FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   779   780   781   782   783   784   785   786   787   788   789   790   791   792   793   794   795   796   797   798   799   800   801   802   803  
804   805   806   807   808   809   810   811   812   813   814   815   816   817   818   819   820   821   822   823   824   825   826   827   828   >>   >|  
ew who followed the coffin into the mausoleum remained sometime, but the King soon came out and stood in the door and near one side of it. A stranger could have guessed his rank (although he was so simply and unpretentiously dressed) by the profound deference paid him by all persons in his vicinity; by seeing his high officers receive his quiet orders and suggestions with bowed and uncovered heads; and by observing how careful those persons who came out of the mausoleum were to avoid "crowding" him (although there was room enough in the doorway for a wagon to pass, for that matter); how respectfully they edged out sideways, scraping their backs against the wall and always presenting a front view of their persons to his Majesty, and never putting their hats on until they were well out of the royal presence. He was dressed entirely in black--dress-coat and silk hat--and looked rather democratic in the midst of the showy uniforms about him. On his breast he wore a large gold star, which was half hidden by the lapel of his coat. He remained at the door a half hour, and occasionally gave an order to the men who were erecting the kahilis [Ranks of long-handled mops made of gaudy feathers--sacred to royalty. They are stuck in the ground around the tomb and left there.] before the tomb. He had the good taste to make one of them substitute black crape for the ordinary hempen rope he was about to tie one of them to the frame-work with. Finally he entered his carriage and drove away, and the populace shortly began to drop into his wake. While he was in view there was but one man who attracted more attention than himself, and that was Harris (the Yankee Prime Minister). This feeble personage had crape enough around his hat to express the grief of an entire nation, and as usual he neglected no opportunity of making himself conspicuous and exciting the admiration of the simple Kanakas. Oh! noble ambition of this modern Richelieu! It is interesting to contrast the funeral ceremonies of the Princess Victoria with those of her noted ancestor Kamehameha the Conqueror, who died fifty years ago--in 1819, the year before the first missionaries came. "On the 8th of May, 1819, at the age of sixty-six, he died, as he had lived, in the faith of his country. It was his misfortune not to have come in contact with men who could have rightly influenced his religious aspirations. Judged by his advantages and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   779   780   781   782   783   784   785   786   787   788   789   790   791   792   793   794   795   796   797   798   799   800   801   802   803  
804   805   806   807   808   809   810   811   812   813   814   815   816   817   818   819   820   821   822   823   824   825   826   827   828   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

persons

 

dressed

 
remained
 

mausoleum

 

feeble

 

Harris

 

Minister

 
personage
 

Yankee

 

opportunity


making

 

conspicuous

 

neglected

 

attention

 
entire
 

nation

 

express

 

Finally

 

hempen

 

substitute


ordinary

 

entered

 
carriage
 
exciting
 
attracted
 

populace

 
shortly
 

simple

 
missionaries
 
country

religious
 

aspirations

 
Judged
 
advantages
 

influenced

 

rightly

 
misfortune
 
contact
 

modern

 
Richelieu

coffin

 

ambition

 

Kanakas

 

interesting

 

contrast

 

ancestor

 
Kamehameha
 

Conqueror

 
funeral
 

ceremonies