ened more and more with pleasantry, she suddenly scattered the contents-a quantity of live shrimp, as pure and transparent as could be, and as sprightly as crickets over the cresses, and dashing the cruet of vinegar upon the whole, caught up a half dozen of the delicate creatures in the leaves of the sallad, and tossed them, with a laugh, into her mouth, by way of encouragement to us to join in the course. The captain is too courteous a gentleman to stop short of any civility due to the lady of the house; and considering this a kind of challenge, went through the movement of taking a similar quantity in his fingers, and in raising it to his mouth, whether with the intention of following the example farther or not I cannot say, but-in ruse or not-I saw one, at least, of the nimble fry, hop fairly down his throat.

Our return, towards night, to the town, was as delightful as the ride in the morning had been; and the day was pleasantly closed at the mission house, where the band had been ordered from the ship, for the serenade of an hour or two.

The dîner de champêtre of Governor Boki was followed, last night, by an entertainment by the king. The invitations to Captain Finch, and the officers in general, were in writing, and brought on board by the private secretary. Seven o'clock was the hour appointed, but it was past eight before all the company-consisting of the principal chiefs, most of the missionaries, both ladies and gentlemen, including the Rev. Mr. Whitney, and Mrs. Whitney, who arrived from Tauai a few days since, and as many of the officers of the Vincennes as could leave the

ship at the same time-had assembled.

The palace was well lighted, the company well dressed, and with the band from our ship playing at the entrance, the general effect was quite equal to that of the morning levee.

At nine o'clock we became seated at a supper-table, handsomely laid in China and glass for thirty-five or more, with dishes and covers of silver plate: the king occupied the head, and Madam Boki, as the matron of his household, the foot of the table; while Captain Finch was placed in the centre, on one side, between the princess and queen regent, with Governor Boki and Mr. Bingham, as interpreter, opposite. The princess returned the compliment of the captain, in wearing her feather cape at the examination, by exhibiting upon her neck on this occasion-in addition to a dress of white satin, richly embroidered with gold, and a lofty, becoming toque of crimson and white gauze, elegantly arranged and finished-an exquisitely wrought gold chain of the manufacture of Panama, which he had presented to her as a mark of private respect and friendship. To the king he had given, in the same manner, a large and handsomely-framed print of the Declaration of Independence, by Colonel Trumbull, which, I was pleased also to see, occupying a conspicuous place in the apartment.

The entertainment consisted of three courses: first, cold meats, ham, and tongues sliced, with biscuit, and butter, &c.; second, coffee and tea, with different kinds of cake; third, fruits, melons, bananas, grapes, &c., with cider, and a variety of wines. In this last article, however, his majesty had suffered

an imposition from his wine merchant in the village, that extended to his guests; for while he had ordered the best in store, and had paid an exhorbitant price, as Governor Boki informed us, notwithstanding a great show of seals and marks, as if trom the cellar of a genuine bon-vivant, it was, for the most part, a villainous manufacture. This, however, was no drawback to the enjoyment of the evening, and it was near twelve o'clock before, serenaded by the band, we pulled off to the ship.

LETTER XIX.

SECOND VISIT TO LAHAINA.

U. S. Ship Vincennes, off Hawail,
Nov. 11th, 1829.

EARLY after the arrival at Oahu, of the chieftains from Maui and Hawaii, Captain Finch determined to invite them to return to their respective islands, in the Vincennes, with a design of asking the king also to make the voyage.

I acted as interpreter in delivering the invitation. It was highly gratifying to them; and the general exclamation on hearing it was, "This is indcea a joy-making man-of-war!" Thursday the 5th inst. was the day appointed for the embarkation; and at four o'clock in the afternoon, the whole company were brought on board by the captain, in a procession of

232

CHIEFS AND THEIR LUGGAGE.

the ship's boats, under a salute of twenty-one guns, returned by the fort; the Tamehameha having previously fired the same number, as the boats passed her in the harbor.

Were we in the vicinity of a Court Gazette, the notice of the trip, with the names and titles of our royal passengers, would form quite an imposing paragraph. His majesty the king, private secretary, and suite, including the noble whose special duty it is to guard his head, and whose prerogatives extend to the exclusive privilege of awaking his sovereign from sleep, the keeper of the wardrobe, steward of the household, &c., &c.; her royal highness the princess Harieta, and attendants; the ex-queens Kekauruohe and Kekauonohi; Madam Boki, lady of the Governor of Oahu; their excellencies the Governors of Maui and Hawaii; Naihé, chief counsellor of state, and lady, &c. &c., with their respective attendants, making in all the goodly number of thirty-six. Mr. Bingham, at the united request of Captain Finch and the king, was also of the party.

Pleasantry aside, however, the whole party was highly respectable in their appearance and demeanor, as well as in their rank. No one, unacquainted with the state of the nation, would have believed the baggage brought on board, previously to the embarkation, to be that of a company of natives; consisting of highly ornamented and showy traveling trunks, carpet-bags, portmanteaus, writing-desk, dressingcases, portfolios, bandboxes, &c., the whole in an elegance and good keeping that, set down in advance of the company, before an American or English hotel,

ARRIVAL AT LAHAINA.

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would make the eyes of the landlord glisten, at the assurance afforded by the luggage, of the rank and resources of the owners.

During the voyage, the chiefs were seated at the cabin table, going through all the forms of polished society; changing their dresses for dinner, &c., and exhibiting, in other respects, no little acquaintance with the etiquette of high life. A principal amusement with them, especially in the evening, on deck, was in singing hymns. Of these they are very fond; and have learned to sing so well, especially the king and his sister, that no one can listen to them without interest and pleasure.

On the second evening from Oahu, we arrived at Lahaina. The princess and governor of Maui were to be left here; and the captain, wishing to honor them with a salute, boats were ordered out to carry them on shore, when yet some distance from the anchorage, in the apprehension that we should not be able to drop anchor before sunset, after which time, in our service, it is not customary to fire a salute. The captain himself intended seeing them on shore; and as soon as the boats had pulled ahead of the ship, the compliment was paid, and our probable name and character at once made known by it, throughout the settlement.

The visit was equally a surprise and a joy, both to the missionaries and the people; and I have had the happiness of spending two more days delightfully with them. Yesterday at noon, however, I was called painfully to bid them a final adieu; and we VOL. II.

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