The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-01-10

Il / have been mere ALMOST u year INV, aha w
!. DAYS and seasons areso much alike. that one
!, hardly conscious Of the passing time. ! have
spent most Of the time on the island OF KaWa
!. (Attoony.)
I shall remain here during the winter or busl
mess season. / am now in the employ Of tn
} custom house, but I think will go into SOM
other business before long, and perhaps ina,
J. appear among you before you are aware OF m.
being on the continent. / have enjoyed goot
health ever since arrived here. The climate o
these islands is very mild and agreeable Tn
! trade winds modify the atmosphere, and coun
}, teract the vertical heat of the sun.
j When the trade winds do not blow, the SUI
i is intolerably hot, but those days are few.
i have never seen the thermometer rise above y
4 degrees.
4 There is no disease prevalent on these islands
and none incident to the climate. They are, per
baps, as healthy parts Of the earth as can b
found. The natives are very simple in their hab
its and living, and enjoy health from youth to
lold AGE, with the exception of such diseases as
i the white man has introduced Their food is
4 principally vegetable, with some fish. They
cultivate for food the tara, plant that grows
! in the water Its taste is like the wild turnlF
when raw. They steam it in the ground, and
then pound it to paste, and then eat it with
their fingers. This they call pay.
This vegetable. with fish, constitutes then
sole food. They have with the aid Of the mis-
sionaries) become quite civilized and many OF
them have acquired good educatons. Their
legislative bodies would compare favorably with
similar bodies in the states The native mem
bers are fully equal to the backwoods members
of Indiana and Tennessee. The heir apparent
to the crown, is young man of good abilities,
and generally very much liked
The old king is a besotted drunkard, yet a
man of good common sense. The foreign popu-
lation is mostly from the states, yet there are
people from all parts of the world. Amongst
the foreign population there is strong feeling
in favor Of annexation, and it is backed up by a
large portion of the native population. The
United States have two sloops-of-War moored
! here-the St. Mary and Portsmouth. The
French and English squadron touched here on
their way to the Arctic whaling ground.
The harboris very dull this week, having no
arrivals from the coast, and none of the blubber
hunters have yet arrived. they are very late. It
is generally believed that they will not do as
well this season as usual-all speculations how
ever. There is q line of two steam propellers
now running between these islands and San
francisco, and we are looking every day for
them to appear from Panama to China. | have
had some opportunity to see the islands and
their productions, and my opinion is, they are
not half as productive as they are represented
at home. They are mountainous in the interior,
and only susceptible of cultivation on the sea
shore or table lands, which in natural state is
rather barren, but by irrigation where it needs
it, and manure, there wouldabe no end to their
productiyeness. Sugar planting has just begun
to pay. Coffee will flourish well on these is
lands, and a small portion of Hawai- and, Mawi
will raise very good wheat, but one of the in
convenences is, the myriads of catterplllars,
which destroy two or three of the first crops.
The fruits Of the tropics are or can be produced
here. Peaches and apples will grow, but not
to any extent. There are many of the tropical
fruits that have not yet been introduced. Most
fruits require to be sheltered from the winds,
which reduces the fruit producing lands to a
small portion of the islands. Grapes grow well
and bear luxuriant crops, but the government
will not permit wine to be made. For stock
raising these islands are well adapted, as there
is plenty Of grass the year round. The dry
season is not as long asin California, and does
not extend to the slopes of the mountains, where
it rains every day.
In fact, there are some valleys where it rains
almost all the time, and ten miles distant from
there it will not rain for weeks. This season has
been very favorable for rains, and the cane crop
is remarkably good for these islands. They
cultivate cane with labor imported from China,
{ Coolies.) They hire them for four years, at
So per month, and furnish them with board. I'll
is aspeces of slavery-voluntary it is true yet
more abject than any American would like to i
submit to. With the abuse they receive they
become insolent disobedient, and even DANCE
rous. The natives are rather inclined to life |
of ease, they will work to procure what to them
are luxures. Their real wants are few, and
easily supplied, one months work in TARA
patch would produce food enough for a family
for two years. Like all other half-civilized
people, they are fond Of gay dresses and, per-
haps, there is more satin worn by these islanders
than in any other country, in comparison to
their number It's not an uncommon thing to
see rich white satin dress and an elegant Chi |
ncse shawl on lady, and she barefoot! '.Wel /
dressed and barefoot, may be well applied to
one-half the wahinas (women) on these islands.
Think cargo of good, industrious, Ameri-
Cdu SlIlS would De aDOuG the DeSt afClcle TO ship
here at present, as almost every other article is
in abundance, and Of a downward tendency.
We have an occasional arrival of some yankee
maiden aunt, out prospecting but such can
hardly complete with the better class of native
girls. They, generally, come out as missiona-
lies, and are too pious to think Of marrying.
don't believe ''Unce Sam would gain
much by getting these islands, with their vol
canic mountains, except chance to expend
some Of his surplus cash. to pay officers sala-
'ies. The result would, probably, be another
board of land commissioners, as in California
The annexation Of these islands to the United
States would be the annibilation Of the natives,
The enriching Of few, and the development of
the resources Of the islands, and an enormous
destruction Of moths and catterpillars. What
do you think of it? Yours truly, w. R.F.
The foreign news by the steamship Pacific
was brought ashore, at New York, BY carrier
pigeons from point FIVE miles outside Sandy
Hook, and thence was forwarded to JERSEY
Mr., .-IJzsY1N 4 ~