The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-27
Honolulu Turns Out in Force
To Greet Sailor Lads from
The American Vessels.
sCALL 1T A "HOOKUPU."
SAME TREATMENT AND VEL
COME FORMERLY ACCORDED
ROYALTY.

Honolulu, T. H., June q The blue
Jackets Of the great American Fleet
are to be accorded a welcome by the
native Hawaiians such as no one has
received at their hands in recent years.
1t will be through an institution
known as "hookupu' pronounced
'ho-o-koo-p poo" accent on the next to
the last syllable) and means 1.-THE bear
ing of gifts and was an honor gen.
orally accorded to none but royal per-
sonages, or others who by some act
had won the gratitude of the nation.
The contamination of this hookupu,
which is already well under way in
preparation, is likely to be rather
startling to our sailor boys, and some
thing which none of them will ever
forget Before it is over every man
in the fleet will probably find himself
overwhelmed with a burden of fruit
and other things Hawaiian in bewil-
dering profusion.
The whole Territory, including ev-
cry district of every island of the
group is to have part IN the great
demonstration, and will furnish its
quota of gifts" in accordance with
its ability.
Like all Hawaiian customs the hoo
kupu is one which is soon to drop
back into the realm of memory, if not
of things forgotten. 1t was an 1nsti-
tuition, however, than which there
was never anything more character
istic of the absolute generosity and
hospitality of a noble, if primitive
race. 1t consisted in the bringing
as gifts to the person whom it was
desired to honor, all manner of things
according to the ability or the giver,
but of the best that he had. In old
en- days when the king or other per-
son of high rank paid a visit in a
distant part of the Islands, he was
certain to be showered with immense
amounts of practically everything the
country produced Everybody brought
something, and none was so humble
or so poor that he might not show
his respect by some kind of gift.
The result of a big hookupu was the
collection of tons on tons of every
variety of things known to the SIM
pie minded natives, and the gifts
would range from great and costly
calabashes or highly polished eating
bowls of hard and beautiful woods,
and representing infinite labor and
pains in the making on the part of
the humble artisan with his stone
tools. to a few pieces of taro or SUI
gar cane stalks. There would be
pigs and chickens and fat poi dogs
and fish, and cocoanuts and bananas
and other fruit, and tapa cloths of
finest quality, and woven mate, and
hats, and fans, and leis, or neck.
laces of polished seeds or nuts or
shells or rare feathers.
All of these gifts would be brought
to some appointed place and there de.
posted on the ground and it was nc
uncommon thing for several acres OF
space to be required to accommodate
the entire amount. Of course the
recipient of such a collection of stuff
could not possibly use it all himself
and in turn was usually as generous
in his distributions as were the orig
inal donors.
The last hookupu of consequence in
which a stranger was honored, took
place in Honolulu in 1892; the reel
pient being Admiral Brown. of the
United States navy who had just ar.
rived bringing with him the body
of Hawaii's king, Kalakaua, who had
died while on visit TO the United
-.
of the largest wharves on the water
front, which had been cleared for the
occasion, and the crowd which
sought to show their regard for the
American officer, formed a line -four
blocks long and simply overwhelmed
the object of their attentions with
every variety of product of hand Oh
soil.
The announcement of the coming
of the American Fleet. and the form
alton of committees to prepare fol-
entertaining the fifteen or twenty
thousand men. quickly brought the
Hawaiians to the front with a propo
sition that they be allowed to fur
nish some characteristic Hawaiian
entertainment. with the result that
the hookupu was decided upon. The
Hawaiians will carry out the plans
along the lines of their own ideas
and 1t will be distinctively Hawaiian
in every way. The Inter-Island Steam
and Navigation company has offered
to bring all the materials contribut
ed for the affair to Honolulu free o.
cost. and systematic collection o,
fruits. vegetables, and other products
is to be made in every part of the
Territory. The district magistrate in
every district has been appointed
chairman of district committees
which are being organized. and thu.
practically every native in the grouI
will have facility for making his do
nation.
Just how the distribution of all the
products collected is to be made has
not yet been decided upon 1t i:
possible that 1t will be loaded upor
barges and be towed to the different
vessels as they lay in the harbor, t.
be apportioned and distributed by ma