The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-12-29
NEW STATISTICS Of AREA
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS NOT AS BIG
AS WAS SUPPOSED.
Latest Compilation of Data by Prof.
Lyons Reduces Area of All But Oahu
Three Per Cent.

New figures for the area of the Ha-
waiian Islands will be given to the pub
lie in the forthcoming issue of Thrum's
Annual. 1t is believed that these fig
ures will be final and will never be
changed
The areas of the islands as they are
commonly quoted are those of the gov
eminent map prepared in 1876 as part
of the Hawaiian exhibit at the Centen-
NAL Exposition in Philadelphia. This
was the first official map of the Islands
ever prepared by the Hawaiian gov
eminent. 1t was prepared and drawn
by Curtis j. Lyons from all available
material at hand at the time. 1t has been
the basis ever since of all charts and
popular maps of the Islands. The board
of education had this official map re-
duced in scale and published in conven-
lent form for use in the schools and for
popular use.
In the Surveyor Generals office Prof.
Lyons has a most interesting collection
of the maps of the Islands complied
prior to that of the government map OF
1876. One of them is a map drawn and
engraved by the native pupils of La
hainaluna seminary in 1896. While the
data for this map was derived princi-
pally, probably from the surveys CT
Vancouver, the map is valuable for the
authoritative photography and names
of places it gives. 1t was compiled by
natives familiar with the native names
and clear in their spelling of them be
cause they were pupils in the most i'm
portant school up to that time est1b-
lished.
Another interesting map is one pub
lished by the British Admiralty. Though
published as late as 1850 it still used the
old style of spelling the Hawaiian
names.
Still another map of Importance is
the one published by the United States
from the surveys of the exploring eX-
petition of 1871. This map is valuable
from some of the mistakes it contains.
1t was made largely from original sur
veys and data and some of the errors
| into which the explorers fell have had
the result of prompting investigation
which has led to important results.
A very interesting map is a British
Admiralty publication from survey OF
the south side of Oahu in 1925. This con-
tains the first survey of Pearl HarDor
and practically the first survey of Ho-
nolulu harbor. 1t is significant that
this map does rot show Quarantine ISL
and. indicate G that that island has
/ been formed since.
| The new figures for island areas are
| the results of computations from all
surveys made up to the present time.
These surveys are now so practlcaiiy
complete for all the islands that it is
not thought worth while to withhold the
corrected figures longer. The only rea-
son for not giving out corrected fgures
from time to time is the danger of in
| Producing confusion into the subject.
The figures for Oahu will not be
changed The figures for the areas of
the other islands will be reduced from
three to four per cent. The reason why
there is a reduction. is that in compll-
ing the figures in 1876 where there was
not exact data the land was given the
benefit of the doubt. and was shown as
extending as far out into the sea as
there was probability it did so that
mariners might not be misled to theil
damage.