The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-06

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name, SO proudly applied to it by its m
habitants, the Garden Isle" The ISL
and is noted for its excellent sugar plan
tations, on the ocean side of which ex-
tensive rice fields abound.
This island is so near the temperate
zone that it partakes of some of its eli
matte characteristics. A few trees shed
their leaves in winter, resuming them IN
spring. The orange and pear trees bloom
in February, and the fig trees bear two
crops each year, one in the spring, the
other in the fall Elsewhere on the ISL
ands these fruit trees have no definite
period for blooming, but continue
throughout the year to bloom and fruit,
often at the same time. The tempera-
ture, too has a greater variation often
falling IN winter to so degrees.
Molokai is 40 miles long, and has an
area, of about 80 square miles Upon
the no them coast is a tongue of land
project ng into the ocean, ten miles in
length and one in breadth, which was
c,ed by the Hawaiian Government
over thirty years ago as a home for the
iepers. 1t is grassy plain, enclosed On
three sides by the ocean and on lie
south by an impossible escarpment, over
1000 feet high. 1t is well sheltered from
the strong lee winds by the highlands
in the rear. 1t is an appropriate loca-
ton for an asylum. There are about o.
GOO acres in the tract, with a fertile soil
affording an abundant pasturage Tor
cattle and horses required by the I'm FOR
tunate inmates. The Government ganer-
ously provides for this home, furnishing
nice cottages liberal rauons, necessary
clothing, and the home comforts OF
flowers. fruits and vegetables. A GYM
naslum, reading room and two
churches "a Congregational and Catho-
lic), with clergymen, are provided spe-
rf
sixteen leper musicians frequently plays
for the public. Local physicians, ap.
pointed by the Government, administer
to the ills of the occupants. BY law
every leper on the islands is sent to ihis
nome and none are permitted their free
DOM The Government has spent, TO
date, over two millions of dollars on this
home, and with the present watchful
care exercised over leprosy, it will be
only short time before this dread dis
ease, introduced into the islands in 1853,
will be completely eradicated.
Lanai, the sixth island of the group IN
size, is q miles long and eight in
breadth, and has an area of about 100
square miles. The island is used exclu-
sively for grazing and affords susie
nance to thousands of sheep, goats and
horses.
Niihau, next to the smallest of the
eight large islands, lies southwest Of
Kauai, and has an area of about 10 900
acres. 1t is nothing more than a large
sheep ranch Owned by Messrs Gay q
Robinson), and its inhabitants are main-
ly shepherds. A fine grass, resembling
the Guayaquil grass used in making Pa
mama hats, is here found indigenous, and
was formerly extensively used in making
"Niihau mats" noted for their delicacy
and beauty. Shells of great beauty are
found on the coast, and some of them
a re- c MT cn1l -
the tourists.
Kahoolawe, the smallest of the larger
islands, lies opposite East Maui It is
used as a sheep pasture and has about
$4,000 acres covered with grass and
shrubbery. Only a few shepherds live
on this island.
ORIGIN OF HAWAIIAN PEOPLE.
The origin of the Hawaiian people has
never been definitely solved The bo-
tanical affinities of the plants, and the
chronological resemblances of the ami
mails, including the people all point to
the islands of the south and southwest.
Prof. Alexander, in his admirable His
tory of the Hawaiian People, states
that the inhabitants of all the groups
of islands in the Eastern Pacific, from
New Zealand to Hawaii, and also to
Easter Island, scattered over a distance
of 1900 miles, may be considered as one
race, which is commonly called the Poly
nesian race; for they all speak dialects
of the same language, have the same
physical features, the same manners and
customs, the same general system OF
tabus,' and similar traditions ana re-
ligious rites
They have, in common, the names of
the principal gods, stones, of the origin
of fire, about the deluge, etc.
The PoIynesian language is a member
ln1xr u fsarr
Guiding those spoken in Micronesia the
Philippine Islands, the Malay Archipel-
ago and Madagascar.
1t is thought that the Polynesians CIig-
nally came from Southwestern Asia,
but it is positively known that their
progenitors were emigrants from the In
dian Archipelago.
1t is fairly well determined that the
Island of Savaii in the Samoan group, Is
the point of departure for all of the
Polynesians of the Eastern Pacific. The
Maoris of New Zealand, closely resem-
bling the Hawaiians, have a tradition
that their ancestors came from Hawaii
The Marquesans claim that their an
cestors came from Hawaii in the West
stopping at Fiji, Vavau and Tonga. The
lects of all of these islands are similar
to the Hawaiian.
FIRST SETTLEMENT OF HAWAII
The first settlement of the Hawaiian
Islands was made long ago, since hui
man bones are found under coral reefs
and ancient lava flows. Judge Fornan-
der thinks they We're inhabited as early
as 500 A. d. Whether the earlier set
tiers were driven from other islands in
war or left them designedly, whether
they were seeking new islands, or were
driven out of their course to known ones
by storms will never be known. The
original Hawaiians were great naviga-
tors, performing voyages of many
months duration in large canoes, sailing
with outriggers to the windward, well
provisioned, etc. They sailed by the
stars at night and by the sun in the
day Thus the settlement of all of the
islands of the Pacific may be accounted
for.
After separati ton from the world FOL
many generations, intercourse with the
South Pacific Islands was established
and many of these famous voyages have
been celebrated both in song and story
Most Of these voyages were made tc
Kahiki CTahitD, but the intercourse, ENG
ing over 500 years ago, the Hawaiians
lost definite ideas of the locality of these
islands. and SO in time Kahiki came &c
mean every foreign country. The Ha.
waians We're divided formerly into
three classes, with wide and permanent
distinction between them. First, the no
bility, consisting of the King and chiefs
second, the priests, sorcerers and sectors
and third, the common or laborine