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KA'APUNIHONUA
1881 WORLD TOUR
The tour began on January 20, 1881 and would engage 281 days of travel.
At the time Kalākaua was 44 years old and had been King for seven years.
Ka'apunihonua means to encircle the world, to circumnavigate the earth, or simply, around the world tour. Huaka'i Honua means a world journey. Descriptions can alter the perception and intentions of history.
At that time most ships going west left Hawai'i for China, Australia or New Zealand. The King did not want to backtrack north to Japan, and he wanted that to be the first country on the Asian leg of the journey. So their first ship ʻCity of Sydneyʻ sailed east to San Francisco, a major trade port for Hawai'i. After arriving on the 29th, and a very warm reception of several days the party boarded the ʻOceanicʻ and sailed for Japan. It once took 2-3 months of sailing to cross the Pacific, but departing out on February 8th they crossed the Pacific in about 23 days, arriving in Yokohama bay on the 4th of March. Their ship was a steam assisted schooner a frequent innovation of the time, which combined sail and propeller power.
Kalākaua had his friend and Chamberlain - Colonel Charles Hastings Judd, Attorney General William Nevins Armstrong, who later wrote a book of the journey, and Robert Von Oelhoffen as aide and cook in his party of four. They traveled ʻingonitoʻ which meant they did not require the formal attendance as required by receiving a Sovereign and his Royal Party. But it didnʻt seem to make much difference as the King was almost always received with appropriate ceremony and magnificent warmth and splendor.
Kalākaua Royal Standard
SAN FRANCISCO
The Kingʻs party arrived aboard the ʻCity of Sydneyʻ in San Francisco Bay on the 29th of January. The new steam assisted schooners sped up the voyage to just 9 days.
They were warmly greeted and invited to various affaires, banquets, and a special dinner provided by the Chinese community. They stayed at the Palace hotel, still there and now a Sheraton Hotel.
USA - 10 days
Sailing North East Pacific
JAPAN
The ʻOceanicʻ arrived in Yokohama Bay on 4 March. The King was surprised and impressed as many of the ships at port flew the royal standard and gave gun and cannon salutes. Although this was an incognito trip and no official word had been given of the Kingʻs voyage, news of his San Francisco reception had preceded their arrival. Soon many ports would know he was coming on his World Tour.
Since the disturbing time of Commodore Perry, Edo was now firmly known locally and internationally as Tokyo.
Tokyo
Kyoto
Kobe
Osaka
Nagasaki
Emperor Meiji, who inherited the reign from his father, was about 30 and in his 14th year as Monarch, provided for all the accomodations for King Kalākaua and his party during their stay.
JAPAN - 22 days
Sailing North Pacific - East to West
china
They left Japan, aboard the Tokio Maru, from Nagasaki, the traditional trade port to China for centuries since the Portuguese and later Dutch were allowed to establish trading posts. A different vessel was used for almost all the voyages in Asia. First stop - Shanghai.
Shanghai
Tientsin
Hong Kong
After a few days in Shanghai they departed aboard the PauTah for Tientsin. At this time, as the closest port to Beijing, it was an important stop. But the Europeans were shifting their focus to Shanghai as the new Port of China.
While in Tientsin the hope was to visit the Empress of China in Beijing. But it was determined that since this was an incognito trip, and the ill health of the Empress, it could be months before obtaining an audience. Kalākaua reluctantly accepted and continued the journey aboard the Thibet and onward to Hong Kong. They sailed on Mahealani - the night of the full moon.
CHINA - 30 days
Sailing East and South China Sea
As we leave China, a recent scientific theory suggests the proto-Polynesian culture emerged from this area, perhaps Taiwan, about 4,000 years ago.
siam
THAILAND
Bangkok
The party arrived in the capital on April 27th and stayed about a week.
Received as a Royal guest they were well treated and went on several excursions and an elephant ride.
SIAM - 7 days
Sailing Teluk Siam - Gulf of Thailand
siNGAPURA
The Kingʻs party left Bangkok aboard the Bangkok, a steamer, and headed south to Singapore, about a 3 day trip.
Singapore
Jahore
Early Singapura was a Malay settlement taken over by the Johor Sultanate. The Dutch and British took interest in the Malay peninsula in early 1800s, with the British gaining full control of Singapore in 1819.
Kalākaua visited the Maharaja of Jahore, went on Tiger hunts, and various receptions.
SINGAPORE - 6 days
Sailing south in the bottom South China Sea
South East Asia, especially the islands, is largely considered the traditional origin of the Proto-Polynesian ancestors.
MALACCA
This part of Modern Malaysia was the Sultanate of Malacca in 1880 and under British Straits Settlement government. We begin to realize that the entire Southeast Asia has undergone successive colonizations by the regional empires of Khmer, Siam, Viet Nam, China and India. Now something similar was happening with Europeans beginning with Portuguese, then Dutch, French and British, on to the modern era with Japan and The United States.
MALACCA - 2 days
Sailing north in the Malacca Straits
The Mecca took 2 days to sail from Malacca to Penang.The British took control of Penang island in 1776 and established a major trading port that continues as the main economic engine of modern day Malaysia. In 1881 it was also under control of the British Straits Settlements.
PENANG - 6 days
Before we leave Southeast Asia, it is worth mentioning that most scientists believe the proto-Polynesian culture possibly emerged from this area over 10,000 years ago. Sea levels were very low at that time and long boat trips would last just a few days. In Hawaiʻi we call this ancient homeland Nuʻumealani, Pulotu, Paliuli, Kuaihelani, and other names. The Polynesian Triangle is well known but Polynesians also established social groups as far west as north Australia and Madagascar.
BURMA
MYANMAR
Maulmain
Yangoon
Burma was also under British rule. Although Yangoon was becoming a major port, Maulmain was the British political power seat during this period.(Mawlamyine)
10 days
Sailing the Andaman Sea
INDIA
King Kalākaua then sailed aboard the Pemba, a steamer, and crossed the Bay of Bengal headed for Kolkatta.
Estimates of the World population first reaching one billion was in 1804, and in 1881 it was about 1.4 billion, the current estimate of the population of India today.
Kolkatta
Ganges
Benares
Agra
Delhi
Aurangabad
Bombay
INDIA - 13 days
Sailing Bay of Bengal
EGYPT
The party left Mumbai aboard the Rosetta, and headed north for the Arabian Sea.
They reached the Gulf of Aden in a couple of days and turned into the Red Sea. Continuing north they made for the Gulf of Suez. Arriving in Suez they visited the Canal then took a train to Cairo.
Suez
Cairo
Alexandria
King Kalākaua did not sail down the nile to Luxor - but we probably will.
EGYPT - 12 days
Sailing Arabian Sea and Red Sea
ITALY
The King departed Alexandria heading north for Sicily. They were now in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Catania
Messina
Napoli
Pompeii
Roma
The remnants of the old Italian City State Kingdoms lingered until the modern country of Italy became unified in the 1860s. Kalākaua Visited King Humberto I and Queen Margherita and later Pope Leo XIII.
ITALIA - 10 days
Sailing Western Mediterranean - Straits of Messina - Tyrrhenian Sea - Gulf of Naples
FRANCE
King Kalākaua was anxious to reach England in time for the London Season.
So they rushed through France by train heading for Boulogne, expecting a return visit later.
Paris
Boulogne
France - 2 days
Overland by Train
ENGLAND - SCOTLAND
DOVER
LONDON
YORK
GLASGOW
EDINBURGH
LOCH NESS
LIVERPOOL
PLYMOUTH
EUROPE
Coming Soon
BELGIUM
GERMANY
AUSTRIA
FRANCE
SPAIN
PORTUGAL
USA
NEW YORK
BOSTON
MARYLAND
WASHINGTON D.C.
VIRGINIA
PHILADELPHIA
CLEVELAND
CHICAGO
OMAHA
OGDEN
SAN FRANCISCO
