The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-11

when the wind blows hard it carries
away over the crater's edge and cools
fine. filmy bits of lava from the head
of Pele. These the natives pick up and
call "Pele's hair Pele is one OF the
most stubborn superStitiOnS that have
grown up in the islands. The presence
of Pele is always manifest and the ma
tives refuse to heed the theoretical ex-
plantations of scientists as to the cause
of the eruption of the volcanoes. Pele
is a far simpler explanation The ma
tives once worshiped the fire demons
by throwing into the crater sacrifices
of animals and sometimes human be-
ings to appease them. The sister OF
King Kalakaua, the Princes Likilii,
threw herself into the boiling crater
only a few years ago that Pele might
be satisfied.
The native -Hawaiians are rapidly
dying out. and in a few generations
their race will be extinct. The decrease
in population has been swift and terri
BILE. The natives seem unable to en-
dure the rapid changes civilization has
brought into their midst, and the vices
and diseases that accompany the for
eign residents have wrought dreadful
havoc in the island. The early discover
ers estimated the population of the
islands to be 100000. In 1882 the native
population was 10000, in 1886 it was
it was Sc. $40
The Hawaiians, before their CONVEX
sion, We're polytheists, and their great
est god was Kane. The feature of their
religion was the complicated and Sc
we're tabu system The tabu system
prevented men and women from eating
together. Food for both sexes must
not be cooked in the same
oven, and many of the kinds
Of hot nv he
must not be touched by the women un-
der penalty of death. There .were holy
dogs set aside when no work must be
done, and single loud wound would
cause the death of the offender. Even
the dogs and the chickens were tied up
and muZzled. On important occasions,
as when the chief launched his new ca
noe, human sacrifices were offered and
the people would flee to the mountains
to avoid capture. 1t was in the reign
of Kamehameha II that the first at
tempt was made to abolish the tabu.
The king prepared a great feast, and
when the fodo was laid before him on
the mat, he sat down with his chiefs,
both men and women, and all ate to-
gether from the dishes. This was a
most Sacrilegious violation of the tabu.
A great crowd of natives had gathered
to see the gods destroy the king and his
chiefs for their sinful deeds, but when
they saw no harm come to their leaders,
they cried out with the greatest joy:
THE tabuS are at an end, and the gods
are lie" The religion of the islands
was abolished. Even the priests took
part in the burning of the idols and abe
destruction of temples and sanctuarieS.
In a few years the tabu had been en-
tirely destroyed. Slight rebellions arose
here and there among the more fanati-
cal of the natives, but they were quick
ly subdued. The inhabitants found
themselves without a religion, and so
they lived until the coming of the mis-
In the ancient days the feudal sys-
tenn was very firmly established The
chiefs owned the land and the sea and
the people were their recognized serfs,
to be abused and oppressed. The only
used were made of stones
lava and sharks teeth. Garments were
fashioned of tree bark beaten into a
substance that looked like coarse brown
paper.
Here is a fragment of Hawaiian verse
translated by Sanford B. Dole, presi-
dent of the republic The song was
about Kaulu, mighty hunter and ex-
plorer:
am Kaulu,
The adopted son of Kalona,
The far-Seeing explorer,
Who forbidden sleep,
Who watcheth for the daybreak,
Who hurleth the spear,
Kaulu of the landi
Kaulu of the seal
D Kaulu, the builder of canoeSi
D Kaulu. the pilot of the f1eeti
Thou spannest the heavens;
Thou canst grasp the night and the day; /
Thou capst reach out to the ends of the |
earth;
All lands are explored by Kaulu.
The Hawaiians are famous swimmers
and divers. Many of the boys earn a /
living off the coast by watching for /
travellers and inducing them to toss
coins into the water that they may |
dive for them. AS soon as the coin
touches the water the boys go down
ike turtles under the surface, and pres
emily come up with the coin held high \
up in his hand. He then puts the coin
n his mouth and awaits, eXpectantly,
another chance to dive. At Waikiki, a
seaside resort, the natives
10 some marvellous diving and surf
Aquatic sports were once
by all the natives, young and
I'D, and it is to these exercises that the
women owe their beautiful forms. Now
is not so popular. but many
# the natives still retain their skill.
Surf swimming has made the Ha-
vaiianS famous. The swimmers each
AXE a surf board and strike out from
shore, diving under the huge waves IN
Then every man mounts his board and
,ither he lies stretched full length
Llong it or he keels or even stands erect