The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-06-14
Chr Aaneatk 9sffersunian
Letter from Haawaiia.
Honolulu, HAwAHN IsLANDs,l
Dpcpmhor D7tb. 1S6G

December 2Ith, 1866.
Having arranged to sail to.morrov
for the islands of Maui and Hawaiis
and as may not have an opportu
nifty to write until my return, / hay
concluded to send you my third dis
patch without further delay.
POLICE COURT, THE EFFECTS THEREOF
The police regulations Of this cit.
are considered by many as being de
cidcdly stringent. Those raising
the strongest objections are slch ~
have no desire to sleep or be at hom,
before ten o'clock. AT this hour tht
station house bell announces to those
going around "seelSing whom they
may devour," that the hours allotted
for amusement and adventure have
passed, and that they must forthwith
retire to their own quarters, or else
they will be furnished with them
free, and an opportunity given to
make the acquaintance OF Judge
Montgomery in the morning, witt
fees annexed. These regulations,
understand, were made expressly for
the benefit of those attached to the
whaling fleet and such other vessels
rs may visit this port, and are rigidly
enforced except upon that class
The police officers are, / belie"e all
natives, and are very efficient In the
discharge of their duties, very few,
it any, escaping detection in the
commission Of the most petty crime
or misdemeanor. Police court is
held every morning during the week,
at nine o'clock, and is generally well
attended, especially on the outside
by sympa,hizing friends of those luck
less wights who have been "caugbt in
the act or "nipped" on suspicion,
and are undergoing the tortures in
cident to police court. Let us en-
ter the court and witness the mode
Of melting out justice to offenders
against the law. Cooped in a box
some four feet from the floor sits the
Judge, u full faced, corpuicnt, gray
individual, dressed in a
white lineu suit, and enjoying the
appellation OF Paddy
Montgomery. An Irish Englishman
advanced to the position Of police
for services rendered or
70 be rendered to some ambitious
foreign aspirant to position under the
governmet of Kamehameha Fifth
On the desk before him is opened a.
arge record book, in which is re-
corded the principal points touching
.ho innocence or guilt of parties wlro
nave been or may he brought before
him. The Judge labors hard to con
vince such strangers as may be in
attendance that he possesses an un-
usual amount Of legal acumen, but
le has signally failed in every effort.
He may be the happy possessor of
judicial ability, but if he is, it is Of a
atent character, and only exhibited
N the presence of Royalty. Around
The room are seated numerous at
native and foreign prison
,rs, witnesses and spectators. A
moon. eyed Celestial is testiiying as
20 the identity OF certain stunted
)ullet which lies before him; the
IDENTITY is established; it bore the
private mark of prosecuting witness;
was found in defendants coop; clear
case. The Judge, with unusual sym
)athy for the prisoner, sentenced him
% two months in the penitentiary
Verify, the way of the transgressor
8 hard.
FARO CULTURE--Pol AND Pol MARKETS..
The culture of taro is essentially
necessary to the well being and pros
Derity of the Hawaiia people. 1t is
TO them The staff of lite, and without
t the monarch of the Hawaiia group
would soon want for subjects. EY-
ery available spot in the vicinity of
the city adapted to its cultivation is
in use. 1t is a species OF potatoe,
and Is grown most successfully in
moist situations--or, If water can be
obtained, the patches or fields are
constantly flooded. tits propogated
by transplanting the tops of suckers,
or side shoots, of matured or nearly
matured bulbs. The mode Of pre-,
pairing the ground for the reception
of these offsets is to excayate the
spot selected some three or four feet,
hood it with water, and while wet
cause 1t to be thoroughly tramped by
a large number of natives specially
invited and convened for this pur-
pose, or pounded with heavy wooden
beetles 60 as to give IT capacity to
retain water. The loose sediment
or muck is then carefully collected
In hills about SIX or eight feet In cir
cumference and three feet apart, in
regular rows, each hill containing
five shoots, four of them being placed
around The hill SO as 70 form q per
feet square, and the ilfth one in the
center. Being thus transplanted
the patch is flooded with water so ai
to nearly cover the hills, and the
process of taro growing soon crm
mences. In full grown taro patel
the leaf stock is about two feet long
with dark green leaf, resembling
very much what is known in uregol
as skunk cabbage. The bulb natures
in about eight months, and only
single bulb is produced to plant
These bulbs or roots are about til,
size Of a medium sized beet, and ar
transported to market with stalk
and leayes ATTACHED. From this roo
or bulb is manufactured that favorl 4
article Of food called the pol, I'm
is the national dish Of the llawaila
1t is their food, drink and raiment
and as essential to their existence O
the air they breathe. The process
by which it is manufactured consist
, of baking or steaming the bulbs IN
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