Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands -  Kalakaua -- Part 7

The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to 
the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended
that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions
become part of the permanent collection.

Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands
" Keepers of the Culture "
A study in time of the Hawaiian Islands
As told by the ancients--
Kalakaua ---Part 7
Kalakaua -- The Young Man
as told by the Ancients--

by Darlene E. Kelley
March 7, 2001

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kalakaua -- The Young Man -- Part 7

Although serving under Kamehameha IV, Kalakaua sided with Prince Lot in
promoting Hawaii for Hawaiians. On the premise of going to Canada for
Prince Lot's health and to study the possibilities of securing trade and
preferential treatment of the sugar tariff, Kalakaua and Lot set sail
for San Francisco and Victoria, B.C., in 1861. They shared between them
another purpose; that of securing arms and artillary for Hawaii. Lot
felt that military defense would someday be necessary to secure the
independence of Hawaii. Kalakaua, in the past having been influenced by
Captain Franz Funk, believed strongly in the importance of military
power.

It was Kalakaua's first trip on a steam sailing vessel. He could hardly
contain his delight and often lost sight of the political purpose of the
trip in the sheer pleasure of travel. This proclivity was to be repeated
frequently in his life. Neither he nor Lot were successful in their
mission for trade or artillery.

Even though they lived close to each other, the young men communicated
by the written word. Letters ad notes between Kalakaua and Prince Lot
indicated that the military plans were to be kept secret from Kamehameha
IV, who was totally convinced that there would be no attack on his
Kingdom. He was excedingly popular, did nothing to upset the status quo
of his father's liberal constitution, and best of all, there was
prosperity in the country. The Kamehameha private lands, plus the Crown
Lands, brought in more than adequate money for the royal treasury. The
haole had practically no demands made on them in exchange for supporting
the royal family, as they would later.

While Prince Lot and Kalakaua had a close relationship politically, a
problem existed socially. Princess Victoria, Lot and Liholiho's sister,
was next in line for the throne and was premier. She never served in the
office, as she married haole auctioneer, Julian Monsarrat. The love
affair was public knowledge, and Lot, who resented the situation, tried
to persuade Kalakaua to become engaged to Victoria.
Kalakaua was, however, attracted to Kapiolani. Nevertheless, in the
midst of the heat of gossip over Victoria's conduct, Kalakaua suddenly
received a note from Victoria asking him to set a date, for they,
according to her, were indeed engaged. He wrote his sister Lydia of the
surprising turn of events. But he accepted the invitation to be engaged
to the Princess. It was no small honor for an ambitious young man.

Coinciding with Kalakaua's engagement notice was the engagement of Lydia
to Prince Lunalilo, a lineal descendant ot he Kamehamehas. Hence, both
brother and sister were to attend a ball to be given by Prince Lunalilo,
during which engagements were to be announced. Lunalilo was a
exceptionally popular young man, known as Prince Bill to both haole and
Hawaiian.

Liliuokalani later wrote that Victoria made a different decision. In the
midst of the festivities, Victoria, with vast retinue of over a hundred
men and women, arrived. The music and dancing stopped, and Victoria
imperiously made her way across a rapidly clearing floor to her host,
Prince Lunalilo. Taking his arm, she called for silence. She then
publically announced the long standing engagement, indeed from birth, to
Lunalilo. The crowd cheered, for few knew of the other two supposed
engagements.

Victoria did not, however, marry Lunalilo. Her thwarted romance with
Monsarrat 
( Lot threatened to exile him.), her strong attraction to alcohol and
her hopeless feeling about Hawaii's future led her to return to her half
sister Princess Ruth's home. where she stayed until her death in 1866.

In 1858, at the age of twenty two, Kalakaua was chosen to serve in the
House of Nobles. The same year saw another dream come true; through
Prince Lot he was invited to join the Masonic Lodge. Throughout his life
he was to be devoted to the principles of Masonry and later became a
Thirty-Third Degree Mason.

In 1861, after returning from Canada with a partial finacial backing of
Lot, Kalakaua joined the expression of nationalism in the press. He
originated the first Hawaiian language newspaper, edited solely by
Hawaiians. -- Ka Hoku A Ka Pakipaki.
[ Star of the Pacific ].

