The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-22
HAWAII is AhERICANI2ED
The Pure-BlOoded Native Is
Fast Dying Out.
OUR WAYSARE PREVAILING
Honolulu, Especially, an Example
of the Mefamorphosis ia the
Observation-Disclosures Ruled by Queen
or President. Back-Distrfct Folk
Must Have Their Pig and Poi.

Must Have Their Pig and Poi.
E. Burton Holmes, who gave series
Of illustrated lectures at Days Theater
last season, and is to give another this
season, has just returned. with his man.
ager. Louis Francis Brown. from jour
ney 10 Hawaii. says the New York Trib-
une. He went there TO hunt material for
a new lecture. and apparently he found it.
The lecture viii be ready in due time.
Meanwhile Mr.. Brown has been talking
a little on his own account about his i'm
pressions. In the course of a talk about
the islands he said: Honolulu, which is,
of course. the largest city, is as thorough
ly American as any seaport town of this
country. Here one finds broad and we'll
paved streets, spacious and often palatial
homes in the midst of beautiful lawns
and innumerable palms and flowers Of
all kinds. In the business portion of the
city is block after block of well-appoint-
ed stores and warehouses. Everywhere
one sees American signs over stores,
American vehicles, American bicycles,
American clothing, and, even when we ar
rived. and before annexation became an
assured fact, we found the American flag
everywhere
throughout the entire group of ISL
ands the American element is strong, nu-
mesfcany OF course, the natives are
more numerous than all the white people
put together, but the pure-blooded native
is rapidly dying out, pneumonia, consump-
- nd bar art-k,f arrS a n
ing their deadly work, while intermar-
riage with the foreign element aids in the
obliteration of the old Kanaka strain. In
the streets of Honolulu and Hilo, which
is the second largest city. you do not see
many more natives than you would ne
groes in a city Ike Louisville or Nash
Vile. The natives are, as a rule. fine
specimens, physically. having handsome
features, beautiful dark eyes and black
hair without the Ethiopian kirk. In col
or, they resemble an octoroon.
The English. Scotch and Irish are also
well represented on the islands. as are
also the Portuguese, while the japanese
and Chinese form the backbone Of the Ia
boring classes on the plantation and in
the household. These last Two races ad-
add the only picturesque touch TO the
otherwise everyday American appearance
OF the streets.
The Merchants Lives.
THE absence Of cable communication
with the outer world makes the daily
life Of the average merchant a peculiar
combination OF alternating hustle and
take 1t easy If steamer Is TO sail
oUsly as his American cousin, but after
the steamer has sailed never do today
what You can do tomorrow becomes the
motto and remains so until another
steamer sails.
This perhaps explains the immense
faculty all Hawaaians seem 10 have for
hospitality. They are the most hospit-
able people on earth. Anyone in the ISL
ands 10 whom they have letters of in
PRODUCTION viii drop his work at a mo
ments notice to entertain a stranger. TO
show him this or that, or take him 10
the Punchbowl, an immense extinct
volcano which looks over the city, or
the Pail, precipice from which a mag
nifieent view Of the opposite coast is
obtained.
Entertained Our Troops.
1T is this very spirit of hospitality that
led the Hawaiian people to entertain so
royalty our soldiers on their way to Ma
Mia. For the first expedition alone they
raised in Honolulu g. 500 with which TO
entertain the Boys in Blue as they
called them. This money was devoted to
tables and benches, the purchase of food,
cooking and other incidental expenses
necessary TO the feeding OF a large num-
Der Of hungry men, who had been for ten
long days cooped up in the transport
ship. Besides this appropriation, every
liquor dealer and every druggist gave
free beer and free soda water TO anyone
wearing Uncle Sans uniform, and il is
an everlasting credit TO our boys to say
that the marshal Of the islands told me
that he had never seen such a well-be-
haved and orderly set Of fellows. Not
one of them abused the privilege. The
benches and tables were arranged under
shelters made of bamboo. and covered
with palm leaves, on the grounds of the
Executive Building. and there the swell
est and prettiest of the Honolulu girls,
several hundreds of them, waited on the
table. We took number of motion pic
lures of the scene TO show at the lee
lures this season. so that you can see ex-
actly how it was. Two more expeditions
came while We We're there, and these
scenes of hospitable welcome were re-
enacted, with no apparent abatement of
interest The Monadnock and the Mon
terey also came while we were there, and
officers and men were received most cor
daily"
They Love America.
On being asked about the feeling in the
islands in regard to annexation Mr..
Brown replied: Nearly every white per-
son in the islands is most enthusiastically
.n favor of annexation, and today espe-
csallv since the soldiers went through TO
Manila. many of the more intelligent ma
tives are also heartily in favor of it. Now
that the natives have seen the visible
manifestations OF strength as displayed
by all the passing transports they begin
10 think that the United States must be
a big enough and strong enough country
for them 10 tie TO, and they are glad to
be annexed In the country districts some
of the natives are utterly Indifferent and
do not care much whether they are ruled
Roy a queen, a president or Uncle Sam,
as long as they get their pigs and poi,
which are the staple diet of the Kanaka.
Poi is a most peculiar food, equally Pc
cullar ia appearance and taste, but most
nutritious and inexpensive. This root re-
sembles, as nearly as anything, a moldy
sweet potato: not in taste. but in appear
ance. This is pounded into a paste, in a
stone mortar, until il assumes the densi-
~ Of the paste that wallpaper hangers
use. IN fact, they do use IL for hanging
wallpaper in Honolulu. Poi is uncooked
and is served in a large bowl around
which the Kanaka family gathers. II is
eaten exclusively with the fingers, the en-
tire family dipping out of the same howl
or course, this Is in the homes of the
lower classes; in the upper circles of
Hawaiian life 81 &c served In hOmlc mr.