The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-09-22
KAMEHAMEHA PAID FOR
SHIRTS WITH FAT PIGS

When Kamehameha the Great bough
an ordinary shirt from a trader enrout,
to China in 1919, the great conouero,
little thought that the incident would
be handed down to posterity as n his
torical occurrence and placed in the
archives of the Hawaiian Historical
Society. Kamehameha's shirt cost him
a fat pig, and was accredited by the
trader in his ledger as being worth
about $3.50.
| Before the Historical Society last
evening Prof. w. ID. Alexander read an
interesting paper on Early Trading in
| Hawaii-lS19," in which he told of the
| finding in 1889 in an old storeroom in
Honolulu a book containing ledger ac-
counts of transactions in Honolulu In
1919. Prof. Alexander ascertained that
the books We're originally acquired by
the Court of Chancery in 1874 in the
settlement of the complicated affairs
of French & Graham.
French came here in 1919 enroute to
China arriving in the brig Niu in
March. This was the year made
memorable, said the speaker, by the
death of Kamehameha, the succession
Of Liholiho, and the abolition of the
tabu by Kaahumanu.
The ledger accounts We're interesting
and among them is noted: ''Tameha-
meha bought two shirts, paying two
canoe-loads of vegetables A week
later the conqueror bought sixteen kegs
of rum, valued at $4,000 for which he
paid 500 piculs of sandalwood, valued !,
at SO per Dicul.
Liholiho purchase a number of mus |
kets, gunpowder bullets. etc. and the |
boat "Keowa" valued at s1460 for
which he paid 416 piculs of sandal-wood |
and four hogs. Prof. Alexander said
the purchase of the fire arms was time
y as they were used with great effect
in putting down an uprising eight
months later.
Kalanimoku also bought a shirt and
paid hog for 1t. Kamehameha also
purchased $1,000 worth OF cloth and
bought the brig Niu for Sol, 1850 ian ex-
brilliant price said Prof. Alexander>,
paying s44,470 in sandalwood and Civ
ng his note for the balance. There is
,lso an account with Boki, who bought
six packs of cards for which he paid SO.
rhe kings and chiefs ran up bills
to $4,000, and paid in SAN
giving notes for $4,000. Mr..
ADAMS found the brig to be rotten
md it had to be taken to Pearl River
or repairs.
John Young purchased on March l..
S19, new shirt and three pounds of
obacco. Other purchasers We're John
a pilot; Thomas Meek,
ieorge Beckley and VIM. Davis. -
The traders quoted at that time Chi
csc umbrellas at SO each and blue cloth
t SO yard.
Ed Towse read a paper entitled s
Some Hawaiians Abroad" devoted to
he exploits of Hawaiians who, from {
time down to the Sioux t
var in the COS, have impressed their
in other lands. He spoke :
t length on Richard Henry Dana's :
of the Hawaiians he had met
n the California coast during the Span s
III occupancy, and told of the natives {
no had Joined John Jacob Astor's I
aiding enterprises along the Columbia /
iver, and concluded with a glowing [
ccount of the achievements of Frank I
rouard, the famous chief of scouts in f
le United States army, who was l
olynesian by birth, and generally be- t
eyed to be of Hawaiian parentage. 7
Dana first came in contact with Ha- '
aiians in southern California in 1885. b
ANY of them having reached the
1ast in smugglers. One was sailor II