The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-09-09
Save the Isles !
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Save the Isles!
ME. EpuoR IL fsl an earnest sud al Abtdiag
intere-, IN this archipelago. and desire nOss heartily
to promote the welfare cf ny adopted country. I
hsvc discussed In times pas, her most vital question.
the increase Of people. and whilst reeognirins iis
paramount importance. I desire 10 make known .
few views respec;isg . question Orly second 10 the
ore Ct pcpsls,ion. and 70 IL The preservation Ct chr
Grests.
This is rot a new subject With me. I have ssid
aud written much upon IL in years gone BY but ]
an taking q uew interest in IL. and feel that IL is q
life question Cor Hawaii. and that her trees cone
next in importance 10 her people. The people could
barely suhsisi without the trees. Surely there would
be no taro patches, II there was no mountain forest;
sni II all our mountain tops and slopes and raVlns
sides were bare, there would not be . permanent
stream for irrigation on this archipelago. We would
have rain fall Of course on deserts Of stones nearly
or perhaps as much As ever; but people could not
live on these islands, II obliged to provide for the er-
cessive Aood. and subsequent drouths, to which the
island. would be subject in case IL complete dennia-
TON.
= And the isles are becoming naked at q fearful rate
The shrubbery and the shade have lst forever many
thousands Of acres Of our territory, upon which Ia
times past thickly mingled plants and MOSES formed
a permanent sod. through which the bounteous
showers Of the mountain tops percolated down 10 the
island shores with b~enefcent regularity. But with
the loss of shade and sod. leaving arid slopes and
plains stripped to their rocky bones, the summit wa
tiers have come down with quickly accommodating vol
ume and fury.-haye torn their way through ruinous
gulches TO the sea. and then in a little while have
left only a psrchel and a weary land swept by
a blasting wind.
And here let ms say. thstJth death OF the trees
let's loose the demons of the winds as well as Of the
foods; and the unchecked gales Of these ATTITUDES
blow into the air, more soil than the unrestrained
waters wash away There is g sad proof Of this TO be
seen at this day; there is an island Of this group.
whose upper or table lands we're once covered with q
dense forest Of small trees and shrubbery This
maintained shade and moisture over a rich virgin
soil, whose soft herbsceous turf abounded in varieties
of the achatinells or land snails, whose presence was
a proof of the humidity of on outrageous and pro-
ductive domain. But now there are only some debris
Of shells to be seen. Tens of thousands Of destroying
hoofs have rOamed here unrestrsined, the leaf and
the shade have disappesred,--t I'll turf has been trod-
den and tritursted into powder,-And then the fresh
trade wind blast has swept over the open plain; aud
The poor island has lost its covering, has lost Its soil,
away to the depth Of many feet, and you can
see it now any day borne away by the demon Of desc
alton in frightful red clouds, that meet you many
from the island far away at sea.
SO passes away the hope Of Hawaii from many
parts of her once richly lowered domain. There are
'ome who try to check the hand Of destruction, who
10 more, who plant two trees where one grew before;
and others who herd and regulate their stock, 50
hat instead Of being a curse, are productive Of o
blessing 10 the land. But these arc in a minority,
II ~ .ort- &c lo,,Io..o. - I'll
yard in Hawaii.
Therefore q patriotic government and a patriotic
legislature should see to this Some Of your lost fer
st and soil you could not recover in a generation.
'uI aII 10 not IOsI, ana Degin now 10 stop the mTner
rogress of the bosom of destruction. Some sheer at
he vail about loss Of trees as an exploded theory, 40 !
/ dare say our question Of population an exploded
heory to some. And SO is every generous hope and
urpose for the welfare of the country; and nothing
" practical, except Office and It's emolument.
But there are officials I trust. who look beyond their
ockets. who look beyond the Golfers from whence
heir emolument comes-who look unto the hills and
oircumambient clouds, and who seeing how {
enefcently and beautifully the God of Nature has
rovided for the beauty of q land and the sustensnce .
{ man, will endeavor TO prevent thoughtless men
turning loose destruction upon a soil that q
hould bloom here in these seas as q paradise.
A commissioner or guardian Of forests should be !
and provided for, with powers rs large as :
lch a commissioner has in France and in other
arts Of Europe, where you cannot cut down q tree 4
your own land without permission. II such an l
lice were created and in efficient hands. very likely .
might be one Of the first to be reprehended or 4
lulcted for inattention to the preservation Of forest a
nd soil under my control. Let II be 30; though {
light feel myself apparently pinched ia my interest 2
being obliged to restrict my live stock within GER ,
lin limits, yet at the same time | would rejoice that ,
he hills which | love should ever preserve their YER a
ure,-that the wooded dells should continue to be {
llirened with the songs Of birds, that the music Of .
emile purling streams should be heard under ieafy =
that the bounty Of heaven should be regular q
aud beneacently spread over the land. 50 that
should prevail, and my fellow man should Il
and rejoice in yhese isles. q
(WALrER MURRAY GIBSON. .