The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-20
OLD DAYS IN
FAIR HAWAII
A Lot of Good Stories by G. D.
Gilman and a Curi0
Collection.

The following interview with MI.
Gorham D. Gilman in the Boston
Transcript, about Hawaifs romantic
past, is not as faithful an account of
what he said as Mr.. Gilman could have
wished, but is accurate in its main
particulars:
If any living person could serve as
the Pepys of Hawaii, he is Gorham D.
Gilman, the well known Boston mer-
chant, who went to the islands in his
teens lived there twenty years, and
afterwards served as Hawaiian consul
in Boston. At the time he went there,
the Hawaiians were unspoiled by civili-
zation, their people were still child
like, lovable and simple: their kings
ruled in dignity unmarried by cheap
attempts at pomp. Caucasians were
then distinguished by their fewness and
high character, and for both reasons
they enjoyed the royal favor and often
the royal friendship. Mr.. Gilman learn
ed their language, won their conf
denee, and now has at his home IN
Newton many marks of their regard.
Signed portraits of more than one Of
the Hawaiian rulers hang upon his
walls, along with ribbons and royal or
ders, and the results of his personal
acquaintance with the island people he
has supplemented with a library OF
some five hundred books by various
authors, most of which he has lately
handed over to Oahu College.
Mr.. Gilman remembers the early
missionaries, and testifies to their high
character. When they started out from
Boston-for most. of them were New
Englanders-the kindly merchant who
betrayed their expenses left with the
captain of the ship in which they en-
barked enough money to bring them
back. 1t was regarded as a ridiculous
errand. Hawaii was thought peopled
with cannibals and the missionaries
would be ready, or compelled, to leave
the instant of their landing. They
found the Hawaiians cordial, and the
ruling class especially ready to hear
their message. Indeed, it was the mis-
sionaries who drew up for Kameha-
meha III at his own request, the first
constitution and code of statutes in the
islands And so well done was their
work that it still remains the basis Of
governmen now the natives
the minority and the people who most
come under the Jurisdiction of the state
are Mongols. Mr.. Gilman has original
first copies of these two interesting pa
pers. brought TO print in 1S40, The
shrewd native king had first been made
to perceive the value of white mems
laws on seeing his subjects outrageous
Iy cheated by the Chinese in trade. He
soon wanted to know something about
these tariffs and imposts, which were
so profitable to those who welded them
and so costly to his people, who knew
nothing about them. He summoned his
white envoys and set them to work
matching foreigners laws with others
that would put his own people into con-
dition TO cope with outsiders. And the
did their work thoroughly
and well.
Salient in the many memories that |
Mr. Gilman retains of Hawaiian lie
and manners is a figure Of the very |
early days known as spittoon-b bearer |
to the king II sounds like music |
comedy role, but in reality 1t was the |
most important position in the king |
dom under the kingship itself The |
reason for this is soon made plain. In |
those early times, when the taboo and |
kindred notions were in effect. the Ha-
waiians had a belief similar to that Of |
a well known sect Of today. They |
thought that if a group Of persons got |
together and resolved on the death Of |
anyone distastefuI TO them. that person /
must inevita bly, die under the influence |
Of their silent but unanimous disap- |
proval. Oaentfmes the person under
the ban would go away into the forest, |
he heard OF the union
gainst him. and there commit suicide.
The practice was TO get possession Of
some article belonging to the doomed
over this incantations and
Continued on Page seven.)