Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-10-14
walking, and playing games. Eating
seems o.be the principle thing with

walking, and playing games. Eating
seems to, be the principle thing with
many.
Leaving San Francisco on Thursday
1 p. M, Aug. 9Th, Wednesday, 10 a. M
Aug. 18th, found us making fast to the
wharf in Honolulu, the capitol OF
Hawaii or the Sandwich Islands, 2O8C
miles distant from San Francisco. We
had had a beautiful passage the old
Pacific having proved again her right
to the title.
The Sandwich Islands consists Of a
group of eight inhabited islands, with an
area of about $500 square miles, or an
area greater than that of Rhode Island
and Connecticut by 500 square miles.
Hawaii is the largest of the islands and
gives the name to the group. Honolulu
is situated on Oakie island, with popu-
lation of 10000. and the only real good
.harbor of the group. AS the ship ap-
proaches the landing ones attention is
attracted by the tropical foliage in which
the city is almost concealed. for the
islands lie within the tropic. and are said
to have the most delightful climate in the
world. In winter the thermometer never
falls below 53c Oh rises above 800 in sum-
meE. But I found here as in all the east
that the sun was very trying on ones
head. But aside from the foliage Homo
lulu is an American city. 1 looked in
vain for the 'snative city," such as one
finds in Hongkong, Singapore, Calumbo,
and other cities of the east. 1t has none.
The natives have been foreignized. But
one notices some very peculiar customs.
For instance, the native ladies and many
of the foreign ones too wear Mother Hub
bard dresses. This is said to have been
the first style of dress introduced and the
natives have held on to it. Shoes are at
a discount also. In riding, the ladies sit
astride, which by the way is most SEN
sible thing to do.
Cocoanut and date palms, bread fruit
and orange trees, mango, bananas, pine
apples, grapes. rice, sweet potatoes and
other fruits and vegetables grow in abun-
dance, only irrigation is necessary. In
wandering along the street one sees
Oleandess growing like trees and many
bright Towering trees. In one place a
wall hundred yards long is covered with
the night blooming cereus. The flowers
was told often measure IL inches in d.
ameter, and from eight to ten thousand
will be open at once, filling the neighbor-
hood with their fragrance. The tantana
and the flat leafed cactus are the curse of
the island. The tantana was brought by
some lady as flower Is or 20 years ago.
Birds have scattered the seed broadcast,
and wherever it drops it takes root and
defies the farmers exertion to exterminate
it.
While there are only seven in our South
Presbyterian party on board, there are
seventeen missionaries of other denomi-
nations returning to their fields or being
sent out for the first time. The Chris
tian friends at Honolulu seemed to vie
with each other in showing US all kind
ness. Carriages were furnished to take
us round the city. The next day spec
ial train took us out about II miles to see
sugar plantation. do not know that
I ever had more enjoyable ride on the
cars. The scenery was lovely. As all
your readers doubtless know these islands
are volcanic in origin. There is no active
volcano on Oaku, but just back of Homo
lulu is the extinct crater of an old volca-
no. 1 walked TO the top of it. 1t is sew
eral hundred feet high, is circular in
form, with steep sides, and dish shaped
basin 200 yards in diameter, now grown
over with tantana and coarse grass. The
edges looked as though they were formed
out of the Stag of an iron furnace. At
the bottom of the hill men were leveling
for house end were uncovering hills of
ashes and cinders which looked so fresh
that one could have easily believed fur
nance had stood there in recent times.
The island is very mountainous, and the
valleys small, but very fertile under irri-
cation. Artesian wells have been sunk
in many places and afford abundant
water to their owners. AS the islands
will necessarily come under some foreign
power soon, hope, now that have seen
them, that it may be that Of the United
States.
AS we approached the wharf number
of men and boys cameswimming out and
begged to have money thrown out for
them to dive after, and they never failed
to bring up the dime or nickle that was
thrown out. It was fun to watch dozen
pair of feet turned into the air the instant
the money touched the water, the scram-
BILE in the clear water, and the grins which
the successful man would come up with,
show it, and throw it in his mouth.
They could stay in the water hours it
seemed, looking more like some kind of
strange animal or fish than men, and it
did not sound strange when child on
board seeing them swimming around
asked, "Mama, do those things live in
the water ?''
We left Honolulu Sunday evening and
Thursday morning, Aug. 26, we are ap-
preaching Y oklahoma. and in few hours
shall be safely anchored in the harbor.
Our hearts 60 out in gratitude and praise
to Him in whose hands are the winds and
waves, for bringing us thus far safely on
our journey. Yours sincerely,
JAS. E. BEAR.
When man owns blOoded horse he is
always careful of its health. He looks
after it's diet and is particular that the
feeding shall be regular and right. While
he IS doing this it is likely as not that he