Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-12-10

nave concluded that liberty to carouse
might be good thing, but, like every
pleasure, "palled upon the tastes" so poor
Lahtoe WINS requested by the opposing
party to leave Raiatea pcaccably if he
would, forcibly if hc must. This part of
the island has been in connection for sew.
oral days. A native schooner lay in tho
bay, ready to take the royal family on
board, if necessary, and sail away. The
schooner sailed back to Lahoa without the
King. and no one seems TO understand how
it will end. meeting is to take place
soon for the purpose Of electing new
Ming. 1t is pleasing sight for me, n
stranger, to see the natives decked in holi.
day attire, march past on their way to tho
point where their meetings arc held.
stand at the gate, in the shade of hugo
cocoa tree, and watch them file past
young men and maidcns, cid men, women
and children, and receive n smile and
salutation from all. took walk with the
girls through the town the other evening,
and few steps from our house we stopped
Mt n gate to watch native woman, who
was seated on n mat in her yard, weaving
hats. When she saw us she smiled pleas.
antly, said good evening" in native, then
arose and gathered a beautiful bouquet of
lilies, which she presented us. A short dis
lance farther another woman came out to
bring some flowers to the girls. This is an
illustration of their hospitality and kind
disposition. They are quite deft, neat and
tidy. They weave the most beautiful hats
/ ever saw. They prepare the material
themselves, from the sugar.cane leaf,
which they bleach as white MS snow, and
braid into the most wonderful forms and
shapes. They are completely covered with
rosettes, lilies, ETC., made from the Same
material as the hats, and are simply won.
derful to look at.
THE FRUIT.
In regard to fruit, | will say, we have
the finest oranges ever saw-very sweet,
large and juicy-and can be bought in any
of the settlements for 90 cents per hun.
dred. Lines Of the finest quality are
wasting their ncidity everywhere-no
worth the trouble of gathering. Pine.
apples of enormous size can be purchased
for cents apiece, bananas 10 cents per
bunch, and mnngoes 10 cents per peck.
Cocoanuts and guavas are very plentiful.
also peculiar fruit Ohe vi.opple) which
l like very much. We went few DAYS ago
to visit Platt's cocoanut plantation. 1t is
called "Virna," and is situated on the
coast two miles from this place. The groves
OF cocoanut trees are so dense tina. when
in the grove you cannot see the sun. They
have n cotton.gin there, and for the first
time | witnessed the process of ginning
cotton. The cotton we saw at the mill was
of very fine quality; very white and of
silky softness. We were treated to fruit
and cocoa-milk-a drink that everybody is
exceedingly fond of. Before tho meat of
the nut becomes hard the water is very
delicious, and in some places where spring
water is not to be found, the people drink
it exclusively. The process of obtaining it
is this: They take the nut, strip off the
covering, cut a little hole in the top of the
shell, and there is the cup containing a
most delicious beverage. Some nuts con.
tain quart of water.
RUMoR OF WARS.
There is more excitement now. A
French war vessel from Tahiti has just
steamed into the harbor, and the white
population seems to entertain the idea that
p ,ssibly the French have come to some
Terms With England in regard to this
island, and that the tri.color will soon
wave over Raiatea. IF so, l think they
will be jumping from the frying.pan into
tho fire." if they should govern it as badly
ms they do Tahiti. l look from the win
dow at the surf breaking over the reef, the
shipping in the harbor all with flags flying
in compliment to the late arrival, (the
French war vessel,) and along the shore
with its cocoa.palm, bananas, etc., and
think what pity that the best govern.
ment in the world (the q. So is not es-
tablished here. What blessing it would
be to the inhabitants were the stars and
stripes floating from this elevation, in lien
of the Raiatean flag, which is handsome
enough, were it 4 symbol of q FREQ soil.
free speech and free press"
TULAREAN.