Ali’i / Chiefs / Governance | Page 109

March 16, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Pā‘ani Pepa

Kalākaua’s penchant for “dances, picnics, suppers and other types of amusement” is legendary.

“Above all, he liked to play poker, and he usually lost. Then one day having four kings in his hand he was certain of winning the game.”

“Unluckily enough, his opponent had four aces. Kalākaua, not to be outdone, quickly hit upon the idea of including himself in his hand and said, ‘I have five kings-four in my hand and myself.’” (Ka Leo O Hawaii)

Pā‘ani pepa (card games) seem to have been introduced in Hawai‘i by foreign seamen in the 1790s or early 1800s. Gavan Daws notes that Islanders were enthusiastic gamblers and took up card games with avidity, soon becoming quite skillful.

“(T)he only card game the people and chiefs had known before was ‘Nu‘uanu.’” (Kamakau) It seems the game had already filtered into the society, from ali‘i to makaʻāinana, by the early 19th century when ‘I‘i served Liholiho (Kamehameha II) and the high chiefs in the royal court.” (Chiba)

“Card playing was especially popular among members of royalty. Agents of the Hudson’s Bay Company, visiting Kamehameha and his son Liholiho in 1816, taught the future king how to play whist, then new to Hawai‘i.” (Schmitt) (Whist is a trick-taking card game involving trump cards.)

Missionaries note the regular card playing by ali‘i. “Part of the morning was spent in calling upon the queen (Ka‘ahumanu,) chiefesses, and I took with me one garment which we had completed for Kamamaloo.”

“I did not find her as when we called last Saturday. She was engaged, with a party, under a small booth, by the king’s door at a game of whist.” (Sybil Bingham, March 14, 1822)

(The game of whist is substantially the product of English soil, and its gradual development during more than two centuries, until it has all but arrived at maturity, is mainly due to British talent.”)

(“From England it was carried about a hundred and sixty years ago into the centres of Parisian life, and the diplomatists and financiers from other countries who resorted to that capital became subject to its influence, and introduced it into the cities of their own lands.”) (English Whist, 1894)

Back to Ka‘ahumanu … “Money was spread upon the mats upon which the company were seated. Cards engrossed their attention, while the nod of cold civility was all they could bestow upon us.”

“My long walk in the sun had caused some fatigue; but too many attendants surrounded to admit our having a seat under cover. Seeing that little prospect but that of standing as idle spectators of a vain amusement, we, without any formality, took our leave.”

“As I stood and looked upon the sable group of ignorant, unconcerned, yet precious immortals, thought of their indifference to the message of eternal mercy, and their entire devotions, not only to vain feat to sensual delights, my spirit seemed to faint within me.” (Sybil Bingham, March 14, 1822)

Sybil’s husband, Hiram Bingham, noted of Kaʻahumanu, “sometimes, a full length portrait of her dignity might have presented her stretched out prostrate on the same floor on which a large, black, pet hog was allowed, unmolested, to walk or lie and grunt, for the annoyance or amusement of the inmates.”

“She would amuse herself for hours at cards … Mrs B and myself called at her habitation, in the centre of Honolulu. She and several women of rank were stretched upon the mats, playing at cards, which were introduced before letters.”

“It was not uncommon for such groups to sit like tailors, or to lie full length with the face to the ground, the head a little elevated, the breast resting on a cylindrical pillow, the hands grasping and moving the cards, while their naked feet and toes extended in diverging lines towards the different sides or extremities of the room.”

“Being invited to enter the house, we took our seats without the accommodation of chairs, and waited till the game of cards was disposed of, when the wish was expressed to have us seated by her.”

