Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-07-18
INTERESTING FIND
MADE IN ARCHIVES
Letters Written By The
Fourth Kamehameha
To Father

In browsing about among the old
papers in the Archives. Librarian Ly-
! decker has found several letters writ
ten by Alexander Liholiho, who was
later Kamehameha ", to his foster
father, Kamehameha III. They cover
a period from 1910 to 1S43. when AL
exander was from six to nine years
old, and are typical school-boy letters
to his father, except that they show a
curious mixture of familiarity and re-
spect which one does not ordinarily
find nowadays.
In one letter the boy seems at loss
how to address the King and explains
his difficulties, saying that some have
advised him to call his foster father
my dear uncle, while Others think
he should say my dear elder brother. d"
The boy himself solves the problem
by addressing the letter to my dear
father" In later letters. however, he
becomes stiffly formal in the address,
calling the king my dear respected
parent"
The following is a copy of one OF
the later and most interesting letters
written at the time when Lord George
was running things after he had hauled
down the flag of Hawaii. The Lot re-
ferred to in the letter was Alexander's
edrer brother who. after the death OF
Kamehameha w became Kamehameha
V. 1t also appears that Fourth of
July was as much OF holiday in i1o-
nolulu then as it is now and was cell
ebrated in much the same way:
HGlolulu, June 29, 1913.
My Dear Respected Parent
| have not written to you since we
left Lahaina. 1t is not because have
not thought of you very often, and it
Is not because | have done loving you,
but | have been very busy with my
studies and plays, and | have not any
letter from you to answer. l would
give me great pleasure if you would
write to me frequently.
| should like to know your troubles
with Id. George but you will think I
am too young to hear such things.
Just as you please about it. We do
not any of us feel happy towards Id.
George. He is now at Kauai.
We heard you was sick but we hope
you are better now We have very
strong winds these days and it is
thought by some people this wind will
bring us news from the Coast.
Moses, Lot and l are learning to
play on the flute. Mr.. Rowel is teach
ing us to play. l am using DR.. Judd's
flute but | think it is not good one.
suppose Dr.. J. will tell you about
Paaluas stealing public money.
We have spent these days in firing
crackers. We have tried to run some
little lead cannons but we did not
make out very well. We have five
teachers, our dogs, and we get along
very well in our studies. We want to
have the time come when we shall get
The English language perfectly and
then we shall study other languages
We have eight foreign children and
three besides them We had a fine
time upon Nuuanu in your large grass
nouse few days ago. And we hope to
go up there again on the fourth of
July. If the stone house is done the
teachers would go up and spend some
time with us, because Honolulu is very
not. Great many of the foreigners is
gone IN to live in the valleys. We
are delighted with Luakaha, with the
trees, and birds and it is very cool
Give my love to Kalama and Hekauo-
nohi and Hekauluohi and all the
chiefs.
Your affectionate son,
ALEXANDER.