The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-16

above the sea, and the other extending out
and out, farther than the eye can reach 1t
matters not what the conditions may be
the harbor of Honolulu is always beauti-
full always charming.
When q boat arrives at Honolulu it Is
met by crowd of curious, lazy people, all
barefooted, and all dressed in the loose,
flowing garments that have taken the place
of the semi-nudity that was the custom up
to a short time ago. In fact the first I'M
pressions that the stranger receives Of the
city are its barefoot people, its smooth,
hard, wide roads and it's attractive door
ways. When Honolulu was laid out land
must have been extremely cheap, for today
every villa has its wide expanse of yard.
These yards are not large in the way in
which we would understand the term In the
United States. AS compared with our door
yards they are simply immense. There are
few of them that do not contain half an
acre, and eight or ten acres are often re-
tained by some of the more pretentious
householderS But what Is more to the
point every yard is attractively laid out.
The native Hawaiian loves flowers as he
loves life He strings them around his neck.
On fete days he wraps his body in them.
He wears them in his hat, on his clothing,
and it is but natural that he should have
them in his door yard. 1t matters little
how great or how humble the house may
be, the yard is always fragrant with flow
ers. The result, as may be imagined is
that Hanolulu is one of the most beautiful
cities on the face of the globe.
If the visitor expects to find 1t tropical
city of Oriental architecture, however, he
will be disappointed. The only thing ORR
entail about it is its natural beauties and
its people Its streets are modern macada-
mixed highways. It's houses are such as
one might expect to find in any city of the
north. In the business sections its blocks
are thoroughly modern, and in its stores
may be found an array of goods of which
the. storekeeper of New York, London, or
Paris would have no reason to feel asham-
ed. In fact every steamer brings loads OF
such articles of food and clothing as are
used by the most fastidious people, and all
find a ready market.
The social lines are not drawn very close
ly in this country, and there is less of that
moral rigidity that predominates in a cold
er and more religious climate. The Ameri-
cans are the leaders in all the social and
political affairs. They are the descendants
of the missionaries who came to the is
lands three-quarters of a century ago. but
they do not hesitate to extend social cour-
tesies with the half-breeds of the educated
native. In fact many of the latter are eX-
tremely refined people. They live in lux
urious homes send their children to Ameri-
can and European Institutions of learning
and have all the comforts that wealth can
bestow. AS the result there Is very little
of that feeling of color distinction that pre-
walls in America.
The more common people in Hawaii are
a picturesque and interesting study, for
while they have made a pretense of adopt
ing the customs of those with whom they
have been thrown in contact they have
still retained their traits that have been
the characteristics of the race since the
earliest days of savagery. They still feast
on taro, raw fish and poi, that queer mix
ture that looks like paste, feels like cold
yeast and tastes like buttermilk. and they