The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-11-26
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0btttlser,
SATURDAY. &c
a M of the sandwich OF
Hawaiian Islands.

about to sail to-day, in opposite directions, con-
vevino our literally widely circulated Journal,
four torfve thousand miles in one direction, and,
with the assistance of the Pacific railroad and the
Atlantic steamers, some eight thousand miles IN
another it may not be out OF place to attempt
10 give our readers, the q outside barbaTlans IN
those remote regions, IA rapid sketch oil the Cen
trail Flowery land, where Captain Cook was killed
but COMPATIBILITY not eaten.
We p~urposely avoid statistics, which nobody
reads and every body forgets, especially as arith-
metical information, imports and exports, and so
on, can now be purchased in all civilized countries
for a shilling, but we desire to present to our dis
tant readers a short but more generally intelligi-
/ BILE view of our status than figures usually convey.
Our group, which extends some seven hundred
miles, trending northwest and southeasterly,
has been formed by successive outponrings of the
molten interior along a assure in the earth's crust.
The largest clearly recognizable craters in the
earth's surface are to be found here, craters which
will only compare with the immense ones seen In
the moon.
On Mauna Loa, on Hawaii, the most s%outherly
island, and the largest mound of consolidated
molten rock,-the connection with the interior
of the earth is still open, and the white hot
matter may be seen there any day, and can be
dipped up with a ladle. 1t has been there from
! time ~immemorial, sometimes swelling up quietly,
sometimes breaking out in magnificent fountains
of glowing liquid 700 feet high, and 800 or 400
feet wide, which run steadily for months, forty or
fifty miles down the mountain, and filling up
valleys, and forming new promOnitories in the sea.
From Hawaii, where the mountains are 13 900
! RI L. IL -. =. Lo,cHH ord Si1aF
northwestward, till at last merely rocks, then
lagoon islands and finally shoals, show where a
subsistence of the group, gradually increasing in
that direction has at length put the highest peaks
beneath the surface Of the ocean. A light fringe
of coral partly surrounds Hawaii, a more extensive
one is found round and amongst the partially
submerged island, the tops of the mountains OF
which now appear as Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and
other smaller islands. Still more extensive reefs
are found round Oahu and Kauai, and yet more
northwesterly coral reefs and shoals alone appear,
affording corroborating evidence of the increasing
subsistence in that direction. l.
An opening in the reef ON the lee side of Oahu
forms one of the best little harbors in the world
that of Honolulu-which, in consequence, early
became the capital of the group, and the centre
of its MINER There are to-day floating
securely within it, forty-three whaleships, thirteen
merchantmen, several coasting schoOners, 1.-TWO
ocean steamers one inter-island and one tug
steamer, and one American man-Of-war.
The northeast trades blow about 500 days out
of the 3G5, and light ~southerly winds, with rain,
and now and then strong ~soatherly blows and rain,
prevail the other 90 days. The thermometer
ranges usually from 75o to IS > and is seldom
above or below that range. While the trade winds
= are blowing the Climate is delightful, at least
when out of the dust and artificial heat of the
town, the breeze being peculiarly balmy and re-
freshing and it has often reminded our visitors
of Moore's lines on a tropical island fycG
Where only to feel that we breathe, that we live,
Is worth ali the joys that life elsewhere can give" 'Fe
There is however a variety of climate TO be
found on the different islands. On the high
lands of Hawaii and Maui it is much cooler in
some parts it is cool and clustering, in Others
cool and calm. One can choose a hot and rainy
district, or a hot and dry district, or spots can be
found cooland wet on one side of a mountain Oh
cool and dry on the other. vrar
Our islands are extensive, and there is a large
quantity of rich fertile land in various climate,
and localities untouched by the pillow. These
lanGs will grow almost all tropical productions a
the lower levels, whilst wheat and other grair
and fruits of the temperate zone flourish in the
higher regions. On many of the lands is magni
fcent timber. There is excellent pasture fo
sheep and cattle, particularly on ONE of thu
higher plateaus and mountain sides. On thes
fine wooded sheep do not deteriorate, and portion
of the immense domes of Mauna Kea and Mauni
Loa would. we imagine, be peculiarly adopted
for the fine wooded goat. Sheep are easily RAISED
all over the group. "A ship has this week beer
supplied with a couple of hundred of nice sheel
for Tahiti, at one dollar or four shillings a head
Fat cattle can be had at about twelve dollars O.
forty-eight shiIlings a head at the shipping ports
They are not heavy, say five hundred pounds
dressed weight, but all good beef. Beef for til,
shipping is six cents or three pence per pound, sen
off in quantities to suit. The main product i
sugar, of which we export yearly about l0,0O'
tons. and the quantity If increasing. The labor
ers are natives and Chinese. Wages are from
So to SO per month. Labor is getting scarce
as the native population decreases, and we ar
casting about for the best means of introducing
suitable Iaboring population. An excellent articl
of sugar is made, as the planters have importea
the most recent machinery, besides which Their
is a well appointed iron works at Honolulu, wit
all the recent tools and improvements, which
turns out anything required by them, from
kettle or boiler to a mill or vacuum pan. Regu
lar steam communication is kept up with tn
other islands. sati
Kona coffee has a wide reputation. A littl
cotton is grown. Wool is exported to some ez
tent, and the quantity raised is yearly increasing
We put up some nice salt beef for the shipping
Hides and tallow are also exported, which with
little salt, rice, pull and fungus make up our ez
!, ports. Land is plentiful and purchasable at To-
, rates. There has never been any speculation i
!, lands to initiate prices, except once in the town
, Honolulu, and in some sugar lands near Lahains
Our main trade is with our nearest neighbol
+ San Francisco, but we are expecting before Ion
{ to do a good business with Australia and Ne
( Zealand ports-seyeral vessels trade direct wit