The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-07
ORIGIN OF HAWAIIANS

taWan by Wflliam =. Stub5S, director or |
the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment ]
the matter OF the origin OF the Hawaiian
people, the geology OF the islands. the
plants introduced since the discovery of
The sropFs ana 40 che. dora et the terri
IN dsalinr 'with' tle question of The fori-
Sin OF the Iiawaiians. Mr.. stubbs SAYS
u rThe origin OF the inhabitants or these
islands has never been definitely solved,
The botanical affinities OF the plants and
chronological resemblances OF the animals,
including the people. all point TO the ISL
ands of the South and Southwest. Prof.
Alexander, In his History OF the Ha-
waiian People, states that the inhabi-
tants OF all the groups OF islands In the
Eastern Pacific from New Zealand TO
Hawaii and also to Easter Island scat
tered over "A distance OF 1000 miles. may
be considered as one race, which is com
monty called the Polynesian race; for
they all speak dialects OF the same lam
guage, have the same physical features,
the same manners ana customs she same
general system of "tabus," and similar
traditions and religious rites They have
in common the names OF the principal
gods, stories OF the origin OF fire, about
the deluge. etc. The POlynesian Ian
guage Is a member OF a large and widely
spread family, including those spoken in
Micronesia. the Philippine Islands, the
Malay archipelago and Madagascar IL
is thought that the Polynesians orlgl-
nally came from Southwestern Africa
but IL IL positively known that the pro-
genitors were emigrants from the indian
archipelago.
1T is fairly well determined that the
Island of Savaii, In the Samoan group, Is
the point OF departure for all OF the Poly
nesians OF the Eastern Pacific. The
Maors OF New Zealand. closely resem-
bling the Hawaiians. have a tradition
that their ancestors came from Hawai-.
The Marquesians claim that their ances-
tors came from Hawaii In the West,
stopping at Fiji, tNavau and Tonga. the
dialects Of all OF these islands are simi-
lar 60 the Hawaiian.
THE first settlement Of the Hawaiian
Islands was made long ago. since human
bones are found under coral reefs anu
ancient lava flows. Judge Fornander
early as 500 A, D. Whether the earlier
settlers were driven from other Islands
i'm war or left them designedly, whether
they were seeking new islands or were
driven out OF their course by storms 10
known ones. will never be- known. The
, original Hawaiians were great naVl-
gators, performing voyages OF mahN
months duration in large canoes, SAILING
with outriggers 10 the windward, Wei
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 separation from the world Tor
many generations, Intercourse WIN ths
south Pacific Islands was established,
and many of these famous voyages have
been celebrated both I'm song ana stofy.
Most OF these voyages were mace 70
Kahiki CTahitD, but the intercourse
cee sing over five hundred years ago, lhe
Hawaiians lost definite ideas OF the To-
| cality OF these islands. and SO In ume
| I<ahiki came to mean any foreigp coun-
THE Hawaiians were divided formerly
into three classes. with wide and permsc
| nent distinction between them: % lns
nobility, consisting Of the KINGS an"
| chiefs; (2) the priests. socerers Snu uoe .
| tors. and go the common or lnborins
| class The first class were the sole OWL
| ers OF the land and all that grew upon "
| They were also owners of the nsh OF ule
| sea and of the time and labor of the peo-
pie. The latter owned nothlng anseluiS'k-
| The feudal system was practicen n$.s ~
! an intensified form, the common iaS
| ers not receiving more than ome-tnlro y
| the products OF their toll. The secono
class were ihe learned men, ana kepl
| alive the knowledge OF astronomy, r., b'
tory medicine etc. Wars were conlrloi,
| and very destructive. The vsnaulsnsu
| were either destroyed or branded on the
! forehead as slaves ana mace 70 81
! the remainder OF their IRE, MAJ i ,,'.,
was practiced by all. but the tie was not
| strong the husband dismissing ms vic
! at pleasure. Polygamy was pracuceu os
( all who could afford IL. Descent caIne
through the mother only, hehce eNS,s
1 king and chief sought wife or nopie
| birth This custom lent dignity and re-
spect 10 womanhood. lnfanticlde Wss
| universally practiced the girls peins
| more frequently destroyed than the boys;
| "Cannfbalism. formerly so freely ana
| frequently charged against tne peoPte.
| was unknown, and was lookeu up"m ~
| All with horror and detestation. Ihey
| lived tpon taro sweet potatoes, yaHs.
| bananas and fish. Cereal grains, as Wen
| as cotton flax and wool, We're unknown
| To them Cloth (kapa) was mace from the
| hark ~ the mulberry tree. beaten out
| with heavy wooden malets. elaporately
| carved This KAPPA was OF dliterent qual11
ity and thickness, and frequentS M ,so,d I'D
| and yarnished. It's uses were maniiolu'
! No such thing as n loom was known.
| There was an entire absence OF lneta!s,
no beasts Of burden In fact no uoineT,,e srhe
| animals save the dogs and the pig ne
| Hawaiians therefore, remained uhdulS
long in the stone age. The absence oi
domestic animals and the lack OF exten-
| siye tracts OF fertile land prevented 'n'm
| from being a pastoral people.
Thev were obliged therefore, 10 con,
| fine their <efforts to such work as cohlu cos
be performed by their hands ana 20 SUI, SUI,
| burdens as could be carried on the packs
| 80 ,,,en and women. Considering their en-
vironment, the early Hawaiians mae r. re-
rnarkable industrial progress, LeVluehVss ~,
| ~ which are everywhere 20 De seen oh
VIZ sTerTaces. artificial FISH ponds bitches
for irrigation. large trenches Tor their
sports immense temples an ana 81 ip,oTa hn seen,
1,enorials of the ingenuity. thought anu
| Industrial activity OF these anclfn. NJ NJ.
| ME In the magnificent rory yneSian .l,..a, ~
| ga,,r, In Honolulu. dedicated IN memory
| -, Its wife "a descendant of inc me ol
Eamehameha ID by Mr.. Bishop are
round stones and lava hatchets kllve'
| snd fshhooks OF sharks teeth haps
ain,b ~ endless qualities and colors
MATS fans. fish nets. ropes, baskets. nu,
merous. domestic implements made ne y
"a n,nod or stone. calabashes OF larF'
III. nnIu VI haautifuI finish, made from tn
siSc sord avn WOOD gI Of the island; pans for th'
nSs IMPORTATION OF salt from sea sea wa.er on.
spears jevelins, dagsers s''ngs h,s, ,,,so, nr !,
IRON, Ii,,,,,n r hair. long and deep canoes o
nwnnJerfui ngf carrying capacity and . ex
tremely seaworthy when lasnHa sis ,DsSs"V, osda q
snu vii testified 10 the skill, enterpris
ond Industry OF these wonderfnl peopi,e