“We gave her ladyship one of the little books, and drew her attention to the alphabet, neatly printed, in large and small Roman characters.” (Bingham)

Thus, Western card games such as whist, poker games, or so appear to have been already imported into Hawai‘i with other Western materials and goods probably by sailors by early 1800s just after the 1778 British landfall or Cook’s arrival, which was the Hawai’i’s first step into the evolving capitalistic economy. (Chiba)

“Pe-pa-ha-kau: Cards.—Foreign playing-cards are used. Poker is a favorite game. Five cards are dealt around and the highest hand wins. A player not getting a pair is out of the game. Pe-pa, ‘cards,’ is the English ‘paper.’ Ha-kau means ‘fighting.’” (Culin, 1899)

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Wall Nichols Card Set ca 1901

March 13, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

John Harbottle

Harbottle is a village and a township in Holystone chapelry, Northumberland, England. Harbottle Castle crowns a lofty, isolated, green mound, above the river Coquet. Harbottle, in the English Saxons’ tongue Herbottle, is “whence the familie of the Harbottels descended”. (Vision of Britain)

The castle, built in 1155-89, now of shattered and leaning walls, had formerly an outer moat crossed by a drawbridge. (Vision of Britain) The building’s most famous hour came in October 1515, when his Lordship played host there to the pregnant Queen Margaret of Scots and her (second) husband, the Earl of Angus.

At Harbottle, the lady gave birth to a daughter, also Margaret, the future mother of Lord Darnley (husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and father of James VI). (Britannia)

In the Pacific, Captain Brown’s three vessel trading squadron collecting furs, hides, and whale oil in the American Northwest and trading with China included the ‘Butterworth’ (under Captain Brown,) ‘Prince Lee Boo’ (under Captain Sharp) and the ‘Jackal’ (under the command of Captain Alexander Stewart.) John Harbottle served as mate on the Jackal.

They were “one of that numerous group of commercial adventurers who flocked into the north Pacific Ocean in the wake of Cook, drawn thither by the chance discovery, as one result of the last expedition led by that great navigator, of the possibilities of wealth in the fur trade between China and the coast of America.” (Kuykendall)

The Jackal “had English colors and shew a teir of ports fore and aft the greatest part of which were false or only painted yet they made a good appearance at a distance that for some time we concluded she was a Kings Cutter or tender to some of the men of war on the coast.” (Ingraham; Kuykendall)

The squadron spent the trading season of 1793 on the northwest coast and at the end of the season all of them went to the Hawaiian Islands for the usual refreshments. During this visit to the islands Captain Brown was given an opportunity of performing a useful service for his friend Kahekili, and later Kalanikūpule.

From there Captain Brown sent the Butterworth on her way toward England, by way of Cape Horn, ‘with directions to fish for whales and seals in passing through the Pacific Ocean, and at Staten Land, where Mr. Brown had formed a temporary establishment.’ Captain Brown himself with the Jackal and Prince Lee Boo sailed to Canton.

Returning to the Islands, in November of 1794 the harbor of Honolulu, known to early Hawaiians as Ke Awa o Kou, (The harbor of Kou) was discovered by Captain Brown, of the British ship Butterworth, and called by him “Fairhaven.” Honolulu was first entered by the schooner Jackal, her tender. (Thrum; Maly)

Brown died in 1795 and Harbottle later sailed as Second Officer with Captain Bishop on the Nautilus. They sailed from Canton in June 1797, only to meet a series of devastating storms. (Journal/Letters of Captain Charles Bishop)

“That it was not until Thursday 29 June (1797) we had crossed the China Sea and reached the South point of the Island Formosa where we anchored in a Sandy bay for the purpose of fitting up the Empty water Casks …”

“… and the boat was dispatched with an Empty Cask to a Proper place, which they did about one and a half miles from the Ship. there being however a considerable Surf the boat was Anchored just within it and about 50 yards from the Shore, the People were not enabled to carry any Arms on Shore dry, and not seeing any Native, took only the Cask with Bucketts to fill it …”

“… they had began on their business when they were Suddenly attacked by a Party of Indians, who fired many Musketts and persued the people into the water – Captain Bishop being near the boat soon got on board her, and with the boat-keeper fired on the Natives and covered the retreat of the boats Crew, who all reached the boat …”

“… but Mr John Harbottle second mate was wounded … two Indians more daring then the rest, rushed into the water to catch hold of Mr Harbottle who was the hindmost of our people, being wounded by an arrow in the back and his thigh bone broken by a Gun shott, happily however he got within reach of one of the oars and we Saved him by timly wounding his assailants”. (Bishop, Memoranda on the Ship Nautilus)

