The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-11-06

he;au of Puuokohola. 'fThe wall of
the enclosure 900 feet long by 80
feet wide) is not less than eight feet
thick at the base lit is at least double
that in fact; tradition relates that the
materials employed in its construction
were brought, stone by stone, from
the valley of Polalu, twelve miles
distant, being raised from hand to
hand along a line of wOrkmen eX-
tending from the 'quarie' to the site
chosen for the heiau." One who has
ever seen Puuokohola will smile at
the idea of going ten rods away from
any building-site selected to find
stone, unless one is to conclude from
the abundance of unused material
that none whatever could have been
taken from the immediate vicinity.
So numerous have been the human
victims offered here as sacrifices that
the soil for several acres surround
ing the temple is but an immense
bone yard, and the traveller stumbles
at every step over the cerie burial
places that have Qong since) been
rified by jackals and wild cats"
1.-THE whole western coast of Ha-
waii is now arid and desolate. 1t was
not so when Cook and Vancouver
landed there for the first time. Then, as
on the eastern coast, the slopes of the
mountains were clothed with impene-
trable forests, extending to the waters
edge. Limped streams coursed under
fiowery arbors, while the smallest
inlet along the shore gave shelter to
the smallest village
The forests, it is alleged, have been
destroyed by men around with torch
and axe in search of the precious
sandlewood. The torch was applied
to ascertain whether the tree were OF
the coveted fragrant wood, if so it fell
under the axe, if not, it persisted by
| fire."
Everybody knows" the author
says, "the circumstances which led to
the death of Capt. Cook. The natives,
taking him for god of the sea, had
long paid him the highest honors,
when one of them, more sceptical
than his comrades, noticed that he
ate, drank and slept like a mere
mortal. Determined to test his
divinity, he audaciously aimed an
arrow at the commander; blood
| flowed, the wounded man uttered a
cry of pain. This cry, this drop OF
blood betrayed his earthly origin, and
he fell under the weapons of his
former worshippers, who could not
forgive him for having so long played
on their credulity."
The windward side of Hawaii
presents series of massive cliffs
covered from base to summit with
festoons of many colored vines. From
every projecting ledge, spring lau-
hala trees, with bayonet like foliage
ESQ far true to nature1, with cactus
and fig trees [pure Imagination while
clusters of crimson ohias sway in the
breeze, overhanging the waters of the
ocean,
Of cannibalism in Hawaii nei, the
author says: "The natives deny en-
phatically that it Ws3 ever practised
here. But such denials cannot be
considered conclusive. Human sacri-
fees were offered we know, and there
is but one course for the victim of q
sacrifice on feast day. 1t will be
difficult, moreover, to allow that the
warriors of those times would push
their scruples so far as to allow the
most tempting morsels from the slain
to be WaSted.n
Kalakaua is civilized prince, edu-
Gated, speaking English well, and
dressing, at least in public, in Euro
pean style.
"The government is hereditary
monarchy under constitution which
sprung, in all it's provisions, from the
brain of the Protestant missionary
and which bears the indellible STAMP
of it's origin"
must quote, finally, from this ex
asperatingIy imaginative writer the
picture of the Hawaiian as he appear;
to the Frenehlaan.
The Hawaiian type (among the
motley assemblage in the market
place. predominates, open-hearted
smiling, ehild-like, men and womeI
alike decked with garlands and leis O
scarlet lehua blossoms or of COLDER
hala fruit, worn on their heads OF
over their shoulders.
They crowd about the fish stall:
and surround the pedlers of sea-weed:
(which enter into the composition O
| the national poll, but most of then
only as idlers, with no motive bu
curiosity. Out of ten persons, nine
have no intention to buy. They have
| come to pass away the time, to joke
to exchange smiles, like those country
people of our own land. who woule
not for anything miss fair or marke1
day. Only here idling is the rule, no.
the exception. Every day is holi
day, and brings together the same
throng of pleasure-seekers-alway:
the same gaiety, flower. garlands
songs, roars of laughter.
The Polynesian has few wants; {
few fruits, the root of a plant tha
grows everywhere in abundance-fol
drink simple water, or for the higher
class little palm wine or other liquor
distilled by crude process. Clothing
in the city is of the simplest descrip
ton; in the country it is dispensed
with altogether. The grand aim O
life is pleasure. The savage is thor
oughly persuaded that he has beer
created and sent into the world sim
ply to eat, sleep, joke, sing, take hi
sport in the sea, and devise adorn
ments of flowers.n