New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-10-22
brace q superfcisl area Of about 500

Me IN C melee with the Dativca
To ships approaching the group presents bold rug
xsd outline Of Ii III mountains with valleys Intervening
The mountains on Tire Island Of Hawai- attain an
elevation a fourteen thousand feet above the leYc OF
tfs am and arc covered with done forest Tho group u
If volcanic structure the Island OF Hawaii Is siaatsd
e largest active volcano in the world The plains are
brcken up by deep rcyines, down whose steep sdes
cascades f IN bright and sparkling sheets The soil on
dc plains and in The valleys is exceedingly rich-beng
composed Of vegetable mould the Gris Of the mountain
rand eshes and decomPcsed lava.
Tie present Government II a limited monarchy The
executive power vested IN The King the legislative in
Heuso Of Chief and House Of Representatives Tho
keissye branch Of the Government modelled after that
Of the United States All bills Of appropriation must
originate in The HOuse Of Representatives The Chiefs
lave q seat IN the House Of Chiefs, by virtue Of
Their rank and appointment by tho King, and hold
Office during hle without pay. The representatives are
elected by the people for year and are paid 50 day
and mileage No bin cen become law until it passes both
Houes and receives the sanction Of the King ANY native
born Jet or naurazed fregnsr may vote, and is Gig
ibIe to q seat in the House Of Representatives
Tie Kings salary $4,000 year fixed by law, bat he
cannot drew without appropriation by the Legislature
The judiciary consists Of Supreme Court and the Island
Circuit The Supreme Court presided over by the CHIEF
Justice Of the Kingdom and two Associate justices Either
Of the justices sitting with local Circuit Judge con5
inie the various Circuit Courts The Supreme Court have
original end appellate jurisdciion over oil cases, both
criminal and civil and exclusive jurisdiction in all mari
tine or admiralty natter and in all capital cases
The Civil Code is based the Statutes OF Massachusetts,
and the Criminal Code that OF Livingston or the Lous
ana Code The Common Law is adopted where does not
conflict with the Statutes Decisions Of the Supreme Court
fthe United States and Supreme Courts Of the various
States a. well az of England, may be cited authorities
Tie decision Of the Supreme Court is final in all cases Tho
Hawaiian or native and English languages adopted by
law az the official languages Official intercourse can be in
ether-the Government supplying an Interpreter All the
records orc kept English except those OF the Land Com
mission.
The Hawaiian language is fgurave symboical aud ex-
pressve but not copious 1t has been termed the Italian
of the Pacific from its soft e1phonious sounds There
not oath in the language strange as may appear
The bsrshet expression native can use IN is own Ian
guage H. "ii0,so,cais oe-oo,kehsso'you good for
nothing-eat Dirt In their simplicity they appear to have
realized the ancient philosophers definition Of manviz
- twolggod bird without feathers for they coll poor
man Idnnak KIM Ia bird without feahersland rich
man Mama kula"-(a bird with eathers)
Previous TO the arrival Of the Missionaries they had
written records and nothing but the memory of individuals
end the traditions of the bards rely upon the history
ofhe pas To the Missionaries is due the credit of reduc
ing h, language written form They have bat 10 let
tiers 10 their alphabet and these taken from the English
characters though somewhat differently pronounced The
Bible Pilgrim Progress and several other religious works
are translated into their language, and one newspaper
Kooeio (Tie Messenger lis printed in it. There also
three English papers and good book bindery.
The present population Of the Island estimated at 65O
sousof which about 1000 foreigners the remainder
being natives and hafbreods OF the foreign population
about three fourths are Americans.
The Government exercises fostering care over tho eda
cation Of the youth liberal system OF free schools is c.
hbshed throughout the group, and Cabinet Minister rs
-roin'ed to nr'soe ~,rrrat Department with salary Of
$1,000 per annum Last year s5OOowas expendedfor edu
saona purposes The parent compelled to send his child
10 school until il is II years Of age under pain OF severe
penalty Ii IL rare thing 10 find native however poor
between the ages OF ~ and 25 who cannot read and write
Until very lately they not allowed to marry unless
they could read and write but that law is now repealed
They are only taught in the Government schools in the ma
tive language but there other schools where they are
taught Englsh The natives apt and learn rapidly
The prevailing religion is the Protestant though all reh
gons are tolerated The Protestant Missionaries belong D.
a general thing to the Presbyerisn denomination There
also Catholic Mission established at the Islands About
che fifth Of the natives Catholics The Mormons have
also tstablhed preachers there and have small oongre
cation The Missionaries all preach in the native language
There are two foreign churches at Honolulu where the ser
vices are conducted in English and one at Lahaina-a
Protestant
The morals Of the native population when tested by on
standard are at a low ebb Living in common ana rcc"s
Mining no oonuga ties previous 10 the visit Of the NhGe
is not surprising that at this day their morals arc loose
But few years since incest plurality OF wveS ana niaA
hcide were common among them, and even now icma'
virtue not very highly appreciated and loss OF
works 10 disgrace among them Jealousy is unknown
and the in6dehty Of the wife before or after marriage
gives little uneasiness to her nege lord lie claims 10
himself the same privileges he grants her in fact they
not appear to understand in its true light the position
husband aud wife They marry simply because the law re
ours them 10 do 30 in order b. I've together Time aIn
can change the fixed habits and natural propensles Of
Shoc people Ike this.
In the absence OF all diseases peculiar to the country
for they have no Indigenous maadeS-ihe great de~reas
IN population can only 10 accounted for 10y the secs
that disease left among them by Cooks crew and sacce,
ing voysgors to the group. Ignorant OF the na'aFe
nisOahsoue evil and lis effects, was Transmitted iron
generation 10 generation, Literally fulfilling the Scripture
hy visiting the sins OF the father the child even
tie ihnd gcrerG;;on This s Tho that colnaaTo
awaNs nGC;s on barbarous nations Another cause Is n
mr. niscuous intercourse Of tho sexes which prevents h
biuh If Children and another is nisniVide which is pre-
tca 70 considerable extent iron fear OF the law, vhc
would punish the mother il unmarried with fine and in
,r;sonmept and irom vanity the fear Of looking cid b
becoming mothers and nursing childrsn Abortion IS
common practice amoGg the younger pOr1son OF the f
males married and unmarried lhs RAPID decrease IN u
native regulation : unparalleled in the history OF the wov
In seventy years the population has diminished no
4c0ooo to about eOe0o The proportion OF deaths - 0F
In 1889 was toll Another Of the decrease Is u