The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-08-19

ber of years ago he went to Hawaii
and entered the service OF King Ka-
lskaua, into whose good gracos he
rapidly grew. Almost before he
could realize it he was one OF the
Kings coufdants and held num-
ber Of private conferences with him.
Most Of these conferences we're
held in the throneroom, with the
King occupying his favorite seat
and Captain Pratt a chair near at
hand. OF course Captain Pratt was
often intrusted with important mis-
sions, and always reported the out
come Of them to the King 1t was
on such occasions as these that the
King rewarded him by making him
presents OF certain OF the relics.
The throneroom OF the palace was
pretty we'll filed with just this sort
of things. They hung on the walls
and stood in the corners and strew-
ed the tops OF the tables. The old
King knew all the history there was
to each OF them and was fond Of
telling it. One day, after certain
piece OF very important business
had been done to the Kings liking,
the King surprised Captain Pratt
by reaching into corner and taking
out au ornamental knife and pre-
senting it to him. The knife was a
specimen of kind the use of which
had been forbidden many years.
AS this now hangs in the collec-
ton in Oakland it is certainly
wicked-looking weapon, The blade
is made OF hardwood shaped much
like an ordinary hunting knife, and
along the edge are fastened rows Of
small sharks teeth. The weapon
was used in war by plunging at into
the body of the enemy and then
Withdrawing it. The wound infict-
ed in this way was something awful.
The second present which Captain
Pratt received from King Kalakaua
was the most valuable. The service
for which it was rendered was of
the greatest i'm mportance. In fact it
had to do with the welfare of the
entire country. For this the King
parted with his most valuable relic.
1t was the neck ornament OF Ka-
mehameha l., and was the only one
in the collection. The queer-looking
object, as it now hangs in Oakland,
appears to be made of rope OF hair
that is said to be human, and with a
bone ornament shaped like a hook
fastened at one end Of it, 1t is said
that this bone is that of man. The
value OF this relic lies in the fact
that it once belonged to the first
King OF the Hawaiian Islands, and
was given to foreigner by the last
OF his descendants for services rem
dered the country.
Among other relics which Captain
Pratt received from King Kalakaua
is an ornamental spear, made of
wood and carved in the most elab-
orate manner. Then there is a sas h
that he used to wear himself on
certain festive occasions, and also an
apron that the King used to wear at
ceremonies to which only natives
were ever present. The nature OF
these cermonies has always been
kept secret srom all except those
who attended them Even Captain
Pratt, intimate as he was with the
King, was never told Of what tran
spired at them. Captain Pratt is
still in Honolulu, but values his
gifts from the last King Of the isl
ands 80 much that he thinks they
are safer here than there. There
can be little doubt but that this il
the most valuable collection of relics
from Hawaii that there is in thi.
country. They are valuable at
curios, but much more so from the
fact that they were presents to al
American from the last King of the
| prattu 1ittla islanda in tba Paoific