The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-03-02
JAPANESEAT INDEPENDENCE PARK
Interesting to Orientals
Only.
Not a Large Gathering Considering
Population-Very Few White
People Present.

What would be termed in Catholic
Church circles the first Solemn
requiem mass" for the repose of the
soul OF the Dowager Empress of Japan
was said with great pomp and cere-
mony at Independence Park pavilion
Saturday night To the IA white people,
exclusive OF members of the band, the
ceremonies We're neither interesting or
edilying
The grounds around the entrance to
the park were brilliantly Illuminated
with lanterns of the election procession
variety. and miniature light house on
either side Of the bridge guided the
faithful TO the hall, where the high
priests and subOrdinates were to meet
and say prayers for the dead At the
street gate guests were received by a
committee Of Japanese, and their names
recorded by members of another com
miuee. sitting ct q table, on which
were stuck some tallow candles. Fe-
males were provided with small pieces
uf white silk which they pinned in
their hair at the crown Of their heads.
The men folks were decorated with
hands OF black crepe. fastened around
1Leir left arms These decorations We're
the open sesame at the entrance to the
pavilion.
The hall was neither brilliantly il
lumiuatei OF deliberately decorated. A
few japanese flags. bordered on the
upper edEe with black. constituting all
there was out of the ordinary. The al
tar faced the door, and was decorated
with eVerEreeEs and tail pyramids. con
tanning Japanese characters. Two
large candles painted red. Illuminated
the space set apart for devotions by the
priests Half a dozen bowls Of various
sizes from which smoke emitted after
the manner of Kilauea on an off day
represented. possibly. the various way
stations al which her late majesty
paused before reaching goal. On one
side OF the raised altar was a stack of
apples and oranges: on the opposite. a
pyramid OF biscuits, made of rice, much
resembling. in heft and texture. a
brides first attempt in this line. At a
fair sum per pound. the collection
would bring q fortune to a manufac-
turer of the commodity. On a platform
al the Eva end Of the hall Professor
Berger and the fun Hawaiian Band was
stationed and promptly at As played
the Dead March from Saul, the crowd
in the meantime filing in. the constant
pauer of the mud shoes breaking the
harmony of the music and crying ba-
bies added to She discord One side of
the ham contained chairs for little Jap
auese uaiders while the men were rel
eza-ed 30 chairs on the other end. The
few white peoyle present were placed in
2 corner near the altar A few min
utes before s four richly garbed priests
entered and took their places on the
altar and began their prayers. one at a
time in a low vail. which resembled to
a degree the yawp that goes with an at
tack % Mololai channel sea-siclness
The more earnest the devotions the
louder was the yawp. This continued
at Intervals until o'clock. the band
filling I'm the gap with selections of
morose japanese music. A half hour
before the services terminated some
members Of the committee arranged a
row of tables. each containing a saucer
filed with dry powder. and bowl con-
Aa-A-A4LA- ~ HlAAAuAANl lllA mass. Al II SlSu
the men In the audience lined up. and.
taking pinch Of the powder. raised it
close 70 their foreheads, and then cast
il into the bowl This act was repeated
twice and then each man said a prayer
and koWtoWed TO the priests. When the
men had finished the women went
through the same performance. and
then followed a distribution of the
fruit and biscuits among the multitude
Promptly al o'clock the band played
another funeral march. and the services
closed with Sweet Bye and Bye"
There were no addresses. no remarks
Of amy kind to the people assembled by
any OF the Buddhist priests or people
in The audience. and the only ones pres
ent whose faces bore a solemn express
sion were the members of the band and
THE four priests
The white guests were: Miss Ma
roney. Mrs. J y Wright, Miss Wright.
Mrs Lose. Mr. and Mrs. J. f. Scott,
Professor and Mrs Ward, Mr.. and Mrs.
J. Iightfoot. II S. Levy. George Board
man. MI. Thompson and a reporter for
the Advertiser. There were about 400
Japanese present. mostly merchants
and their wives.
- II,