ome
without; but their costumes were all made according to the European
fashion, except that of her Highness Ruth, the Governess of Hawaii,
who looked wonderfully well in a rich white silk native dress, trimmed
with white satin. She had a necklace of orange-coloured _oo_ feathers
round her neck, and dark yellow alamanda flowers in her hair. This
native costume is a most becoming style of dress, especially to the
chiefs and chiefesses, who are all remarkably tall and handsome, with
a stately carriage and dignified manner. The Queen stood in front of
the throne, on which were spread the royal robes, a long mantle of
golden feathers, without speck or blemish. On each side stood two men,
dressed in black, wearing frock-coats, and capes of red, black, and
yellow feathers over their shoulders, and chimney-pot hats on their
heads. In their hands they held two enormous _kahilis_ of black _oo_
feathers, with handsome tortoise-shell and ivory handles. They were at
least eight feet high altogether, and the feathers were about six
inches across.

The Princess presented Mabelle and me to her Majesty, and we had a
short conversation through a lady interpreter. It is always an
embarrassing thing to carry on a conversation in this way, especially
when you find yourself in the midst of a square formed by a large
crowd of ladies, who you fancy are all gazing at you, the one stranger
present, and I was glad when fresh people arrived, and her Majesty's
attention was claimed elsewhere.

Queen Kapiolani is a nice-looking woman, with a very pleasing
expression of countenance. She is the granddaughter of the heroic
Princess Kapiolani, who, when the worship and fear of the goddess Pele
were at their height, walked boldly up to the crater of Kilauea, in
defiance of the warnings and threats of the high-priestess of the
idolatrous rites, proclaiming her confidence in the power of her God,
the God of the Christians, to preserve her. This act did much to
assist in the establishment of Christianity in the Island of Hawaii,
and to shake the belief of the native worshippers of Pele in the power
of the fearful goddess.

The Princess showed me round the room which contains the portraits of
the kings and queens of the Sandwich Islands for many generations, the
early ones attired in their feather capes, the later ones dressed in
European costumes. Most of them were the work of native artists, but
the portraits of Kamehameha II. and his queen were paint