Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-09

II -
'/s YsSaEsytSLS Sandwich Islands in
ESN dicated by il, fe W
eSS statistics may be useful
TO give an idea Of the present situation.
The Hawaiian group, known popularity as
the Sandwich Islands. is composed of twelve
islands, eight only of which inhabited.
The largest of these-Hawaii. which gives
its name to the grOup-cOntains about
1000 square miles. and the islands altogether
about 5000. 1t must be borne in mind. how
ever, that these islands are nothing more than
series of volcanic mountains and that
the proportion of arabic land to the
amount of acreage is very small The
area of land that can be guilty ated is still fur
Their diminished by the want of water supply
on the leeward side of the islands. The rain
fall is mainly upon the windward side, or the
side swept by the trade winds nine months of
the year. Thus while the leeward side of
Hawaii presents a barren appearance, relieved
by tracts of sugar cane plantations, where the
land can be irrigated, and by fringe of cocoa
nut palms (Which is a saltwater tree) on the
coast. the windward side at Hilo, where it is
almost always raining, and the rainfall two
years ago amounted to 2j4 inches over 81
feet, the vegetation is almost tropical Jungle.
Honolulu on the leeward side of Oahu owes
its luxurious vegetation 10 irrigation from stor-
age reservoirs. to artesian wells and TO its
peculiar situation at the foot of the Nuuanu
valley, great cleft in the mountains, through
which some of the winds and rains of the wind
ward side are drawn. Only on Oahu are
artesian wells available. The porous, volcanic
soil on the other islands teaches water The
dlsintegrated volcanic soil IL, however, so
amazingly fertile and produces such enormous
crops of sugar cane that every acre available
for this profitable growth is being brought into
Use. The process Of lava dlSlntegratlon is go
ing on so rapidly that new areas of production
are constantly being formed The wash of
decOmpOsed lava from the mountains is so
great In times of heavy rains that the sea is
dIscOlored for some distance from the shore.
In course of time the dead volcanic
mountains will be hattened down by this steady
process of denudatIOn IN way to create large
districts of arabic land. This Is what has hap
pened on The island of Kauai, the oldest or first
thrown up OF the volcanic group. In this
island the mountains have been washed down
TO such an extent and the lava fields so much
disintegrated that there is rich covering of
soil so productive that KAUAI bears the name of
the Garden island
SUGAR KING
now in the islands and everything runs to its
production. with a slight diversion in the di-
rection of rice Coffee of the best quality is
raised here. and it is in great request in our
eastern cities, especially in Philadelphia, but
it has been affectedby some sort of blight in a
way to rather discourage its production. The
oranges produced here are. to nv taste. with
the exception Of the Florida oranges,
the finest in the world, but they
are not cultivated to any great extent
The native bananas are also excellent, rich and
sweet. but they do not bear transportation as
well as the coarser and more tasteiess Chinese
variety, which Is generally cultivated on the
Islands for shipment 10 the United States
one has To go to tropical countries to get
tropical fruits III perfection. Those we import
are necessarily of the coarser varieties aud are
plucked when green.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ISLANDS
is constitutional monarchy. There is a legis-
lature. composed of the House of Mobiles and
the House OF Representative The two houses
sit together, acting a single body aud hold
ing their proceedings Jointly. The English
and Hawaiian languages are used. The Mobiles
were formerly appointed by the crown, but are
now elective, are the Representatives The
Mobiles get no pay; the Representatives have a
salary OF $500 per year. There are four cabi-
net ministers. of the Interior, Finance, Foreign
Affairs and the Attorney General There is
Supreme Court, with chief justice, four assO-
cIate justices, circuit judges. district judges,
a good police department., &c. The courts
have always maintained a high standing for
capacity and integrity.
KING KALAKAUA AND HIS COURT.
The royal court Is pretty top-heavy affair
for a population about One-third that of the
District of Columbia. 1t consists Of
His ma esty kalakaua. elected in 1874.
Her majesty Queen Kapiolani.
Her royal highness Princess IiIiuo kalani,
the heir apparent sister Of the king and wife
q. Hon John owen DomiuIs
Her RIVAL hiplupSS pripcoss V;c.or;o
Kawekiu Kaiu!ani Lunalilo kalaninuiahiIa-
Palapa, COR Princess Kaiulani for short
Her royal hiShness Virginia Kapooloku
PoomaikeIani, sister to Queen Kapiolani.
HIS Hishness Prince David Kawananakoa-
His highness Prince Jonah kuhio KaIani-
snaoIe.
His maiesty's chamberlain, Col G. W. Mac
farIaue.
His majesty's vice chamberlain, James W.
Robertson.
Then there is his majesty's staff, composed Of
seven members, and the prIyy council OF state
of forty-five members.
The salary Of the king is S25. coo a year and
through appropriations for household e1 penses.
private purse. rents from crown lands &c he
has annual income of about so. 900. 1t is
understood that his private income is now de-
voted to paying OF or reducing his big personal
Indebtedness. He has no control over the pub
lie moneys and the Hawaiian public finances
are in very good condition. Kalakaua is a sort
of
POLYSEsIAS PRINCE OF WALES.
genial. tactful, a free liver, bad poker player.
extravagant in his expenditures and always
hard up for money. The worst that is said of
him is that he is apt TO give somewhat ready
ear 10 the inscriptions money-raisIng schemes
Of the gang of seedy adventures. opium SNUG
glers, gamblers and soldiers of fortune from
ali quarters that infest Honolulu. He Is edu-
catad M III