310 
CRUISE OF HALS. CHALLENGER. 
tion have been largely framed by the aid of American 
influence, and though the independence of the Ha- 
waiian Government is secured at present by a tri- 
partite treaty between England, America, and France, 
the destiny of the Sandwich Islands will probably 
be what its geographical position would indicate — 
annexation to the United States. 
His Hawaiian Majesty Kalakua is a monarchical 
ruler, with a paraphernalia of sovereignty as im- 
posing in design, if not in execution, as that of Great 
Britain itself. Each of the eight islands that are 
inhabited is governed by a viceroy, under the king. 
Then there are privy councillors, ministers of state, 
and other high functionaries, the Legislative As- 
sembly consisting of forty-five members, thirty of 
whom are elected by the people and fifteen appointed 
by the king, who hold their seats for life. In addition 
to all this there are a host of dignitaries with mys- 
terious names and functions taken most faithfully 
from the models of European courts. The Hawaiian 
ministry does not hold office at the will of a majority 
of Parliament, as with us, but as long as the king 
pleases, irrespective of what Parliament may think. 
The public money is supposed not to be expended 
even by the king without a vote of the Assembly. 
The Hawaiians formerly possessed two Legislative 
Houses, but now the nobles and representatives sit 
and vote together. The experiment, however, does 
not, it is said, work quite satisfactorily, and there is 
