New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-21
HA WAHAN VA VS..
THE GREETING TO THE AMERICAN SOL
DIERS.
NATURE AND VALUE OF PoI-cURIoUs WAYS OF
UNLOADING SHIPS

rial FOR now lecture. and apparently he found
IT, The lecture Will ne ready in due time Mean
while Mr. Brown has been talking little on his
owr account about his Impressions. In the course
Of talk about the Islands he said: Honolulu.
which Is. OF course. the largest city. IL as thor
oughly American any seaport town Of this coun-
try. Here one finds broad and wel-pavcd 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-appontcd stores and
warehouses. Everywhere one American signs
over stores. American vehicles. American bicycles.
American clothing. and when We arrived.
and before annexation became al assured fact we
found the American flag everywhere.
"Throughoui the entire group Of islands the
American clement IS strong. numerically. or
course the natives are more numerous than all
the white people put together. but the pure
bloodcd native is rapidly dying out. pneumonia.
consumption and other white mems sickness
doing their deadly work. while intcrmlrrage with
the foreign element aids in the obi;cration Of the
Old Kanaka strain In the streets of Honolulu
md NO. which is the second largest city, you do
not soc many more natives thar you would negroes
I'm a city Ike Louisville or Nashville Tho natives
arc. n rule. fine specimens. physically. having
handsome features. beautiful dark eyes md black
hair without the Ethiopian klnk In color. they
resemble an octoroOn
THE English. Scotch and Irish also well rep
resented on the islands. also the Portu-
guesc while the japanese and Chinese form the
backbone Of the labor'ng classes on the plantation
and in tho household These last two races adj
here to their national garb closely. and add the
only picturesque touch TO the otherwise everyday
American appearance ~ the streets.
"The absence OF cable communication with the
outer world makes the daily life OF the average
merchant n peculiar combination Of alternating
hustle and take It easy. II steamer is TO
sail that day. he PUSHES around as vigorously as
his American cousin. but after the steamer has
sailed. never do to-day what you can do to-mor-
row becomes the motto and remains 70 until an
other steamer sails
This perhaps explains tho immense faculty all
Hawaians seem TO have for hospitality. They
are the most hospitablc people on earth. Any one
IN tho Islands whom you have letters OF intro
duciion Will drop hts work AZ a moments notice
20 entertain a stranger. to show him this or that
or take him 70 the Punchbowl. an immense ex-
tlnct volcano which looks over the city. or the
Pail. n prccpioe from which n magnificent view OF
the opposite coast IL obtained.
81, IS this very spirit - hospitality that led the
Hawaiian people to entertain 60 royalty Our sol
dcrs on their way 10 Manila. For the first OK
petition alone they raised IN Honolulu r51 with
which 10 entertain the Boys In Blue as they
called them. This money was devoted 20 tables
and benches tho purchase Of food cooking and
OF - large number ~ 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
10 any ono wearing Uncle Sans uniform. and u
f. an everlasting credit 20 our boys 20 say that
tho Marshal of tho Islands told me that he had
never seen such n well-hchaved and orderly set ~
feHows Not one % them abused the privilege.
The benches and tables arranged under
shelters made Of bamboo. and covered with palm
lcaves. on the grounds ~ the Executive Building.
and there the SWEETEST and prcti.st Of the Homo
lulu girls several hundreds ~ them waited on the
tah'" We took a number Of motion pictures ~ tho
scene 10 show at the lectures this season. that
you can see exactly how It WAS Two more es-
petitions came while We were there. md these
scenes Of hogpitabe welcome were re-enacted.
with no apparent abaiomen Of interest. The
Monadnock and tho Monterey also came while We
were there and officers and men received
most cordially"
on being asked abou, the feeling IN the islands
IN regard ~ annexation. Mr.. Brown replied. Near
" every white person IN tho Islands Is most en-
Enthusiastically in favor Of annexation. and today
especially since the soldiers went through to
Manila many OF the more Intelligent natives are
also heartily IN favor OF II. Now that tho natives
have soen the visible manifestations Of strength
displayed by all the passing transports they begin
to think that the United States must be big
enough and strong enough country for them 10 tie
TO- and they are glad TO he annexed. In the coun-
Try districts some OF the natives are utterly in
different and DO not care much whether they are
ruled by queen. president or Uncle Sam. as
long they get their pig and poi. which are the
staple dict Of the Kanaka.
"Poi Is a most peculiar food. equally peculiar In
appearance and taste but most nutritious and in
expensive. II is made from the root OF the iaro
plant This root resembles. as nearly a any
thing n moudy sweet potato; not In taste. but in
appearance This Is pounded into paste. In a
stone mortar until II assumes tho density OF the
paste that Wallpaper hangers use In fact. they
DO use II for hanging wall paper n iiono ulu fo
IL uncookcd and is served IN large bowl around
which the kanaka family gathers II Is eaten *
clusVely WIN tho myers, 'hc ehtrc fanny up
ping out Of the sam" bowl OF course, TINS Is IN
the homes OF the lower classes. I'm IN" upper cir
cos OF Hawaiian life II is served In bowls or cups
eaten with forks or made INTO what Is callei
POI cocktail, NIch - i".Ch It,la,''u pS lis s
men as breakfast dish. TO reduce any swellins
Of The head resulting from looking on the wine
when 1t is red the night before
such is the nutrtive power OF poi that the
native sailors-and there are no better In the
word-cat little else. and work as no white man
could or would work. especially for the small pay
they get. about SO a month. Win the great
ands not 10 mention coffee and rice. the shipping
business Is extensive. This - carried on by means
Of two lines Of steamers and nnumerabie sailing
vessels. the crews OF which are almost exclusively
made up Of Kanakas ,.,s l..
such that piers or wharyes can be built. ex-
copt in the harbor Of Honolulu. The shore IS
at some time in the misty past has flowed down
the volcanoes in The centres o. the Islands Is.
until the chilling waters OF the Pacnc arrested lts
onward march. The water. even up to within a
hundred feet Of the shore. IS often hundreds Of
foot In depth and tho surf. on the windward coast
ospcciay. runs mountains high. The methods OF
handling freight under these circumstances are at
All times dangerous. and yet few accidents COM
paratlvoly. occur.
''Fveryihlng * landed I'm small boats manned by
these hard working Kanakas. Tho snip Is an
chorcd M safe distance from shore. the small
b"ot4 are lowered and loaded with freight. and
are started for the shore. The steersman. chosen
f,r his strength and GOODNESS. stands high IN the
steru guiding the boats course with long sweep
Will, four kanakas bend 10 the oars. never sitting
down bu; rowing standing mp. and hard work II
&c TOO when the boat n.ars the shore, JUST
WHERE tho waves seem TO break and churn them
selves into perfect cauidron Of foam the crew, 10y
the mere use ~ the alone. holds the boat.
while those on shore swing out the arm OF a
ponderoue derrick ard lower fall and tackle, nj
The end OF which T. immense hook.
IAN unusually heavy swell Its the boat up 10
where the hook bangles IN the air. the rope-slins