Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-06-13
HAwAII's FLAG.
Made Probably by Captain George C.
Beckley, an EnuIish Sea Captain.

Made Probably by Captain George c.
6eckley, an English Sea Captain.
From a pamphlet published In Hon
olulu are obtained these interesting
facts:
| The mystery that hangs over the
orign of the Hawiian flag has never
been entirely cleared up. In the mar
rative of Captain Goloynin, command.
er of the Russian sloop-of-war KAN
chatka, who visited these islands in
1913, 1t is stated that Kamehaneha
l. used the British flag from the date
OF MS treaty with Captain Vancouver
In 1874, until the outbreak of the War
| 1912 between Great Britain and the
United States, and that then by the
advice of friendly American, he de
cded to have a flag of his own,
which was made for him by an Eng
lishman.' The Union Jack in the
upper corner, he said, signified his
friendship to England, and the stripes
the number of the inhabited islands
IN his k.ndom. Mr. Archibald Camp
Del, who was for several months in
Honolulu in 1909, states that '.the
kinks house, built close to the shore
and surrounded by palisade, was
distinguished cy the British colors.o
In 1911 the king returned to Hawaii
where ne resided during the remain
oer OF his life. Towards the end OF
the year 1916 Captain Kotzebue of the
RUSSIAN corvette Rurik found the
present Hawaiian flag flying over the
honolulu fort. From the log-book of
the late Captain Alexander Adams.
we learn that in April, 1916, after the
purchase of the brig Forester bv
hamehameha l., he entered the kings
service, and he says: Il was honored
on taking command, with the flag of
MS Majesty and salute of eleven
guns
Later on, in the log of his voyage
TO China in the Kaahumanu, former
ly the Forester, he mentions his call.
Ing at Waimea. Kauai, and makes the
following statement: March 12.
1917 Gave the King (Kaunualii) our
ensign to hoist IN lieu of the Russian.
VINO said that it was on account of
his having no other" On arriving a
Canton, Captain Adams had consider
able trouble because the Chinese
authorities refused to recognize the
Hawiian flag which had never before
been seen IN that port.
Captain De Freycinet, who visited
these islands in August, 1919, gives
the following description of the flag:
The Sandwich Islands flag, such as
we saw floating at Kawaihae, and
over the fort at Honolulu, was COM
posed of an EnglisA Union Jack up-
ON ground striped horizontally with
n ne bands, alternately white. red
and blue; the white being placed at
the top, and the Union Jack at the
upper corner next to the halliards
The flag, as since known, agrees
with this description, with the ommis-
sion the bottom stripe, leaving
eight stripes. which corresponds with
the number of Inhabited islands in
the group 1t seems likely that Cap
tain De Freycinet's memory was at
fault in regard to the number of
stripes in the flag.
Captain George G. Beckley. an Eng
iish sea captain who came to these
islands in the early part of the nine
teenth century, was. no doubt, the
maker and in all probability the de-
signer of the first Hawaiian flag. He
brought to the Stands vessel. which
was purchased by the chiefs, and was
called "Humehume" by the natives
He afterwards made numerous vog-
ages between Hawaii and Mexico on
one side and China on the other. Ac-
cording to the family tradition, he
made the first flag in 1906 or 1907.
The correct date is probably six
years later. Unfortunately his log
book, which might settle thee ues-
ton. was lost about the year 1887.
1t S certain that he afterwards made
the original flag into child's frock.
which was worn by each one of hiss
children in succession. and was long
preserved as an heirloom in the fam
lily.
On the occasion of the birth of the
princess Nahienaena at Keauhou.
kona Hawaii, n 1915, he was made a
high chief by r>amehamena l., so that
ne might with impunity enter the
sacred precinct and present the royal
infant with a roll of China silk. after
which he went outside and fired sa. |
Lutte of thirteen guns in her honor.
In consequence of his havng become
a tabu chief, his wife AHA was then
forth obliged by the ancient code of
hands and knees when she entered
the hnuca Of har Lord