Austin's Hawaiian weekly. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1899-190?, 1899-09-30

dsrobed was large sheet of tapa, a native cloth,
as white as snow, spread upon the verdant grass,
| was prepared for my adventure and accepted the
proffered luxury as one accustomed to magic and
entertainments. Wrapping myself in large Turk
ish towel with which had come provided, re-
clined upon the tapa throwing one part of its capa-
cious proportions over my neither eXtremities and
for few moments was left to reflection. To saw
that enjoyed the bath would be as inadequate in
description as it would be to paint rose, the queen
of flowers, with one color without tints. was
dreaming, almost in trance. A trance is nothing
more than immotonal expectancy, border line
between the visible and invisible, when heard
sweet, low voice pronounce the sound Aloha nui,"
which in Hawaiian means, love you, the usual
sautaton more than equivalent to bon jour or
good morrow. uncovered my face and on either
side of me was standing with easy grace pretty
young native girl just budding into womanhood,
with all the good nature and humor that usually
beams from female Hawaiian face l knew from
the mischievous eyes that was to be the victim of
an embarrassing situation and about to talks my first
lesson in the lume lume, native cure for every
evil and i'll that flesh is heir to, and yielded with.
out even mental protest The girls swayed a few
movements in the hula hula, native dance guided
by the notes of song, wild, yet melodious in the
extreme. felt their long delicate fingers separat-
ing as it were the snuous tissues of my ankles the
manipuators moving rapidly from one locality to
another with searching gentleness of pressure at
times so torcbe as to verge on veritable pain, and
then so soothing as to make ones thankfulness
vocal. There are no words of thanks in the Ha-
waiian language, the only words analogous in
meaning being maka and nu nui, which are
used Interchangeable, meaning good, strong, great.
How long | INDUCED in this delirum do not
know. Time has measure for such kingly
pleasures. These hours were dressed in the
Hawaiian frock called holikoo-a loose wrapper
much after the pattern of fashionable ady's robe
de nnH Their feet were unconined by Shoes or
even sandals, and their toes almost as long
and flexible their fingers. These children Of
Nature had never known care, and were ignorant
OF want The kanakas ever kind to their chill
dren; have never heard cry. The service
being performed, they tripped away as they had
come, and my guide returned bringing my clothes
and hastily dressing, | started for Mr. Shipman's
ranch, where was being entertained during my
visit to Puma l felt if an important epoch in
my life had been reached and that had turned
back the road of life and was approaching by
blooming paths the spring tide of existence once
agan-that old ways were abandoned and felt
happy, for fully believe that the days of youth
are the days of our glory" AT the ranch found
dinner waiting for me simple, yet of peculiar excel
lence and neatly served olypees, shell fish an
natnrel pond mullet-the finest fish in the world
and tender oin of beef braized with sweet potatoes
such as are only grown the Sandwich Islands,
bottle OF California caret and cup of cafe noiy
ri native growth-an improvement on mocha itself.
When | returned to the verandah the stars were
shining brightly and young moon was tending
towards the western horizon, while breeze from
the ocean OF temperature of about 10 degrees
gave motion to the feahery fronds of various palms,
infusng just life enough to fill the imagination
with strange images of the past and visions of the
future. What were those thoughts? 1t would be
profanity to translate them into words the pure in
mind have had kindred thoughts, and no sound, no
language make them vocal.