The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-11
The Sandwich Islands.

in connection with the future progress of COM
in the Pacific confers great interest their
history, new edition of which has recently been
published by Mr.. j. J. Jarvis, of Honolulu, and
with which it also embodied general statement OF
their trade and revenue, brought down to the most
recent period. Owing to their remoteness, under
tracted anything like popular attention in England;
but, nevertheless, there have been few places OF
similar size, and inhabited by uncivllized races,
which have exercised more critical! influence,
world, or which have been the subject of stronger
contentious. From their discovery by Cook, in
l77S, throughout all the details of the subsequent
bad faith OF the white men; OF vancouver's more
judicous course which led to their nominal cession
to Great Britain, by King kamehameha l., in 1874;
Of the arrival of the first American missionaries
and their families, who, in 10 years from 1872, es-
with A, sos pupils of the visit Of Kamehameha H.
and his Queen to England in 1924, and Of their
death in the course Of few weeks; OF the rival
American..leading ultimately to harsh dispute
with the former power in 1889, to an authorized
seizure of the islands by Lord George Paulet in the
name of Great Britain in 1913. and to subsequent
United States, down to 1874, when, the. inde-
pendence of the islands was defnitively acknow-
edged, abundant instances are furnished Of the
keenness with which they were watched BY the
which on frequent occasions seemed most immi-
nent. Equidistant from Central America, Mexico,
California, Oregon, and the Hudson's Bay terrific
ries, on one side, and the Russian dominons, ia
pan, China, and the Philippines on the other, tho
islands always seemed to navigators and politicians
to be worth contendng for; and it is therefore e.
pecialy, fortunate, looking at the enchantment OF
their value which has now occurred, that timely
admission of their complete independence has ex-
tinguished all possibility of future chickering's.
The total number Of islands in the group il IL, Of
which only eight are inhabited, containing 6, 100
square miles Volcanic and mountainous, he ele-
yations in some instances reaching 1900 feet,
| their soil is poor and unproductve, except when
constantly irrigated. The forests are dense, but
| the range of the Thermometer being very slight,
with mean of about IS. During the years from
1S43 to 1916 the trade of the country became
doubled, the visits Of American whasrs being one
Rod the exports were $76S, $50 the imports
1888 1882; the revenue, raised from Customs, poll
tax, land-ax, stamps rents, &C., $l27, 1856, and the
expenditure $ll5,571. Of the import trade more
than one-half was with the United States, the
United states. ss2s,oao Columbia River. :. s2s1o1
England ...... 116.920 California. $3.50. 1000
China. asoae Other Countries. 1857
The number Of vessels belonging to the islands
was 70, with tonnage Of 1855 tons. As regards
population, a singular decrease has taken place
from the date of Cooks visit down almost to the
present period, 1t ing been only during the last
have been checked. Cook, in i'.s, estimated the
total at 100000, but 100000 would probably have
been nearer the truth. In 1923 it was only ll2 O5O
and in 1896 it had declined to l08,579 A census
ordered in 1S47, however, indicates so far as the
returns have yet been received, slight reaction
The foreign population of Honolulu is about 600, of
whom it is believed about one half are Americans,
one-fourth British subjects, and the remaining
fourth French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Ia
hitans, DC. The present king, Kamehameha III,
is thiry-hve years OF age. The government is car
ried on in conjunction with legislative chambers,
and the ministers mostly American citizens or
British subjects who have become naturalized. In
England, the kings commissioner is Mr. Archibald
Barclay the Secretary of the Hudson's Bay COM
pany. The policy of the government sis essen
tally protective TO the Hawaiian native race, to
the intent that the question of their capability Of
civilization may be fully solved" Although the
intercourse of the people from the commencement
of the century has been mostly with America, and
ly increasing, they have never ceased to regard
England with favor; and the sentiment that she
their protector, and that she exercised species Of
guardianship over them, was more or less nourish
ed down to recent period. This innate DISPOSE
ton to friendness il is more than desira-
bic both for Great Britain and America to cultivate.
Gradually becoming an important depot of trade
and transit and i'll adapted for agriculture the pros
perliy of the country will proportonably benefit
Oregon and Vancouyer's Island, whence not only
Goals, but increasing supplies of food, must con-
stantly be drawn. A step which has recently been
suggested. and which seems to have the good
wishes of the government, that Honolulu should be
made free port, will also, if adopted, prove of
great advantage to all who Interested in its trade