The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
HAWAIIAN HOSPITALITY.
New Workers Experience the Sensa-
ton of Native Feast.
New York Times.

New York Times.
Burton Holmes, the lecturer, and his man
ager, Louis Francis Brown, have recently
returned from the Hawaiian islands, where
they have been during the past few months,
obtaining material for lecture on the new
American possessions. After Speaking en-
Enthusiastically of the beauties of the islands,
the charming situation of Honolulu, and the
delightful climate which is never too warm
or too cold. Mr.. Brown said:
''ln Honolulu, and in fact in all the ISL
ands, the goddess Of hospitality reigns SUI
preme, and the devotees at her shrine are
innumerable. Mr.. Holmes and I had the
good fortune TO carry with us a large num-
Der of letters of introduction to people of
wealth and position, and these letters were
the open sesame to the inner circles of So
ciety and sat the same time gave us a
glimpse OF the most charming home life it
IS possible to imagine. Some of the charac-
teristic forms of entertaining guests, I am
sure, Will be OF interest, and i am only too
glad to bear witness to the fact that the
Hawaiian host and hostess are never ex-
celled and seldom equaled
In the first place, ponderous social func-
tiOns are, as compared with US, few and far
between. Occasionally there is a state re-
cepton or ball, but as a rule the ball dress
and the 'claw-hammer' are ignored the
white duck suit and the cool and delightful
~ becoming garb of our summer girl be-
ing almost universally in vogue. The pre-
vailing temperature the year round being
between sixty and ninety degrees, this is
eminently appropriate. One of the first at
fairs to which we were invited was a native
feast, or Iuau, as it is called by the ma
tives This was given for us, at a typical
Honolulu house, situated on the shore at
Waikiki, a charming suburb about three
miles from the center of Honolulu Alighting
from our carriage, we We're uShered across
a smooth lawn, on the borders of which
royal palms waved majestically in the
breeze. At the further end of the lawn was
the house, with a broad, shady Veranda. On
either side Of the main house, smaller
houses, devoted TO sleeping apartments
each with it's own broad Veranda ran a
right angles 10 the main house. All of these
We're one story in height and all We're en-
powered in vines and flowers, while stand
ing. sentnel-lil1e, over all, were the ever
present palms. Our host and hostess met US
before we could reach the house, bringing
with them beautiful wreaths of flowers
called 'lais." with which it is the native
custom to decorate the guests, the hostess
herself arranging the wreaths around the
gentlemen's necks, the host performing a
like office for the guests of the fair sex
These 'lais resemble in size ladys fur
boa and are each made of small flowers
commonly pinkS. The pink is stripped of its
green outer covering and then the loosened
petals are strung, one after another on a
string of cocoanut fiber, making a Wrea IN
appealing at once to the sight and the smell
Having been duly decorated, Mr. Holmes
and l We're then presented to the other
guests similarly decorated, among whom
were Princess Kafulani and other leaders
in the Hawaiian four hundred.
Seated on the Veranda quaint JaDanesa
maids in native costume brought us an an
petizer Familiarity American, mixed bv 01r
fair hostess, after which we passed through
u ilEnEEf
ropolitan civilization out upon the Lanai +,
where the luau was spread. In passing let
me explain that the lanai is one Of TIA
institutions of Hawaiian home life II is .
large, square vcrandG, which is used a II
times of the year as q living room Here
the meals are served; here friends ara re-
ceived, books are read and sewing done n,
the particular case in mind the lamar w.
about thirtyfive feet wide by fifty feef Iort-
sheltered from sun and rain by an enorrno-,7,,
vine of great age. The floor was ~ 80
wood highly polished and partly coverad
with native straw mats and rugs v,hiIa IL
furnishings We're similar to those I,eS,, ' lie
found in living rooms in the States 4aS
race extended q few feet beyond the bnrl 49,
of the lanai at the foot of which sonas
ten feet beneath the ocean dashed IN 60
a beach of snowy sand ~ oN0i
In this delightful lanai the +ablae No.
laid their position forming a letter " Z :
the apex Of which. one at each tabls ~
our host and hostess. On the wh;re ~ :
cloth ferns were spread Ia sueb n rs,s,le
sion that the cloth was fairly bid A. u
while down the center of the nj leo r4 =,
row of pineapples, watermelons apd - ~ q
fruits. IL IS the custom at n naive g F.
&c put everything Oh the table IN a,,, a's' y
the tables fairly groaned with nati,,e 4i-ii, ~
as yet unexEsored By US, and which We ~;
been told, according TO native cnStone ', ~.
would be Obliged to eat without Knit ~ " s
or spoon. We thought IL others M III =
it ana lived that We could Sd we 49, ~ :
on the pretty little pink CRABS and ~ bs sssl