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Just before the ship anchored at Honolulu on
the 11th of June, a heavy sea struck the ship and stove in the Port
Quarter Gallery, destroying the whole of the frame. The following days'
logs had several remarks about carpenters mending that damage. During the
18 days at Hawaii 'Constance ' managed some gunnery practice, as much as
anything to impress the Islanders and the French ships in harbour.
Admirals were given 13 guns salutes, the English Consul 11 guns and the
same number to the American Consul. On the 20th of June the ship was
dressed in honour of Her Most Gracious Majesty's Accession to the throne.
The following day King Kamehameha III visited the ship and was given a 21
gun salute on leaving. Since Victoria's accession was the 21st of June, a
combination of both events and the use of the international date line
served to get both birds with 21 guns and saved both shot and cartridges.
A further 21 guns were required on the 28th which was the anniversary of
Her Majesty's coronation. |
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This is an old tinted glass plate photograph which is said to be of a Hawaiian
group. We do not have a firm provenance of the picture. |
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King Kamehameha III had considered putting his Kingdom under the protection of
Her Britannic Majesty a few years before. With the French, English and
Americans manoevering for influence in the Pacific - well represented at
Hawaii - this short visit of the 'Constance' was serious diplomatic
activity. The British Navy had seized Hawaii for Britain in 1843 but
restored the kingdom five months later, realising their mistake. No doubt
Captain Courtenay had been given a copy of a four page convention sent by
the Admiralty - ADM 2 1605, 31 March 1847 - to be discussed with the
King. The Hawaiian islanders had had a
major constitutional change only
three decades before when King Kamehameha I - the great - had united the
islands into a single kingdom in 1810. The kingdom was undermined in 1887
when a group non-Hawaiians forced the 'bayonet constitution' on King
Kalakaua which deprived him of power and removed land rights from the
Hawaiian people. The kingdom ended in 1893 when American businessmen and
US troops arranged the Hawaiian islands to became part of a USA
protectorate by deposing the ruler, Queen Lili'uokalani. While subsequent
events led to Hawaii becoming a US State there has always been a Hawaiian
Independence movement and pressure was put onto the USA to recognise the
injustice of the 1887 'bayonet constitution'. The US apologised in 1993
and there remains hope for the Hawaiians that they might yet recover their
independence. |
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