He collaborated with two strongly loyal Hawaiians, G.W.Mila and J.K
Kaunamano. The paper stressed the loss of population and heritage. It
was to be the paper of the common people and promoted the use of the
Hawaiia language and the keeping of Hawaiian traditions and cultures.

Kalakaua's never dying interest in the past was brought to the editorial
pages in genealogies, mele legends, and histories.

He served at the same time in the position he enjoyed most; as social
host for Kamehameha IV, entertaining arriving foreign guests. These
events included the presence of Lady Franklin, wife of the Artic
explorer, and her companion, Sophia Craycroft, who described him ---" as
pure Hawaiian, exessively stout, but of most gentlemanlike manners and
apparance, dressed exactly after the morning fashion of Englishmen in
light grey --- very dark brown [not black] with an aquiline nose and
thick lips-- whiskers and moustache and hair much more woolly in its
crisp curliness than is usually seen among his people.....Queen
Victoria's Aide-de-Camp could not have acquitted himself better." In
letters to friends, she mentioned his charm, excellent English, and
dress. Kalakaua, aware of his appearance, did not always appear in
military garb but was picturesque...... in his A.D.C. traveling
costume-- a scarlet woolen shirt over the usual white one, black
trousers, large black waterproof hat round which was a wreath of natural
flowers of Hawaiian colors ( rich crimson and yellow, each in separate
masses), white buckskin gauntlet gloves, Mexican spurs, and a very
handsome Mexican saddle of stamped leather.

Kalakaua was to play a sadder but less personal part in the reign of
Kamehameha IV. During one of the royal tours to Maui, a scandal broke
over the royal household. After hearing rumors that his secretary, Henry
Neilson, had been having an affair with the Queen, the inebriated King
shot at close range and wounded Neilson. Kalakaua, as Aide, rushed to
Neilson's side and carried him into another house for care. Later when
the King discovered the rumors were untrue, he became abjectly repentant
and spent the next two and a half years in constant attendance upon
Neilson, who died after that period. But greater grief was to befall
Kamehameha IV.

On August 17, 1862, the King, annoyed by a tantrum the young Prince had
thrown, decided to cool him off by placing him under a cold water
faucet. The child became ill shortly after this dousing. Although
Kamehameha IV blamed hmself, the cause of the child's illness was a high
fever called brain fever.

The royal couple were Episcopalian and asked Queen Victoria of England
to be the child's godmother, as well as requesting a resident Anglican
minister to come to Hawaii. Queen Victoria, upon receiving the request,
sent an Anglican bishop to have him represent her as godmother to the
young Prince. Before the bishop could arrive, however, the young
Prince's illness worsened.

On August 19,1862, it was publically announced that the Prince of Hawaii
had become seriously ill. Bulletins were issued three times daily, but
what was kept out of the press was that the King considered himself
responsible for the illness.

The British Commissioner and Consul General, W.W. F Synge, and his wife
arrived August 25,1862, bearing a beautiful christening cup from Queen
Victoria. It was Kalakaua's painful duty, as chamberlain to the King, to
tell Synge of the prince's illness and later to bring him to the King
and Queen for audience. The queen asked Synge to act, in the absence of
the Prince of Wales, as proxy for the young prince's godfather. He
agreed, and the baptismal service prceeded, with Lot as the other
godfather.

The young prince was then officially christened Albert Edward
Kauikeaouli Leiopapa a Kamehameha.

Two days later, on the 27th, he died, at the age of four.

Kalakaua's sister Lydia, had replaced Kapiolani in attendance during te
last illness of the Prince; Queen Emma blamed Kapiolani for having
allowed the King near the child to douse him with cold water. It
certanly was not Kapiolani's fault, and she took the blame with great
grief.

Kalakaua fell more deeply in love with the beautiful, grieving widow,
now tat she was barred from the court and final services for the young
prince. He felt a kinship, never having felt at one either with the
Kamehamehas.

Kamehamea IV took the blame of his child's death upon himself and never
recovered from his grief. He became a recluse and withdrew from public
life to continue work on translating the Anglican Prayer Book, a project
he had begun after the death of Neilson.

On November 30, 1863, Kamehameha IV died at the age of twenty nine. The
services were Episcopalian and subdued in contrast to Hawaiian fashion.
Prince Lot was to become Kamehameha V.

In the meantime Kalakaua's sister Lydia, married an American, John Owen
Dominis, in 1862. She had met him when she lived with the Bishops.

***********************************************