The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-04-18
HAWAIIAN MoNARCHs.

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HAWAIIAN MONARCHs.
European annals. Originally each island
had its own king, and some more than
one. but about a century ago arose the
great Kamehameha and in a series of
wonderful campaigns reduced them all
under his rule.
He is the great Hawaiian hero, the war
rior king and sage, the David and Sol
onion and HarOun al Raschid all in one.
But it is a great mistake to say. as many
recent writers have done, that the civil
cation he fostered was purely native and
original, and still more TO begin Hawaiian
history with Cooks voyage. A hundred
year before that the islands were visited
by white men and many times between
that date and Cooks visit White men
lived on the islands even before Kane
hanehas reign. They had introduced
many improvements, and he had the as
sistance Of some Of them in his wars
He was succeeded by five kings of his
blood, who took his name as a title, but
We're known by other names. OF these
Alexander died in 1868, and Lot late in
1872, William Lunalilo taking the crown
in January, 1873 David Kalakaua was
elected to succeed him in 1874, and in
1891 he died and gave place to Liliuoka-
LAM.
Now, the old royal line expired as
aforesaid with King Lot, and as King
Bill and Kalakaua, though Of ancient
roya stock, had to be voted into power,
ther was necessarily some lowering Of
the royal dignity and lessening Of the
roy prerogative And as a liberal con-
sti' ion had been adopted and a govern
mel established somewhat on the Eng
hsh model, there is really no change
perC ptible to the mass Of the people in
ad11 ing provisional government semi
rep Olican in tone.
a. d through all this century, while
ciyi- Zation was rapidly progressing and
late while Christianity was becoming
dom nant, the Kanakas were fading away
at cate unprecedented since the tender
nati~es of the West Indies died off under
Spails harsh rule first, the wars OF
Kamehameha wrought havoc, and as the
last of these wars was ending there came
mysterious pestilence which reduced
the population by one-fourth or more
Diseases introduced by prohigate sail
ors doubtless wrought some destruction
but not nearly 50 much as has been re
ported. Then came the leprosy (or rather
it developed) and for a time threatened {
general destruction. Even now it is {
great curse, but not SO destructive a
formerly.
Beyond all these known causes, how
ever, there are causes not understood
A too rapid civilization is often fatal t
primitive races. The sudden inflow o
new impressions on unprepared nerv'
centers breaks them down. The wear
ing of clothes seemed for time to max
the native women barren, as they pail
no attention to the ordinary rules 70
keeping their raiment in healthful con
dition. Another cause has lately bee
assigned in these words: Hawaii is
holiday land-a lazy land--a soft, Luz
urious, voluptuous land-and the d.
preston from safety is corresponding
great. There is no set purpose in life
no firm and high resolve, and so whe
melancholy comes it kills"
No other man dies so easily and gent
as true Kanaka. He can lie down AM
die whenever the notion takes him, am
with no apparent disease. This happen
among many dark races, but with non
so often as the Kanakas. Captain Coo
que ssed their number at 100000, and
may have been half that In 1922 tn