174 



HA WAIL 



[letter XVIII 



possessed individual histories and reminiscences, rather than as 

 if they had been ordered together as "plenishings" from 

 stores. Indeed, it is the most English-looking house I -have 

 seen since I left home, except Bishopscourt at Melbourne. If 

 i there were a bell I did not see it ; and Ave did not ring, for the 

 queen received us at the door of the drawing-room, which was 

 open. I had seen her before in European dress, driving a pair 

 of showy black horses in a stylish English phaeton ; but on 

 this occasion she was not receiving visitors formally, and was 

 indulging in wearing the native holoku, and her black wavy hair 

 was left to its own devices. She is rather below the middle 

 height, very young-looking for her age, which is thirty-seven, 

 and very graceful in her movements. Her manner is indeed 

 very fascinating from a combination of unconscious dignity 

 with ladylike simplicity. Her expression is sweet and gentle, 

 with the same look of sadness about her eyes that the king has, 

 but she has a brightness and archness of expression which give 

 a great charm to her appearance. She has sorrowed much j 

 first, for the death, at the age of four, of her only child, the 

 Prince of Hawaii, who when dying was baptized into the 

 English Church by the name of Albert Edward, Queen Victoria 

 and the Prince of Wales being his sponsors ; and secondly, for 

 the premature death of her husband, to whom she was much 

 attached. She speaks English beautifully, only hesitating now 

 and then for the most correct form of expression. She spoke a 

 good deal and with great pleasure of England ; and described 

 Venice and the emotions it excited in her 'so admirably, that I 

 should like to have heard her describe all Europe. 



A few days afterwards I went to a garden party at her 

 house. It was a very pretty sight, and the " everybody " of 

 Honolulu was there to the number of 250. I must describe it 



for the benefit of , who persists in thinking that coloured 



royalty must necessarily be grotesque. People arrived shortly 

 before sunset, and was received by Queen Emma, who sat on 

 the lawn, with her attendants about her, very simply dressed in 

 black silk. The king, at whose entrance the band played the 

 national anthem, stood on another lawn, where presentations 

 were made by the chamberlain ; and those who were already 

 acquainted with him had an opportunity for a few minutes' 

 conversation. He was dressed in a well-made black morning 

 suit, and wore the ribbon and star of the Austrian order of 

 Frands Joseph. His simplicity was atoned for by the super- 

 lative splendour of his suite ; the governor of Oahu, and the 



