The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-09-18
The Hawaiian Kingdom Directory and
Tourists Guide.

This book, the publication of which we noticed
last week, is something more than a mere business
Directory. The tables showing the holdings OF land
in each island have a special interest at the present
time, as the names of both native and foreign owners
| and lessees are given with the extent of their hold
ings. From the account given of his journeys the
| publisher appears to have visited in person almost
every inhabited part OF the islands and to speak as
an eyewitness Of their scenery and of the industries
which flourish upon them. Inter spersed through the
narrative are a good many remarks on Hawaiian at
fairs. which, from their nature betray the fact that
the writer has not long been resident in the King
dom which he describes and criticises. There are
also some descriptions of native manners and Gus
toms as observed during this Journeys or described to
the publisher by those whom he met by the way. An
appendix to the work contains a rather hetero-
generous collection of matter, chiefly articles
contributed by residents on the Islands, or extracts
from the works of others which are intended to illus
trate points in Mr.. Bowser's own narrative. The SAC
count Of the Military Organizations of the Hawaiian
Kingdom " contains a good deal of matter which
will be as new to many of the younger residents here
as to strangers. A letter to the publisher from the
Rev. DIR. Coan of Hilo gives some account of the
lifelong labors of that venerable missionary on the
Island Of Hawaii. There is an elaborate Z" Account
of the Organization of the Judiciary Department "
of the Kingdom, also one of the organization of the
Anglican branch of the Church on the Hawaiian
Islands; - the latter being from the pen of the Rev.
7. Blackburn. Had all the institutions of the coun-
try been similarly described by residents having the
special knowledge required for such a task. this
appendix would have been q very valuable part of
the book. OF the various extracts, the most amusing
is one from Mr.. Commettant's Les Civilizations
HtcOnnues relating to some musical events which
occurred in Honolulu a good many years ago. To
those who are in want of skilled labor. the authen-
ticated statement of the wages current in California
last month may prove of use. The map of Honolulu
though small, supplies a desideratum aud will be
welcome to many. The engravings of Hawaiian
scenery are good and well selected. and the portraits
Of the King and Queen have evidently been put on
the stone by a good artist. Mr.. Bowser announces
his intention to publish an Atlas of the Islands and
a " History of the Kingdom, a description of the
Hawaiian Race, their manners. customs, ancient re-
ligiou, their myths and traditions and their present
condition and prospects, and an account of the
Fauna and Flora of the Islands" If he succeeds in
compiling a reliable volume including in a compact
form all the information thus promised, he will be
very fortunate. The undertaking will not be an
easy one, and if he succeeds in it we hope he will
find his reward in q good sale. We have not noticed
cause, they are in some measure such as could hard
ly be avoided in a first venture by a stranger. He
must expect however, that the new work which he
has projected will have to pass through a sharper
ordeal of criticism.