Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-06
The Question Never Definitely
Solved.
WHAT is KNOWN OF FIRST SETTLERS
Pioneers Were Bold Nayigators
Who Sailed by Sun and Star.
SOME ANCIENT REMAINS

In forthcoming report on The agricul-
tural resources and capabilities of Hawaii.
by William c. Stubs. director of the Loui-
| siana agricultural expeSiment station. con-
siderable space is given to the matter OF
the origin of the Hawaiian people, the
geology of the islands, the plants intro
duced since the discovery Of the group and
to the flora of the territory.
Ia dealing with the question OF the ORR
gin of the Hawaiianss AfF Stupbs says:
1.-THE origin of the Inhabitants OF these
islands has never been definitely solved.
The botanical affinities OF the plants and
the chronological ressmblanees- of the ami
mails, including the people, all point to the
| islands of the south and southwest. Prof
Alexander, in his History of the Hawaiian
People, states that the the inhabitants of
all the groups of islands In the eastern Pa
cific from New Zealand to Hawaii, and
also to Easter Island, scattered over dis
lance of 900 miles, may be considered as
one race, which is commonly called the
PolyneSian race: for they all speak dia-
| lects of the same language. have the same
| physical features, the same manners and
customs, the same general system of TIA
bus" 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
language is member of large and wide
ly spread family, including those spoken in
Micronesia, the Philippine Islands, the Ma
lay archipelago and Madagascar. 1t is
thought that the Polynesians originally
came from southwestern Asia, but 1t Is
positively known that their progenitors
were emigrants from the Indian archipel-
ago.
Came From Samoa.
"It 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 Mao
alr l.If sha
Hawaiians. have a tradition that their an
cestors came from Hawaiki. The Marquee
slams claim that their ancestors came from
Hawaii in the west, stopping at Fill, Va
vau and Tonga The dialects of all of
these islands are similar to the Hawaiian.
THE first settlement of the Hawaiian
Islands was made long ago, since human
bones are found under coral reefs and an
Gent lava flows. Judge Fernandez thinks
| the islands We're inhabited as early as 500
A d. Whether the earlier settlers were
driven from other islands in war or left
| them designedly, whether they were seek
4 ing new islands or We're driven out of their
course by storms to known ones, Will never
| be known. The original Hawaiians were
great navigators, performing voyages OF
many months duration in large canoes,
sailing with outriggers to the winaward,
well proyisioned, 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.
L
many generations. intercourse with the
South Pacific islands was established, ard
many of these famous voyages have beel
| celebrated both in song and story. Most OF
these voyages We're made to kahild CTa-
| hiti). but the intercourse ceasing over i've
| hundred years ago, the Hawaiians lost def
| mite ideas of the locality of these islands,
and SO in time kahfkf came to mean any
| foreign country.
Former Division of Glasses.
1.-The Hawaiians were divided formerly
| into three classes. with wide and perma-
nent distinction between them: u The no.
| bility consisting of the kings and chiefs:
| 90 the priests sorcerers and doctors, and
| CD the common or laboring class The
| first class were the sole owners OF the
| land and all that grew upon it. They were
also owners of the fish of the sea, and OF
| the time and labor of the people. The lat
| ter owned nothing absolutely. The feudal
system was practiced here in an intensified
| form, the common laborers not receiving
| more than one-third of the products of
their toll The second class were the
learned men and kept alive the knowledge
| of astronomy. history. medicine, etc Wars
were common and very destructive. The
| vanquished were either destroyed or brand
| ed on the forehead as slaves and made to
serve the remainder of their life. Marriage
was practiced by all, but the tie was not
strong the husband dismissing his wife at
pleasure. Polygamy was practiced by all
| who could afford it. Descent came through
| the mother only, hence, every king and
chief sought a wife of noble birth. This
custom lent dignity and respect to woman
hood. lnfanticide. was universally prac-
ticed. the girls being more frequently de-
Stroyed than the boys.
'Cannibalism, formerly SO freely and
| frequently charged against the people.
| was unknown and was looked upon by all
| with horror and detestation. They lived
| upon taro. sweet potatoes, yams. bananas
| and fish. Cereal grains. as well as cotton,
4 flax and wool, were unknown to them.
Cloth (kapa) was made from the bark
of the mulberry tree, beaten out with
heavy wooden mallets deliberately carved
| This kappa was of different quality and
thickness, and frequently dyed and war;
nished. Its uses were manifold No such
| thing loom was known. There was an
| entire absence of metals; no beasts of bur-
| den: in fact, no domestic animal save the
| dog and the pig. The Hawaiians there
| fore remained unduly long In the stone
| age The absence of domestic animals and
| the lack Of extensive tracts of fertile land
prevented them from being a pastoral peo-
pie They were obliged, therefore. to con-
fine their efforts to such work as could
| be performed by their hands and to
| such burdens could be carried on
the backs Of men and women. Con-
sidering their environment, the early
Hawaiians made remarkable industrial pro-
gress, evidences of which are everywhere
to be seen on the islands.
Ancient Memorials.
Terraces. artificial ash ponds. bitches
for irrigation, large trenches for their
sports, immense temples and numerous
grass houses are everywhere to be seen,
memorials of the ingenuity, thought and
industrial activity of these ancient people.
In the magnificent Polynesian Museum I'm
Honolulu, dedicated in memory of hts wife
"a descendant of the line of Kamehameha
d by Mr.. Bishop, are found stone and lava
hatchets, knives and fishhooks of sharks
teeth. KAPPA cloth of endless qualities and
colors. mats, fans, fish nets, ropes, baskets.
numerous domestic implements made of
hard wood or stone caIabashes of large
size and beautiful finish made from the
hard wood of the island, pans for the evap-
Grating of salt from water spears,
javelins daggers, sings made from the
fiber of the cocoanut husk or OF human
hair, long and deep canoes of wonderful
carrying capacity and extremely seaworthy
when dashed together, and with masts
carrying sails made OF bark all testified to
the skill, enterprise and industry of these
wonderful people. isolated for over 500
years from the world"
The report covers 100 printed pages and