The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-20
OLD DAYS IN
FAIR HAWAII
CONTINUED from Page one.l


rites were performed. to help along the
baleful influence. And the spittle OF
the victim was especially sought, as be-
ing particularly personal and part OF
his being In consequence, the KING
spittle was guarded with especial
vigilance, lest enemies of the Throne
get possession OF it and work against
the Government SO that the bearer
of the kings spittoon had to be man
of unspotted probity and the post was
one of highest honor.
Another of Mr.. Gilman's rec0lle tons
is of the curious episode of the British
annexation of the islands. Taking ad-
vantage of the presence of a British
| warship in the harbor of Honolulu.
handful of British subiects-they were
| far fewer than the American contin-
gent-presented a bill of damages
against the king. amounting in all TO
some sS5, 900. The king had royal
regalia and lands worth millions. but
not marketable, and he naturally had
/ no cash The $4,000 was unpayable,
and the lieutenant was moved to in
! form the monarch that his only alter
NATIVE was TO take over the islands IN
/ lien of the cash. He probably thought
/ it a telling touch TO his reputation ana
/ a good thing for Great Britain. And
| on a sad day, before the dolefuI faces
| of the population, the Hawaiian flag
| came down and was replaced with the
| British. And the British emblem re-
manned in the breeze for several
Inonths-until, in fact, the young COM
mander's admiral, then IN some
| Chilean port, heard of the procedure
and hurried at once to Hawaii. The
| king was informed that his islands
were his own, and with much more
tceremonv the Hawaiian banner went
back up aIoft. But now for the deeper
interest in these proceedings A. a
sample of the character OF the dam
ages preferred against the regnlns
king, was one item of 5000 handed IN
by a British subject who claimed IL
| for assault upon his person BY a ma
/ tive When examined this assault
turned out to have a humorous char
taeter The gentleman in the deal had
owed a wash bill, Of perhaps fifty
cents; and failing to pay it he had been
numerically trounced by his wash
| lady. This constituted his assault
| Among the gifts received by Mr.. Gill
man from his kingly acquaintance is
a feather coilaret, such as was worn
by the upper classes. II is a perfectly
rounded roll, of a soft bright yellow,
| long enough to encircie the neck loose
| ~ and be tied with a ribbon. But the
| wonder of it is not alone in its manu-
| fracture. although that is remarkable in
Its finish The feathers that compose
/ it are short and fine to the point Of be-
ling hair-Iike. And fine as they are,
each Of them came from small bird
a bout the size Of our robin. But each
| bird had only a tiny wisp Of these
| feathers on the under side Of each
| wing: SO that the number Of birds
| that went to make up this single collar
| is unthinkably large; for the string is
tufted tightly. and when brushed aside.
/ the yellow feathers are seen TO keep in
| partial hiding feathers Of reddish
tinge that also went into the compost
ton Of the ornament.
| This collar, says Mr.. Gilman, is but
modest sample Of the magnificent
/ adornments worn by the kings Among
/ the royal regaifa. for instance, was one
/ crimson feather cloak, made Of particu-
/ lar feathers from a particular bird. at
tached by almost a miracle Of needle
work. So many feathers and 50 many
birds were required for is making that
/ the manufacture Of il ran over many
/ generations. and its value mounted into
million dollars A similar mantle was
/ in the possession Of Queen Victoria.
| But perhaps the most interesting Of
! ali the Hawaiian reminders in Mr.. Gil
mans possession are photograph and
prints Of helmets worn by the ancient
Hawaiian warriors. The helmets are