The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-02-28
Rural Sketches
Of the 9lalraiian csslands
HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF THE HA-
WAIIANS.

4 Z q haneOne, path
leads along the sea-shOre- The whole scene is
highly picturesque. The beach Is composed of a
verv fine coral sand of a dazzling whiteness, in
tersperSed with long veins Of basaltic rock in low
and smooth beds. On the land side, and near the
surge, stand few native dwellings, over which
- the eOcca-nut tree susPends its fantastic and
beautiful foliage seaward the foam-crested break
ers come rolling in with the speed Of the swiftest
raee-horse. and Il voice Of thunder. Is they break
on the beach close to the feet Of the traveller.
While iOurneying along this shore | met sin
gular looking object. His face was bronzed by a
tropical sun his ewes were blOOd-shotten, and a
short wooden shirt was his only garment. His
haggard face. his matted hair and beard, his ra-
pid steps almost induced me believe he had
Just escaped from retreat for the insane. He
was once a white man but four years inter-
course with the most debased and wretched of the
natives had turned him into n complete savage
He could hardly read. much less write his own
name. The poor man was a libel the en-
Ighteued State of Connecticut, for from that part
IT the United States he originally came. He re
= fused 70 tell his name. At this. however. | was
not surprised. His dOwncast ewes indicated q
sense of shame OF his abject condition. His per-
sOnal mien and appearance established more firm
" than ever, IN my own mind, the theory that
the white man, severed from the civiIzing infiu-
ences of society il capable of becoming more
dshased wretch than the savages OF aborigines
among whom he lives. Such a scene Il calculat-
ed 70 draw tears from the eyes of angels, and 20
Eli the bosom of any living man with sorrow for
the brutal condition OF many Of his species L
have witnessed many such scenes the Sandwich
Islands. and they are numerous on the islands
scattered over the wide Pacific Ocean
This portion Of the shore abOUnds with large
number Of singular coral reefs They are OF q
circular form. and vary from a few rods 20 a mile
in diameter They are usually elevated 10 within
few inches of metlium tide. at which time the
natives reach them in canoes, and wade over them
% procure shell-fish- Although these circular
reefs are located near the shore. and are raised
near the surface Of the they retreat 50 pre-
epitatelv that their bases can hardly be fathOm-
ed and there j. sufficient depth of water around
them for any purpOses-
Bavoud these reefs there are numerous fish
ponds Their dimensions range from one u
hundred acres. Their relative size IS indicative
Of the wealth and power of their respective
ers The smaller ponds belong 10 the poorer OF
the native subjects the larger owned by the
king and his principal chiefs. They formed
simpIv by extending wall Of coral pOr-
ton of the reefs lining the shore The huge
walls inclOsIng the largest are OF ancient date,
and were raised when ieudal chieitains could
cnparnan, the bodies. souls. and lives Of the
mon people; but now. portions OF them were
beaten down by the eveT-roilinC tides Many OF
these ponds are located At some distance from the
shore and supplied ny fresh water from the
neizhbOring mountains. Over all the shores Of
the group these isII-pJnds abound. Next % their
fGrg plantations. they are priced by the natives,
fJr their contents are highly valued as an IndIS-
peus4bls article Of food and sicredly guarded
hut after all their precautions. some tnIevI>h ma
tive will sometimes come along in the night and
extract a few Of their finny tenants tor his own
immediate use. Almost invariably however he
gets detected. With most Of the HarTaIIans, as
with the old SYartan- the crime consists IN detec-
tion not in the theft. These ii>h-Ionds are not
unfreGueutlv a source of much qualification 70 the
fatigued and hungry traveller On entering ma
tive house lust at sunset, and after days hard
riding. IL l. not uncommon for 4 good-natured
old dame 70 step up % him, pass her hand across
his chest. and ask him with a maternal sOllcI- .
tude o. IF h iS fIlH - On receiving a negative
and launches q small canoe on the waters OF the
pond. It J. easy tO guess the nature Of their er-
rand. In an Incredibly short time, having been .
baked amid ample folds Of the dark green "a leaf .
(Dr1cgHG tzrnginaiis.) a huge calabash Of fish, .
accompanied with boiled tqro and Pol. n the /
tast. Of the traveller may BE- suited. i spread be
fore him. Some twenty pair Of black eyes may .
be gLancing II him, but 1t only remains for him .
% lay aside mis- fastidi0u>ness and satisfy the de
lnands Of the inner man. No class Of people on
earth can b. more generous u the foreigner than
the verv poorest Of the Hawaiians. He may par
take Of their best fare--uch a It sand they
will make no demand upon his purse But this
does not intimate that they are ungrateiul Tor
% cJn-itera'iJH-
While pursuing ms way toward Kualoa,
rather novel scene presented itself. Five OF SIX
women. I'D % their waists IN mud and water.
and ne.rlv nude. were cleaning out an old taro
patch with the intention Of converting II into
ksh-p9ud The Hawaiian women almost am
phibious Almost incredible statements may -
made If their wonderful aquatic exercises.
Strange a. 1t may seem % = fJrei-ner-an Amer
lean especiaIly-tD see woman almost buried IN
nuG like an eel, To herself u y nothing. TOR she
j. fond Of dabbIing in water. And although
these women looked as II they might have been
born the tenants Of this very slough, OF just risen
up from the ArcIdian Styx, they were merely
forming fsl-pond for the reception Of ie" OF
the fnny tribe that their brothers, husbands' OF
fathers were then catching on the reefs
II rhe HaHaiians cannot De strictly termed a Ia