The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-08-22

from savaseS, the kauakas display
deep love for nature and its beauties. In
this respect they are unique. No red
skin is recorded as having had a flower
garden, AMI TO Asfiantee. Dahomeyan, or
Congo c4nn'oal WAS ever known to make
bouquets, Wredths, ara garlands. Every
Kanaka has I. yof- SPOT in his heart for
flowers. When he walks along the road
he never lOps IF the reads of blossoms, as
does the Anglo saxon On the contrary,
he is liable 10 step ana help a flower Or
bush which has beer heater down by wind
or rain. / recall two stalwart Hawaians
who stopped one lay rpon the road and
worked lndus.rlOIsly "a tying UP some
lilies and tuberOses which had fallen Or
been thrown 10 the ground. They got
long sticks, drove them into the soil,
raised the stems, and tied them with
Wisps OF straw or witE strong vines 10
the pole. The wearing OF strings Of lube
roses, opopanaxs Roses, and heliotrooa
around the hat or, like a huge necklace,
around the neck and hanging down the
shirt bosom is universal. More striking
still IS The use of feathers for decorative
purposes. The eommonest phase Is seen
in hathands and vest ornaments, consist
Of the eyes and plumes of peacocks' tails,
about the most brilliant combination of
colors hatdre presents.
Flowers aud Feathers.
Other gayly tinted feathers are popular
Tor decorative purposes among both men
and women. In front of every hotel are
peddlers with strings of odorous flowers
and every steamer which goes out is
crowded with flower sellers for two hours
before the warning bell sounds The old
English custom of going a-Maying is gen
eral throughout the islands. Women and
children go into the fields and groves and
there pick blossoms by hundreds. They
fasten them into their hair, weave them
into wreathes and festoons. and tack them
10 their hololus until each and all sug-
gest the Goddess Flora in the zenith OF
her prosperity. Every Kanaka's home il
powered with bushes, vines, and trees,
and their gardens are maze of color and
perfume. Hawaii might appropriately be
called the Land Of Flowers or the King
dom Of Flower Lovers.
Physically the Kanaka is q model. The
men and women are built upon more gen.
eroTs lines than other races This is es-
pecially the case with the women, who, at
sixteen, suggest the Venus de Milo or the
Olympian Juno rather than Diana. | do
not remember ever seeing an Hawaiian
Diana. They pass from plump childhood
into massive womanhood without entering
the stage so common TO our own race If
graceful slenderness. They are not fat
nor fabby. Their tissue is good. health
ful muscle, ard it is firm as that of a Vas
sGr athlete. This IS largely due 10 their !
out-Oi-dOor life. They love 70 stroll. 10 |
ride horseback. to climb the hills TO wan
der through the forests, TO saunter or trot |
along the heath and to breast the waves. |
Their swimming is Of a more vigorous
type than that which prevails at Newport. |
Coney Island, and Long Branch. They |
swim far out. either fighting the breakers !
or diving through them. and then they /
turn and either with or without a surf /
board come swiftly into the shore.
ARscc of swimmers,
To see a gro.2 Of them sprlnging I'D as
a breaker recedes. their blue-black hair |
shining like black crystals. thor eyes /
sparkling. their olive cheeks flaming with |
red. and their superb muscles auiverlng |
In the clear sunlight makes a picture Of |
wOndrous beauty. The KaHaka woman OIL
to-day Is well educated. reads. writes. and /
thinks Her literary standards are not as /
high as they might be. nor does she glory /
in intellectual work. She regards educa- /
ton as d necessity rather than a pleasure /
NneH she has gone through the pre- |
scr.bed courses OF study In the common |
school and high school she giOries In il |
very much as the little gfrl does who turns |
out her first cake. After graduation she /
does rot read much nor does she keep al |
together in IOuch with the progress OF the |
world, but she IS always gentle, affection |
ate. courteous, and considerate. At times |
she is a trifie emotional. bat in the main 1
she l. calm. without being phegmaUc. Sc /
rene ana joyous She makes a pleasant |
companion ard infSIses an element of light |
and happiness into the atmosphere. IN re- /
lgi0us matters the HaWai!ans are toler- !
ant 10 p high degree. The larger part are /
Pretestanjs. thanks 10 the numerous mis- /
sionaries who have lab0red IN their coun- /
try for ninety years. A few are Roman
Catholics, and quite a number, oddly 4
are MoTW0us.
MARGHERITA AgLINA HAsIAI.