The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-22 00:00:00

A HAWAIIAN ALMANACK-

Remembering that, the history of the Sandwich
Islands, only 100 years ago their barbarian inhabi-
tants clubbed Captain Cook to death, the sight of a
well-printed "Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for
1880," with many pages of smart. advertisements, and
a complete Court Calendar, gives rise to very strange
feelings. Neither our Australian colonies nor the
United States afford any parallel to the progress of
the Sandwich Islands • in the former cases the civili-
zation is simply an offshoot and continuation of that
of England.; in the latter it is the natives themselves
who in the short space of a century have advanced from
primitive barbarism to the necessity for an almanac.

- This almanac covers 76 pages besides advertisements,
the latter affording a pretty fair criterion of the stage
of civilization already attained in these islands. Here
the attractions of a variety of restaurants, refreshment,
coffee, and billiard saloons are set forth; the "Palace
ice-cream parlours" at No. 60, Hotel-street, Honolulu,
seem to be rather an inviting resort in a place where
the weather is always hot ; watches and clocks
have already become a necessity, and the latest
things in upholstery and household furniture
have found their way to Honolulu, which also
boasts of at least one wagon and carriage builder.
One confectioner and pastrycook vaunts the richness
and flavour of his wedding cakes, while appro-
priately in the next page we are told where a plentiful
supply of drugs, medicines, and Havannah cigars may
be obtained. The cards of attorneys-at-law and
stockbrokers give evidence of the complexity of
Hawaiian civilization; and the tourist need be at no
loss for hotels and "pleasant furnished rooms." A
reading-room gives access to the principal periodicals
of the world, upwards of 100 of which are set down in
a newsagents' book as being regulary supplied to his
customers. Indeed, it would be difficult to name any
article in demand in civilized society that could not
be supplied at one or other of the various stores and
warehouses in Honolulu. _ _

When we look in the almanac itself we find it con-
tains pretty much the same kind of information to be
found in the almanacks of countries where civiliza-
tion began 1,000 or more years ago. Hawaii has a fail-
supply of public holidays, including characteristically,
the Chinese New Year, and, we are pleased to see,
the birthday of our gracious Queen. A full list of the
Church days and movable feasts is given, a list of the
kings of Hawaii, their birth, accession, &c., from Kame-
hameha 1., wno began to rein in 1782. There is a com-
plete Court calendar, as minute as any of the Court
lists in the "Gotha:Almanac," with the king, queen,
the princes and princesses, ministers, law dignitaries,
governors, &c. There is, moreover, much useful in-
formation as to the population, inter-island and inland
distances, heights of mountains, imports and exports,
shipping, and other statistics. The regulations for
carriages and rates of fares are quite as minute and
at hard on the " cabbies " as those of London or
Paris. All this, with some special articles relating
to the islands, the Royal family, and Hawaiian folk-
lore, renders the "Hawaiian Almanac" of peculiarly
suggestive interest.
-

It is sad to think that a people who have shown
themselves capable of suoh rapid progress should be
as rapidly dying out. That this is so the various
censuses give unmistakable evidence. At the census
of 1832 the total population was 130,313 ; in 1878 it
had dwindled down to 57,985, and of this number only
44,088 were native, and 3,420 half-caste, the remainder
being foreigners. Of the foreigners, the Chiriese are
by far the most nunterous, numbering s,9l6.—Tues-
day's Times.