The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-21
REPUBLIC OF HAWAII.
Something About the Islands Which II
Is Proposed 10 Annex to the
United States.
From the Pittsburg Times.

From the Pittsburg Times.
The republic Of Hawaii embraces
twelve islands, containing an aggre-
gate of 6,740 square miles. Eight of the |
islands are inhabited. their dimensions |
being as follows: Hawaii, 1900 square |
miles; Maui 760; oahu, 800; Kauai, |
$50; Molokai, on which is the leper set
tlement, 270; Lauai, 150; Niihau, 81;
Kahoowe, SO. Moloklni, Lehua, Kaula
and Bird islands are uninhabited islets.
The present population of the islands is
estimated at 105,OO0 comprising 10000
English-speaking whites, $4,000 white
Portuguese, one-third of whom speak
English; 10000 Hawaiians, Of whom
one-third speak English; 10000 half
whites, most of whom use the English
language; $4,000 Chinese and $4,000 Jap
anese. The census of 1890, which gave
total population of $780, showed that
OF the white population at that time
7,495 were born on the islands, $500
were Portuguese from Fayal, 1928
Americans, 1,344 British 1904 Germans,
227 Norwegians. 70 French and 419 other
nationalties. Honolulu, the capital, is
situated on the island of oahu and had
2S,061 inhabitants in 1895. 1t is distant
from San Francisco in a southwesterly
direction 2,1O0 miles; from Auckland,
New Zealand, 3,S10 miles; from Sydney,
New South Wales, 4,4S4 miles; from
Yokohama, 3,440 miles; from Hong
kong, 4,S93 miles; from Tahiti, 1850
miles, and from Pittsburg about 4,9OO
miles. The Hawaiian islands are stu
ated just south of the Tropic of Cancer,
and between the 150th and -60th degrees
of west longitude. A line drawn from
San FranciDco to the northeast point OF
Australia would pass through them at
a little over one-third the distance from
the California metropolis.
The islands are of volcanic origin,
and to a great extent mountainous.
The highest mountains are situate on
the island of Hawaii. These are Mauna
Kea, 1883 feet, and Mauna Lea, an
active volcano, 1880 feet. The latter
has two cratere, the one at the summit
being intermittently active, and that or
Kiauea on the eastern part of the
| mountain, at ar elevation of 1870 feet,
which is continually active. Earth
quakes, generally slight, occur frequent
| ~ upon Hawaii. but not so often upon
| the other islands. The climate of the
| islands is healthful and remarkably
euuable, so much so that the Hawaiian
language has no word to express the
| general idea of weather Extreme
heat is never known; the mean tempeia-
| ture of the year at Honolulu Is 70 de-
| grees, and the daily range seldom ex-
| ceeds Is degrees.
The rugged ranges of mountains and
lava rock are infertile, but the larger
part of the surface of the islands con
sists of arabic land of remarkable pro-
ductiveness. The sugar lands produce
twice the crop oe West Indian land,
| and two-thirds OF the area adapted to
this culture are already taken up.
| Two crops of rice are harvested an
nually, the product being of a high
| grade This culture, which is princi-
| Lally carried or 5v Chinese, can be
| largely increased. Cattle raising is
| profitably carried on in some islands,
and in certain localities sheep growing
is the principal industry. The food
plants and fruit trees are very abund-
| ant and diversified. The taro plant
| which furnishes the staple food of the
people, and the sweet potato and the
yam grow in abundance. Tobacco 4:
raised plentifully by the natives fol
their own use, out the flavor of the
leaf is coarse. Coffee raising has beeI
recently begun. The principal article
Of expectation is sugar, the exports
Of which in 1895 We're valued at ST.
$4,000, against $s.t74,000 in 1894 ard
so, ,201 900 in 1892. The total value o.
the exports in 1885 was SSS5S, 900, o
which SS,337000 went to the Uni'ed
States. The imports were S5,713000, o.
which s4,516,OOO CAME from the United
States.
The revenue of the government fol
the year 1895 was $2.031, $40, and th'
expenditures S2,OO9,114. The public
debt on Dec. 81, 1895, amounted to So,
811 ,064. There were entered at the por
| of Honolulu 31S vessels of 337,S17 tom
in 1895, and cleared 312. of 339, $40 tons
The Hawaiians form one of the fam
lilies of the brown Polynesian race, be-
ing of tawny complexion, inclining t
} olive, without any shade of red; thu
hair is black or dark brown, GLOSSY
and waVy. They have large eyes, {
, somewhat fiattened nose and full lips
, | They are well made, active and o
, good stature, are expert in swimming
: and the use of canoes, are good fish
, erman and horsemen and sailors. Thei
disposition is facile, yielding and i'm
itatiVe. They are demonstrative anC
laughter-loving, and are capable of |
fair degree of intellectual and mora
I elevation. Their songs manifest gen
, uine poetic feeling. In arithmetic, geo
metry and music they show special ap
9 titude. They are not naturally an in
dustrious race, but they now cultivat
!. the soil with considerable skill an
9 manufacture sugar, mOlasses, salt an
9 arrow root and work in iron and othe
g metals.
o These islands were known to tn
n Spaniards more than a century be
: fore their redfscovery by Capt Cook i
= 1878, Hawaii being called Mesa. The
g first became generally known by tn
II fate of Cook, who was killed by tn
: natives February IA, 1879. He name
: them the Sandwich islands after Lor
O Sandwich, the first lord of the admin
n atty. At that time each island ha
n its own ruler, but in 1866 Kameh
n ameha subjugated all the islands eS
g cept Kauai, which gave in its allie
v glance a few years later, and found
Is ed the line of kings which ruled unit
the close of 1872, when it became eS
s. tinct William Lunalile was electe
s king January 8, 1873 and on his deaf
,e the next year was succeeded by Davi
It Kalakaua, who visited this countr
y in 1876 and 1881. He died in Januar,
" 1891, and was succeeded by his siste
: Liliuokalani, who on January 13, 1S9
conditionally abdicated the thron
when a provlsional government wt