Nuhou, Volume I, Number 22, 31 March 1874 — The "Benicia" Ball [ARTICLE]

The "Benicia" Ball

;Of V cdncsdaj on board the noble Bteam ! frlgate in our l!iarbor, wo* Romctl)irig morc tban a ltoere party foi plea«ure beelicrH; —it was an udI mirable illustrfition to tliie comnumity oF Auteri- | ean taste, ekill and enterpriye ; and abo?e all of |cordial, kindly international &pirit. We are aeI sured that Thelr Majesties King Kalakauā and j Queen Kapiolani, and the many inSuential native j chiefs \yho accpmpanied them as invited guests, ;.were delighted v?ith the eplendid festive occasioh j prepared for tjiem and thelr foreigu friends s on hoard this beautiful representative of tlie navul powcr of They had an opportunltj to witness_, and are aseured did ,intelligently notc the evideqces of Southern eourtesy and hospitality of skill and eontrivance of Westcrn aud OYerflowing bountj ; and of Amei'iean tī,iste and libcrality in general, in cvcrj detail of, this happy naval fete. j Let usglanc|e from the break of the quaiter j deck, near where ller Majesty, the dignified and jnoble looking Queen Kapiolani is seated, and j ohscrvc, as at the same time we note lier look of admiration, the fine ball room view, whieh the main A canvas roof, bordered with iu|:ernatiQnal banners, arches loftily. over a dancing flopr ojae hundred and fifty feet long, and about forty feet wide. And this noble festive hall is lighted up like noon day with one hundred and twenty tapers, that circle around the main mast, attachēdj to the lgcks of firearms, or are j tastofull} arrauged as pendent ehandeliers.. And , this blaze of light, shows. forth with fine effect the jthrong of Ilonolulu ladics in their tasteful. fcoilett^s; and of gentlemen and olficers in sparkling ui|ilbrms, or in privategrande tcnue. All look animated and happily espectantand the pleasure bqaming in human faces refl.ee ts the beauty of the scene the irridescent gleam of ba|nnersthe radia.nee of a mid-āay ill.qminat.ion bcneath the eanvass vault, at a time when tlie duatping stars spangle the dark azure | overhead ;—an|l all the br|ghtness and ,svreetness of gailandtf, bququets and floral decoration, especially of a glowing parterre of flowers, arranged < tauk, tb&tj.covered. the. engine room hatch, where amkl blooms and leaves of a rich grouping of florescent sprays, a pretty fbuntain s springing lortli iu scores pf tiny jets, showers down a flood of little s silvery purling streams amid eorals and plants, so mingled as to typify a scene that is a happy blonding of the beauty and strength of j land aud sea. | j And now oui* justiy famed Band, led by Berger, j gives tunefu] voice to thisnoble display, There jis a bea>t to ffstive " quarters» ,? His Majesty the dane<fwith Mrs. Consul Maiioon, who j as chief represqntative of our Ameriean Society, is j the Lady Tlost<pss of the Ball. And m this first j set of hpuor, a|oug with the we see H. E» | 11. Prince Leleiohoku and the Priucess Likelike; j the Commissioi4er of Franee Mr. Ballleu and the jPrincesB Lydia Kamakaeha; and HisEx. Mr. W. jL. Green, Minister of Foveigu Affiiirs aud Mrs* jJ. MottSmith., And thei; iuspired by witehiug i harmonies of piusie, the ,dance goes on; —aud i quadrilles, lancprs, and waltz keop this line, yet j grim ark of wa,r aliYC.au,d gay witk the eahilaI ratiug aetiou oi, pleasure w T heu tired I fect aud appetites, eheerfully respoud to j the " hauds below,' ? iuto tiiesuppar j saloon, to whioh His Miuesty aud Mrs. Mattoon jled the way, lleie ihe >Vard Koom Olfieers iuj spired by theijc commauder, had reserved their j-most powerful ~batterj of iu order to completely eaptuie tlie hearts of our soeiety. , Suwli a long line of groaniug .Libles, was pcrhaps j ne\cr seen before iu our harbor ; uud the \Vard : Bqoui prci?eutv4 a rieh pieluie of . viandtf, of Uuits, jellies, and pastrv , erowued wuh biOubous. And ali this battery of . \vas well Haukel aud «?upported uy a , force uf iusjjiration t as proveu by the lively musquct|ry of poppuig eorks« Aud other , uu\tter<s might ljiave oeeu ( popjH?d ; —secing how everv oBk\.r\i teiatero..na t wats iueo a I A

