Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - Kamehameha lll --- (Part3)

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Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands
" Keepers of the Culture "
A study in time of the Hawaiian Islands
As told by the ancients--
Kamehameha lll --- Part 3
and Kinau -- Regent
Liliuokalani's Version.
by Darlene E. Kelley
December 2, 2000

http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374

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Kamehameha lll --- part 3
as told by Liliuokalani --

In the previous study, I have told the story as the ancients, have told
it--, however,  Queen 
Liliuokalani had another version. This I pass on to you, as they are
somewhat identical--;
She writes in her story--:

In 1838 Kamehama lll was King in his own right. Kamehameha ll. his
brother, had considered himself King in name only, as indeed he was. He
had grown increasingly resentful of the matriarchal control of Kaahumanu
and of the missionaries, and when his sacred mother, Keopuolani died,
with the words, " I believe in Chirst Jesus. The Hawaiian gods are
false, " the missionaries were overjoyed, and so was Kamehameha ll-- but
for different reasons. It set him free to travel to England with his
favorite wife-and-half-sister; he left his younger brother as his
proclaimed heir. With his death in England, the second son of Kamehameha
l, only thirteen, became Kamehameha lll in 1825.

The new Kamehameha inherited many problems, not the least of which was
his being in love with his own sister, Nahienaena. In the old
traditional ways he would have married her, for she was closest in blood
to his rank; but now the missionaries cried " Incest!" Kaahumanu,
leaning toward Christianity, along with some of the other high chiefs,
was against the marriage, but many of the other high chiefs wre not.

Deprived of his marriage, but certainly not of the love of his sister,
Kamehameha lll begun his rule with drunkenness, debauchery, card playing
and total disinterest in governmental procedures, leaving all governmet
to Kaahumanu, as his brother had done.

When Kaahumanu died, as a professing Christian, the missionaries felt
they had made a great step forward, but almost immediately after her
death, Kamehameha lll married his sister in the home of High Chief Paki.
Nahienaena had all her life rocked between the Christian missionaries at
Lahaina and the incestuous love of her brother in Honolulu. Now she
turned her back on the missionaries to go to her brother, but not for
long. She was threatened with excommunication-- eternal damnation--and
so was prevailed upon to give up her brother-husband and marry another
high chief, Leleiohoku, in a Christian ceremony. She did so, but when
her child was about to be born, she was brought to the palace for the
birth, and every indication was given that the child was Kamehameha's.
Nahienaena never recovered from child-birth, and when she died,
Kamehameha was terrified, for the missionaries told him that it was the
" will of God," for they had sinned unforgivably.

On a premise of his own, Kamehameha decided that he would rectify the
sin of his sister by marrying before she was buried, so she would not be
damned. While Nahienaena lay in state awaiting burial, Hiram Bingham, a
missionary, performed the Christian wedding ceremony of Kamehameha lll
and High Chiefess Kalama.

Nahienaena had two funeral ceremomies: one in Honolulu following the
Western traditions with the high chiefs marching in procession, and a
small cart draped in black silk carring her coffin, escorted by kahili
bearers. The second service was held in Maui and much more to Hawaiian
liking. A roadway had been cut through the kou groves, going from the
sea to the mountains, surfaced in sand, grass, and over-laid with mats
-- like the royal highways of the ancient times. In a long cortege of
high chiefs, Nahienaena's coffin was born to rest. The natives watched
and wailed.

The Hawaiian Kingdom was shaken. The chant
" The chiefs joined together the earth will be eternal----- while the
chiefs join the earth abides" Trembled on the weak but far-carying winds
of the Old Hawaii across the waters to the eight islands. A Royal
marriage between brother and sister and the union of such marriage would
have been mama, such was the deep belief of the Hawaiians.

But now even the King feared before the new God and his emissaries. No
longer were old customs to remain inviolate. Traditions of old were
scattered on the wild hurricane winds of something new and strange and
fearful.

