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As the procession filed through the gate, the military deployed handsomely to
the right and left and formed an avenue through which the long column of
mourners passed to the tomb. The coffin was borne through the door of the mausoleum,
followed by the King and his chiefs, the great officers of the kingdom,
foreign Consuls, Embassadors and distinguished guests (Burlingame and General
Van Valkenburgh). Several of the kahilis were then fastened to a frame-work in
front of the tomb, there to remain until they decay and fall to pieces, or, forestalling
this, until another scion of royalty dies. At this point of the proceedings the
multitude set up such a heart-broken wailing as I hope never to hear again. The
soldiers fired three volleys of musketry—the wailing being previously silenced to
permit of the guns being heard. His Highness Prince William, in a showy military
uniform (the “true prince,” this—scion of the house over-thrown by the present
dynasty—he was formerly betrothed to the Princess but was not allowed to
marry her), stood guard and paced back and forth within the door. The privileged
few who followed the coffin into the mausoleum remained sometime, but the King
soon came out and stood in the door and near one side of it. A stranger could
have guessed his rank (although he was so simply and unpretentiously dressed)
by the profound deference paid him by all persons in his vicinity; by seeing his
high officers receive his quiet orders and suggestions with bowed and uncovered
heads; and by observing how careful those persons who came out of the mausoleum

were to avoid “crowding” him (although there was room enough in the door
way for a wagon to pass, for that matter); how respectfully they edged out sideways,
scraping their backs against the wall and always presenting a front view of
their persons to his Majesty, and never putting their hats on until they were well
out of the royal presence.

He was dressed entirely in black—dress-coat and silk hat—and looked rather
democratic in the midst of the showy uniforms about him. On his breast he wore
a large gold star, which was half hidden by the lappel of his coat. He remained
at the door a half hour, and occasionally gave an order to the men who were erecting
the kahilis before the tomb. He had the good taste to make one of them substitute
black crape for the ordinary hempen rope he was about to tie one of them
to the frame-work with. Finally he entered his carriage and drove away, and the
populace shortly began to drop into his wake. While he was in view there was
but one man who attracted more attention than himself, and that was Harris (the
Yankee Prime Minister). This feeble personage had crape enough around his hat
to express the grief of an entire nation, and as usual he neglected no opportunity
of making himself conspicuous and exciting the admiration of the simple Kanakas.
Oh! noble ambition of this modern Richelieu!

“When Kamehameha was dangerously sick, and the priests were unable to cure
him, they said: `Be of good courage and build a house for the god' (his own private
god or idol), that thou mayest recover.' The chiefs corroborated this advice
of the priests, and a place of worship was prepared for Kukailimoku, and consecrated
in the evening. They proposed also to the King, with a view to prolong
his life, that human victims should be sacrificed to his deity; upon which the
greater part of the people absconded through fear of death, and concealed themselves
in hiding places till the tabu[2] in which destruction impended, was past.
It is doubtful whether Kamehameha approved of the plan of the chiefs and priests
to sacrifice men, as he was known to say, `The men are sacred for the King;'
meaning that they were for the service of his successor. This information was
derived from Liholiho, his son.

“After this, his sickness increased to such a degree that he had not strength to
turn himself in his bed. When another season, consecrated for worship at the
new temple (heiau) arrived, he said to his son, Liholiho, `Go thou and make supplication
to thy god; I am not able to go, and will offer my prayers at home.'
When his devotions to his feathered god, Kukailimoku, were concluded, a certain
religiously disposed individual, who had a bird god, suggested to the King that
through its influence his sickness might be removed. The name of this god was
Pua; its body was made of a bird, now eaten by the Hawaiians, and called in
their language alae. Kamehameha was willing that a trial should be made, and
two houses were constructed to facilitate the experiment; but while dwelling in
them he became so very weak as not to receive food. After lying there three
days, his wives, children and chiefs, perceiving that he was very low, returned
him to his own house. In the evening he was carried to the eating house,[3]
where he took a little food in his mouth which he did not swallow; also a cup of
water. The chiefs requested him to give them his counsel; but he made no reply,
and was carried back to the dwelling house; but when near midnight—ten o'clock,
perhaps—he was carried again to the place to eat; but, as before, he merely tasted
of what was presented to him. Then Kaikioewa addressed him thus: `Here we
all are, your younger brethren, your son Liholiho and your foreigner; impart to us
your dying charge, that Liholiho and Kaahumanu may hear.' Then Kamehameha
inquired, `What do you say?' Kaikioewa repeated, `Your counsels for us.'

