The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-10-13


"A fs w "A. 3s sSsI N S--~-~- 49, St N N M IN s W
Hawaiians Gll become "Christinns''
4 through the simple process Of an edict
,-llapoo--of one OF the sturdy old
Kameham0has. That worthy king, OBJ
serving that It was easier to Kill an
enemy with a rifle than with q club,
and that the rifle was the invention Of
the Christians, took short cut
through the theological maxes Of tho
missionaries who were trying to cen
4 vert his subjects, and announced that
al Hawaiians we're from that91noment
Christians. AS he added that he would
knock in the head any who objected,
| the thing was done as fast as his couri-
| ers could deliver his message to his
loving subjects.
| All native women ride, funAblood,
half-caste, and white, and everywhere
but in Honolulu ride mems saddles.
The low caste ride native ponies In a
careless, slovenly manner, but the high
caste and whites, sitting astride an
American horse the possession of
which is almost a. mark Of rank ride
with dash and style that are fine to
see. On all the islands but Oahu, and
even on that outside Of Honolulu,
where fashions from "the states" pre-
vail, the women, all dress in gown
falling straight from the shoulders,
and In this garment, called a holoku,
they ride man-fashion, the skirts be-
ing 50 very full they need not be di-
vided.
{ Poi, the staff Of life of the native
Hawaiians, is made of an esculent root
called tara, much resembling a big
sweet potato The tara, raw, is pound
ed into thick, stiff paste In wooden
troughs, packed in mating, and al
lowed to ferment. When it is to be
served this is thinned to any desired
consistency in calabash, and con-
veyed to the mouth by the fingers. It
is pale Blue in color and slightly acid
in taste, but foreigners soon acquire
liking for it, especially when thinned
with milk so that 1t can be drunk.
There are but IL letters in the Ha-
waiian alphabet. These, with their
pronunciations, art: A (ah), ta), ]
(ee), o 70 as in hoy, u (oo), h (hay), k
(kay), ] Qa), m (moo), n (noo), p (pay),
and W (vay). The missionaries added
a thirteenth, I, but the natives won't
have 1t, and continue to pronounce, for
instance, the name of the root from
which poi is made KARA" although
the missionaries have it tiara" Every
vowel in word is distinctly sounded,
except that the yowels "ai" are sound
ed H." as In English. Waikiki, the
beach where our soldiers take an
ocean plunge during their stay In Hon
olulu, is properly pronounced Avikee-
kee." There is great difference in
the speech of the high and low caste
natives. The first call their island
group "Ha-vaee-ee," and the latter
begin 1t all right with "Ha," but con-
clude with cultural grunt, and the
word heard most, "Aloha, /" sounds soft
and beautiful on the lips Of the first,
but Is a lazy, good-natured grunt as
the latter speak 1t.
Aloha is, in their limited vocabulary,
at once greeting and farewell, for
NAL expression Of regard and of deep
love. In the latter case 1t is increased
In warmth and depth Of meaning by
modifying adjectives annexed instead
Of prefxed, as "Aloha nui," Aloha nui
loa," or even "Aloha nui loa keal"-
and then it is time to speak to papa.
Our soldiers, SO say the reports
from Honolulu, were greeted with
'sAlohas" and "lets." The latter are
wreaths of flowers made either to fit
around the hat Of man or head Of
or more generously to hang
over the neck and shoulders. The ma
live women display much art in weay-
ng the abundant flowers into leis Of
much beauty. No matter how many
men may leave ranch or plantation
rouse, nor how early it may be in the
morning, the mistress has been busy
With her maids, and every guest is
licked with lei. A popular man de-
PARTING on one Of the little inter-island
teamers is 5ade farewell by hundred
riends, who rub noses with him until
he gong sounds, and then load him
With leis SO that he can scarcely stag
ser up the gangplank. n. 7. World
Odd source Of Income.