The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-02-25
the HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Their Discovery, History, People and
Resources,

I0eH Ulscovery, dlst0ry, KeOPAo anu
Resources.
Some two thousand miles from
San Francisco in a southwesterly
direction lies the group of the Ha-
waiian Islands, which have been
the scene fthe late revolution. The
country is now in the hands Of
provisional government, which is
temporarily under the protection
of the United States, awaiting the
the action of our government on
q proposal for annexation. A brief
history of these islands, their re-
sources, climate and population,
taken from the Scientific American,
is given below:
About the year 1927 one or two
Spanish ships were wrecked upon
the islands, and the few survivors
intermarried with the natives. Their
descendants are identified to the
present day by their light skin, liza
bility to freckle, and by their facial
contour, which is Caucasian. They
are termed Kekea. The true dis
covery of the islands was effected
in 1912 by Gaetano, a Spanish nav
igator, and in 1867 Mendana, an
other Spaniard, determined the true
position of one Of the islands,
Kauai. In the beginning of 1778
Captain Cook visited the islands,
whence his countrymen assign to
him the honor of discovery. He
left them and returned toward the
end of the year. He excited the
hostilities of the natives and on
February IA, 1779, was killed by
them on the shores of Kealakeakua
Bay, on the Island of Hawaii. He
was endeavoring to recover stolen
boat when killed. The name Sand
wich Islands is derived from Lord
Sandwich, of England, and was CIV
en- by Captain Cook. Fortunately
the beautiful native name, Hawaii,
is now in the ascendancy and will,
it is to be hoped, remain so.
A very elaborate system of feu-
dal government originally obtained
there, five or six independent mon
archs holding sway. Wars were
frequent. In one of them in 1890,
King Kamehameha was attacked
by another king, and defeated the
aggressor. He pursued his con-
quest and thirty years later was
sole monarch of the islands. The
|dynasty thus founded lasted until
December II, 1872. A chief, Lun.
alilo, was elected to succeed this
house. On February II, 1874, Kal.
akaua was elected king. He died
in 1891, while visiting this country
| His sister, the recent queen, Liliou'
kalani, the widow of John O. Dom
inis, the later of American origin
succeeded him. She is the deposed
ruler. Undoubtedly no native dy
nasty will again hold sway.
| In the history of the country
which history is one tale of revo
Ilutions, some facts bearing on an
nexation may be noted. In 1916
Kamehameha I. wrote to George
III. of England, desiring formally
to acknowledge the British king al
his sovereign and to place the isl
ands under his protection. The
offer, it is said, was accepted. Agar
in 1843, a provisional cession of tht
islands to Great Britain is recorded
which was abrogated few months
later. BY special treaty of 1889 tht
control Of foreign relations was Civ
en- to the United States.
The islands are twelve in mum
Der, with an area of 6,40O square
miles, over three times that of the
State of Delaware, or about four
ffths of that of the State of Massa
chusetts. One island, Hawaii, con
tains 1900 square miles. Most o
the rock formation is volcanic. On
Hawaii are two active volcanies-
Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Between
the effects Of eruptions and accom-
panying earthquakes number 0
4 lives have been lost. The highes
point in the islands is Mauna Kea
on Hawaii, which rises to an eleva
ton 13 ,8O5 feet above the sea.
With such an immense range o
attitudes, a great variety of climat.
can be secured. It varies from cool
frosty weather to very warm wealth
er throughout the year. Sea breeze
and northeast trade winds do mucl
to temper excessive heat. In tn
winter heavy transforms occur
lasting some times for weeks.
!, The natives are supposed to b
of the Malay race. At the time 0
Capt. Cook it is thought that tn
population was about 100000. Wa
and disease, the concomitants Q
civilization, have reduced the pop
ulation, until the census of l69
showed total of 80, 800, of whicl
but 34,436 were of the aborigina
race. It is believed that they wer
: originally cannibal race. It is be
lieved that they were original.
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