Their rooms, not very large, were quite full. When the king
entered, the company received him standing, and the flute band in
the verandah played the national anthem, and afterwards at intervals
during the evening sang some Hawaiian songs of the king's
composition. I was presented to him, and as he is very courteous to
strangers, he talked to me a good deal. He is a very gentlemanly,
courteous, unassuming man, hardly assuming enough in fact, and
apparently very intelligent and well read. I was exceedingly
pleased with him. He spoke a good deal of Queen Emma's reception in
England, and of her raptures with Venice, and some other cities of
the continent. He said he had the greatest desire to visit some
parts of Europe, Great Britain specially, because he thought that by
coming in contact with some of our leading statesmen, he might gain
a more accurate knowledge than he possessed of the principles of
constitutional government. He said he hoped that in two years
Hawaii-nei would be so settled as to allow of his travelling, and
that in the meantime he was studying French with a view to enjoying
the continent.
He asked a great many questions regarding things at home, especially
concerning the limitation of the power of the Crown.
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