Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-01-11

1t was long supposed that the sugar cane
was proof against all bights. but of late
years a new worm. as it were, has at
tackled it at the root. and the chances
now are that the sugar planters will
have to renew their stocks every few
years. 1t reminds one of Horace Gree
ley's plan for getting rid of the Canada
thistle. Cultivate it as a garden plant.
and some derned bug or other will be
sure to come along and eat it."
Wheat grows in but few places on
the islands. little valleys in the elevated
plateaus. As to moisture, the climate
cannot be described in general terms
Old residents say in jocular way that
in one district the rainfall is II feet
year, in another II inches. and in third
1-17th of an inch. lsaw places which GER
tainly looked as if rain had never fallen
on them In the best sugar lands irriga-
tion is necessary, but in many places
very little is required. Domestic animals
thrive, as q rule, especially horses, of
which the native stock is very hardy and
capable. 1t appears to have been a case
of survival of the fittest." All the ten
der ones were run to death at the start
and only the toughest mares left posterity.
After all. the great product of the is
lands is the taro root, from which poi is
made. 1t grows wherever the soil is kept
thoroughly water soaked, and in matted
lunches very much like the calamus or
sweet flag of the middle western states
The root Is something like long beet,
and when boiled and mashed the pulp is
poi-a whitley yellow batter at first. later
a sort of sour paste. 1t operates home-
opathicslly, so to speak-that is, akuilds
up dilapidated constitution surp ling
ly but if used exclusive of any other
food it Injuries the health. There is no
particular danger Of any American or
Englishman using the native style of it
to excess. for it is emphatically nasty
Decently prepared, however, it is quite
palatable Local statisticians say that
one acre of it will furnish yearly bread
for 5000 men-a pleasing statement
which. regret to say, do not believe.
Fish is said to be the proper corrective
to take with poi, and fish also are abun-
dant. Early visitors say the Kanakas
formerly ate them raw and at the SOON
est possible moment after killing them
Indeed it was thought luxury to begin
to gnaw on the tail before the head was
dead At any rate the hungry native
took the fish as it came from the water,
hastily ran a knife from gill to tail, tore
out the entrails and at once fell to eat
&lar SC, or hot fha
first Kanakas were taken to be presented
to the king of England they behaved
quite handsomely till they saw some fish
in little aquarium in the royal apart
ment Their appetite overcame them
Men and women alike fell on the finny
prey. tore and devoured it with the savage
yum-yum of appeased hunger. and de-
clared in choice Kanaka that it was their
first square meal" since they left Homo
lulu.
They tell many hard stories like this
about the former Hawaiians, but as
saw nothing of the kind | will continue
to hope they are not true. If it was true
as the first visitors said, that the parents
killed all their children above two or three |
that methods of "check" were used which |
soon proved fatal to half the women. |
that thousands of men were killed in the |
saturnalia following kings death. and |
thousands more were sacrificed or eaten,
how did the population get so larger
Why so much greater than now. when
none of these things are done? cannot
help suspecting that there has been ex-
aggeration.
There is peace and good fellowship
enough now. There are social enjoyment
and ease and joyousness and feasting
enough now. Everywhere this is true,
but especially in Honolulu There the
slant eyed Chinaman and the darker
Malay. the very fair Englishman, dark
Portuguese and medium American, the
smooth brown Kanaka and the rough
brown Samoan jostle each other good
in the streets and even prac-
tice sort of social equality unthought
of in the United States. During my stay
there King Bill was even as one of US in
many an excursion. and at poi suppers
it was not very uncommon to meet ma
tive ladies got up regardless" in silk
and delicate pongee done in the ''tie
back" style, and wearing the monster
chignons which were the fashion 20
vpars 400