Continuing on about Robert Louis Stevenson from my post the other day, at the age of 38 he set sail for the South Seas on a chartered schooner called ‘The Casco’. Having come from a family of well-known Scottish lighthouse engineers he had developed a great love of the sea and, suffering from tuberculosis since childhood, was hoping to find a climate that would improve his health. He arrived in Honolulu in January 1889, whereupon he became good friends with King Kalakaua, the reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Islands.
King David Kalakaua was considered by his friend to be a cultured intellectual, and had a keen interest in politics, sports, literature and music. He gave his chief patronage to music, from the ancient chants to the walz. He was also instrumental in restoring to the public the performance of the Hula. He was also a poet and lyricist and one of his legacies to his people was his “Hymn to Kamehameha” known today as "Hawai`i Pono`i". It was the National Anthem of the Hawaiian Monarchy and today is their State Song.
If I have missed anything out about the King, or add any other history of Hawaii, perhaps our Hawaiian friends will let me know.
Thank you for looking and
I hope your day is a great one.
