The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-29
The Impressions Of q Traveller as to
Sandwich People and
Scenery.
Lihuokalani, a Child Of Supersti-
ton, Worshiped by Some
OF the Natives.
A Myth Of the acknowledgements sceu On
- One Approaches the IslAnds-
Chinese Plague.

"Self- Accused - tho scene Of which ia laid
In tho Hawaiian islands, in an interview
gave an interesting description Of these
islands. He has taken up his residence in
Baltimore, after having spent years in
travel. during which time he has visited
almost every country on earth. The climate
and scenery OF the Hawaiian islands, he
says. are the most beautiful he has ever
seen. He visited Hawaii two months after
the death of King Kalakaua, n after
Queen Lihuokalani had assembled the
throne. 1T 10 noteworthy" he said. that
the people Of the islands have embraced
Christianity within the past thirty years.
but the present queen holds to the old
traditions and family beliefs. and says that
Hawaii belongs only to the Hnwniians. II
was for this renson that she attempted to
secure the adoption OF tho new constitution.
which would abroeate the rights of suffrage
30 far as the whites are concerned. She is
a child OF superstition and 10 worshipod by
the people, who really believe that she WAS
instrumental in preventing the inundation
of Hilo by lava.
"Thia occurred o number of years ago.
The great volcano was sending out sire ANS
Of lava, whom the queen proceeded to tho
place of danger and won't through q lot of
incantations, appeals to the god OF fire and
other superstitious rites. The lava stopped
flowing, and she receives the credit for its
stopping. She is SO superstitious that she
will not live in the palace in Honolulu. but
lives in a private house on Beretania street,
and Is frequently seen playing croqust On
her lawn.
'.The scenery which comes into view as
H. Ah4 s.0An4H 4 =
strikingly beautiful. Koko Head IL tho
first point of interest. Az the islands
arc OF volcanic origin the shore lines at
many points are rocky, Jagged, truncsted.
1t is so at Koko Head. Az Honolulu il
approached the scenery becomes more
picturesque. Diamond Head. an extinct
volcano. lies like a crouchinR lion at the
southeastern end of the bay. There is
IN interesting myth which the natives
tell about this old volcano. According
to the story there was once a demi-Rod
Il monster of great bulk and predatory
propensities. His name was Kamapuaa.
After killing his father, Olopana. who had
ordered him to be slain, he fed to Hawaii
and fell In love with Pele, who was under
the protection Of the gods. Twice he Of
fered to marry her, but she rejected him
with scorn. EnraRed by her contemptuous
manner. he tried to seize her by force. but
she withdrew to a cavern in Kilauea and in
voked an eruption to destroy her enemy. sud
with smoke and sheets of fame lsaped hum
dreda of feet high. Appalled, at this out
burst Kamspuaa rushed down the valley.
and leaping into his canoe sought safety on
another island. Later IN his malicious
spirit showed itself IN the way he cruelty
treated the natives. Unable tolonRer stand
his cruelty they invoked the wrath of Pele,
who had become known as the goddess of
fire. She sent men to find his hiding place,
but the successful hunter was turned into
stone. Guides to this day point out the
spot and . pinnacle of stone which they
Say was the hunter. At last Pole beat
Kamapuaa, n tradition says that in re-
venge for the humiliation she inflicted upon
him he extinguished fires on Diamond
Head with sea water.
After Diamond Head is passed q piano.
rama il presented of sufficient beauty,
color. form and novelty to please the fancy
of the most exactinR traveller. First come
avenues of dark pines. sentinel palms. CO.
coanut, date. orange and fig trees. maeno-
las and a wonderful variety of verdancy,
with villas and cottages running down to a
cresoent-shaped beach. upon which tho
green water of the bay, plunQing over coral
reefs. breaks in silvsry spray. In the back
ground. to rest the eye. loom mounsains
whose conical tops are partly yelled in va
por, and whose slopes are velvety with .
mass of Qteen-emernld, apple, Nile and
bottle. Then comes the city. with Ameri-
can and British warships riding at anchor
sailing vessels moored at Its wharves.
From the harbor the city looks quaint.
lanRuotous and dreamy. its architecture
neither English. Spanish, Moorish nor
French, suggests something of all. reveal.
ing a bit of New Orleans hors, a part of
Grenada there, and Il resemblance to Dor.
deaux elsewhere. In the background, like
im%pregnable ramparts. stands the Punch
bowl. an extinct volcano, n further on.
the Koolan mountains, partly in sunshine
ular intervals patched with crowns and
terra cottas. aud over all a deep blue sky.
Honolulu has advanced rapidly in CIV
ilization and Importance in the last thirty
years, thanks to the energy and push of
the, Americans who have settled there, and
the,e are over $50, COX, 600 of American
money invested in the islands. principally
In the production of sugar. The business
sections of the city have q thrifty appear
nnce. Many OF the streets are macadam-
lied, churches, schools and public build
inRs are numerous and substantially built.
and the charming onted dwellings
are shaded by parnsol-like palms. The
streets arc lighted BY electricity, nearly
every house is lighted by incapdesoent elee-
trio lights; telephones are numerous, and
much shopping is done by their aid, the
natives believing in reducing labor to the
minimum.
'Thers ia one thing about the place to
be condemned. and that is the Chinese
quarter. How an lntelligent governing
power can allow such q scourge- breeding
place to exist is almost beyond comprehen-
sion. 1t is no wonder that the ranks of the
natives are being decimated. and that a
leper settlement had to be established at
distant Molokai. When Capt. Cook dis
covered these islands in 1897 there were
about 800, 600 natives. Now there are not
more than 30, 600.
"There nre two mountains, each 400
feet high, their tops ever capped with eter-
nal snow. The volcano kilauea is known
over the world Rs the home of everlasting
fires, and ia always active. The great ex-
tinot volcano Hnieakala has not been in
operation for a thousand years. Its crater
is twenty miles in cifcumfere noe, and would
hold every house in Baltimore. The Waipio
valley, in Hawaii. has been said to be the
l~oveliest spot on earth. surpassine in
grandeur all that DIR. Samuel johnson has
described OF the valley in which no intro
duced his readers to Rasselas. The valley
ia walled in on all sides but one, which
opens to the sea. The walled sides are
precipices. about 1000 feet high. From
them the houses in the valley appear like
smnll boxes. the cattle grazing in the pas
lures like specks. A WATERFALL thers makes
its first leap of 200 feet. then plungss down
b, COO more. Owing to this frightful deuoent
the water ia largely dissipnted in spray. 30
that you have no lonr and see no volume