He then said, `Move on in my good way and—.' He could proceed no further.
The foreigner, Mr. Young, embraced and kissed him. Hoapili also embraced him,
whispering something in his ear, after which he was taken back to the house.
About twelve he was carried once more to the house for eating, into which his
head entered, while his body was in the dwelling house immediately adjoining. It
should be remarked that this frequent carrying of a sick chief from one house to
another resulted from the tabu system, then in force. There were at that time
six houses (huts) connected with an establishment—one was for worship, one for
the men to eat in, an eating house for the women, a house to sleep in, a house in
which to manufacture kapa (native cloth) and one where, at certain intervals, the
women might dwell in seclusion.

“The sick was once more taken to his house, when he expired; this was at two
o'clock, a circumstance from which Leleiohoku derived his name. As he breathed
his last, Kalaimoku came to the eating house to order those in it to go out. There
were two aged persons thus directed to depart; one went, the other remained on
account of love to the King, by whom he had formerly been kindly sustained.
The children also were sent away. Then Kalaimoku came to the house, and the
chiefs had a consultation. One of them spoke thus: `This is my thought—we
will eat him raw.'[4] Kaahumanu (one of the dead King's widows) replied, `Perhaps
his body is not at our disposal; that is more properly with his successor.
Our part in him—his breath—has departed; his remains will be disposed of by
Liholiho.'

“After this conversation the body was taken into the consecrated house for the
performance of the proper rites by the priest and the new King. The name of
this ceremony is uko; and when the sacred hog was baked the priest offered it to
the dead body, and it became a god, the King at the same time repeating the customary
prayers.

“Then the priest, addressing himself to the King and chiefs, said: `I will now
make known to you the rules to be observed respecting persons to be sacrificed on
the burial of this body. If you obtain one man before the corpse is removed, one
will be sufficient; but after it leaves this house four will be required. If delayed
until we carry the corpse to the grave there must be ten; but after it is deposited
in the grave there must be fifteen. To-morrow morning there will be a tabu, and,
if the sacrifice be delayed until that time, forty men must die.'

“Then the high priest, Hewahewa, inquired of the chiefs, `Where shall be the
residence of King Liholiho?' They replied, `Where, indeed? You, of all men,
ought to know.' Then the priest observed, `There are two suitable places; one
is Kau, the other is Kohala.' The chiefs preferred the latter, as it was more
thickly inhabited. The priest added, `These are proper places for the King's residence;
but he must not remain in Kona, for it is polluted.' This was agreed to.
It was now break of day. As he was being carried to the place of burial the people

perceived that their King was dead, and they wailed. When the corpse was
removed from the house to the tomb, a distance of one chain, the procession was
met by a certain man who was ardently attached to the deceased. He leaped upon
the chiefs who were carrying the King's body; he desired to die with him on account
of his love. The chiefs drove him away. He persisted in making numerous
attempts, which were unavailing. Kalaimoka also had it in his heart to die
with him, but was prevented by Hookio.

“The morning following Kamehameha's death, Liholiho and his train departed
for Kohala, according to the suggestions of the priest, to avoid the defilement
occasioned by the dead. At this time if a chief died the land was polluted, and
the heirs sought a residence in another part of the country until the corpse was
dissected and the bones tied in a bundle, which being done, the season of defilement
terminated. If the deceased were not a chief, the house only was defiled
which became pure again on the burial of the body. Such were the laws on this
subject.

“On the morning on which Liholiho sailed in his canoe for Kohala, the chiefs
and people mourned after their manner on occasion of a chief's death, conducting
themselves like madmen and like beasts. Their conduct was such as to forbid
description; The priests, also, put into action the sorcery apparatus, that the
person who had prayed the King to death might die; for it was not believed that
Kamehameha's departure was the effect either of sickness or old age. When the
sorcerers set up by their fire-places stick with a strip of kapa flying at the top,
the chief Keeaumoku, Kaahumaun's brother, came in a state of intoxication and
broke the flag-staff of the sorcerers, from which it was inferred that Kaahumanu
and her friends had been instrumental in the King's death. On this account they
were subjected to abuse.”