134 



HA WAIT. 



[letter XIII. 



blue, green, or bright rose colour, some were bright yellow, a 

 few were pure white, and others were a mixture of orange and 

 scarlet. Some wore very pretty hats made from cane-tops, and ; 

 trimmed with hibiscus blossoms or passion-flowers ; others wore i 

 bright-coloured handkerchiefs, knotted lightly round their flow- > 

 ing hair, or wreaths of the Microlepia teniiifolia. Many had : 

 tied bandanas in a graceful knot over the left shoulder. All I 

 wore two, three, four, or even six beautiful lets, besides long >. 

 festoons of the fragrant maile. Lets of the crimson olria-i 

 blossoms were universal ; but besides these there were lets of 

 small red and white double roses, fiohas* yellow amaranth, 

 sugar cane tassels like frosted silver, the orange pandanus, the 

 delicious gardenia, and a very few of orange blossoms, and 

 the great granadilla or passion-flower. Few if any of the; 

 women wore shoes, and none of the children had anything on* 

 their heads. 



A string of 200 Chinamen passed by, "plantation hands,", 

 with boyish faces, and cunning, almond-shaped eyes. They 

 were dressed in loose, blue, denim trousers with shirts of the 

 same, fastening at the side over them, their front hair closely 

 shaven, and the rest gathered into pigtails, which were Avound 

 several times round their heads. These all deposited money 

 in the adjutant-general's hand. The dress of the Hawaiian 

 men was more varied and singular than that of the women, 

 every kind of dress and undress, with lets of oliia and garlands! 

 of maile covering all deficiencies. The poor things came up, 

 with pathetic innocence, many of them with nothing on but 

 an old shirt, and cotton trousers rolled up to the knees. Some, 

 had red shirts and blue trousers, others considered that a shirt 

 was an effective outer garment. Some wore highly ornamental, 

 dandified shirts, and trousers tucked into high, rusty, mud- ! 

 covered boots. A few young men were in white straw hats, 

 white shirts, and white trousers, with crimson lets round their 

 hats and throats. Some had diggers' scarves round their waists ; 

 but the most effective costume was sported by a few old men,, 

 who had tied crash towels over their shoulders. 



It was often amusing and pathetic at once to see them come 

 up. Obviously, when the critical moment arrived, they were 

 as anxious to do the right thing as a debutante is to back hei 

 train successfully out of the royal presence at St. James's. Some 

 were so agitated at last as to require much coaching from the 



* Physalis Peruviana. 



