The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-20


'aIge from historical 5tanCpaint. H.
spoke as follows:
THE HAWAIIAN ALI.
Out of the mists and vague traditions
connecting Hawaiis past with the pres
emu, stands the imposing form of the
ALL Towering above the common peo-
pie, who humbly awaited his bidding he
at once arrested the attention and re-
spect of the early vOyager. So great was
The difference between chief and people
that. TO the chance observer, they ap-
Feared OF another race. Many years of
deyeloDment had indeed made them such
another race. No sterner system of caste
ever existed among the Hindus than was
maintained by the naughty chiefs of Ha-
wall. They held the power of life and
death in their hands. Their language
was their own, oft not understood by
servants and interiors. Their persons
were sacred; sometimes ii was death to
even touch them or To cross their shad-
ows.
Physically.it IS hard to find their equals.
Both sexes were tall. well formed and
powerful Their strength and grace was
cultivated by constant athletic exercise.
Many were the games requiring close
and careful work to produce supple limbs
and unerring quickness Of eye and hand
Their young men wrestled. swan, roue
the surf, rolled the maika stone an
Threw InN spear II IS SdlQ LtlaI Mann
hameha 1 could stand, and having a half
dozen spears at once thrown at his nak-
ed body would catch two or three while
he lodged the rest. Had they been con-
tent with the perfect beauty OF athletic
development, they would have been hand
some always, but the seductions of APP
petite and Incidence overcame the robust
vigor of youth, and over indulgence pro-
duced an enormous growth of fat, which
they learned to regard as beautiful, or at
least as a sign of nobility. The active
and alert warrior frequently attained a
weight of two hundred and fifty to three
hundred pounds. Sometimes this grew
to four hundred and over, as prosperity
and more frequent gorging induced an
indolent life with the resulting increase
in weight.
The mild air OF this gentle climate rem
dered much clothing unnecessary, pue
for public occasions, their dress was
magnificent and striking. A visit to the
nearby museum will show how fine that
covering was. The lofty helmet dressed
and decked with beautiful red and yell
low feathered covered a finely shaped
head. carried proudly over broad shoul-
ders which IN turn were httingly and
becomingly draped with the splendid cape
Of feathers for which Hawaii is celebrat-
ed. The famous Inamo cloak Of Kane
hameha IS said TO have occupied nine
generations In it's manufacture. Suspend
ed from the neck the "palaoa" was often
worn The exposure OF perfect limbs
added to. rather than detracted from. the
picturesqueness Of the figure. When
RalanIopuu and his retlnue went in ca
noes to visit Cook in Kealakekua Bay,
Captain King described their appearance
as imposing.and splendid, and surely 1t
must have been sight of savage gram
deur we'll worth seeing.
In manners these chiefs compared fav-
orably with the most polished OF the ma
lions of few hundred years ago Theirs
was the chivalry of the fourteenth cen
fury. Their grace OF manners often arose
from that of the best of all causes. a
heart fun OF true courtesy and hospitai-
ity. Toward slaves or interiors they were
stern and forbidding, but possessed the
grace to be most kind and considerate.
Those not ruined by selfish lives of de-
bauchery Were often moved by feelings
Of parentalism and We're much beloved
by their people and retainers. The true
chief regarded himself not only as the
ruler but the father of the people. While
IT Is true that the word of the Ali was
the supreme law, and that the commoner
mad few rights which required respect,
vet in return for obedience and service,
the chief felt that he must protect his
followers, and the poor people We're often
guarded, at the expense of feud with
neighbOring tribes. against abuse or in
vasion from without.
If the chief, however, conducted MINI
self IN a cruel, capricious and brutal
manner, the servile commoner sometimes
rebelled. The fact that such rebellions
occurred with comparative infrequency
IS evidence that a rule. the chiefs
were affable and kind to interiors. This
is illustrated by ancient tradition.
4 Kau chief, who loved cruelty for Its
own sake continuously tormented the
people On one occasion he commanded
the entire countryside 10 prepare a great
feast 1t was done. and the people were
directed to follow him with the dishes
containing the vlands which were to ca
ter to his appetite. After many a weary
milo. arriving at the spot where the feast
was ordered TO be laid, they were direct
ed TO move Oh. The chief went long
distance TO another place. Upon arrival
here, the tired serfs were told TO go to
a more distant point, which they did.
Again they We're told that tne ,hief de-
sired to return TO Kau. and they were
ordered to transport the Feast to far
away place near the south point of the
Island. Arriving there. the chief had
again moved, leaving directions for them
to follow on Their patience was eX-
hausted. Seating themselves upon the
ground, the containers were open
ed and they devoured the food. Then.
filling the calabasheS with stones, they
resumed the weary tramp after the chief,
who was at last found. and they We're
told without delay TO place before him