Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-12

immense amusement. The cigar and
needle race and the egg and spoon
race were contested principally by the
ladies, and the latter race was cleverly
won by the Hon. Alice Brand.
Singing the monkey and chalking the
goose's eye We're events that were we'll
contested and evoked praise by the on
lockers. The obstacle race wound up
the days proceedings and was the best
race Of the day. The only place you
can witness a real obstacle race is on
board steamer. where every conceiv-
able obstacle is placed in the way of
the contestants.
The next day was Wednesday, the
23rd of June, and all the passengers
were surprised to find that the morrow
would also be Wednesday the 23rd of
June. Up to this time we had gained
a day, SO that we had the most unique
experience of two Wednesdays in one
week.
On the ninth day after leaving the
Fiji Islands we sighted the Hawaiian
Islands, and about six o'clock in the
morning the - w alrimoo" was berthed
alongside the pier at Honolulu. This
place has the aspect of business. You
see here the smart built Hawaiian
mingling with the oily fat Chinaman
and the small cunning Jap. The prin
cipal street on both sides presents to
the traveller the appearance of an
Oriental city. Every shop is bedecked
with the hieroglyphics of the Chow or
Jap, now and again intermingled with
the large substantial buildings of the
Yankee. Everywhere You go the Chow
and the Jap is the prominent element,
making one believe he is either in
Yokohoma or Canton. The natives
here are an intelligent race, especially
the police, who speak English and are
very obliging. The deposcd Queen
Ills palace is IL magnificent structure
and is now occupied by the officials of
the Hawaiian government. The Ha-
waiians welcome the idea of having
American government and are in con-
sequence very antagonistic to the Jap.
In the harbOr was anchored the Japa-
nesc gun boat Naniva, one ofthe boats
which did so much destructive work in
the thina-Japan war. They say that
it holds 800 Jap soldiers, and in APP
pearance it is built on the modern
principles of war vessels. On its ar
rival at Honolulu the pilot of the Is
lands offered to pilot the vessel into
the harbour, but the cunning Jap com
mander refused his services, and took
his own bearings and brought her
safely into harbour, and placed nets
all around to avoid coming in contact
with torpedo shells.
1t is said that there are about % 900
we'll trained Japanese soldiers in these
Islands, each having undergone the
necessary three years conscription be-
fore leaving Japan, so that If Japan
had designs on the Hawaiian Islands
she was prepared to carry them out
properly. The American gun boat
Philadelphia was also in the harbour
but of course she was not built or
equipped with such war appliances us
the Naniva.
Honolulu is a substantially built
city and from its natural position in
the Pacific must be II place of great
Importance. 1t is the principal call or
port of the steamers plying between
Australia and America: also China
and the East, and it is II surprising
fact that America having such large
interests in these Islands did not annex
them long before the Jap and Chinese
got such holdings there.
The climate here is superb, the soil
rich, volcanic and chocolate colored,
and consequently abounds there in
profusion tropical fruits. Every
thing presents the appearance of n
prosperous and rontcnted people.
Honolulu is the summer resort of peo-
pie living in America, who come here
to recruit themselves and spend their
vacation. We took ON board quite a
number OF passengers, mostly school
teachers, who had spent their vacation
here and were returning via Vancouver.
AS the boats from Frisco to Austria
liza call here, Americans come by these
boats and remain until the incoming
boat from Australia to Vancouver ar
riycs: then they take passage to Van
couver and rccurn via Seattle to
Frisco. For those whose time is
limited this route is preferable, which
gives them an opportunity of visiting
the Hawaiian Islands and take in Il
variation of scenery.
After leaving Honolulu we did not
mpnt land until tho tanth day when