Polynesian., 1862-11-29
HONOLULU, NOVEMBER 20, 1862
Ghe pulpnesian.
From Hawaii" &C., by NJ. HOpkins.l
Hawaiian Characteristics.

| have visited many parts of the earth,' writes
an old vOyager, but nowhere in my travels have
met with more than two sorts of human beings
men and women
1t will seem trite, after this remark, to say that
in the Hawaiian character good and ill qualities
combined vet, because this Is essentially true,
it must be said in spite of its trteness. The i'm
portant question is whether the mixed ore, upon
analysis holds out the hope of reduction to val
liable metal.
The most salient points in the native race are
courage, hospitality. friendly and atable dispo-
sition, a constitutional good humor and mirthtul-
ness This much for good. On the other hand
must be written against them, Incidence, sensu-
ality and lcentiousness, improvidenee, and care
lessness about life and death, apparently arising
| from ignorance of, disbelief in, future ex-
istence In things Indifferent, their natural taste
is aesthetic; they have great love of beanty, are
initiative, and ambitious to copy the manners,
habits Dress and uxuries of foreigners. They
have much Imagination as other Pacific tribes,
but in their religion they were materiallstic idol
aters, and in this were strongly distinguished
| from the red tribes of North America. whose wOr
ship is purely spiritual having no visible repre-
sentatons of divinity, and is addressed to the
great spirit Manetou. Considerable Importance
should be given to the fact of this distinction In
| comparing the aborlgnes of North America with
| those of Oceanica.
| After this short summary, we will proceed to
examine the features of the Hawaiian character
more in detail And first word as to the physique
of the race. The Hawaiians are strong, well-made
and active in height rather above the average OF
our own country. In complexion they vary much
among themselves. The fishing and other classes,
which expose themselves very greatly In the sun,
become almost black: on the other hand, there
are natives who might be properly called fair and
these of pure blood the halfcastes being, natu-
sally, lighter in hue. Speaking generally, their
skin may be said to be olive brown, apprOximating
to the tint of the Moors of North Africa. The
hair is black and waving, frequently quite straight.
Its curl is perfectly free from the wOoiness OF the
African, scarcely differing from the hair of those
Europeans who fortunate enough not to have
| straight locks. The women are unquestionably
| attractive. Their figures whilst young keep the
juSte niLieu between lightness and emb0npOnt the
limbs and bust are finely formed, and the hands.
feet. and ankles small and delicate. Their
beauty is inferior, the whole, to the Marquesan
wOmen's but they retain it much longer than wO-
men generally do in tropical climates, or even in
Europe. Many Hawaiian females are still hand
some at fifty, the common fault brought by advanc
ing years being that of excessive corpulence. In
men and women the countenance is characterized
by fulness of the nostrils, although the nose is
not fiat the face is wide, and the eyes bright aud
black. The women are attractive from their cheer
full, smiling, and lively expression whilst their
merry laugh and pleasant aloha, or welcome, show
the face to be an index of their mind. From the
remarkable height and bulk of the chiefs, both
males and females, the dominant class has been
considered by some writer's to be distinct and
conquerlng race. Residents in the islands not
of this opinion, and account for the difference in
size between the chiefs and common people
arising from abundance of food and rest and other
hereditary advantages Sir George Simpson speaks
OF a chief and chieless to whom he introduced
as so unwieldy, that though in perfect health,
they unable to walk.
Courage-stronger than battering- the
basis of every fine character. The Hawaiians
possess the virtue in an unquestiOnaby high de-
gree. 1t was shown in the old warlike times by
their open, standing up fight. Their bodies were
unprotected by armor or even by clothes their
weapons were the spear, the dagger, the club, and
stones. They did not resort to artlfce or strata
gem in war, and they kept up fight with the de-
termination of WitheringtOn and for a length
of time which makes Chevy Chase shrink into in
significance. War has been entirely abolished for
forty years, but their valOr shows itself under new
forms. The Hawaiians are now as peaceful
people any upon earth they more free from
crimes oil violence than almost any nation that can
be named. Their natural courage crops out in
their love of, and daring in riding in their delight
in swimming among the heavy breakers rolling
over the reefs; their descent of precipices, and
even in their games Kamehameha l. would al
low six of his warriors to throw their spears at
him, himself armed only with one of the javelins,
with which he would turn aside the flying weapons,
each ready to let out his life-blOod. The women
no longer follow their husbands to the battle, to
stanch their wounds or fight beside them but they
endure long journeys, and bear heavy burdens,
swim through the raging surf, and plunge down
the waterfall into the when the leap is forty
feet and upwards in height. The courage of both
sexes is exhibited in the calm indifference with
which they await death. The king of terrOrs does
not much appal them. This may arise partly from
stoicism, and partly from unbeief or want of
strong belief in after state it probably is also
due in part to their constitutional firmness.