The record-union., 1894-10-06
HONOLULU, The BEAUTIFUL CITY
A Bower of Magnificent Verdure and
Gorgeous COIOrs.
Rev. II. II. Rice Describes an Ideal
Land, Its Progress and Its Fu-
ture Prospects.


attendance being far from commensurate
with the merits of the entertainment, liz
which was blended much interesting his
torical matter with that which was de-
scriptive.
''The Paradise of the Pacific" said he
sis the Republic of Hawaii. Those lovely
islands, thrown up by volcanic fires from
the dark depths of the sea, girt about
with groves of coral, clothed with ferns
and palms and all tropical verdure, di-
yersitied with majestic mountains and
lovely valleys. ripping brooks and gush-
ing rivers, beauteous cascades and plung-
ing cataracts, were made by the Creator
fit for the abode of angels.
Their history was for ages a sad one.
They became the habitations of cruelty,
and horrid scenes Of barbarism were en-
acted where the sun shone so brightly
and the smiles of heaven were so lavishIy
bestowed
He told of the landing of Captain Cook
in l77S, and how the islanders looked
upon his men, and how they sent from
island to island the message: 1.-The men
are white; their skin is loose and folding
(alluding to their clothes): their heads
are angular; fire and smoke issue from
their mouths; they have openings in the
81 des of their bodies, into which they
thrust their hands and draw out iron,
beads, nails and other treasures, and
their speech is unintelligible."
These simple islanders gave strangers a
cordial welcome at first, but it changed
when they found disease, death and
destruction came with them.
No serpent has ever lurked under the
ferns Of Hawaii, and no tiger croucbed
there, but white men with black hearts,
more deadly, came to them. Convicts
from Botany Bay taught the natives how
to dlStil liquor, and they became nation
OF drunkards. The speaker described
their ldolatrous religion, and the inhu-
ence OF the taboo and the priests until
kamehameha l. conquered the islands,
destroyed the distilleres and became dis
gusted with the old system OF idolatry.
his son, hamehameha IL, when he
came to the throne abolished the taboo
system, overthrow idoIatry and burned
the heatEen temples. The first mission
ary ship landed in 1920, and found the
nation without religion and ready to
embrace Christianity, and in few years
there was marvellous transformation.
Cane fields and coffee plantations sprung
up, costly canals for irrigation were dug,
sugar mills were built, and Honolulu be-
came bright New England city in the
midst of the ocean.
The vices Of the Kings caused the decay
OF royalty and the republic has taken its
place, guided by the patriotic hands of
Christian men.
The speaker then took up the thread of
his journey with the departure of the
steamer Australia from san Francisco,
carrying his hearers with him across the
ocean. He showed map Of the Pacific
with Honolulu as central point, 2. 100
miles from San Francisco, but !, 400 from
okohaIna and 1900 from Sidney, show
ing that 1t was not too far away to be con-
nected with the United States.
When they arrived near their destina-
ton, they looked ABOUT for islands, but
found a rock-bound coast that extended
beyond their line of vision, and they
found that the four largest contained 5000
square miles, making the republic about
one-third the size OF California.
As he described the progress Of the
steamer past koko Head past Diamond
Head and WAIKIKI, through the narrow
channel into Honolulu harbOr. the scenes
spoken OF appeared on the screen as if by
magic, showing the beautiful shores and
eliminating Ia a splendid view of the
city, with the Philadelp phia, the Champion
(English) and Takichaho (Japanese) war
ships in the bay. One scene showed the
little hanakas sporting in the deep water
and diving Tor nickelS thrown by the pas
sengers.
lie depicted the Hawaiian greeting,
"Aloha' dove to YOU, received by the
visitors, and their ride to the hotel, en-
and wreath OF tropical plants: and if
his praises could have been disbeieved.
the magnificent views in natural coloring
would have corroborated them.
We in California boast of the beauty of
our trees and plants, and with Justice.
but never do we see here such a luXur-
lance of foliage, OF verdure, OF rare and
luscious fruits and flowers as were shown
upon the screen during his lecture.
Bunches OF bananas nearly as long as a
man, great clusters of magnoes, cocoa
nuts in numbers about the trunk in the
tall trees, bread fruit, wine palm, and
various other fruits of great size and
1UsciouSneSS that are unknown to most of
US, grow profusely. On the island are $50
varieties OF ferns alone. One view showed
n wall covered with night-b blooming
cereus in bloom, the large, pure white
flowers showing in fine contrast to the
dark foliage behind them, and the speaker
stated that 1t was estimated that at the
time the picture swas taken, 5000 flowers
were in bloom.
Some views, taken from Mount Tanta-
lus, and showing the Punch Bowl an ex-
tinct crater, with Honolulu 500 feet below
and the sea beyond, We're exquisite. In
them are shown the strange contrast of
luNuriance of color and vegetation, side
by side with barrenness and rugged rocks
that prevail throughout the islands
Honolulu is a city in a forest. Every
"
the magnificent palms, OF several varie-
ties, the tree and other firms, the algaroba
trees and many varieties found only
there, some of them with foliage of most
vivid colors. The palace and other public
buildings, with their beautiful architecture
are shown, as well as many fine private
residences, with most beautiful environ
ments of vegetation.
The house of the Princess Ruth with
the magnificent banyan tree in front OF
it, the house OF Claus Spreckels, and
many others are SO embowered in beauty
that they seem almost like fairy palaces
and one wonders if they are real.
OF the property assessed at S33, ,000, 600
in Honolulu, Americans pay taxes on
81, ,000, 900. Horse ears run on the prin-
cipal streets, and every house has tele-
phone, il not being an expensive luxury
there If one wants TO call on friend.
lie telephones to know if he is at home
If he wants to know the latest news he
asks the central office what it is. The
buSiness streets are narrow, as well as
some residence streets, and they, as we'll
as ali roads on the island, are macadam-
lied. making delightful drives.
AS they go winding over the mountains
the smoothness and gradual ascent are
deceDtiye and one hardly realizes how
hirh he has gone till some magnificent
scene bursts on his view.
The Capitol stands in park by itself
and was begun III 1873 and finished in
1883. 1t cost $500, 900, has forty rooms and
the central tower is eighty-four feet high.
In what was the thrOne-room is now the
Council Cham Der of the Republic.
The residence of Liliuokaiiani, the bar
racks with the native troops and the j u
dietary building are all adjoining the
park.
The lecturer then showed portraits of
the past Hawaiian sovereigns, giving
sketch of each with their virtues and