The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-15
NATIVES THERE DO NOT CARE
FOR FLOWERS.
Interesting Letter From Lieutenant W.
e. Stafford Well Known Here-work
of Mr.. Scale in Collecting Birds

Lieutenant w. e. Stafford, U. S. N,
in acknowledging the receipt from Pre-
sident Charles L. Wight of a quantity
of seeds and useful plants sent to Guam
writes interestingly as follows of life
and conditions there. Lieut.. Stafford is
a scientist Of rare attainments, fact
which makes his observations of the
more value.
THE natives of this island in general
show little appreciation for flowers.
They never make leis nor wear the
flowers in any way. Only three or four
in the entire city of Agana have flow
er gardens, and they are laid out in a
haphazard manner. They cannot un-
derstand why any body wants to plant
anything which is not edible, or which
does not furnish some useful product.
Mr.. Haughs has sent some fine things
among which are a number of orna-
mental palms. The natives cannot un-
derstand what We can want with them.
| There is q village of Caroline Island
ers here. These people always wear
flowers in their hair, and remind me
somewhat of the Samoans. The other
day a species of AlyXia (maile) was
brought to me. I was delighted, for
although it is of a different species
from the Hawaiian and Samoan MALE
yet it has the same fragrance and the
glossy deep green leaves. l said: How
the Hawaiians love MALE; why is 1T
| that you people do not love to wear
| howersY One of them said: Do you
take us for saVages like the Carolinos? Z?
The next thing you will be expecting
us to make great holes in the lobes of
our ears, like them, so as to carry
beads and weeds stuck through them.
II bought a little place, which in
cludes a nice lot This 1 have been
preparing for a garden; but | have
heard indirectly that we are all to be
detached soon, who came here original
! ly with the late governor; so my inter-
esting work in horticulture will, l fear
have to be suspended. l shall put your
seed however in good hands. There is
a gentleman here, formerly a Captain
| in the Spanish Army, who having mar
ried here, preferred to resign and settle
down in the island. He has farm, and
| is interested in the introduction of new
plants and birds
IT am glad to say there is no lantana
in the island, but the guavas have
| overspread vast areas, and there is a
dwarf orange( Tr1phasia auranteola)
which though beautiful for hedges has
made dense thickets in places. 1t has
flowers as fragrant as our trailing ar
butus at home and berries of a bright
red color and the flavor of Curacao
liqueur The Hau, Kamani, Inga dull
els, Iron-wood and several other trees
of Hawaii are common here; but there
is no Koa, only one tree of Kukui Gn-
troduced from the Philippines), and
only the monkey-pods we brought from
Honolulu. l have been planting some
seed 1 got from Mr.. Haughs; and
hope there will be somebody to succeed
me who will interest himself in the pro-
pagation of good and useful things on
the island.
ssT tIr loo oly Of oil 70 oil
tiles is a great draw back. 1 get awful
ly home-sick. l wish l were stationed
in Hawaii. Sometimes we are two
months without letters.
II wonder if you appreciate the bless
ings you enjoy. You have a good lib
rary, a fine museum, frequent visits
from good lecturers and charming so
ciety, all of which we lack here. The
only thing delightful here is the clim-
ate. The roads are bad, the crops often
fail, the people are very illiterate, it is
hard to get food, there is no such thing
as labor to be hired, and there are fire.
quent occurrences of epidemics of ty-
phoid fever, etc. We lost a number OF
men. Every native has his ranch. cul-
tivates his own corn, sweet potatoes
! tobacco, and has no time to work fol
anybody else. The climate is such thai
J rice and sugar could be cultivated but
suitable land is scarce, and labor /:
lacking for these industries. Coffee
grows everywhere.
"a Mr.. Scale is with me collecting
birds for the Bishop Museum. He II
doing good swork. Professor Brigham
is to be congratulated on having 81
: capable an assistant.
J II am up to my ears in work on tn
J interesting language of this island.
: is fearful and wonderful. In all m!
experience I have found nothing yer!
nearly like 1t. 1t has an occasiona
Malayan word but its structure is very
peculiar and it's vocabulary has yer!
: little in common with the Malayo
Polynesian."
, 49, r,ArOu unncnnXyrrD