Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-11-09

The health of the men was excellent
and continued SO throughout the
voyage.
notwithstanding the matters to
which l have referred, the voyage
was filled with things capable of in
teresting and instructing any person
who would not allow his mind to be
entirely occupied with the discom-
forts which he experienced. Nine
days steaming brought us to Homo
lulu. We had a distant view of the
island of Hawaii, far to the south
ward, with it's towering volcano
raising its head 1900 feet into the
clouds, and a nearer sight of Maui,
and Molokai, with its famous leper
settlement. This ia on a plateau Dor
dering on the sea and shut off from
the remainder Of the island by an al
most perpendicular descent of 1000
feet. Here Father Damien lived his
life of heroic self-sacrifice i'm behalf of
the un%fortunates for whom he relin-
qished everything that men common
~ - lCi. oHt CGhlo t''uDb tlIal
for such a man death is but an open
gate to a better life, where such con-
duet will meet it's just reward.
Honolulu ia situated on the island
of Oahu. 1t nestles at the foot of a
range of mountains, lying beside the
silvery waters of it's beautiful bay,
and uncovered in groves of tropical
trees and shrubbery. 1t is radiant
with the bright colors of tropical
flowers and odorous with their fra
GRANGE. The lofty hills are clothed
with verdure to their cloud-compell-
ing submits. Over all, on land and
sea-, lies the spell of the sensuous
beauty of the tropics. Along the
harbor's outer edge runs the long
coral reef upon which the lazy swell
of the vast Pacific breaks in miles and
miles of snowy foam. Wave, shore
and mountain, cloud and sky blend
in a wonderful mingling of form and
color, light and sound; and when
night descends and the moons sill
very radiance softens all; when the
wandering breeze brings the breath
of the flowers to blend with the
spray of the surf; when the lights be-
gin TO twinkle far up the verdurous
heights, and the sounds of music
softly invade the ear, then n may
wonderful beauty around him; and
it is surely an earth-bound soul that
does not look through and beyond
all the wonder and loneliness of ma
something OF natures Creator.
On those tropical nights one may
fancy that odor and color. form and
sound might blend and change, one
into the other, They suggest the
lines:
"rhe strange flowers perfume. turns to sing
ing,
Heard afar over moon lit seas.
The sirens song, grown faint with winging.
Falls in scent on the cedar trees"
The Hawaiian group is certainly a
valuable addition to u national
domain. The area is not great, be-
ing only about 6 200 square miles, but
the soil is of SURPRISING fertility and
the are of great value. i
had a glimpse OF the famous EVA"
sugar plantation, whose product this
year, l vas informed, was 13 tons of
sugar per acre. Bananas, pineapples
and a great variety of other tropical
fruits are produced i'm bountiful
ideal place of residence. Situated
just within the tropics, the climate is
free from extremes of heat and cold,
and the surrounding ocean renders
the temperature equable and the air
is as soft and balmy a Is one could
wish.
S~trategically and commercially,
also, the islands are of great import
ance. They have been aptly called
1.-THE crossroads of the Pacific
They are. and will continue to be, in
dispensable as a depot for naval
stores of all kinds, and especially
to any nation that would have
power in the Pacific. L think it hard
ly an exaggeration to say that the
western coast of America can be de-
better from the Hawaiian ISL
ands as a base OF operations than
from Puget Sound or San Francisco
Bay. 1t is, / think, a reason for
to all who are directly con-
that the stars and stripes now
float over this beautiful land, our
first acquisition of territory not stu
ated on the American continent.
Six days stay in Honolulu quickly
passed, and again the Pennsylvania
Prov pointed westward and the !, 900
mile run to Manila was begun. The
island of the Hawaiian group
sank below the horizon, and again
,.x ,x-nra rn.p Tho .aaan. mot ol...a