Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-20

| probably be territorial. this to be sub
| mitted to the next Congress. Mean
| time the United States takes possession
| and the identical flag hoisted by order
| of Minister Stevens at the request OF
| the provisional government in 1893, viii
| again float over the executive building
| completing the official transfer.
| Having been resident Of Honolulu
Hawaii, for many years. and recently
in the official capacity for the United
States government. a brief description
of the country and its future posi-
bilities may. at this time. interest
your readers.
H. w. SEVERANCE.
| The Hawaiian ISLANDS are situated in
| the North Pacific Ocean and lie be-
tween longitudes 1874 40 and 1850 80
West, and ATTITUDES 90 1G' and lS' So
North. They are thus on the very edge
| of the tropics. but their position in
mid-ocean and the prevalence Of the
northeast trade wind gives them a
climate unequalled by any other por-
| ton OF the gl0hc--a perpetual summer
! without an enervating heat. In the
! Hawaiian islands Americans and Euro
| peans can and do work in the open air.
al all seasons of the year as they cannot
| in countries lying In the same ATTITUDES
| elsewhere To note an instance, Cal
! cutta lies little to the north ~ the
| latitude Of Kauai, our most northerly
| island. and in Calcutta the American
| ana European can only work with his
! brain: hard physical labor he canno,
do and live. On the Hawaiian islands
| he can work and thrive.
! DISCOVERY OF THE ISLANDS.
| 1t seems to he almost certain that
| one Juan Gaetano. a Spanish nayiGa-
| tor. saw Hawaii in 1908 \. ID. y group
! If islands, the largest Of which was
| called La Mesa. vas laid down in III.
Old Spanish charts in the same latitude
as the Hawaiian islands. but 10 de-
| srees too far east.
| ON the 18th of January, IT'S. Captain
/ Cook. the great navigator, while SAT-
| ing due north from the Society islands.
| discovered the islands Of oahu ana
! Kauai. The Next day he landed at
/ Waimea. Kauai. where he held friendly
1 Intercourse With the natives. and after
/ wards laid in supplies at Niihau. He
/ finally sailed for Alaska. Feb. ,. The
! HaWaijans looked upon him as an in
/ carnatL0n Of the god Lono. ana upol
! his crew as supernatural beings. Re
! turning from the Arctic the following
winter. he anchored in Kcalakekua
! bay. January l., 1873.
| Several centuries before these islands
We're known to Europeans their in
hahitants We're accustomed 20 make
| long voyages to other distant inhabited
islands Of Polynesia and in the folk
lore of the Hawaiians are many songs
! ana narratives Of voyages made in
large canoes. This intercourse seems
to have ceased some time before the
| visit of Europeans. but ii is evident tho
natives were daring mariners, ana
trips We're made With only the sun ana
stars to guide over even remote dis
| tances.
| In 1919 kamchamcha l.. the con-
queror over all the islands Of the group
had consolidated all opposing factions
| fcudal anarchy and wars were ended
and the way prepared for the advent
of civilization and Christianity. Afte.
his death the Tabu system and idolatry
| We're abolished by his successor Liho-
| limo.
| In April. 1920, the brig Thadieus from
Boston brought the first band of con-
| Secratcd men and women for the mis-
| sionary work among the Hawaians
| They found the people amiable and
eager for knowledge. but easily in
| tluenced for good or evil. The Ian
guage was soon reduced To writing and
the first book printed in 1872.
| The new constitution was proclaimed
| in 1910 and in 1876, after n protracted
| discussion with the Congress of the
| United States, the reciprocal treaty
went into operation and its leading
characteristics are We'll known to your
| readers. Since then the agricultural
| development and rapid increase of
| trade and commerce With the United
States has exceeded all expectations.
| The cession Of Pearl haIibor was en-
| bodied in this treaty.
| Since 1894 the government of the new
| republic secured peace, law and order
in spite of hostile influences from with
| out and enemies at home. carried on
| internal improvements, promoted new
| agricultural industries. advanced edu-
cation and sustained the credit of the
nation in its financial affairs.
| ~ 4 VI ~ +AISf.A oF ISlSA y Us.
The group contains eight inhabited
| islands and 4 large number of small
uninhabited ones, of a total approx
mate area of 1000 square miles. or
4,4S0,0 900 acres: being nearly the area Of
| Massachusetts. and considerably larger
| than Connecticut ana Rhode Island
combined. The group extends east and
west a distance of 1900 miles, The
eight principal islands cover 800 miles
| at the eastern end of the group. They
! are Hawaii, Maui. Oahu, Kauai
Mo-lo-kai, Lanai. Ka-hoo-la-we and
Ni-i-hau. There are valuable guano
and phosphate rock deposits on some
| of the western islands.
The soil consisting of decomposed lava
| is fertile, but has to be irrigated in
many places from mountain streams
and artesian and surface wells Fer
tilizers are used extensively on sugar
plantations.
THE CLIMATE
Is mild and equable. Temperature of
an average weekly maximum of "a IN
| winter and $50 in summer. There are
no extremes of heat or cold A tenn
perature of 90 in the shade is almost
| nnknnWn At biuhar alauat;,pe NV.