From the San Francisco Call, Volume 85, Number 124, April 3,1899 HAWAIIANS CLAIM TO HAVE HEARD THE SPIRIT OF PRINCESS KAIULANI HONOLULU, March 25.— It is a habit among the natives of the Hawaiian Islands that for nine days after the death of a chief or chiefess their thoughts must he of the dead. During these days they relate the mysterious happenings that always seem to come to pass after one of royal blood has departed this life. Tt is with an idea of giving to the world some of the uncanny happenings after the death of the late Princess Kaiulanl that this article is written. It was midnight on the 10th of March. I899, that a solemn procession passed under the palms and spreading trees of Ainahau and wended its wav slowly toward the Waikiki road to town, and then into the large gateway Of Kawaiahao. Ii was the hearse hearing the body of the Princess Kaiulani. followed by the mourning father and others. Kaiulani had left her beautiful home for the last time and her body was placed on a catafalque in Kawaiahao church, thereto lie in state through the next day. Miss Robertson (left behind at Ainahau on account of illness), together with a number of native and Japanese servants, were the only ones remaining in the house after the departure of the body for the church. This young lady had just taken a reclining position on one of the hikieis or divans that are to be found all over the. house, when, it is asserted, she heard nofsefl that made her blood run cold. Transfixed to the spot, she listened for their recurrence, and in a very short time they were repeated. The room on the upper floor that bad been occupied by the Princess seemed to be in an awful state of unrest. The pound of a myriad of bodies passing through the room and tossing furniture about, it is said was what met the ears of the frightened people. Then came a rush of wind. The door of the room leading out into the hall opened with a burst and something came down the stairs with a rumbling sound. Then the door leading to the walk that at inects the main house with the lanai opened in the same mysterious way and closed again with a slam. The chairs and tables on the walk were overturned, and a voice which was, according to the people in the house, unmistakably that of the dead Princess, was heard to cry, Kauka! Kauka! (meaning Doctor, doctor!*) Ofcourse, this may all be the imaginings of excited minds, hut it. is nevertheless a strange fact that nearly a dozen people should tell almost the same story. The noises may have been caused by the strong wind blowing thai night. However, the story, when heard by the natives, was believed, and they gave to it all a meaning. It is a well-known fact that the Princess hated the idea of dying. and held to the hope that she would recover, even to the very last moment. When she was dying and her father stood at the bedside, his hand clasping the wasted one held out to him. she still fought for her life. Kaiulani had the greatest faith in her physicians. and trusted (o them to nurse her back to health, btit the rheumatism finally attacked her; heart and her fate was sealed. The natives say that the voice heard at midnight was truly that of the Princossi protesting against her death and calling upon her doctor for aid. Another peculiar happening was at Washington Place, the town home of ex-Queen Liliuokalani, which has not been occupied since the Queen left for the States. On tho night of the death of the Princess Joe Heleluhe. who went to Washington as the secretary of the Queen while she was fighting against annexation, walked into the yard with the intention of speaking with some natives living it) the rear. He noticed a lamp in the room on the upper floor that used to be occupied by the Princess when she was staying in town for a few days. Thinking this unusual, he went closer to the house and, he declares, saw a figure standIng near the lamp, evidently in deep contemplation. When it turned ho saw distinctly the face of the dead Kaiulani. Then the light went out and nothing more was to be seen. The last and perhaps the strangest of all the happenings in connection with the death of the dead girl, witnessed as it was by hundreds of people, was at the gate to the graveyard in Nuuanu Cemetery at the time when the hearse bearing the body of the Princess entered. The first carriage was that of the father. Governor Cleghorn, accompanied by Mrs. J. W. Robertson and Mrs. J. H. Boyd, daughters by his first wife. The fathers dace next to the body was undisputed, but the two wnnifn mentioned had no rieht in that position. The natives were very much Incensed that they, being devoid of even a drop of royal blood in their veins, should be placed ahead of the Queen Dowagers carriage and that of the two Princes. David Kawananakoa and Cupid Kalanianaole. All the way to the cemetery, it is said, the horses acted queerly, and two or three times the driver was forced to call for assistance from people In the procession. As tho carriage was about to enter the cemetery pate the horses began to back away and refused absolutely to enter. The occupants became very much frightened, but remained in their places, thinking that the horses would soon be gut under control. In this they were mistaken. It was not Ions: before a well-known Hawaiian stepped to the side of the carriage and susrsrested that the occupants alight and walk to the mausoleum. They took heed of the advice and got out. The horses immediately became quiet. Then the carriage of the Queen Dowager. Kapiolani, drove up and went Into the cemetery without mishap. Mrs. Robertson and Mrs. Boyd were forced to enter later on. The natives say that had the two women persisted in remaining in the carriage some terrible accident would have happened to them. They had said previously they would never enter the gate ahead of the people of royal blood. Many who stood around while this thing took place say that the head of the nigh horse was held toward the right hand kahili of state on the catafalque, and that the head of the off horse was held toward the left hand kahili, indicating, as the natives say, the cause of their stuhbornness. Of course, to many these tales seem to be the merest nonsense. Not so to the native Hawaiians, who believe in omens and who see in very many of the happenings that pass by the majority of people unnoticed some direction from the spirit world. They are as a race very superstitious, a fact that can be readily proved by a glance at the books written about them in the olden times, and yet it is a remarkable fact that a great many of. their predictions, brought forth by various happenings, really do come true, and that white people who have lived in the islands for many years come to look for the same signs as the natives--- Picture: AINAHAU, the Country Home of the Late Princess Kaiulani, Where Spiritual Manifestations Are Said to Have Been Heard Since Her Death. The Cross Marks the Room Occupied by the Princess. #kaiulani #hawaiianhistory #kanakamaoli #ainahau #funeral
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 02:32:23 +0000
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