Next, the Nautilus sheltered at Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka. Russian Commander Schmaleff, “readily offered us every assistance, the settlement could afford. The artificers and People were ordered to do any thing for us we requested and …”

“… our wounded officer (Harbottle) was placed by his directions in the house of the 2d in Command whose Wife and daughters were his kind nurses and Attendants”. (Journal/Letters of Captain Charles Bishop)

“The Nautilus then sailed south into further tempests, which did not even allow a return to Kamchatka. Instead Bishop made again for the Sandwich Islands”. There, Harbottle stayed and “joined Kamehameha’s ring of European aides; Harbottle’s was indeed a happy progress from that grim day at Formosa.” (Journal/Letters of Captain Charles Bishop)

Harbottle was one of the first foreign residents in Hawai‘i (arriving around 1799) and became Kamehameha I’s port pilot. He was called Keaka Habatala. He married High Chiefess Pāpapa‘upu (also called Hanepu,) the hānai granddaughter of Kamehameha I. (Quigg)

Reportedly, he fathered 13 children: William Hepala Harbottle; Sarah Ulukaihonua Harbottle; Mary Ilikealii Harbottle; Charlotte Oili Harbottle; George Nahalelaau Harbottle; John Waihinepio H. Harbottle; Edwin Edward Ailueni, Harbottle; Isaac Kewalo Harbottle; Edwin Harbottle; Issac Kewalo Harbottle; Edward Ailueni Harbottle; William He Pala Harbottle and Winship Reynolds.

In 1809, Harbottle, generally acted as Honolulu harbor pilot. (Greer) Under his direction, hawsers would be run from the ship to rows of canoes, and paddlers would warp the ship into harbor. (Daws)

Likewise, Harbottle was made captain of the Lelia Bird and was involved in the sandalwood trade to China, making two or three voyages and finally ending her days by sinking at Whampoa. (Thrum)

For his service, Harbottle was given land by Kamehameha, including the ahupua‘a named ‘Waipi‘o’ at Hāmākualoa on Maui, “he resided peacefully there until his death.” (Land Commission Testimony) He died June 26, 1830.

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Honolulu_Harbor-Choris-1822

Harbottle Castle Ruins

March 11, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Webster’s Way

Noah Webster (1758-1843) was the man of words in early 19th-century America. He compiled a dictionary which became the standard for American English; he also compiled The American Spelling Book, which was the basic textbook for young readers in early 19th-century America.

In the beginning part of his American Spelling Book, several signed a ‘Recommendation,’ stating, “Having examined the first part of the new Grammatical Institute of the English Language, published by Mr. Noah Webster we are of opinion, that it is far preferable, in the plan and execution, to Dilworth’s or any other Spelling Book, which has been introduced into [o]ur schools.”

“In these the entire omission of the rules of pronunciation is a capital defect, which very few of the parents, schoolmasters or mistresses, employed in teaching children the first rudiments have sufficient knowledge to supply.”

“The usual method of throwing together, in the same tables, and without any mark of distinction, words in which the same letters are differently pronounced, and the received rules of dividing syllables, which are wholly arbitrary, and often unnatural, seem calculated to puzzle the learner, and mislead the instructor into a vicious pronunciations.”

“These defects and mistakes are judiciously supplied in the present work, and the various additions are made with such propriety, that we judge this new Spelling Book will be extremely beneficial for the use of schools.”

The Speller’s Preface notes the priority in learning, “The syllables of words are divided as they are pronounced, and for this obvious reason, that children learn the language by the ear. Rules are of no consequence but to printers and adults. In Spelling Books they embarrass children, and double the labour of the teacher.”

“The whole design of dividing words into syllables at all, is to lead the pupil to the true pronunciation: and the easiest method to effect this purpose will forever be the best.” (Webster’s Speller)

And so it was with the American Protestant Missionaries teaching the Hawaiians to read and write their own language.

This exercise, as practiced in Hawai‘i, was described by Andrews, “The teacher takes a Piapa (i.e., speller, primer,) sits down in front of a row or several rows of scholars, from ten to a hundred perhaps in number, all sitting on the ground, furnished perhaps with Piapas, perhaps not.”

