The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-06-06
THE PEARL OF The PACIFIC.
" THE HOME OF THE SUGAR
CANE.n
Many Business Advantages of Pearl
City or Pearl River.
By LIONEL sTAGGE. |

The Island of Oahu, of which
Honolulu is the capital, was first
discovered in 1874, and was then
called Fairhaven. The natives at
the time of discovery were subject
to the most savage superstition, and
1t was Lot until kamehameha the
Great, who was then chief of the
Island of Hawaii, met in combat Ia
hekili, the chief of Oahu, and totally
destroyed the feet of the latter that
Honolulu's era of peace and pros
perity set in. Kahekili, in a mes
sage to his triumphant foe, pleaded
for a truce. swat till the black
tapa covers me- said he, sSand my
kingdom shall be yours His death
shortly followed. On this island,
then, for the pleasure seeker as well
as for the invalid In search of COW
eted good health, Honolulu presents
the most widely diversified attrac
tions. Situated in the centre of
Hawaii's matchless group, 1.-The Isle
Of Oahu" with its magnificent ship
ping facilities at Pearl Harbor, in a
matehless climate and surrounded
by every natural advantage such as
nature has bestowed upon no other
region, Is indeed most desirable
and popular resort. Here IS the
natural home OF the sugar cane
which the venerable Theophrastus,
who lived about $40 years before
the Christian era, the first writer
whose works have come down to Us
by whom sugar Is mentioned, and Is
called a sort Of honey extraction
from canes or reeds" and tells us Of
the reeds in India that yields honey
without bees. The original habitat
of the sugar cane Is not known, but
seems to have been first cultivated
in the country extending from
Cochin China to Bengal. Sugar
reached the West from India at a.
comparatively late date. Strabo has
an inaccurate notice from Nearchus
of the India honey bearing reed"
and various classical writer's of the
first century of our era notice the
sweet sap of the Indian reed or even
the granulated salt-like product
which was imported from India or
from Arabia and Opone these being
entrepots of Indian trade), under the
name of Saccbrum and used in medi-
cine. Under the Arabs the growth
and manufacture Of the cane spread
far and wide from India to SUI IN
Morocco, and was also introduced
into Sicily and Andalusia- 1t was
through this source of revenue that
Charles ". obtained funds for his
palace building at Madrid and To-
ledo.1 At the invitation of MIR. b.
T. Dillingham;, wealthy gentleman
of Honolulu, and to whom the coun-
try owes much for the enterprlsIng
spirit displayed in building up the
country at large, the writer visited
the plantations of the Oahu Railway
and Land Company, and to this gen
tleman, as we'll as the efficient super
intendents of the cane and rice
plantations, he is under obligations
for their hospitality and courtesy
enabling him TO see all the beauties
of this Eden spot in our Hawaiian
Italy. Winding through a region
OF rich arabic lands, dotted here and
there with lofty cocosnut trees wav
ing their plumes gently in the breeze
magnificent royal palms, the bread
fruit and algeroba trees, which fur
nish inviting shade to tired travellers
or well fed kline, the Pearl River pre-
sents view truly picturesque as il
wanders IN and out among the tree:
and grassy banks, now tumbline
over It's rocky bed of rapids anc
again moving lazIIy along through
the deep, dark shaded pools wher'
sport the tinted mullet- Away II
the distance. beyond the foot hills
are seen the purple mountains with
their crested peaks which seem t.
pierce the azure dome, and the deer
shadows of the dark canyons, vhici