Death Of The King Of The ...
The Times, 1824-07-15T00:00:00

It is our painft- task to record this day the dissolution of the King of the Sandwich Islands, -which took place yes- terday morning at four o'clock precisely, at the Caledonian Hotel, in Itobert.street, Adelphi. On Tuesday morning he was considered somewhat better, and he passed a tranquil nighit, but in the afternoon he became worse, and at night it wv found necessary to send for Dr. Ley, from his lhouse in Mount-street. On the ar- rival of that gentlemian, 'he found that the King was in a very low state, and death appeared to be approaching fast. The King,on seeingiJr. Ley, caught him by the hand, and said in his okn language, "I am dying, I know I am dying." He conitinued very sensible, and knew all around him. Madame Poki, the Governor's Lady, was particilarly attentive to him; she supported his head from one o'clock till the tinre the vital spark had fled; Poki the Governor and the rest of the suite were supporting their royal master's legs at the foot of the bed. At two o'clock he be- came alarmingly worse, nnd he seemed then not to know any person: the Admiral was brought into the room, and was affected to tears; The King took rio notice of him, nor any other person about him. From that time till four o'clock he kept continually saying, "I shall lose my tongue, I shall lose my tongue ;" andjust before he breath- ed his last, he faintly said, 'Farewell to you all, I am dead I am happy." After uttering these words, he expired in the arms ot' Maidame Poki. It is impossible to describe the sensation the dlistressing event has causedl throughout the whole of the King's suite. Madame Poki, the mom ent the breath left her royal mas- ter's body, was carried to her chamber in a very desponding state; and Reeves, the King's interpreter, keeps his room. The physicians noticed a gradual increase in the King's disorder since the lamented death of his royal consort; and on the afternoon of Mondav last, after the Queen's remaitns had been (leposited in Zt. Martin's chureh, he made anxious inquiries of his attendants if they had seen her safely en- tombed; on being answered in the affirmative, he said he was happy, and that he hoped he should soon be with her. 'Fhe King, immediately after the death of the Queen, requested, should he fll a victim to his disorder, that his body, and that of his wife, sbould be conveyed with as much speed as possible to hig dominions. About half-past one o'cle1h Sir Matthew Tierney arrived at the Caledonian Hotel, and was introduced to the Hon. Mr. Byng, who was all the morning in attendance. Sir Matthew was shown the body of the King, and he declared that his death occurred through the formation of a large ab- scess on the lungs. Reeves, the interpreter and secretary, says, that the King wvas for many days sensible of his approaching death, and freguently adverted to the death of his Queen, whenever he has had any conversation with him. The bodv will lie in state precisely in the same manner as that of the Qaecn. Madame Poki still remains in a very bad state, and many of the suite appear very unwell. The following bulletin was issued in the course. of yes- terday:- " Adelphi, July 14, 1824. " The King of the Sandwich Islands departed this hfe at 4 o'clock this morning. The alarming symptoms of' his disorder rapidly in- creased within the last few days, and he at length sunk under it, without much apparent suffering. (Signed) "AITTHEW JOHN TIERNEY. "HENRY HOLLAND, "HUGH LEY." Sir Henry Halford having been obliged to leave London, Sir Matthew Tierney was called in yesterday. The lithographic drawings which Mr. J. Hayter lhas made of the King and Queen will now be objects of con- siderable curiosity. A niumber of copies are, we under- stand, to be sent to the Sandwich Islands. DBATH OF THR KI,N OF TRE SANDWICH ZL4NDS.: