Name: Tateishi Onojiro
Date: March 10, 1860
Location: USS Powhatan in Hawaii
Today, we arrived on the beautiful islands of Hawaii to meet the king and queen. My father, Tokujuro Tateishi, was one of the interpreters present during the meeting so he was able to meet them then. However, I was only able to see the queen and king when they came on the USS Powhatan for a ball. It was a wonderful party and I saw many beautiful western girls. I was sitting in a chair behind a western woman who was dancing and thought she might want to sit down because she had been standing for such a long time. I gave a little twitch on her dress to get her attention and told her to sit down. She looked at me oddly so I kept repeating myself then she declined my offer. I was astonished for I was only trying to be courteous! Was she not tired? Did she misunderstand my meaning? Westerners puzzle me constantly. Anyway, meeting the beautiful Queen Emma and kind King Kamehameha was a fantastic experience that I will remember forever.
It is nice to know that you guys have made it safely onto the Hawaiian islands
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