The National tribune., 1899-10-12

| years ago a Kanaka told me the only
means of communication or travel from
one island to another was by the ''proa,
or native canoe. / will here give an Illus
tration of an important use one WAS put
| to in the hands of some skilled natives.
A few years ago member of their Lcgis-
! lature, being elected to fill vacancy, was
in haste TO take his seat, and not content to
wait for a steamer, hired some natives to
row him from Hilo, Hawaii to Honolulu.
a distance of nearly POO miles. presume
| the journey to have been worth the ven
ture, to say nothing OF the joy III being
| able to fulfill his duties so quickly. How
ever, the weather must have been quite
favorable to have undertaken even tllis
short voyage by one not used to canoe life,
| because the writer has seen weather
when no one but Kanaka would have
undertaken such trip.
! DISCOVERY AND EARLY HISTORY.
Among the larger number of American
people the landing of Capt Cook at Hawaii,
near Hilo, III 177S, is looked upon as their
discovery, and many are the stories told
concerning this man and his comrades.
Not wishing to rob his memory of
any honor due him, | will admit that while
! it is true he and his men landed there in
that year, as nearly all Hawaiian his
torians agree, and was killed in the bay
near Hilo in February, 1873 by the natives,
he was in 10 way responsible for the dis
covcry of the islands 1t is also an ad-
mittcd fact that the group received the
name of Sandwich Islands by him.
probably in honor of the Earl Of Sand
wich,-but there are well-authenticatcd
Spanish charts of the Pacific on which
appear a group of islands III the same
latitude, and only 10o of longitude east of
the group now known as the Hawaiian
Islands. (Sce Bolctin dc In Soc. GcOgr. dc
Madrid, 1919 Hon. John l.. Stevens
accounts for this difference in longitude by
the dependence of those early navigators
upon dead reckoning" for their longitude;
and III view Of the fact that chronomctcrs
were not yet invented, this view seems
quite probable. Aside from this, it is
a welI-recognizcd fact that tie Spaniards
were the carly navigators Of the Pacific
Ocean, and early history among the Ha-
waiians quite agrees the group was dis
covered as carly us 1555 by one Juan
Gaetano, a Spaniard. If this he true.
then Uncle Sam has taken charge of Spain s
old child, who is now quite content with
the situation.
Again, the history of the Hawaiian
people has many carly traditions; among
others is orc 10 tic effect that Il class of
strange white men made their appearance
among them previous to this date. Why
such discovery, if this De true was not
made public may &c due to the fact that
such discovery WAS made by the members
Of Il sl3ipwrccked Spanish crew who never
reached home again. 1t is also a matter
Of Hawaiian history, so | have been in
formed. that a Japanese junk with some
men reached the Island Of Oahu III 1923
shortly after American missionaries landed
Ii seems quite probable that similar land
ingS may have been made long bc.Orc this:
in fact, Farandcr, in his POL yucS!an Races"
states his belief that these natives origi-
nally came 10 these islands in canoes from
New Zealand. Even of late canoes have
driftcd in to the group, us if in proof oi
Farandcr's theory.
Numerous Hawaiian historians speak
Of the carly canoe journeys of the H;l-
waiians, and even the native ncies, on
historic songs, are very pronounced il
the islands. Some speak of Hawaii-Loa,
a famous native fisherman and navigator
sailing TO the east, and discovering the
islands Hawaii and Maui, and claim these
voyages were between Hawaii and "Ka-
Iilli," Il tenn supposed to be taken from
Tahiti, meaning III a general sense name
for foreign laLds."
Ia AlcXandcr's "nistory of the Hawaiian
People" lie says: 1T is probable that those
ancient navigators had large canoes built
up Of pianks, srwed together and dcckcd
over, III part at lcIst, with capacity to
hold livestock and stores for long voy-
age. They were bold and expert scamen,
inur"d to h;lrijhi.,s, and had Il rcspccta-
u, ..aowicfg" If TIE positions of the princi-
.;:il 8t;trs and of the rising and setting. of
t'..' So SO a. diIe.rIt times of the year.
+ P -' r. tlGD i',cy made those journeys
-. ..,i'i!;:.b.."-