The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-11-30

more blue even than the Mediter,
ranean in the Bay of Naples, the
water became changed into brilli-
ant sapphire, and leaning over the
steamers side ] could see the fish
swimming about of every shade and
variety of color. There were the
gold fishes of our glass globes at
home, fishes Of silvery sheen, strip
ed, red, green and speckled, flash
ing their bright sides like the CLEAN
Of falchion. The dusky brown
maidens with garlands of flowers
about their necks did not swim out
to meet us as in the olden time; in
stead we saw the pier crowded with
very commonplace looking set of
people, of every shade of complexion
from the pale-taced Anglo-Saxon to
the mahogany hue of the native IIa-
waiiau Aroused 10y the steamers
gun, these people had left their
homes even at that early hour, and
had come rushing through the streets
to be the first to catch the news or
greet the face of the incoming
stranger. 1t was quite interesting
To watch the motions of the motley
group, 10 see the patient donkeys
standing under their huge saddles,
to count the long line of vehicles
with the most dimunitivc horses to
draw them. and then TO hear the
frantic cries of their drivers solicit
ing the patronage of the passengers
as one by one they crossed the gang
plank to the shore. 1t was much
like landing in New York.
Honolulu Is not 50 very different
from any other town, The prim-
tive age has passed away here, how
ever it may be with the rest of the
islands, and the evidences of civil
iZation and refinement are every
where apparent. Instead of huts of
grass and narrow trails for streets,
such as in the simplicity of your
ignorance you may have imagined,
here is Il well-built town, with
houses of massive stone or wood, and
streets well laid out and in meas
ure macadamized too. The COM
pleteness of many of the shops
would surprise you as well as the
size of the banking houses, the
steamer offices, the warehouses for
sugar, and various other buildings
that L might mention. | have actu-
ally seen, too, men wearing silk
hats. and ladies with dresses of
glossiest satin embroidered with
beads and bangles. But yet with
all these there is strange mixing
up of the old and the new. 1t is the
new civilization gradually suppressed
ing the older life, with the remnants
of the older ever and anon cropping
out. Crowding the streets and hang
ing about the corners we see the
swarthy faces of the native race
with their large lustrous eyes, their
broad checks, their half-fattened
noses, and their forms tending to
obesity. Donkeys pass us ladened
with huge baskets of bread-fruit or
punches of the famous tara to be
made into poi. Native women come
galloping along, riding astridc like
men, with their garments tucked up
beneath them or spreading in ample
folds over their saddles. We see
the latest sign of American civiliza-
ton, the soda-water fountain, but
Hawaiian boys turn the faucet and
fill the foaming glasses. Dark
skinned maidens with liquid eyes
stand behind the counters and deal
out tumblers of ginger ale or "IahiH
lemonade" Great punches of
golden bananas, too, greet us at
every turn, luscious mangos which
drip with sweetness ON your lips,
long pendants of purple grapes
which rival the Tyrian dye in their
hue, the delicately favored grena-
dillas, the rose-scented ohias, the
papia, the ohelia, the water lemon
and Il score of other fruits too
numerous to mention, about which
one may have read, of which, in our
happier hours, we may perhaps have
dreamed, but which it has never be-
fore been our happy privilege to see
or mosten our lips with their deli
cious flavor.
Very amusing is the dress of the
native women. Their robes are not
gathered up at the waist as with us,
but hang straight down, night-gown
fashion, from the shoulders to the
heel. Every old woman becomes
thus veritable Mother Hubbard.
One has just passed us in a gown OF
the highest pink; another at this
moment approaches in saffron
yellow. There are blue gowns and
black gowns, green gowns and red
gowns. Their delight is in high
colors, like the negroes of oul
Southern States, though l am told
that among the better class the more
sombre shades are coming into
vogue. AS for their heads, some
have no covering at all save theil
black, glossy hair, while others weal
the braided palm-leaf hat encirclet
about the crown with the gaudies
flowers or the large yellow seeds 0:
the Pandanns. Very often thes'
wreaths are supplemented with lonG
1