Evening journal., 1898-08-23
ABOUT THE HAwAIIANs.
How They Became christianS-rheir
Alphabet-Pof, Aloha and Lets
Rubbing Noses.

enemy with rifle than with n club,
and that the rifle was the invention OF
the Christians, took a short cut
through the theological mazes Of the
missionaries who were trying to con-
vert his subjects, and announced that
all Hawaiians were from that moment
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, full-blood,
half-caste, and white, and everywhere
but in Honolulu ride mems saddles
The low caste ride native ponies in
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 a 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 a gown
falling straight from the shoulders,
and IN this garment, called holol!u,
they ride man-fashion, the skirts be-
ing so very full they need not be di-
yided.
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 a thick. stiff paste in wooden
trouehs, packed in mating, and al
lowed to ferment. When il is TO be
served this is thinned to any desired
consistency in a calahash, and con-
veyed to the mouth by the fingers. II
is pGle blue in color and slightly acid
in taste, but foreigners soon acquire
a liking for it, especially when thinned
with milk so that it can be drunk.
There are but y letters in the Ha-
waiian alphabet. These, with their
prcnunciations, are: A (ah), (a),
(ee), Co as in ho). u (oo), j (hay), k
| (kay), ! Qa), IN (moo), n (noo), p (pay)
and W (vay). The missionaries added
a thirteenth, t, but the natives won't
have II, and continue to pronounce, for
instance, the name of the root from
which poi is made 'kara," although
the missionaries have it tara" Every
vowel in a word is distinctly sounded
except that the vowels "ai" are sound.
ed 81" as in English. Waikiki, the
beach where our soldiers take an
ocean plunge during their stay in Hon
olulu, is properly pronounced "Vikee
kee." There is a great difference II
the speech of the high and low caste
natives. The first call their islanC
group "Ha-va-ee-ee." and the latter
begin it all right with "Ha," but con
clude with a cultural grunt; and tn
word heard most, "Aloha, sounds sof
and beautiful on the lips of the first
but is a lazy, good-natured grunt a
the latter speak it.
Aloha is, in their limited vocabulary
at once a greeting and farewell, for
NAL expression of regard and of deer
love. In the latter case il is increased
in warmth and depth of meaning by
modifying adjectives annexed insteaC
of prefxed, as "Aloha nui, "Aloha nu
loa," or even "Aloha nui loa lseal'-
and then ii is time to speak to papa.
Our soldiers. so say the reports
from Honolulu, were greeted will
"Alohas" and "leis." The latter ar
wreaths of flowers made either 10 Fl
around the hat of a man or head of
woman, or more generously to ham
over the neck and shoulders. The ma
tive women display much art in weay
ing the abundant flowers into leis O
much beauty. No matter how man.
men may leave a ranch or plantation
, house, nor how early it may be in tn
, morning, the mistress has been bus.
with her maids, and every guest i
] decked with a lei. A popular man de
2 parting on one of the little inter-islan'
steamers is bade farewell by hundre'
friends, who rub noses with him unit
the gong sounds, and then load hir
with leis so that he can scarcely stag
, ger up the gangplank.-N. Y. World.