The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-26

cious pretext that the American sugar in
dustry needed protection.
The description of the people, the manner
of living and their food which the author
of The Land of the 90" gives is at once
instructive and entertaining. The waters
abound in fish and the natives yet OCCASION 6o s
but the staff of life is the taro plant, which
grows in the ground like a huge turnip.
1t is often cooked on the ground and then
known as "pai-ai." When "pai-ai'' is re-
dUced TO poi il is food, which consists In
beating it With a stone mallet, when placed
upon a hollow plank or stone. into the con-
sistency of thick paste. Water is added TO
make it look like gray mush. and then 1t is
poi" 1t is the universal food of the ma
tives, and is eaten with the f~ingers-often
the whole family eating from one calabash;
1t is Singularly nutritious, and IF one could
avoid going where it is manufactured by
the Chinese, the stranger would soon learn
to enjoy It," says the author.
The natives are by no means fully con-
verted to Christianity. They are supersti-
tious in the extreme, and so long had idol
airy or paganism been the belief of their
Queen, cast pigs, CHECKER and other gifts
into the fiery pit of the burning volcano,
Kilauea, as offerings to Madame Pele, the
goddess of fire.
One OF the dreadful and loathsome dis
eases which have fastened upon the natives
of Hawaii is leDrosy. A colony of LOO
lepers occupy a part of one of the islands.
The leper is as much an object of the gov
ernment's care as the insane with US. The
average life of the leper is five years.
One of the most conspicuous men in con-
nection with the provisional government at
the present time was met by our tourist.
His opinion of this man, who has been so
prominently thrust into publicity by the
Stevens-Blount controversy is worth quot
ing:
zone Of the most agreeable and intelIi-
gent of the many Hawaiians whom I had
the pleasure of meeting on the islands was
the Hon. l.. A. ThurSton, or Honolulu. His
father was one of the early missionaries TO
the Sandwich Islands. and Mr.. Thurston
was born there about forty years ago. Al
ter being thoroughly educated he took TO
the practic of law, but soon he drlfted into
politics, receiving as a reward for his char
acter and abilities the highest position OF
honor and trust in the kingdom. No man
in Hawaii is better Informed than he on
matters of current history, and no one a
more complete compendium of Its present
affairs"
HAS CIVILIZATION BENEFITED?
After a long talk with Mr.. Thurston re-
garding the past, the present and future
of the natives of the Sandwich Islands,
Mr.. Ash Slivers moralizes:
What has Christian civilization done for
this race TO benefit and advance IL in the
scale of human happiness? For, after all,
our happiness here and now is primarily
the one thing we are all seeking, and, as
we acquire IL civilization offers the highest
opportunities that humanity can attain 10
possess that end. Self-sacrifce for others Is
all right and c~ommendable, and under GER
tain limitations is greatly to be approved;
but there are other boundaries set. even TO
that. One is under no obligation to dance
on molten lava just because that act is
going to afford pleasure 10 the devil. What
we are all after is our own individual hap
piness as anxiously as we. Did we advance
ais holds equally good of tribes and ma
tons. The ancient Hawaiians desired hap
piness as anxiously as US. Did we advance
their opportunities for it when we lifted
them out of their barbarism and gave them
Christianity and civilization? A hundred
wears ago they were in exclusive posses
sion of these beautiful islands. The fertile
lands embracing their territory were di-
vided into taro patches and gardens. out
of the sea they got their fish, and Of the
fruits which grew spontaneously there was
an abundance, and all were abundantly fed.
What little protection was demanded
against the elements or the weather was
supplied by the growths from the hillsides
and mountains. Clothing was not a neces-
sIty at all. And as for labor. they were
as nearly free from every obligation TO that
as il was possible TO conceive. An
In all, 1t was fair to presume that they
were q reasonably happy ana cOAtett-i
people; for physically they were. remark
ably vigorous, and, as a race, exempt from
all settled disease. They sang and danced
and whiled away their lives in "A perpetual
round OF merry idleness, subject only 10
the demands Of their king or OF their chiefs
in periods Of war or invasion.
1T has been said by q notable writer