Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-03-16
OUR SANDWICH ISLAND LEI
TER.
HoNoLULU, H. L, Jan. II, 1892.

HosoLULU, H. l., Jan. II, 1892.
When 1 left Kennett Square. Pa,
last August for the mid-ocean islands,
L promised to give your readers some
idea of this, at one time, barbarous
and man-eating country, which Is now
STYLED 'rrhe Paradise of the Pacific, "
We had most delightful sail from the
port of San Francisco of little over
six DAYS, and arrived at Honolulu not
much fatigued after our first expert
ence of ocean travel aud were soon
transferred by small craft to the city
of Honolulu, where We we're to make
our home for two years at least N
school duties. We are more than sur
prised to find Honolulu city such
modern characteristics, where tineblocks
of buildings built of stone and brick,
ana the business carried on In man
ner similar to that in the States; nice,
wide streets macadamized, and the
sidewalks are delightful promenade,
with plenty of shade the year round;
and the hotels will compare favorably
with most of the cities IN the States
for accommodations and table luxur-
les, tor at all seasons of the year they
are abundantly supplied with the nm
est tropical fruits and vegetables known
or grown, for much attention is now
paid to the improvement of the varied
kinds fJrown here. Can't hardly real
ize you are having such cold weather
while We are enjoying summer or
spring weather the year round. Only
think of it, We are luxurlatlng on
green corn, tomatoes, taro and other
garden vegetables and such elegant
Strawberries. too, are fresh from the
gardens While think of it, will tell
you how much the people think OF
Queen Liliuokalani when she attended
the English Church, as when she
comes in, all arise and stand until she Is
seated While on her way to or from
the church, the natives PROSTATE
themselves before her. L asked the
rector if the people of Eng gland p Id
the same respect to the Royalty. Then
he said not, and as he is an English
Churchman, would surely know. The
natives seem to appreciate our efforts
as teachers and coming so far to in
struct them, semi i-barbarians. 1t Is
certainly no easy matter to tame and
teach; they however, become more
and more trsctable as they advance in
civilization and we too become ac-
quainte1 with disposition and under
stand something of language. 1t
was only this morning some one of the
natives sent to the teachers in the sem
mary bushel of delicious oranges,
and said that they had just picked
them and thought We teachers would
enjoy them. The Seminary to which
we are attached was built by an English
lady and for the purpose of instructing
native girls, and the number now on
the roll is about 132, divided among
five teachers, who have the entire cIre
of them; they are fed and clothed free
and the teachers are paid by subscrip-
tion. A short description OF the Luau
or Queens feast may not be uninterest-
| ing. January 21st ult- the teachers
were all invited and L assure you we
enjoyed this rich treat hugely, not
only to be looker-on but q partaker
of thu festivities. 1t is hard matter
| to describe the characteristics of the
| Queen. She is of dusky shade and
rather interesting in general appear
apce and greatly beloved by natives
and held in high esteem by the foreign
element who have made this island
their home, and this composes about
one-third of the population of the is
| land. There are on this island about
! twelve hundred Americans, eleven
thousand natives and about ten thou
sand others of different nationalities of
which the Chinese predominate. To
one who has always lived on the
American continent, the island of
Hawaii must appear like an oasis in the
desert 1t is supposed to have
been raised from the sea by volcanic
action and theorists differ widely as
to the thousands of years this action
occurred as, lava rocks are piled up
layer upon layer to the heighth of two
miles or more. Mauna Kea is on the
northern portion of the island, Mauna
Loa, the south, while mountain OF
lesser height is about mid way between
them. The elevation of the two higher
mountains is nearly IA, 600 feet and yet
the elevations differ widely in these
natural features yet both are extinct
craters; the sides have the appearance, if
closely examined, of hundreds of erup-
tions heaping up cinder, sand, stone and
ashes in vast quantities thousands OF
years since, for already the soil is deep
and plentiful enough to grow yegeta-
ton on nearly all portions of the noun
tain slopes. l visited the Mauna Loa
last fall and in some of the 90 eraters
there is evidence of smouldering fires
and at long intervals it is said, throws
out vast quantities of lava from over
the crest, and streams of motion lava
run down the mountain side destroy
ing every living thing with which il
comes in contact. 1t is said that there
is no region in the world which affords
greater attraction to the lover of volcanic
phenomena than this, and the scenery
in many portions of the mountainous
region equal, if not excelling the weird
features of the Rockies of the States.
l think have written enough of the
! general features of this island and may
at some future time give you some
thing of more local characteristics that
will interest the readers.