The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-06-04

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The population of the island is rapidly
decreasing on account ofthe stringent laws
the missionaries have had passed as to
marriage rites, &c. l saw no native chill
dren, the absence Of the youngsters was
very noticeable after having just come from
China and Japan, where you can't walk
without treading on them.
| went to see the native dance called the
"Hoola Hoola." 1t consisted of some dull
heavy dancing by three bare-legged girls,
who twisted themselves into all sorts of
shapes, singing all the time low mono
tonous song, and taking sundry drinks
from bottle of whisky we had along.
They don't fairly enter into the dance till
they get little tight. The music was
produced 10y two men from two large
gourds, by beating on the gourds with
their hands and knocking the bottoms Of
them on the dirt floor. The government
has become so civilized that it has pro-
hibited the "Hoola Hoola," so that it can
only be gotten up in secret way.
went to the English Church on Sun
day and heard the service in the "Kana-
ka" language. The place is full of church.
es OF all denominations, and everything in
the way Of business, including religion, is
run by the missionaries, and the natives
suffer accordingly; but l believe they
Ohe missionariesD do more good in the
Sandwich Islands than they do in China
and Japan. The natives are great drunk
ards, and when they can't get whisky
drink distillation made from sweet pota-
toe, and from root called tara. They
are not rice eaters, but their chief diet is
called "poi," and is made from the "tarra."
They dig hole in the ground three feet
deep and about three feet in diameter,
build fire in the bottom throw in the
tara and cover over the top with wet grass
and mats, and in little while the roots
become we'll steamed then they are taken
out and the outside skin all taken off; then
the roots are pounded up and mixed with
water till the whole mass becomes a thick
paste. 1t is then set away in stone pots
for week or so till it ferments, after that
it is ready for use. The sign through the
country for having poi fer sale is small
white flag set up in front Of grass hut.
1t Is known as one finger poi, two finger
poi and three finger poi. The very poor
people have to eat 'three finger" better
off people two finger, and rich people or
"swells," one finger poi. The different
grades are produced by the addition of
water, and it is all eaten with the fingers;
they have no chop sticks or knives and
forks, and when it is very thin it takes
three fingers to get it up; and when very
thick no water having been added it can
be twisted round one finger and gotten
into the mouth. The very poor divils
have to add lots of water. 1t is the most
horrible stuff to eat, and have heard that
King kalakaua" came near dying be-
cause OF the want of his "poi," while in
the United States.
The kings sister and the Prince Regent
drove down to our ship to have look at
her; they were rather nice looking, and
dressed like white people. The lady had
on dark dress Of some thin material cut
low in the neck, with a lace arrangement
over the neck, and the full yellow neck
| looked quite pretty through the black lace;
she was large woman and looked very
warm. They were in light English two
| horse drag, with white driver dressed in
green livery, brass buttons, high hat, etc.
The natives loafing round the ship did not
seem at all impressed by the nearness of
royalty. 1t seems ridiculous to call such
people Kings, Queens and Princes.
Our snip gave reception one day, and
was gaily gotten up with flags, and think
the whole population of the island came
down to see us, including all the white
people; no ship as large as ours had ever
been in their port. The white people all
| asked for ice water, so an immense cooler
was kept full all the time for their benefit.
They had been out of ice on the island for
three months, their ice machine having
hou To ha
United States for repairs. Just imagine
how good the ice water must have tasted,
after going through three months of that
heat without any. We had to drink our
wines and champagne at the hotel without
ice OF course, and it was almost steaming.
At the reception on our ship some of the
government officials got very drunk; one
fellow, an American, who is judge, an ex-
Californian, got particularly tangled in his
legs and tongue.
The Government officials arc numbered
by the thousand, and all get very large
salaries. The King gets $4,000, and lots
of other fellows $4,000 and $4,000 year;
it is very plain to me why the Islands are
going to the dogs. Most of the Americans
l saw there who hold government offices,
are the scrapings of California and the
| Western States. There are three Judges
and they are Americans; the Kings Coun-
Gil, six in number, is made up mostly of
Americans. The army consists of sixty
| soldiers, and some time ago they all mu-
tinted because they were not promptly paid,
so they took off their clothes, laid down
their arms, and marched out of their quar-
tiers. They have all admiral, jolly old
American, and the navy consist of a tug
boat and pile driver.
The Islands produce sugar, coffee, wool
and various other articles, but sugar is the
| chief production. l don't think the ex-
ports apd imports amount to more than
two millions year. On some of the ISL
ands they have quantities of cattle and
sheep, and the cattle are killed for their
| hides and tallow. Some years ago an af-
fair occurred that has interfered very much
with their sheep raising on one of the Is
lands. A man was sent to England to pro-
cure grass seeds, he brought them back and
sowed them-the result was an enormous
crop of kind of burr. They can't get
rid of it, and the result is the spelling of
the wool. The King was in the United
States trying to get his sugar in free of
duty, but if he succeeds | don't think it
will do him much good. It will take
more than that to get his country on its
| legs.
They have no currency except some pa
per money issued by private banker, and
the minister of finance certities on the back
of each note that the banker has deposited
with the Government the value of the note
rather wild way of doing business.
The Islands produce all kinds of fruit
and vegetables in abundance. They have
novel way of breaking colts. They take
| wild one and lead it or drive it out into