Polynesian., 1862-06-07
No. 6.

conclusion that In tnat particular locality the an
cient must have been twenty thirty fold greater
than the present population. This may seem an
extravagant Computation but it is the result of the
most careful calculation have been able to make
from the data of which have spoken. L will add
that as to the more perfect culture OF former days.
| all the old men with whom have conversed assert
/ that it so. | ought also to add that have
supposed only about third of the land to be
nuallY under crop for food. However when about
two years ago was thinking of writing these let
ters, determined to make a fresh computation,
and to note down the results. L made choice of
! two lands-Koa where | formerly lived, and
Puuik where now live. | made choice of these
partly because L knew both well, and could easily
ascertain the numbers on them, partly because
! they seemed to furnish fair examples of lands of
different sorts, the with constant running
streams and tarO patches or lbis, and the other
without them. As it is natural for population to
abandon the less fertile and cluster in the moro
productive localities, | conceived that an average
| of the two mig ght furnish a fair specimen.
| Koali is over a square mile in extent, having
| frontage on the of about half a mile, and run
ming two miles back. 1t is bounded Oh each side
| by streams, and one runs through Its centre. The
boundary inland is sort of ridge, and beyond that
| have never penetrated. it being mostly tangled
wilderness of tropical verdure; but it Is well
known to the inhabitants of the locality to have
formerly sustained considerable population.
Koali is very favorable to the growth of water
taro; about 0ne-half of the lois under rather
imperfect culture. Potatoes, hill tarO, and other
crops had evidently been raised In former times
over by far the greater part OF 1t. The population
was then forty-eight-forty adults-and eight
under sixteen years. Since had known 1t, there
had been four marriages, which had then existed
from two to four years, all healthy looking young
men and women, but no children hying-one had
| been stillbOrn.
Puuiki, under which comprehend the tract ly-
ing between Waiohono, and the next water chan
mel to the west of it, is about third of mile IN
breadth, and runs up from the sea to the summit
of the hills about three miles The land rises In u
gradual slope to that summit which may have an
elevation of about $500 feet. 1t also therefore
contains one square mile of land. By far the
greater portion of this is Oyerrun by fern, but 1t
was all cultivated in former days. About the time
speak of, spent day in traversing 1t from side
to side till came to the fern. All this space bore
the marks of most careful culture. 1t was curious
| to note how sometimes only yard or two had been
secured by laboriOus moving of rocks and stones,
how often a mere hole of half yard in diameter
had been sunk in the loose rocks, and apparently
filled up with soil, for the growth of some single
plant perhaps q banana. 1t was afternoon when
| came to where the fern begins to grow, and was
endeavOring to trace out among 1T the foundations
| of buildings which had once stood there, when two
| Young men on horseback in search of a stray bull
lock, came upon me. As they seemed surprised to
meet me in such place, | told them what | was
about and added think there must once have
been two houses here. Houses! they
replied, 90 there were once houses everywhere till
you get to the summit, but that was in the days
| when there were men in the land, there are
only cdttle'' (hOlOhOiOnd).
| In all that square mile Of land which term
Puuiki there were at that time only two native
houses. In the one lived an elderly man and his
wife, and two young men and their wives. One
of these men was afflicted very severely with what,
if his tale was true, hereditary syphilis. His
| luifa baolFhv lookinO Uirl had before
ted them, brought forth what ought to have beena
child but was in fact a mass of frightful corrup-
ton. The other young couple, though married for
years, and robust and healthy looking, were child
less. | found in the second house very old man,
and a man and woman married for ten years, with
boy of about five years old, whom they had adopt
ed, for they also were without family
Taking these as about fair average, saying that
with the land above KOali, Koa itself, and what
[ term Puuiki, We have l,6UO acres that one
fourth of this in old times annually cultivated
for food that each acre produced annually vege-
tables equivalent to two hundred heaped bushels
native potatoes, we have $4,000 bushels as the
annual produce, which, at 90 pounds the bushel,
is 4 800 900 pounds. Allowing consumption OF
10 pounds per day for each individual man, woman
and child-5 pounds for his own mouth, and
pounds to feed hogs or dogs poultry for him, we
have 1910 as the ancient population, which. COM
pared with the present SO, is as 22 ~ to L. In
this computation have included neither the great
extra produce of the lois of water taro, nor the
produce of the fisheries, though that IN the old
times very considerable.
If this estimate of mine be correct, or IT 1t ap-
proach to accuracy, it marks an extent and rapldty
of depopulaton to which it will be dlfhcult to flnd
parallel. There are various reasons which IN
duce me to think it not far from the mark. ] put
little faith in q comparison Of the different census.
Statistical details the best OF guides when they
are accurate bat the most misleading things pos
sibe when incorrect, and think all census before
the last were defective. If you ask very old men
how the times of their boyhood compare with what
we see now, they tell you there Is no comparison,
that then there were multitudes where now we see
individuals. If you ask white men who have re-
sided here for a number of years. they tell you the
falling off s immense. Three or four years ago L
was riding between my house and the harbor,
distance of four miles, with the late Judge Rich
ardson, who was born here. and all along he point
ed out to me where houses had been, which were
10 longer. have been here ten years, and the
decay Is to me quite sensible. For instance, on
Puuiki, when first took particular notice OF 1t,
about seven years since, there were SIX dwelling
houses, OF which two only remain. But II Is IN
the numbers of the children attending school that
the eye marks the greatest change. There do not
seem to me to be over half. A year or two ago
asked the then Superintendent of Schools, man
about thirty how the number of scholars attending
school along with himself at his place when he was
boy, coinpared with their present amount. They
were, he sald' ABOUT as thIee 10 ohe; "na'' .
sad is your opinion to the falling off IN the rest
of the schools in this district? About the same,
he replied. l was lately looking at two lads OF
eighteen or twenty eaping from a very high rock
into the water below. After they had finished, L
complimen.ed them on their bodness and agility.
Oh, they said, we began when we were little boys.
There used to be quite a crowd here, leaping from
all these rocks, beginning at the lower TIL you
come to this which IS the highest; see how the
stone is worn by their feet But there seems nor
BODY here now. What has become of all the
| ,oo1Io I so;J dOnft soma dead some