hnwcr for wel! and merry eouple» to and jokc. cat and sip. and to piil! the match mottoe?j and augur gaily from we Fnap, or thr purport of the amorous legend somc happy fru"tion of a tender hope. We have not space to say all we would wish jof this j*ala of the Benicia. The good Bhip, ; in those Isles, f:>r the pleasant ' she ha=? aff;rded in the past, quite &urpassed ! herself on tlns oeeaelon. Captairi HopklnH ha? ■ rcaBon to fecl proud of the fete. bceauFe cf peaeri hath her vietories well ns war, M and this wa- ; one of them ; and all hls offieers hoiiora- | hle mention for their parts in the, achievement j Oi'aham, Bīshop, Whitingi Kutz f ■ Carter, Singer, Putnam, Pitkh), Jpne* and Elhworth are household names slnee o!d days of klngsy visit3 and festivities; in plaee 01 s:*me . pleasant faees we missed 4 we were : happy to £nd that Engard, Clearer, Bartow ai]d Denig fally j sustain the social good fe!loweli|p of our c!d j friends, Andrade, Little, and Tobin, whom we • trust are happy elsewhere. And when a gratliled j company of vieitors went trooping home, —their Majesties at midnight, and the other guest« at j one, two and three o'eloek in the momin^, —they j all said they had never had a gala' of pleasure in j Honolulu harbor liappier and finer, than this Bali j of the Benicia.

\ ' ; A respeetable government may be bare of cash and defieient in force, and still command some regard, but it ceases to be respectable wheu it ebows itself barren of ideas to the extent that it has to solicit from private dtizens elemosynary contributions of information and intelligencc to supplement its own poverty of quaHfSation as leader and instrucfcor of tiie peuple. \Teare led to make these remarks, aftei observlng in the Advertiser of last Saturday, i statqment° that the government desired information, or " espresaous of opinion M to aid in a 11 direction to islat!on," in respect to our labor laws. ls the?e any grievanee in respect to them that eapiial and j kbor are complainmg of and in consequence Lave j petitioned government fbr or refbrm? Or 1 is it merely beeause " some of our ,practical busij ness men think thafc the si^bject 4 4 will bear ihe | appiication of thought and possibly some legislaj tion. ? " If the latter is tlie only reason, then the j governinent is a meddlesome nineompoop to be 50 ! fishing fbr infbrmation. f - ! i

Mr. Hoskins takes a benefit this evening at the Royal Hawaiian Theatre, under the patronage of Captain Hopkins and the Officers of the U. S. S. Benicia. This superior actor deserves at the hands of the lovers of the histrionic art in Honolulu a "bumper house.'' We are happy to learn that Mr. G. H. Chase, who though only spoken of as an amateur, so agreeably surprised us as though an actor of some experience in the part of the "Baron de Bergonce," last Thursday evening, will assist Mr. Hoskins and Miss Colville on this occasion.

A Confirmation took place at St. Andrew's Temporary Cathedral, on Sunday last, when the Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Honolulu, assisted by Rev. Mr. Dunn confirmed Miss Gibson, Miss Luee. Miss Clara Herbert, Miss Poole, Miss Whyte, Miss Cleghorn, Miss Alice Neville, and Miss Maleka Kaka. Her Majesty Queen Emma Kaleleonalani was present on the occasion.

The Special Police Force was ordered to parade last Saturday at 4:30 P.M.. ; but as many members considered the turn out, under the cicrumstances, an unwise and uncalled for demonstration, and were determined not to put in an appearance, the order had to be countermanded.

"The North German Empire." Where is it? Will the ministerial and Court fugleman tell us? We know what he means, but the fugleman should keep better posted in his political geographic nomenclature.