The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-07-07

ing specimens of the Olonau or native hemp, Ko-
wall or jalap, Auhuhu and Pooola, poisonous
shrubs, Kuminui, a poisonous fish also used as an
antidote to other known poisons, Haanewa vine
and Popolo root used incidentally, coffee and to-
bacco, the bark Of the bread fruit, which is used
for reducing 7wrllings or bruises. a piece OF the
Pahoa rock, used by the natives for sharpening
their stone implements, necklaces made of the hoa
shrub and Wiliwili beams, brail and hats made by
the natives from the cane tops, the cayenne pepper
plant: also the following woods, namely, the Koa,
Naia or Aaks. known more generally as the bastard
sa~ndal-wood, Ohia. Sumac, and others Indigenous
to the country. Others / heard of that are said to
b. obtainable only in Kauai or AolOkai-the Au-
huhu poison, used by the natives in fishing; this
is a weed which is pounded up and thrown over a
school of fish, killing some and supplying others,
but curisuSly enough it in no way imparts any OF
its poisonous properties to the fish the flesh OF
which when cooked is perfectly wholesome and
nutritious; the Hama moss. a rank poison found on
Maui, a species of taro, which is mixed raw with
water and taken internally when the settings are
poured of. acting as q powerful purgative. There
are said 10 be in kau some dry caves, formerly used
as burial places for the natives, which contain
spears, masks, gods, kappa cloth, AIDES, etc, in
abundance but their exact location cannot be as
csrtained. The ignatius bean has been found on
va NcNEA ~ - 49, NtHS'
there from Peru; also the native hemp used for
making nets and fishing lines, acknowledged by ex-
perts TO be the most durable in the world; the
Wauki tree, the bark from which peels easily and
with the outer rind taken off would make excel
lent paper: the Popolu herb very eficacious III
healing sores, and the ginger plant which thrives
we'll.
In Kona my observations were limited, but on
all sides I heard of the extreme fertility of the soil,
which produces all the tropical fruits prOfusely,
and of excellent quality without care or attention.
The island Of Hawaii In ninety miles long and
Il little over seventy miles wide, and contains an
area of over 1000 square miles; of this. 30, 900 acres
or nearly fifty square miles is utilized for cane
growing. The produce of the island for this year
will be over 10000 tons of sugar divided as follows:
Kohals, 1900 tons; Hamakua, $500 tons; HilO,
5000 tons, and Kau $500 tons; in Kohala there are
six mills at work, in Hamakua four, in Hilo
eleven, and in hau four; KOhala cultivates 6,6l0
acres, Hamakua. 400; Hilo, 1000 and Kau, Z, $50.
These figures are compiled from information re-
ceived at the various plantations and show that
the Kau district Will undoubtedly be this year the
most productive III proportion to its cultivated
area and the number Of its mills. There is GER
tainly more land on Hawaii available for'cane cuI-
ture, but most of it is not without its drawbacks
such as want of W ter, the extensive clearing neces-
'"A - YIN vi - ~A0 avs A~A0A NoSSN% A"O
sea level. Tropical fruits do well but are not cult
waited TO any extent, neither are coffee, cotton,
grapes or tobacco; coffee it is said will not pay its
expenses, but l could not ascertain that the exper-
iment had been tried with sufficient care or for any
heightened period. Planters generally prefer Ma
tive labor, if obtainable, especially for working
live stock; Chinese labor for mill work and Port
uguese labor for field work, though the Chinese
are equally good; the almost unanimous opinion
is however that Chinese labor is best adapted for
this country and it is much cheaper than the
Portuguese. l was impressed with the desirable
ity of connecting the different islands of this group
by cable to facilitate the transaction of business
and transmission OF news; the telephone has been
erected in some parts OF the island by private en-
terprise and its great utility is much felt.
In conclusion l beg to express my appreciation
of the general kindness and courtesy shown to me
throughout the island of Hawaii.