The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-11-24
MOURNING FOR
DEAD RULERS
(From sunday 5 Advertiser.l

Consul Tseng Hal, who oificiated, said
that it was much less ornate than il
would have been in China, and in COM
parison with the stately ceremonials
of the Imperial funerals going on
synchronously in the palace in Peking
was poor affair.
And yet it was Impressive and in
teresting. "The more elaborate cere-
monial, said Consul Tseng Hal,
Knight not perhaps be in harmony
with this Western environment.
The memorial services were an
nounced for III clock. The entrance
to the Consulate was draped in black
and white in the conventional Western
style. The same concession to Occi-
dental ideas was made in slight de-
gree in the interior arrangements, but
only to slight degree. At the far
Their end of the large double room
which occupies the front portion of
the Consulate was an altar. On the
wall back of it was magnificent Chi
nese dragon flag. The altar was COW
Grad and draped with handsome yell
low brocaded satin. To the right and
left of the altar, white curtains hung
from ceiling to floor, at the ceiling
being covered with smaller dragon
flags.
The altar utensils were all of hand,
some design, but of sober grayish
color. In the center near the front
edge was tall vase containing burn
ing incense. To right and left Of this
were tall candlesticks of the same de-
sign, in each of which a candle burn
ed. And still to right and left of
Sol al.
leaves symbolic of autumn maple
leaves. In row behind these were
two lower candlesticks with burning
candles in them and two handsome
ewers. Behind these still were two
large vases filed with white asters.
Near the center of the altar at the
back was the memorial tablet faced
with yellow satin, on which were the
names and titles of the distinguished
dead.
When the time for the ceremony ar
rived, Consul Tseng Hal, with his sec.
retaries, clad in white robes trimmed
at the wrists and throat with blue,
and wearing black hats and black Of
fetal boots, approached the altar. To
them, servants, also in white mourn
ing robes, brought dishes of various
Folds and sweetmeats, which were
placed tremendously upon the altar.
Then the Consul and his secretaries,
stepping back from the altar, pros
trated themselves five times before it,
their foreheads touching the floor.
During these prostrations those pres
ent remained standing, one of the Sec
retaries intimating that attitude to
Consul Canavarro.
Following the prostrations, first tho
Consul and then his secretaries, in
order, each took dish from the altar
and poured out a libation at the foot
of the altar, replacing the dish.
Little punches of flowers, asters and
marguerites, were passed around
among those in attendance. Then
each in turn stood before the altar
end tablet, bowed in memory of the
deceased and laid the flowers on
table at the side of the altar. This
completed, Consul Tseng Hal, first in
Chinese and then in English, made the
memorial address as follows:
"The events which have Just taken
place in my country are the sad cause
of the ceremony at which you are
present. 1t corresponds with the
funeral rites which, at this moment,
are being celebrated in the Imperial
Palace at Peking, with n solemn pomp,
and in the presence of all the foreign
Ministers, as last homage to the
memory of III. M. the Emperor and of
ii. M. the Empress Dowager.
IA cloud of mourning covers all
China, and we, as loyal subjects, are
trying today, in a humble manner, to
express our feelings of veneration for
the deceased Emperor and Empress
Dowager, and for the dynasty, success
sor of so many other dynasties that
during thousands of years have ruled
the destiny of the Chinese Empire
at IL hard to conceive the Difficult.
ties of governing nation of such vast
extent and dense population as ours.
These difficulties have become more
complex in the past fifty years by the
introduction of relations with foreign
countries, with whose people we had
never previously been in contact.
cit was in the complexity of this
new situation that more than ever was
shown the superb intelligence and
energy of Her Majesty the Empress
Dowager, who, during the minority
and during the illness of her son, has
ruled the country with both strength
and wisdom that will confer to her an
immortal name in the history of the
world; and these facts add to the uni
versa sorrow which my country feels
for the loss of the Empress Dowager
and her son, the Emperor
"Gentlemen, / take this occasion to
thank you for assocating yourselves
with MS in this last homage to the
deceased rulars nf the Chinese Em.