The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-03-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY,, MARCH l..
-. E-eInaIe OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


One OF, the most hopeful indications of i'm
provement in our educational system is the
establishment of female boarding schools, where
special efforts are taken to improve the rising
female generation-which portion of the native
population has been, in past years, too much
neglected. In whatever way this be done, it is
an expensive mode of education, and can only
be performed to a limited extent, according to
the ability of the community. Even in the
more civilized countries only a small proportion
of the female population have the benefits OF
boarding schools but there, perhaps, the need
is less felt than here, where children are prone
to imbibe,a in their early training, so much OF
IL -::-----I :-I~I~-. L~L:4~ &c .Lo;- -n-ants
To Improve the mothers. should be the main
effort of all engaged in instructing the native
race, and this can only be done by educating the
girls. Without some improvementin them there
is little hope of any radical change in the native.
There are several such institutions now es-
tablished at these islands, most of which are
partly sustained by Government funds. One
of the largest and most promising female schools
is that at Waialua. on this island, under the
charge of Rev. D. H.. Gulick. 1t is supported
wholly by private means, and on this account is
deserving of special notice, as it has been doubted
by many whether such institutions can be car
ried on here without state aid. VIC learn from
the principal some facts which will be of inter-
est. The school is taught by Mr.. and Mrs.
Gulick, assisted by Miss Elizabeth Lyons. There
are now fifty scholars, which is rs many as
there is room for. OF these, fifteen are from
Hawaii, fifteen from Maui, sixteen from Oahu.
and three from Kauai. Their ages range from
ii to Is years.
The school premises are located on the north
side of the Waialua river, and comprise a lot of
twenty-four acres, running from the road some
distance up the Kaloailoa Valley. The grounds
are level and covered with maniania grass.
The premises are enclosed on one side by a stone
wall and on the other are bounded by the river
on which the natives bring their, produce in
canoes from the valley. The house is a large,
we'll built stone building, 50 by S5 feet in size.
1t has four floors, with a verandah around the
whole. Under this roof all these fifty girls and
their teachers board and lodge, and the former
receive their Instruction, the school room o-
cupying the third foor.AgNo finer location for
a female seminary can be found on the islands,
ndr one where the promise Of saccess>is 80 great
The instruction, thus far, has been wholly in
Hawaiian, and the principal. stadies are read
ing, spelling, arithmetic geography, penman-
ship, composition, music, and Bible history
An hour in the morning is spent in gardening
the girls having under cultivation about two
acres of land. Besides this the girls do all theft
own work, such a. washing, ironing and other
house work. Some of them are quite skilled
in crocheting and other fancy work. Every
afternoon the whole company, with their lady
teachers, either go to walk or indulge in the
aquatic sport of bathing and swimming, for
which the river affords a fine place. Many of
them arc said to rival the mermaids in the
CELEBRITY and grace with which they glide
through, over and under the water. Most of
them acquired the art of swimming before they
entered the school. This is a part of school
instruction too often neglected. Every girl and
boy ought to be taught to swim.
Special pains have been taken to provide the
with all the modern appliances for ex-
ercise and outdoor sports, such as swinging,
rope jumping, &C., in which they exhibit all
the zest and skill of their fair-skinned cousins
in this and other chimes. With them, however,
as with other Juveniles, each sport has its day
and then goes out of fashion, and to the skill
Of the teachers is left to provide new ones.
The girls are all taught to sing, and special
attention is given to this branch of Instruction.
which requires early training to deyelope it
properly. Most of them sing any of the tunes |