“The teacher begins: says A. The scholars all repeat in concert after him, A. The teacher then says E. They repeat all together, as before E, and so on, repeating over and over, after the teacher, until all the alphabet is fixed in the memory, just in the order the letters stand in the book; and all this just as well without a book as with one. The abbs and spelling lesson are taught in the same way.” (Andrews; Schultz)

Just as American schoolchildren spelled aloud by naming the letters that formed the first syllable, and then pronouncing the result: “b, a – ba,” so did Hawaiian learners. (However, back then, Webster used ‘y’ as a vowel; the missionaries did not.)

The Hawaiian version also used the names of the letters and the resultant syllable: bē ā – bā; by 1824, this had become the Hawaiian word for ‘alphabet’. However, after b had been eliminated from the alphabet, p took its place in this new name.

One result of applying this methodology to Hawaiian is that it produced a new word: Pi a pa. From that time on, the word for ‘alphabet’ has been pī‘āpā, first appearing with this spelling (minus the kahakō and ‘okina) in a book title in 1828.

The purpose of all these first exercises was to teach the mechanics of pronouncing words, one by one – syllable by syllable.

This is how Ka‘ahumanu learned … “Being invited to enter the house, we took our seats without the accommodation of chairs, and waited till the game of cards was disposed of, when the wish was expressed to have us seated by her.”

“We gave her ladyship one of the little books (Pi a pa – the speller,) and drew her attention to the alphabet, neatly printed, in large and small Roman characters.”

“Having her eye directed to the first class of letters – the five vowels, she was induced to imitate my voice in their enunciation, a, e, i, o, u.”

“As the vowels could be acquired with great facility, an experiment of ten minutes, well directed, would ensure a considerable advance.”

“She followed me in enunciating the vowels, one by one, two or three times over, in their order, when her skill and accuracy were commended. Her countenance brightened.”

“Looking off from her book upon her familiars, with a tone a little boasting or exulting, and perhaps with a spice of the feeling of the Grecian philosopher, who, in one of his amusements, thought he had discovered the solution of a difficult problem, leaped from the bath, exclaiming “Eureka! I have found,” the queen exclaimed, “Ua loaa iau! I have got it”, or, it is obtained by me.”

“She had passed the threshold, and now unexpectedly found herself entered as a pupil.”

“Dismissing her cards, she accepted and studied the little book, and with her husband, asked for forty more for their attendants.” (Bingham)

The image shows Webster’s way of learning to spell, starting with repeating the consonant ‘b’ with the respective vowels b, a – ba – just as the Hawaiians did as pi, a – pa.

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Noah Websters Speller-page 28

Noah_Webster’s_The_American_Spelling_Book-Cover-1800

Noah_Webster_pre-1843

March 7, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Timeline Tuesday … 1890s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1890s – Kapi‘olani Hospital is formed, Kalākaua dies, Overthrow, Annexation, Pali Road is completed and the first Beachboys organization is formed. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

A Comparative Timeline illustrates the events with images and short phrases. This helps us to get a better context on what was happening in Hawai‘i versus the rest of the world. I prepared these a few years ago for a planning project. (Ultimately, they never got used for the project, but I thought they might be on interest to others.)

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Timeline-1890s

March 6, 2017 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

‘The Hope of the Nation’

“On the eve of the 14th inst, at 7:30 o’clock Frank James Woods and Eva Kalanikauleleiaiwi Parker were married at the Parker residence at Mana by the Rev CH Tompkins, the parson of the Anglican Church of Hāmākua.”

“Members of the families of the contracting parties and a few intimate friends had been invited to attend the ceremony and the fine residence was filled with the guests who were cordially welcomed by the genial host and hostess.”

“Among the guests were noticed the Princess Kaʻiulani, Prince Cupid and wife, Prince David J H Wodehouse, Captain John Ross, Miss K Vida, and a few other Honolulu friends. …”

“It was nearly 6 o’clock in the morning and the dawn was breaking when the young couple bade good bye and drove away among showers of rice, tears, laughter, flowers and old shoes.”

