The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-06
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TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1893
HISTORICAL COMMENTARY

Probably many of the readers of the
morning paper noticed an extract from
the Toledo Bee wherein a traveller in
Paramaribo states that he had run
across a copy of Sir Walter Raleigh's
book Of voyages and that it contained
many falsehoods. CATER perusing it,
wrote the Toledo gobe-trotter, zone is
almost reconciled TO the beheading Of
the gallant old nobleman at the hands
Of an ungrateful sovereign if for moth
ing more than the lies he told
Then the writer proceeds to catalogue
Sir Walters lapses from veracity.
Speaking of the island of Trinidad,
where the party first landed, the book
says: at hath stores of deer, wild
perks, fruits, fish and fowl A salt
river hath store of oysters upon the
branches Of the trees, which were very
salt and well tasted All their oysters
grow upon those boughs and sprays, and
none on the ground"
Now this oyster story may have
seemed absurd to the wise man from
Ohio, bot it was undoubtedly as true
of Trinidad as it is now of Florida and
other parts of the South. In moist,
tropical seaboard countries trees are
apt to grow very close to the shore of
Coyes and rivers, even where the water
is bracklsh and affected by the rise and
fall of the tide 1t often happens that
these growths, while they are high and
dry at the ebb of the tide, have
part of the trunk and some
OF the lower branches submerged
at the food. At such times oys
tiers and barnacles become fastened
to them and remain while the waters
recede, presenting the very spectacle to
man who lands at low tide which Sir
Walter Raleigh noted, and which the
sapent Toledo commentator rldiCules.
As to the tale of oysters not growing
on the ground, that information is also
valid. The natural habitat of the
bivalve is not on the ground, but in the
ooze at the bottom Of the sea where
fresh and salt waters mingle
Raleigh went still further and made
such astonishing statements as these
The Spaniards confessed that they
found grains Of gold in some of the
rivers, but they having the purpose to
enter Guiana, the magazine of rich
metals, cared not to spend time in
search thereof"
And why not? Is it not the usual
thing when few grains OF gold are
found in stream to prospect for the
lode from which they Crumbled OF
faxed?
Arrived in Guiana, he writes: BE,
cause there may arise many doubts,
and how this empire of Guiana is be
come so populous and adorned with SO
many great cities, towns, temples and
treasures, thought good to make it
known that the emperor now reigning is
descended from those magnificent
princes of whose large territories, OF
whose politics, conquests, edifCes and
riches Francisco Lopez and Others have
written large discourses.
This empire of Guiana was east Of
Peru, and Peru is the country which
contained the civilization and treasures
of the Incas. Certainly, in view of the
traditions and ruins extant, no one can
deny, not even an archaologist from
Toledo, that the region described may
not once have been occupied by
wealthy and progressive nation. Very
possibly in Raleighs time, some of the
early treasure and magnihcence re
NAMED
Sir Walter Raleigh was not so far
out of the way in his statements after
all.