Eighteen months later, in this twilight of Old Hawaii and the dawn of
New Hawaii, the last queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani, was born. She was to
live in the fast fading light of one and tenuous new light of the other
that was to proceed to a new day, a new way of life. Before that new day
would end, greater sadness than any of the past would affect all the
Hawaiians.

Kameameha lll moved his capital to Lahaina on Maui. He acknowledged
fully that Kinau, his half-sister and wife of the governor of Oahu, was
the new Premier, taking Kaahumanu's place. At Lahaina he established his
government with a Council of High Chiefs who included his old friend,
Paki; Paki's wife , Konia; and High Chiefess Keohokalole, the
mother-to-be of Liliu Kamakaeha, later to be known as Liliuokalani.

Holding fast to one of the few remaining revered customs, Keohokalole,
promised her next-to-be-born child to High Chief Paki [Boki] and High
Chiefess Konia in hanai-- one of the oldest and the most beautiful
customs among the Hawaiians. It involved the greatest of all gifts--
one's own child -- being given to a beloved friend. It was aloha. It was
love in its highest sense. It also achieved greater mama for the child
and cemented relationships among the high chiefs.
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Contiuation of stories as told by the ancients--

For years different foreign powers had been contending over the possible
control of the commercial interests of the Islands, which were growing
in importance in the Pacific area. Foreign ships in increasing numbers
were coming and going. Officers of these ships constantly advised the
King and the council that the laws of the country should be changed and
adapted to modern conditions. as foreigners did not understand the form
of Hawaiian government.

Hawaii was no longer the Hawaii of the old days. This was pointedly
emphasized by foreigners who declared that drastic changes must be made
if there was to be peaceful and profitable living for everyone, both
native and foreign. The debts of the nation were mounting beyond belief.
The King was finally brought to realize, and to face, the situation. He
summoned Dr. Judd and William Richards to talk things over with them. He
told them he was anxious and coerced, and did not know which way to
turn. He said that if they would stand by him he would cut his own
personal expenditures, and also give of his private funds that the most
pressing obligations might be met immediately. This he did. He resumed
his responsibilities as head of te nation and settled down to a more
normal and constructive way of life. The chiefs and the friends of the
King were encouraged.

After many conferences and very careful consideration, it was decided to
ask Mr. William Richards to go to Washington to present the situation of
the Hawaiian government to the President of the United States,
requesting him, if possible, to send them a legal adviser.

About this time a bright bit of progress evidenced itself with the
opening in 1839 of a private school for young chiefs --the " Chiefs
Children's School " -- under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Starr
Cooke. One by one the royal children were entered in the school. The
King was greatly interested in this forward step in the education of the
young chiefs who would one day take the responsibility of the Kingdom. A
school was opened at Punahou in 1841 for the children of the misionaries
under the direction of Rev. Daniel Dole. The children of foreigners who
came to reside in the Islands were also admitted. The land for the
building of the school at Punahou had been given to Mr. Bingham for that
purpose by Boki before he left the Islands.

When Mr. Richards returned from Washington with his report, the King and
council were disappointed. They turned to Mr. Richards and asked that
he, himself, accept the responsibility of adviser. To do so he was
obliged to resign his connection with the mission, since the
missionaries were not supposed to take any active part in the
government. Mr. Richards accepted the responsibility, unwillingly, but
under his guidance governmental matters moved on with more assurance.

In April, 1839, the Premier, Kinau, was stricken with paralysis and
died. The nation was again in mourning. Kinau, both great and wise in
her leadership, had been a stronghold in the council of the King. Like
Kaahumanu, Kinau had been a mother to the nation, and the people were
bereft. There was no one to take her place. The position of the
kuhina-nui must continue, and Kekauluohi [ Auhea ] was appointed. She
had been trained from childhood to be the repository of the history of
the Hawaiian people. There was no question of genealogical interest that
she could not answer. But it was Mr.Richards who carried much of the
responsibility.