Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-23
MAP OLE nAwAI1AN ISLANDS.

MAP OF HAWAllAN ISLANDS
nounced exactly like long i in line and
prime; as a in fate, as &c in feel, II as
90 in cooand all other letters as III English
When ii follow Il vowel, the first is
sounded with that vowel and the second
alone Thus Hawaii is Hah-wy-ee, ac-
cented on the second syllable.
1t is the consonants which make the
trouble. To say that the language has
no constant COnsOuauts would he scarce
" an eXaggeratiOn. The vOwels are al
ways pronounced clearly and strongly,
in many cases with a real lingering
sweetness, but not so the consonants.
In fact. If a clear voiced talker should
omit the cousonants entirely, a native
would generally understand him. One
must listen carefully to distinguish be-
tween and L. between t and k, and so
OF many other doubles, and in the older
works on the islands one finds the names
thus spelled ndii1erently, as taro or
kalo, kilauea or Trauea, or more COM
monty Kirauea. Pelc, Tele or kee, etc.
NV first lessons were in the Book of
Mormon" nv local mentor being a mis-
sionary of that persuasion and tins
book, unlike most, loses nothing IN trans
lation The spirit Of the original could
not evaporate, as Max Muller puts it, be-
cause in English the book is aptly de-
scribed as "chlorolorm in print"-hOpe-
lessly dull Nevertheless the Mormons
have done a wonderful work on the is
lands, and this would be one of their
strongest outposts if their converts had
not, kanaka fashion. died off so rapidly
In Utah is an extensive family of Nebe
kers, cousins. believe, Of the present
United States treasurer. One OF these
did so good work in Kauai that his
most talented converts took his name.
After my return to Salt Lake City
heard one of these kanaka Nebekers de-
liver an address there in his native
tongue which returned missionary
translated, and though by no means an
expert in kanaka | understood enough
to realize that that interpreter was phe-
nomenally brilliant liar.
The American missionaries reached
the islands in 1920 and soon had the ma
tive speech reduced to written Ian
guage. Now every adult Kanaha can
read and write. Some 300 books have
been published in the language, and tho
Kanaka journals are read by every one.
Bearing in mind the rules above given,
the reader will easily see that Oahu is
pronounced O-ah-hoo; Maui. Novice;
Kilauea, Kce-low-aah; Liliuokalani,
Lee lee-oo-oh- alliance, and so on Of all
other places and persons. The main is
land gives name to the whole group
with the addition Of Nei (Nay-ee), u word
signitying union, or the whole; hence
the official designation Of the kingdom
is Hawaii-Nei.
Hawaii is nearly twice as large as all
the other islands together, but Oahu is
politically the most important, having
the capital and by tar the best harbor III
the islands, and Kauai is rather thcmost
advanced in agriculture. did not know
the reason Of this till found it out, and
was quite suddenly put i'll the way of
finding it ont mt Hilo, in Hawaii. 1t was
perfectly lovely day, and was writing
and longing by turns when there came
strange culver; my inkstand danced
over the table like ii quicksilvered toy
man. felt sudden nausea, there was
grinding sensation in the very light
frame walls, and "subsequent proceed
ings interested me no more" III that
rooln-for | was in the middle Of the
street with several other people 1t
WAS over in minute. Then every
body laughed and pointed out that even
if one of these houses fell on a fellow it
would not hurt him much, for they are
very light in structure. Heavy stone
buildings are all very well for Oahu and
Kauai, and will barely do in Maui and
Molokai, but not III Hawaii.
The explanation is, to my mind, very
curious The islands were all built up
by volcano and earthquake. Nature be-
gan the Job at the northwest end of the
chain with some small Islands, mere
rocky peaks; as she moved southeast
ward she built up successfully larger is
lands. and she is still at it--intends to
keep at it, the rock shaIIs" say, till she
makes a real island continent While
she is building an island it is of course
powerful uneasy and mighty uncer-
tain" but when she has finished it it
settles down to quiet maturity Hence
the comparative steadiness of Oahu and
Kauai hence the instability of Hawaii.
Only five years before my visit There
was pele to pay in that island. Q'ele i,
the native devil Of Hawaii, or deyilcss
rather for it is female) For many
days together the whole island shook
like a giant in an asue fit. The propr-
etor of the hotel at the kilanea crater
said in letter 10 the Honolulu Adver-
tSrr that "pcle sent a Rudmm 4O-iucll
/ SHOT with such precision that it struck
. the ground within in inch of my bed.