The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-14
For the Times)
THE an L6NDS'
An Interesting sket g al 'storicai and De.
sct,ptive.
By r. r. Howlson.)

and more familiarly called the Sandwich
Islands, lie in the Pacific Ocean, between
latitude IS degrees IS minutes and p de-
gress 20 minutes north, and longitude ia
degrees SIS minutes and 100 degrees Is minu-
ties west. They form an irregular curve,
the most remote points OF which are about
$50 miles apart. The group embraces not
| less tnan thirteen Isanus, but ~ Luem
only eight are Inhabited or capable Of
| being inhabited by the race Of man. The
! rest are small, rocky. and barren, though
some Of them are already passing through
| the process OF disintegration by which
| the rock may become fertile soil. The in
| habited islands are Hawaii, Kahoolawe,
| Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kanai and
| Nichan. Hawaii is much the largest,
being nearly equal in area TO the state OF
Connecticut. The area Of the whole group
is six thousand seven hundred square
miles, about as large as Wales, or the
kingdom of Saxony, in Europe.
Lying wholly between the tropics 1t
might be supposed that a very high tenn
perature prevailed, and that intense heat
would often render these islands almost
! intolerable, as is the case in some Of the
| West Indies. But peculiar conditions aris-
! ing from air, ocean, and earth so temper
| the solar influences that excessive and
day or by night. People who have long re-
sided there assure Us that the maximum
heat is about 20 degrees and the lowest
| te nperature about 90 degrees. Nothing
| nearer TO the ideal conditions Of paradise
| has been known on earth. These Islands,
being Of volcanic origin, have consid ~
bic portion OF their surfaces dry and bar
rem. But a much larger portion is Of 1.-The
most fertile and generous soil, producing
| in exuberant profusion wheat, sugar cane,
the coffee berry, cotton, tobacco, cocoa,
arrow root. muiberries, yams, sweet pOta-
toes, and the taro or bread fruit. Cattle,
..-s u ...l. age easiy RAISED. 50 tAat
with little labor food In abundance can
be obtained.
The history Of the Hawaiian group and
OF their people has special interest for
the United States. Whatever may be the
final outcome Of the events now Fastening
to a crisis, the past cannot be changed.
History .us e voice aId d lesson ever
to be safely disregarded. For the sketch
herein made, the most reliable material
has been used. II consists Of the elabc-
rl r4isee necius. edited by Dr.
Koane under the title Of "The Earth and
It's Inhabitants;' the official re-
ports of proceedings on the Is
lands, the History Of the Hawaiian peo-
pie by w. u. Alexander which comes
TO us with the endorsement of the board
Of education Of the Hawaiian kingdom,
the well considered and dearly written
article by Serene Il. Bishop on. THE Ha-
waiian Queen and Her kingdom;" Review
oil reviews. September, l6Jl. hume aus
Encyclopedias compilations on the subject
and a letter 70 the writer of his sketch
from Hon. Charles NJ. Cook. one of the
diplomatic representations o. the present
provisional government Besides all
these, the writer hereof has had the
opportunity Of reading the Journal and
papers of his brother the late Lieutenant
Neil Nj. HOWisOn, and papers of his broth
er in law, the late Commodore Thomas
AlOysius DOWN, OF the United St8tes
Navy. The first was midshipman in the
slOOp Of war Peacock, which spent three
months Of 1876 i'm the Hawaiian waters
and ports.-the last named was in com
mand of the Portsmouth in those waters
in 1854.
The natives or Koonakas OF the Hawai-
ian group are considered by the best
scientists 10 be OF Malay origin. These
A1alays from the peninsula and neighbor-
, ing waters in southeastern Asia have
spread abroad in great numbers over the
islands Of the Pacific, and are supposed
TO have reached the western coasts OF
both South and North America, and
TO have been represented by multitude
nous descendants, including the Incas Of
Peru, the Aztes of Mexico, and the red
men OF the north Pacihc regions. The
Malays, in physical type, are greatly SUI
periOr 10 the Mongolian race Of China and
Japan. being TALL erect. 1.-THE and well
shaped. with the forehead inclining for
ward, rather than backward, as Is the
case with the MOngOls. Doubtless the
climate and surroundings in the Islands
modified the traits Of these Malays, and
weakened the primitive type. But the
Hawaiian natives. III their traditions al
ways ascrbed their origin TO Samoa, and
more distant lands in the same direction.
the common belief Is that the Sandwich
islands were first discovered by Euro
peans. on Sunday morning, the 18th day
of January, D7S when Captain James
Cook, with his two armed ships, the
Resolution" and the Discovery" came
in sight Of them. But modern research
has raised al least a strong probability
that these interesting islands had been
visited by Europeans as early as 1927.
After Cortez had conquered Mexico. he
sent out several exploring expeditions
from her western ports. one Of these,
consisting OF two vessels. under command
of Alvarado de Saavelra. sailed from
Zacatula October 81. 1877. When a thou
sand leagues at sea they were separated
by a violent storm. Saavedra, in his ship
reached the Molacca group in safety
For years the other ships were not heard
Of But The Hawaiian islands preserved
IN some rude memorials, an account OF
wreck OF a Spanish ship on the coast
OF Hawaii just about this time, and OF the
preservation of only two persons-the
captain and his sister. who. after reaching
the shore in safety, kneeled down on the
sands in grateful prayer. They were
kindly treated and formed marriages
with the natives. and from them descend
ed weil-known families OF chiefs. More
over. in the year 1865. it Is quite certain
that the Spanish navigator Juan Gactano
visited the Hawaiian group His account
of this voyage has not been published
but in the Spanish archives there IS an
ancient manuscript chart. on which this
group appears with sufficient certainty
10 identify it.
But not until Cooks voyages AMI his
murder by the islanders on the 18th Of
February lT9, did white people begin 60
settle and engage in agriculture and mer-
chandsing on these fair islands. They
soon gained a permanent footing and I
considerable influence with the inland
powers, and their influence has constantly
increased. People from the United States
are the predominant element by reason of
their intellectual power, their stand for
Christianity and morals, ond their wealth
and success.
The government had been "A native mon
archy until the revolution early In 1898
deposed the Queen Lilokulani, and es-
tablished provisional government His
terry has no difficulty in disclosing the
efficient causes which led 10 the over