The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-21
lfe In the South Seas.

The Sand vich or Hawaiian islands,
are twelve in number. situated in the Pa
ciic Ocean, 1000 miles from the Amer
can coast. The largest is 50x75 miles IN
EXTENT. the smallest only three or four
miles. They are mostly rugged noun
tains cut by deep gorges. h totai
noDnl.tieu is only 60, 600, of which 40
0OO are the original natives, 5000 Chi
nese and 5000 whites. Though so very
small. it is q thoroughly established, IN
dependent nation, its governments mon
archv with a parliament apd other con
.titu,ionsl provisions. SO liberal, hat
the real power rests with the people.
THE FAvoRITE OF NATURE
Nature seems to have first carefully
searched about and then tenderly dropp-
ed these bits of land in the happiest
slime the earth afforded The sun IS tro-
pic.,l: but the bracing northeast wtnds.
gently blowing through the year, except
a few days in winter. and the cool ocean
currents constantly flowing from the
same direction, so temper that sun 'ha'
heat is never oppressive. In the seventy
SUMMERS and winters that | rave spen'
here. he extreme range OF the
ter has been from 90 to IS degrees. Lit
that range 10 degrees aud you have sum
mer. If there be in the world a more
eouable climate, within agreeable limits,
II know not where it is. Even the rains
behave reasonably well for while some
what in excess on the wlndward ana
short on the leeward shores, still they
are sure to store in the mountains OF the
interior an abundant supply for irrigation
,,.l .,,,cinn WnilS when QEpfpB Anfi
so verdure and bloom are perfect and
perpetual. To COMPLETE this natural
Ed en-. nearly all noxious animals were
carefully led away from 1t. The most
formidable wild beast known here is a
little lizard three inches long, and 50
mild hammered is he thar even a maiden
does not shrek, meeting him al"ne ~
her bedchamber. That universal trave
ler. the rat, did not appear till after Capt.
Cook. The same is true of the common
house dy. Even to this day fIogs are
not. and snakes are not. 1t Is related
that about the year 1880 a whaling yes
sci from New Bedford, lying off har-
Dor, fumigated the ships premises, one
day. with the wind landward. Fatefui
f%umigation! In a day or W thereafter
the first colony of mosquitoes was seen
on shore. Better had 1t been If that
whaler had gone down to keep company
with the whales, taking along its afore-
mentioned passengers!
THE NArIvES-THEIR DECLINE IN NUN
AS we approached the land upon our
arrival here, the first to greet US was a
parcel of native boys, swimming and
" 49, o1.1 -Ii.l tt,a,,
resembled in color and EXPERIENCES n the
water. They repeatedly brought up
from the bottom bits Of money thrown
to them from the steamers deck. | at
once called to mind the variations Of
Cook, who, first of Europeans. touched
at these islands on the 10Th day Of Jan
uary, l77S The race was then so nu-
merous, that approached the land wheie-
ever be might, the water and the shores
were swarming with people. They num-
bered her not less than 800, 900. From
that number to the 40. 900 of to day tells
a sad story-a story the more sad be
cause it is proven by actual count that
the decline still goes regularly on, as if
directed by merciless fate. The decrease
is about II per cent. in the census inter>
Wales of six years. Most OF the causes of
this remarkable decadence are obvious.
the first twenty years after the dis
covery, Kamehameha the Great was wag
ing his devastating wars OF conquest.
After that, under the conqueror, and
indeed ever after, war practically ceased
in the islands and pc pulatiOn should have
recovered. 1t was not to be. The epid-
emic diseases of the whites now began
occasionally to make fearful havoc
among the natives; and especially did
there begin to take deep root in them
that other disease, the awful scourge of
unbridled lust.
KAMEHAMEHA.
This hero monarch died in 1917, a man
of immense force and much nobility or
character, the Cesar of his race. His
career was essential to the welfare of the
islands in that he made them one people.
In the capital grounds of this city is now
being erected a fine statue of him. The
grim old savage in him would OCCASION
ally shine forth to the last. TO some
one of a ships crew urging him to subj
NIT to the case of the Christians God.
he replied: DO you jump down that
precipice, and if your God takes care of
you [ will accept Him. The volunteer
evangelist would not jump. and so
Kahmehameha died a heathern. He
kept up the conservative custom of bis
predecessors not to allow a subject TO
approach him within fifty feet unless by
crawling PROSTATE. Any one failing to
observe this rule of etiquette was made
to feel some degree Of modification by
being walked eff without his head. His
~favorlte queen Kaahumana long survived
him. Il is said she would, on occasion.
unwind seventy-two yards of crimson
cloth from her person and point with
pride to- the prints of kicks and thumps
placed there 10y her husband, the great
departed. Perhaps she needed them
Whether this be SO Or not it is fair to say
that all Caesars nave always looked best
seen at some distance and in perspective.
CHARACTER OF THE NATIVE MAN.
The average native man as I first saw
him Is not uncomely. He is we'll enough
his features are regular. his
complexion dark brown, his hair black
but not kinky. He is large, his chest is
deep, he stands and walks erect and
often with dignity. de is kind, gener-
Gus. civil, never violent, and IS telerabIv