The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-05-08

"A NAl ~
VA R ARRIAGE among Hawaiians,
W M especially those OF high rank,
tVH has always been attended
I'VE by more or less ceremony,
writes a Honolulu correspon-
dent of the New York Evening Post.
The wedding festivities Of high.born
maiden on the island OF Hawaii last
summer continued without pause FOR
four days and nights. Nearly all the
native population Of the big island en-
joyed IN one way or another, this
great feast with its outdoor sports ana
games, but | doubt whother-in spite
OF the modern education and elegance
OF the lovely bride, In spite OF the
wealth and magnihcence OF her family
this wedding equaled. to the Ha-
waiian mind, Il marriage OF the high
born In the olden days.
Before the coming of the haole
white NAM TO these sun blest dsles'
when high chief wished TO take unto
himself wife he would have gathered
together from among his people n
group OF the most attractive maidcns.
Smooth and straight OF limb were
these maidens. glossy haired, with the
gold OF the tropical sun glistening in
the rudy bronze OF their satiny skins.
None among them was there who was
not desirable, But the young cher
must not choose too hastily, for upon
his wahine (womanl depended In a
large measure the future fate OF his
people, the line Of royalty in Hawaii
descending then as now, through the
maternal side of the house. There
fore, the young chief must look well
TO his choice.
Sometimes, in his perplexlty, he
would call to his assistance a kahuna
tmedicine mani, who would invoke the
aid of the gods In the momentous Sc
lection to be made Then were things
simplified for him. He no longer had
any will in the matter. but became the
instrument OF the gods themselves,
Taking Charge of the Affair.
Upon the kahuna fell the duty OF
taking temporal charge OF the AFFAIR
At n signal from him the virgins, each
with her hula gourd In which were
pebbles male and female. would squat
in line before the young chief. With
right arm holding the hula gourd ex,
tended they begin. with low moaning,
to chant the life story Of him who
comes to seek a bride.
Louder and stronger swells the
chant as the singers so on to tell OF
the young chiefs beauty as n child, OF
how his mother loved him, OF his
speed in running, and his strength and
grace in swimming, in throwing the
discus. and in riding the bounding
surf board. until, with grand ere
scendo II reaches the climax OF his
triumph over the great shark, or the
poisonous eel. With this the singers
spring to their feet and the hula dance
is on.
Now the chant becomes n refrain
swelling and sinking, falling and ris
ing accompanied always by the rat
Ting OF the pebbles, male and female
I'm the hula gourds In perfect, un
broken rhythm the virgins dance. now
twirling the rafting gourds over their
heads, now striking their palms to
gether four times. or kneeling to
thump four times on the mat at their
feet. From their birth they have
been trained to do this dance. with
Joints made supple by exercises de
yised for that purpose they whirl their
loins here, there, the muscles under
their shining skins moving in rhyth
mic measures to the chant and the rat
tie Of the hula gourds.
At last. through the kahuna, the
gods nterpose. At signal from the
kahuna the dancers recede and form
n circle within q circle. Round ant
round they dance. breaking and re
forming the circles, changing and in
terchanging. Now, for the young CHIEF
the gods will choose his bride. The
kahuna lifts his hand, the young chic
takes a backward step, closes his eyes
and lets fly an arrow from his bow,
The Arrow Of Chance.
With swift, unerrlng instinct the ar
row wings It's way among the dancers
to fall at the feet of the most beautiful
the most desirable of the virgins. The
gods have chosen-but as yet the chic
does not know their choice.
The dancing and the chanting hav,
ceased with the fall of the arrow. Thu
young chief opens his eyes. but b,
cannot see the arrow.
"Pua Mel Pua Nsl" he calls. ant