Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-06-13

er of the Russian sloop-of-war KAN
chatka, who visited these islands ii
1918, it is stated that Kamehaneha
|. used the British nag from the date
Of his treaty with Captain Vancouver
in 1894, until the outbreak Of the War
1872 between Great Britain and the
United States, and that then by the
advice of a friendly American, he de-
ded to have a flag Of his own,
which was made for him by an Eng
lisnman" 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
bel, 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 y the British colors."
In 1911 the king returned to Hawaii
where he resided during the remain
der 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 il April, 1916, after the
purchase of the brig Forester by
Kamehameha l., he entered the kings
service, and he says: Il was hOnOred
on taking command, W tn the flag Of
his Majesty and a 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 II,
1917. Gave the King (Kaunualii) our
ensign to hoist II lieu of the Russian,
who said that it was on account of
his having no other" On arriving at
Canton, Captain Adams had consider
able trouble because the Chinese
authorities refused to recognize the
Hawiian flag which had never before
been seen n that port.
Captain De Freycinet, who visited
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 Englis.4 Union Jack up-
on a ground striped horizontally with
he bands, alternately white, red
and blue; the white being placed at
the top, and the Union Jack at The
upper corner next to the haIliards.'
The flag, as since lnOwn, agrees
with this description, with the Cmmis-
sion f the bottom stripe, leaving
eight stripes, which corresponds with
the number of Inhabited islands in
the group. 1t seems likely that Cap
tain De Freycinets memory was at
fault in regard to the number Of
stripes in the flag
Captain George C. Beckley, an Eng
lish 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 a 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 the ques-
ton, was lost about the year 1887.
1t s certain that he afterwards made
the original flag into a child's frock,
which was worn by each one of hiss
children in succession, and was long
preserved as an heirloom in the fam
i'y.
On the occasion of the birth of the
princess Nahienaena at KeauhOu.
kona, Hawaii, n 1915, he was made
high chief by namehamena l., so that
he might with impunity enter tne
sacred precinct and present the royal
infant with a roll of China silk, after
which he went outside and fired a sa.
lutte of thirteen guns in her honor.
In consequence of his hav ng become
a tabu chief, his wife AHA was then
forth obliged by the ancient code Of
hands and knees when she entered
the house OF her lord