONOLULU.
Casket Taken From Steamer on Funeral
Canoes Sublime Decorations = immense
Procession of Friends-HiIo Streets Crowd
ed With People Sermon by Rev. Desha.

HILO, Hawaii, Oct. Excitement
ran high in this place when telephone
message from Purser Beckley of the
Kinau, sent from Kawaihae early We'd
nesday morning last, announced that
the body of the late Joseph Nawahi
would arrive here on the steamer Ha-
wall to leave Honolulu on that same
day. The mere fact that the arrival of
the Hawaii was matter of conjecture,
due to the large amount of freight for
Lahaina and other way ports, increas
ed the excitement to still higher pitch,
so that when d telephone message was
received from Mahukona Thursday af-
ternoon that the Hawaii had reached
that port, Hilo was in a perfect whirl
wind
From Puma, Puneo, Wainaku, Papai-
kou, from Onamea and other small
places near Hilo, there was a steady
inpouring of natives, dressed in either
white or black.
Between and o'clock Friday morn
ing, minute bells from Hilo Church an
nounced that the Hawaii had come in
sight, and a little later your reporter
saw her drop anchor in Hilo bay, some
what further toward the Puma side
than usual AS the Hawaii gave one
long whistle, there appeared moving
slowly out from Wailoa river four large
double canoes manned by sturdy ma
tives. Between each of the two were
platforms for the coffin and the people
who accompanied the body.
PROCESSION OF CANOES.
The head canoe was manned by ma
tives grown old in the art of canoeing,
and the top of the platform was COW
cred with a heavy black pail. AS the
procession of these four canoes, each
with Hawaiian flag at half mast, ap-
preached closer and closer to the stea-
mer, the decks of the latter seemed to
be all animation, and in a short time
preparations were completed for put
ting the body off.
Just as the funeral canoe had reach
ed the side and as the body was being
lifted over, the steamer Hawaii, hitn-
erto pointing directly toward Hilo,
swerved around slowly and pointed to-
to natural causes, striking the natives
as something in the realm of the super
natural.
AS soon as the body had been taken
aboard, one lone bomb doomed out
from the direction of Waiakea, and the
canoe and procession of boats started
away from the side OF the vessel, the
Hawaii swerving still further around
and pointing toward Puma.
Long before the procession reached
Waiakea the beach near by, the jutting
rocks, the bridge and every position of
vantage was occupied by people, the
greatest number of whom were natives.
On either side of Wailoa river, up
which the procession of boats was ex-
pected to pass, were the ever present
cameras of the picture hunters, while
about on the shore and dabbling in the
water were native school children with
their books and states under their arms,
| just released from the four walls of the
school rooms on account of their being
of the same race as the deceased Jo-
seph Nawahi.
The canoes with four large shore
boats bringing up the rear passed
across the bay and by "Keone o ohele,' -
famed in native song, and facing round
| toward Waiakea, came up "Kanukuo-
kamanu,' the little pass that, situated
between jutting rocks, provides an en-
| trance to Wailoa river. The rays of
the morning sun shone brightly upon
the procession and upon the funeral
canoe, whittier all eyes were directed.
At the bow of the starboard canoe was
| a miniature sailing vessel decorated
| with wreaths of flowers, while stand
ing out most prominently at the foot
of the coffin, resting on the platform,
was a solid parallelogram of mari
colds, into which had been worked the
words
JOSEPH NAWAHJ