Talk:Moses Kekūāiwa

Letter alluding at running away to the South Pacific with brothers, 1845

Letters were addressed to Mr. Binns the barber (Snibbs) & his partner St. John (Lt. Johnson).

The letter reads thus :

Hotel de Invalido , Sept. 4/45 912 Α. Μ.

To the
Two Commodores on the Coast of California;
Sir.
With regret I opened your letters. I read all that was in it & understand it. My dear & everlasting friends do not leave us in the midst of these troubles. We cannot endure it. My dear Snibbs as I returned yesterday afternoon I met Landon at the gate waiting for me. When I saw him I call out to him " All right " he said , " no." At the same instant Mr. Crook came out & saw me. He call me & inquire of me where have I been. I told him I been at the Queen's. And he put me in his bedroom & I stayed there till 10 o'clock at night & I did not see you. Will you excuse me for not fulfilling my promise , because I got a good reason why. My dear friends, my pen & ink cannot express what I wish to say. My dear friends make haste & tell me what is the best way for us to clear out as fast as we can. I cannot stay in the land of my birth. I cannot stay in the land where my forefathers had die. For they shamefully treated us. Farewell to my native land. The land of my birth. Write me soon & let me know what is your thought. With regret I wrote this letter to you, you must not say that I only wish to cut you out of your business. And to ruin your characters. It was the love of liberty that enticed us to leave our native shores. Do write me today. Can you make a bargain with the captain of the Brig Euphemia to take us down to Tahiki on the first port he would on some of these Southern Islands. If we would leave these Island, then I shall bid farewell to my native land.

And see no more the face of my parents

And leave my lovely Alrica

Far, Far behind me , and may that Crook would search for us

But in vain, In vain he looked for us.

Then repented he the conduct of his doing. He shall wander about the Islands,

The paper Polenesian shall spread her coarse telling that the three prince of the Sd. Is. were no more to be find.
I think I better close now, Good bye. Do come up some other night to see me & talk about the matters but let me know in the day time.

My dear friends, whenever you send your letter up, throw it over the corner you came in the other evening at any time & I will do mine the same over the other side. You understand.
From

John David Hammond Commander in Chief of the H Army

God be with us Amen.

The above was directed to Gove. E. F. Snibbs, Admiral & F. P. St. Clair

Present.

^[1]

September 11 - Monday things went quite hard and in the afternoon at 3 o'clock , Mr. Douglass & I went to the Palace accompanied by Moses , Lot and Alexander . The King talked to them very sharply & and the Committee , Judd & Richards , made a law for the school that the money of all the children should first come into our hands to be expended as we suggested .^[2]

Confessions

Moses has sent us an extensive account of his night walks , but he insists the Queen is not hewa ( guilty ] . John Ii is so pilikia with Government matters that he can not find time to investigate the affair as he would . Moses ' written confession follows ;

January 8th , 1847 — Royal School . Saturday night was the first night that I went out , being the 19th of December and also Miss Bernice's birthday . It was about 8 o'clock when I first went out . Our family was then engaged in the parlor with the fol lowing persons : Mr. Judd and family , Mrs. Nye and her Spanish guests , Mrs. Dimond , daughter and Capt . How land , Mr. Wyllie , Mr. Ricord and Mr. Hall . It was after the burning of the blue lights ( which was done by an unknown hand ) that I went out of our premises , and called on Kekauila . While there I inquired of her whether they had any wine in the house , she replied “ No ” after sitting down a few minutes telling her and those who was in the house , how sorry am I in being not allowed to enjoy the Miss Bernice's birthday . Therefore I was wroth with Mr. Cooke after asking him several times to give me my liberty and pledging myself never to do that act again , for whose sake I was detained of the pleasure on the evening of Miss Bernice's birthday , and would not . Therefore I vowed to myself that I should enjoy the rest of Miss Bernice's birthday in some way or other . After I had been a few minutes at home , I cut out again , it was then almost 9. After I had been in the house , I asked of Kekauila , where was the Queen ? She said that “ she is at her house . " I then told her to go and tell her that I am here . And before she went , I told her that I should like to see her also . But she told me that it would not be best because there are a great many people there with her and besides your Kamehameha buttons . I was not then in disguise . After she had been gone for sometime , I trace her footsteps . I found her at the enter ing of the Queen's little garden , with two other persons . As soon as she saw me , she came up to me and beckons

me to retire . After we arrived at the house I told her that I should call again at a late hour . Bidding her good eve ning I came home . At the hour of 10 , I proposed to take to my heels again and so I went . Entering the small gate to Kekauila's dwelling house , I entered her house and again inquired for the Queen . She immediately replied that “ Her Majesty had just been at the back yard near her house . " I went out immediately and saw two or three persons at a distance near the house , and soon went into the verandah . Taking them for the Queen and some of her maids , I followed them immediately . Coming in at the gate of her little garden , I heard a great many voices at the verandah , where I supposed the Queen and her maids went into . I then went to the back of her house . After creeping and concealing myself for some time I espied a window partly open . I then went up to it and taking a peep I saw a few persons in the room sleeping on the floor and also saw some one on the bed , but not distinctly because the mosquito curtain was drawn , there fore I said to myself there must be someone on it . Wrap ping at the window , a woman then came up and asked me who is there ? " I told her who was I and what I wanted . She then returned and soon she and the Queen came up to the window . The Queen then asked me what I wanted , I told her that I wanted nothing and then laughed . She then requested me to retire from the win dow and premises , which I did very quick .

