The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-01-02
A New Zealander at Our Hotel.

A passenger from Auckland to San Francisco
last September, sends to the Otago Witness q long
and spicy account Of his visit to Honolulu, which
is generally quite fair, and complimentary in its
tone. We quote a few paragraphs:
I'VE mounted the broad stone stairs leading to
the second story of the hotel, and found ourselves
at once in a cool verandah, up the posts of which
numerous creepers twined, forming a delightful
shady nook for an armchair. a glass OF claret, and
a good novel. A broad hall, where everything
was scrupUloUsly clean, and the air of a purity to
which we were strangers after the smells and
closeness of the 4MitddO, brought us to the counter,
which showed us that in style and conducting the
hotel was thoroughly American. kanaka walters
-Kanaka being the generic name Of the natives
and the only one which they readily answer to,
showed us to cool and beautifully clean rooms,
opening out into the balconies over which creepers
cluster in profusion. Breakfast we had in a large
open room, with several tables, and no furniture
besides, giving an air Of roQminess and space very
acceptable after the cooped-up accommodation of
a steamer. | shall not soon forget that meal in
the Hawaiian Hotel at Honolulu. The delight of
getting fresh meat. clean table-cloths. and all the
other blessings Of a clearly civilization, while
sitting in a fine room with a glorious view out of
the window, after twelve days of gazing at the
horizon out of dead lights, and wondering how far
below it the ship was going on her next iureh. are
riously, and have a good knowledge of what is
dainty and palatable. The mullet which graced
the breakfast table was ct for Buckingham Palace,
anu III nOAuEA. nc alC RClN II VI
fish, and prefer it rather alive and kicking than
cooked. A piece of raw mullet is a delicacy
which no Kanaka will resist, and the more lively
his dinner is, with the greater satisfaction will he
allow the newly-caught mullet to gambol inno-
Gently down his alimentary canal"
His equanimity is somewhat disturbed when he
comes to pay for breakfast:
II rendered a sovereign; when, to my utter
amazement. the change was handed to me as fol-
Ows: One English s%ixpence, two American dimes,
two ditto half dimes. one quarter-dollar, a silver
coin of Napoleon Ill, a Peruvian dollar, and a
Mexican coin of some value indis.inguishabie.
This was above boiling point. dashed the money
back, and demanded some one currency or other;
l didn't care what it was, so long as it represented
something definite but the proprietor coolly re-
turned il, with the assurance that it was all current
coin of the realm. There was nothing for it but
to pocket it, in blind ignorance whether the molly
collection represented ten shilliugs, or ten pence.
The coinage here in Honolulu is of the mOst<extra-
ordinary description, American predOminating,
but with a strong dash of English. Mexican. Peru
Wan. and French coins a combination that utterly
bewilders the unfortunate New Zealander, accus-
toned to use and recognize English money only.
Having pocketed my museum. as | called my une-
qualled collection of coins. / went for a stroll
through the hotel. which well repays the time
ITO make the hotel complete, water, with con-
siderable pressure, is laid on everywhere. while it
surprises a visitor to this out-of-the-way
island to end a gas chandelier in his room, with
yeritable gas burning therein. From the upper
story windows a fair view of Honolulu can be got,
the hotel itself being situated in the pleasantest
part of 1.-THE town. and within easy walk of the
principal streets and buildings. At present it is
leased by an American, and conducted in excellent
style. and with a luxury which only passengers
Just off a fourteen days voyage in a steamer can
and enjoy. The only drawback is the
expense. which is considerably above that Of the
best New Zealand hotels but with economy. that
little difficulty can be overcome. and in such a
climate and beautiful scenery, l can i'm
agine nothing pleasanter than for the passenger
is not pressed for time. to stay between two
mail steamers, at the Hawaiian Hotel, Honolulu.
Some have tried the plan. and enjoyed themselves
beyond measure, and at the time of our short stay
here, several Americans and other tourists were
n the hotel. Any one who wants 10 idle away a
month. had better come to Honolulu"