“At Waimea Mr and Mrs Woods stopped at the Parker residence at Puopelo to see the venerable Mrs Hauai Parker and after a short rest they proceeded on their journey to their beautiful home at Kahua. …

“The bridegroom is the second son of the late James Woods a prominent rancher and planter on Hawaii. He is the owner of the Kahua ranch in the Kohala district and is a worthy young man an honor to his race and to his family.”

“The bride is the oldest daughter of the Hon Samuel Parker who since her return from England where she received her education has been a favorite in society in Honolulu as well as in San Francisco.” (Independent, December 19, 1898)

The future seemed uncertain for Princess Kaʻiulani when she headed to the Island of Hawai‘i for the wedding of her friend Eva Parker.

Disillusioned by life in Americanized Honolulu, saddened by the injustice of circumstance, she expressed herself in letter to Lili’uokalani, written as 1898 drew to a close, feelings alive in most Hawaiian hearts.

“They have taken away everything from us and it seems there is left but a little, and with that little our very life itself. We live now in such a semi retired way, that people wonder if we even exist any more. I wonder too, and to what purpose?” (Kelley)

Even with Kaʻiulani’s attempts to gain support for the monarchy, the US Congress voted for annexation, and on August 12, 1898, Hawai‘i officially became an American territory.

Then, the sad news, “Princess Ka‘iulani is dead.”

“Her young life went out at two o’clock this morning (March 6, 1899,) at her residence, Waikiki. The sad event had been feared for more than a month, and deemed hourly imminent for a week past.”

“It was about four months ago that the Princess was first attacked with the illness that has cut her off in the springtime of life. Rheumatism induced by exposure to rain upon an excursion into a valley near Honolulu, undertaken for a short visit to a country retreat there, was the malady.”

“Relief was sought in change to the dry mountain air of Hon Saml Parker’s residence on Hawai‘i, and was gained in some degree when a fresh cold from bathing caused a relapse.”

“Ultimately, about a month ago, it was deemed necessary to have the Princess brought home. Her father and Dr St DG Walters attended her on the trip.”

“Alarming reports came from her bedside a week before the end. She was constantly attended by Dr. FL Miner and Dr Walters, but the disease had advanced beyond the power of medical skill to check.”

“Still there was hope of a favorable turn until close to the last hour. The fact that the affection was threatening the heart, however, made the case critical.”

“Half an hour before the end it was certain the Princess was dying, and intimate friends were called in to join the stricken father at the bedside. There were present in the death chamber the following:”

“Hon. AS Cleghorn, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. W. Robertson, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. H Boyd, Miss Kato Vida, Miss Helen Parker, Col. S Parker, Dr. St D. G. Walters and wife, Dr. FL Miner, Prince David Kawānanakoa, Lumaheihei, Miss EIsie Robertson and Kaʻiulani’s maid.”

“Princess Victoria Kawekiu Kaʻiulani Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa was the daughter of Hon AS Cleghorn and Princess Miriam Likelike.”

“The mother was a sister of King Kalākaua and Princess Liliuokalani afterward Queen, and died in 1887 when Kaʻiulani was but eleven years and four months old.”

“Here, from her cradle to the end of the monarchy, Princess Kaʻiulani was regarded as ‘the hope of the nation.’ Appreciating the responsibility attaching to her expectations, her widowed father sent her to England at fourteen years of age for higher education.”

“From her infancy she was known as the heir presumptive to the throne of Hawaii, and at the accession of Queen Lili‘uokalani was proclaimed as the Heir Apparent.” (Evening Bulletin, March 6, 1899)

“As a little girl here, Kaʻiulani was considered bright and beautiful and was a favorite with all the young people, of her circle. … Cultivated and charming in every way she at once gained a place in the hearts or all with whom she came in contact.”

“She was a patroness and active worker for every charitable, society and took the deepest interest in the welfare of the lowly and the afflicted. In the society here she was a bright light, was welcomed everywhere, received with the highest honors and often entertained at her home.”

“Always gracious, always thoughtful of others, she gained the strongest affection of all. She was idolized by her own people and was held in the highest esteem by the foreign population.” (Hawaiian Gazette, March 14, 1899)

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