I then returned the same way I came and went into the grass house from which I came from . Kekauila then asked me if I had been with the Queen . I told her I have not . There was besides Kekauila , a man and a little girl , also Kaiminaauao , who was present in the house all the time I was there . After bidding her good night I came home . On Tuesday morning the 22nd of the same month ( December ) Her Royal Majesty the Queen and the Lord Chamberlain , paid us a visit . After they had been at Sarai's room for sometime , they came out to go home and stopping to take a look at Lot's , Alexander's and my room . While they were in A's room the Lord Chamberlain came in my room first . I was then reading Graham's Magazine . The rest of my classmates was still detained in the school room . Pretty soon Her Majesty came out of Alexander's room and came into mine , I then

pay my respect to her . When she came out of Alexander's room , she brought an orange with her which belongs to my brothers . I myself had two oranges in my room , one I gave to Her Majesty and the other to the Lord Chamber lain . After amusing themselves for a few minutes in look ing at my room ( for a few days before I had been rigging it ) they went out .

They had not been gone for some time when I saw Her Majesty's gloves and handkerchief lying on my table . I took the gloves and one of my best handkerchiefs and went out and called for the servant maid who came with her and gave it to her .

I ought to have mentioned before this last sentence , that after we ( Mr. D. , Lot and myself ) had been at Mr. Brewer store on Monday afternoon the 21st of Decem ber and was on our way home , we called at Her Maj esty's and found her clad in a large roll of black tapa , and Mr. Hopkins was also there .

On the night of Wednesday the 23d of December , the same thoughts again came into my head to go out again , so I went . At a late hour I entered the house of Kekauila and sat near the door . After a long conversa tion of different subjects , I asked her this question “ Is there no way of my getting at the Queen's " she replied ” me sharply which was after this manner " Did I not tell you that you will never see her at this time of the night ? " Being frightened by her speech , I said nothing more about it . But going out from whence I entered I run up to the large gate and went into the yard . After much diffi culties in procuring for myself a good hiding place , I heard a noise at the gate and soon after espied someone coming in at the gate . Then he walked up to the grass house or entered into it , I cannot tell , but the last I saw him he was going under the shade of the Hau trees , and being frightened by his figure , I crept along the fence and coming out of the new long doby house , made my way homeward as fast as I could , and this was the second night that I had been there .

Thursday , 24th Dec. On Friday morning before the 25th of December and also Christmas Day , Her Majesty called on us . On her return , Sarai , Sister Victoria , Brother Alexander and myself accompanied her home . After we arrived at her house , Alex and myself went into her bedroom where Kalaeokikoi was writing for her . On looking about the room , her watch caught my notice and going up to it I found that it had stop going , to which I reported to Her Majesty , who then requested me to take it home and ratify it , so I took it up and put in my pocket . Before we came home I saw she had on her finger a ring , I then asked her to lent it to me , which she did and further more said " you may wear it till you had done with it , then return it to me ” and so I promised to do so , with out thinking that it will become a great matter by and by : Being engaged in making candies in the morning and in shooting in the afternoon , I think no more of my jew elry , containing my rings which I took off on Friday morning , for fear of its being injured by the molasses . The watch I safely deposit in one of my drawers in my berau . Being occupied all that afternoon I think no more of them as the hair that is on my head .

Dec. 26th — On Saturday morning I thought of return ing the watch after it was ratified , but being busy in shooting arrows , I soon forgot it . One of my arrows went over into the King's yard , and obtaining a permission by Mr. Cooke I went after it . Having gone more than Mr. Cooke wished me to have been gone , he soon came into the yard and called me home , and murmuring as we came home , he supposed that I only went there to see the Queen . Her Majesty was not at her house , she was absent in the Palace to attend family worship . After we arrived home I was sent to Mr. Douglass ' room for mur muring . Being occupied all the morning in Mr. Doug lass ' room and all the afternoon in riding , therefore I did not have time to attend to the watch or even the things which belongs to myself .

On that night I again called on Kekauila . She gave me some refreshments and when I inquired for tobacco , she also gave me some to which I smoke till I was almost sick , caused by the unuse to smoking with pipes . I returned home after trying every effort to calm it . After much difficulties , I at last arrived home . Thinking that the taking of some of my Cologne would take away the bad smelling , so I took some of it which made me worse . Saturday night Dec. 26th .

The next morning I was a great deal better , but my stomach was not quiet and just before we went to break fast , I vomited which released me soon . All that morning I had a bad headache . Having left some of my things at Kekauila's I therefore proposed to go after them and to tell her that I am quite exhausted and perhaps never to try to come again or to try to see the Queen . Having let myself down I therefore went to the corner of the house and taking a hasty look , saw John li going up and knew not that there was more than one spy , and so on a tip toe I went and was out of the yard in six seconds and taking a peep over the fence I saw Mr. Douglass coming right where I came out and suppose him to be from the school house . I therefore got in again as fast as I could and after I had concealed myself , John li came up to me and so I was caught . Returned to my room and found Mr. D. and Sarai , ready to light my lamp . After lying down a few minutes was hurried out to Mr. Douglass ' room . Sunday morning Dec. 27th .

The next morning was Monday the 28th of Decem ber . After breakfast I made my first report to Mr. Doug lass , who wrote it for me on paper and therefore had no copy of it . Most of the things I do believe they agree with this my journal . Monday afternoon , while our fam ily was attending the evening family worship I called over and see her Majesty , told her I was caught by John for running out nights . Her watch and ring which she publicly gave me was taken away from me by Mr. Cooke ,

which I inquired if it had been returned . She replied they have not . Returned home .

On Tuesday morning Alapai called over and told our family , seeing me with the Queen and had a private talk with her of a few minutes .

The next morning which was Tuesday the 29th of December still kept in Mr. D's room .

The journal continues :