The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-05-24
KALAkAUA.s KINGDOM.
What a New York Man Saw I'm the
Sandwich Islands--No Pests Except

Wnae new 40rK Mam saw an the
Sandwich IsIands--No Pests Except
LeprOsy.
[Chicago Tribune Interview with E. A.
Thorne.l
"What sort of labor is employed in
the islands,"
Mostly Chinese, and the rest Portu-
guese, German, and Kanakas, or
natives. The Germans are often
thrifty and become oyerseers. The
Portuguese are very good, and are
becoming more numerous. The Kama
kas are the most reliable, but they are
very improvident and are hard to
obtain"
HAS it not been charged that
species of slavery existed on the plan
tations with reference to these labor
ers ?"
"It has, but without any foundation
whatever. These laborers are engaged
in the. native countries to emigrate to
the islands and to work for from
one to three years after arrival for
wages, in consideration that the
planter who hires them shall pay their
fare across the water. This is called
shipping. When their time is up if
they agree to remain for another period
with their employer this also is called
shipping. There is charge made In
this country that these contracts are
enforced in such way as to
make them amount substantially to
slavery. But there is not
word of truth in it. There are the
same legal means exactly in the islands
as in the state of Illinois for enforcing
the fulfllment of such contract on
the part of hired laborers. That is to
say, in case they violate their contract
they can be sued for damages, and if
they have committed fraud they can be
arrested and held to bail, and the suit
is tried before native Kanaka justice
at that. Indeed, these remedies are SO
inadequate that the planters are in
state of perpetual peril and dissatisfac-
ton on account of the insecurity of
their contracts"
How are the laborers treated while
working out their contract?"
very humanely indeed. They are
cared for just like children. The laws
not only forbid slavery, but forbid a
planter to strike hired servant"
What of the climate and scenery of
the islands?"
''The most delightful imaginable. The
country Is swept by the trade winds, ,and
the temperature is kept remarkably
even and comfortable. The themome-
ter never gets aboveninety degrees, and
seventy degrees is the average the year
round. There are three months of sui
try weather in the summer, but the
rest of the year is very comfortable. 1t
is also land of perpetual verdure.
Flowers of every hue and shape are so
abundant that you may walk over beds
of them anywhere. Fruits, also, in
endless variety abound everywhere. I
could stand on the veranda Of my hotel
and pick figs, oranges, bananas, lines,
mangoes and papyas. What is more
wonderful, there is not a wild animal,
snake or any kind of reptile in the
country"
"Are there no pests of any kind r.
There are some mosquitoes, and
from what / heard before I went there,
expected them to eat me up. But I
found no more of them than there is in
this country, and they gave me no
trouble except at one or two places.
The only plague I know of In the coun-
try is the leprosy. This terrible disease
is confined to the Kanakas, or natives.
It is contagious. but not infectious. It
is entirely painless, but it causes the
joints of the body to come apart, so that
the hands and feet drop off. As soon
as person is taken with it he is ban
ished to the island of Malakai, which is
reserved entirely for the residence of
lepers, and on which there is colony
of from 400 to 500 of them all the time.
People who are curious about the dis
ease often go there and walk through
the hospital with impunity. The lepers
| are the most cheerful patients in the
world"