THE queen's dress. 237 



require at least as much time to express their 

 thoughts on paper, as Nomahamia had taken ; 

 I must therefore have waited for their favours 

 much Ion O'er than would have been convenient 



According to Nomahanna's request, I sent 

 off an officer with the shallop to fetch her : 

 some hours, however, elapsed before she came, 

 her Majesty's toilette having, said my officer, 

 occupied all this time. When at length it was 

 completed, she desired him to give her his arm 

 and conduct her to the shallop. This is an- 

 other imitation of European customs. 



For a lady of the Sandwich Islands, Noma- 

 hanna was this day very elegantly attired. A 

 peach-coloured dress of good silk, trimmed at 

 the bottom with black lace, covered her ^la- 

 jesty's immense figure, which a very broad 

 many-coloured sash, with a large bow in the 

 front, divided exactly into two halves. She 

 had a collar round her neck of native manufac- 

 ture, made of beautiful red and yellow fea- 

 thers ; and on her head a veiy fine Leghorn hat, 

 ornamented with artificial flowers from Canton, 

 and trimmed round the edge with a pendant 

 flounce of black lace ; her chin lying modestly 



