Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-01-16
HAWAII, THE "PEARE0F THE
PACIFIC"

AVA W
The FIRST OF a Series of Letters by John
X. Musick.
Copyright, 1896, by FUNK s wAGNALLs COM
PANY, New York;
Special correspondence to the Marietta Leader
At last our vessel glided around Dia-
mond Head, and the Pearl of the Paci-
fic burst on our view,-Honolulu, the
capitol of the Hawaii Islands. What
Havana is to the West Indies, and New
York is to the United States, Honolulu
is to the little republic of the Pacific.
At last this city OF which | had read so
much, but had never seen save in my
dreams, lay before me. Smuggling at
the foot of wonderously picturesque
hills, which rise abruptly into con-
tinuous range of dark blue background,
Tapped by the waves of perpetual
summer sea, the city, as seen from out
side the reef, is very beautiful in its
setting. Diamond Head or Leahi seems
like some mighty sphinx or lion cou.
chant, guarding in grim silence the APP
proach to an earthly paradise The
balmy air, the dark outlying hills, the
abundant vegetation, the emerald
green at the harbor bar, the softness
and depth of the blue skies, and the
gorgeous sunshine bathing all the
landscape, greeted us with a tropical
welcome. Palms waved before us, and
the air was fragrant with magnolia
and stephanotis.
The long, low shore, extending from
Diamond Head to the city, lay on our
right. Tall cocoanuts and waving
palms, date trees and banana planta-
tions with the far receding hills of fade
less green, formed an enchanting scene.
The pilot boat, a mere speck at first, was
coming towards us, and growing larger
each moment. In addition to the pilot,
it brought DIR. Wood, of the Board of
Health. Since the cholera in Septem-
ber last, the Board of Health has been
more than usually careful about incom-
ing ships. Great caution is taken with
vessels from China and Japan especial
ly. One ship from Japan was detained
forty-eight hours in quarantine before
she was permitted to land a single pas
senger or any part of her cargo.
At last we came alongside the dock,
and it seemed as if the whole town had
turned out to meet rs: the dock was
literally lined with people; a sea of
faces, most of them of the dark-s6inned
Kanaka, were upturned toward us.
Continuous shouts and yells came from
below, and when the gang plank was
thrown out, the people came rushing
on board to greet relatives and friends.
Those who expected to go ashore at
once were doomed to disappointment.
The tide of humanity rushed on board,
and we were driven back to our state
rooms. Then came long worry over
baggage Three or four eXpressmen
were on board, taking up checks and
the numbers of berths, and instructing
every body to wait patiently until the
uproar had subsidized, and then make
our way to the dock where the custom
house officials would go through our
luggage.
After long, wearisome wait, the in
spection of my own baggage came.
This trying ordeal over, | passed
through the street, where l met
Kanaka coachman who asked:
''Wantee la carriage?'
Yes, take me to the Arlington"
answered. and, jumping into his one
horse surrey, was driven to the hotel,
tbro,1ob ovappa % pal,,, 6ota ,nd
fig trees. l seemed to have suddenly
entered an immense flower garden.
No one appeared to welcome me. /
saw some people on the lama or porch,
and some monkeys in a cage, but none
seemed to have any special interest in
my arrival. stepped upon the lama
and then lady appeared and called a
Chinaman, telling him to take me to
Number Sixteen. The almond-eyed
Celestial picked up my valice and gave
my overcoat stare. That oYercoat
was as much curiosity in the city as
a native Samoan in full dress would be
in New York or Chicago.
We had only gone as far as the pas
sageway between the two houses when
Japanese girl, with hair puffea and
feet bare, came running toward us
chattering like monkey. She took
my valise, and John Chinaman disap-
peared. The lady Jap then went out
into vast court laid out in regular
walks bordered by tall palms, cocoanut
trees, banana plants, and every variety
of bright foliage and towering shrub
of the tropics. The air was burdened
with the sweetest of perfumes, and the
gentle cooling of ring doves foated
about me. 1t seemed more of park
than hotel. On either side were rows
of neat little cottages, all belonging to
tle hotel, and all embowered in the
verdure of the tropics
My female escort, carrying my valise,
walked down the lawn path, follow