The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-06-07
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial AObtrtlser.
SATURDAY. JUNE :.
fFrom The y. Y. Erangens,, Aprl l.th. ls52l
Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands.
By s. N. Castle, of Honolulu.

In consequence Of recent events % these islands,
much has lately been said and written about
them. And it may not DC embarrassing 10 your
readers 10 glance briefly at their past history and
present condition, especially as at no very distant
period they viii probably become q part of the
United States.
The inhabited islands arc eight in number,
with an area Of over 6 1000 square miles. They
arc Of the kind called high islands, the mountains
rising on Hawaii TO the height of about 1000
feet, from perpetual Summer at their base 70 per
uetual vs. inter at their snOw-capped SUBMITS.
They lie just within the tropics, between the
parallels Of 10 and - degrees of north latitude,
and the neredians Of l55 and 100 degrees west
longitude,-2,l 100 miles (about) west-south-west
from San Francisco, and are reached from there
by steamer IN from eight to ten days passage.
The climate of the inhabited parts is balmy and
mild, the extreme range Of the mercury at Homo
lulu, the capital being from 60 degrees in Winter
to 80 degrees in Summer, whilst IL is very rare
for il to reach either Of these extremes, the aver
age range for the year being only about y degrees.
At different places and attitudes, the temperature
varies. One can choose his own climate whilst
for salubrity. in all Of the varied localities, the
islands are perhaps ~unequalled. The scenery Of
mountain, valley, and volcano, through the lei
ands, is grand and rich in the extreme, and as q
whole perhaps unsurpassed.
The view in a clear day of land and sea, of
mountain, plain and valley, that spreads out
ttD AilE OgE NUN NAN I'M - AN1hA
(house Of the sun). ten thousand feet above the
sea breaking at its base, is one not 10 be forgotten.
In the distance, rising still four thousand feet
higher. are the gigantic mountains Kea and LOa
Of Hawaii, seeming through the clear atmosphere
70 he almost within reach whilst in the opposite
direction spreads out the broad ocean, appearing
TO rise IN an inclined PLAIN, till It's blue waters
mingle with the blue sky above. From this
height no horizon can be seen, and sea and sky
seem one. There is usually abundance of water
upon the windward sides of the islands, whilst
upon the leeward sides water is deficient. The
northeast trade winds blow about 300 days in the
year, cooling the atmosphere, diluting and appar-
emily rendering innocuous the malaria,-whIch
must more or less be generated from the decaying
vegetation of a luxurious tropical growth,-and
iniusing vigor into animal life.
The soil of valley and plain is very fertile
where there is sufficient water; whilst the noun
tains below the line of no vegetation abound in
trees. The fruits and productions are those OF
other tropical climes. The sugar cane has been
known to yield 10000 pounds of sugar to the
acre; but the average yield is about 800 to 1000
pounds per acre. Coffee of the finest quality has
been produced upon the islands that from the
district Of Kona, ON the Island of Hawaii, being
pronounced by good judges quite equal to the
famed Mocha coffee procured from Arabia. Of
late years il has been attacked by the blight, and
its production fallen from about 400, 900 to
300. 600 pounds.
The English discoverer of the islands Captain
JamesC Cookie estimated the population at 400 900.
His means for ascertaining were necessarily i'm
perfect and it is probable he over-estimated the
people. But present indications of cultivation
show that there once existed large populations
where few or none now remain. Desolating wars
and pestilcnces have swept of large numbers
from time TO time. Diseases, poisoning the iouu-
tains of life, have been introduced, and made
havoc Of the people. When the writer, SO years
since, took up his residence at the islands, over
100, 900 was the estimated number of the inhabi-
tants. The census just taken, it is believed, will
show them reduced to from $4,000 to $4,000.
The measles and whOoping-cough, introduced
there in the year l847, are believed to have taken
off 10,000 of the inhabitants. The small pox in
1853 took off large numbers; but though no pest
Hence has ragged since. still the decrease goes
steadily on and if unchecked, a generation hence
VIII see few of the IaMaiian rnce remaining.