Sl/PERB NATIVE COSTUME. 343

audience. There are four doors, one on each side, andone at each end; that at the south was appointed forthe entrance on this occasion. Every thing was inreadiness when we arrived. At the upper or northend of the house, on an elevation or platform of mats,the top one of which was of very fine texture, andbeautifully spotted and striped with stained grass, stooda Chinese sofa, on which the young king and theprincess his sister, who came from Lahaina in theBlonde, were seated, both in plain suits of black. Be-tween them, and partly round the princess, lay a splen-did garment of yellow feathers, edged with the vandykepattern, points alternate black and red, and lined withcrimson satin.

This article, nine yards long and one yard wide, wasmade at great expense of time and labour during thepast year, and designed to be worn by the princess as apau, or native female dress, at the reception of herbrother Riho-Riho, on his expected return. It wasthe desire of the chiefs that she should wear it, withthe wreaths for the head and neck, necessary to formthe complete ancient costume of a princess at this inter-view ; but as it was necessary, in order to this, thatshe should be naked to the waist, nothing could in-duce ' her to consent. To escape importunity, she fledto the Mission House early in the morning. She weptso as scarcely to be pacified by us, and returned to thechiefs only in time to take her seat, and have it throwncarelessly about her over her European dress, with oneend cast across the arm of the sofa. To have seen herin so superb a native costume, would have no doubt