The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-06-25
For the Hawaiian Gazette.
Paradise in the Pacific.
Honolulu, Fl. l., June %, 1873.

can see no reason why Mr.. Bliss should have
written this book. He begins in his preface 10
disparage the Islands and their inhabitants and
this disparagement goes on through the book
He says The book is small but so is the
country, and so are the people of which it treats,
while it is really larger than the Importance of
that country to any possible future of commerce
or civilization"
Thus be compares the size of his book with
the Importance of the Hawaiian Islands and. in
his opinion, it is larger. Does he mean that his
book has greater importance than these Islands
He proceeds to say, The Hawaiian Islands
have occasionally attracted the attention Of the
American people on account of q political value
which they are supposed to possess by their po-
siton. They have had the reputation of lying
directly in the path of everything that sails on
the Pacific Ocean. This reputation they have
not deserved; for they are actually remote from
the track of all commercial ships. except those
carrying Goals from Australia to California; and
these rarely pass within sight OF the group"
What he means by political" value, which the
Islands are supposed to possess cannot tell
but the reader will soon find that he does not
discriminate very much in the use of his epithets
and modifying words e. g., The flags stream out
their colors f,1fously" He speaks Of the mer-
chants reading their newspapers with Hstless
interest" 4" Rosy Historians have described him
as an Alexander" "Then he and she Kane
hameha II. and his wlfe) ANONYMOUSLY died of
the measles" He calls John Young the Pilgrim
Father of the country"
He says in the preface, IS venture to think
that my book small as it is, contains all that the
reader can desire to know of the people and
things in that curious pin-head Kingdom of the
Pacific, and in its very pleasant capital city Of
Honolulu"
What vanity and complacency crop out here
Bingham, aud Dibble, and Jarves, aud Anderson,
aud Cheever, and others, have published books con-
corning these Islands; and much has been written
about the climate and productions and mountains
and volcanic ernptions and much about the inhab
itants; aud what is there in Bss's book that the
world not know before? Though he may en-
deavor to give the impression that he visited the
lepcr settlement on Molokal, and MauDa Loa, on
Hawaii yet he never saw the leper settlement, nor
assembled Mauua Loa. His descriptions are taken
from other writers without acknowledgment. Oc
casionally, be introduces sentence from imagiua-
ton, as when he tells about riding down the
precpce to the lcper settlement 1.-The horses step
carefully and tediously" Yes but no foreigner has
ventured down on horseback since the land slide
years ago.
His chapter on " Hawaiian Civilization is mostly
taken up with the duings Of the Parliament In bis
opinion, Whether the Hawaaus are civilized
questions of TACT, which not answered by
any histories that relate the progress Of missionary
commercial enterprises in the Islands" So be
turns to the Hawaiian Parliament, where we shall
receive more knowledge on this question" Now
that some good ideas of the civilization Of nation
may be obtained from the laws of that nation, and
from the discussions of the lawmakers is not to be
doubted; and in free country it is to be supposed
that the representatives in Congress Parliament
represent the civilization Of that country. Yet it
would seem that there are more and better sources
of information.
Civilization is rather a vague term. 1t MEANS
suppose Intelligence culture refinement and in order
to take the gauge Of it, the history Of people is to
studied their literature if they have one, Is to be
read and the daily lie Of all classes Is to be taken
into consideration. Bliss has dune little Of this
and the specimens he has recorded seem to have
been selected with the design to make unfavOra-
BILE impression the reader. He often speaks Of
natives who nearly quite naked. evidently
wishing to believe that this Is quite general
which is by no means the case. He tells Us that
"both sexes will battle in muddy stream as readily
as in clean pool and be speaks OF ''the kings
poi factory where poi Is ground out By the quaint.
~ for the subjects Of His Majesty lick from their
fingers as they squat around musty calabashes at
their social dinner parties"
In his chapter Hawaiian Civilization, be asserts
that the existence Of the Hawaiian Kingdom de-
ponds on the dogs" Near the end Of the chapter
be asks, " What then Is Hawaiian Civilizaiiony Is
il anything better than a condensation Of animal
aims and insiincts? Is IL anything more than rum
and opium aud ava, lawfully drunk? ard Eupersii.
lion aud slUlh lawfully tolerated; Increasing crime
the population decreases? Is it anything else
than the means by which 4 colony Of white people
who have sworn allegiance, and are paying adula.
tion 70 barbiric throne, may support themselves
out of taxes imposed upon the islanders -
Thus does Bliss Willy The natives, sad insult the
foreign residents Of Hawaii nei and il may be said
OF his book rs said OF another " What there ID
In it that's true Is not new and what there is In 1t
that's new, Is not true" ALIorIs
June O. 1873.