The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-30

the Sayaioris as they have been called.
70 distinguish them from other Oceanic
races. have very definite characteristics.
physical and mental. They are most
nearly related to the Cambojan group,
their true affinities being with the eau
casians of Indo-China" (Keane). They
are in no way however distantly, related
TO the negro Their habitat is in the
southern and eastern Pacific Ocean,
where they occupy Samoa, Tahiti, Ton
ga the Marquesas Tuamotu. Tokelau.
EIlice, Rotuma, New Zealand, the east
ern Fills. Tarawa. Manega. Phoenix and
Lagoon Islands, Easter Island, and In the
north Pacific the Hawaiian group.
In all these islands and groups, how
ever widely separated geographically. we
find a people that Is essentially one in
blood. language, usages, traditions and
religion. They rank high among races.
KeGne SAYS: They are one of the finest
races of mankind, Caucasian In all eS-
sentials; distinguished by their symmet-
ricaI proportions, averaging five feet ten
inches and handsome features. Cook
gives the palm to the Marquesas
islanders. who for fine shape and
regular features surpass all other ma
tives'" Lord George Campbell remarks
There are no people in the world who
strike one at first so much as these
Friendly Islanders CTongans). Their
clear. light copper-brown colored skins.
yellow and curly hair, good-humored and
handsome faces-their tout ensemble
formed a novel and splendid picture OF
the genus homo; and as far as physique
and appearance go they gave one Ger
tainly an impression OF being a superior
race to ours" The Savaioris are SINH
IarIy described by most of the leading
observers. They are also among the
A., -nA nd cyarl
erous people in the world, and but for
the expressions of their priests and kings
would have been the happiest.
What are the causes of this exceptional
Under what conditions.
material and psychical. has that develop
ment taken place? Only the briefest an
swer can be attempted here, and that
only for one typical group. the Hawaii
an. Some of the main conditions of this
were the following:
/ Geography, Oroganhy.-The largest
Island, Hawaii. has an area of four
thousand square miles; the group
stretches four hundred miles from north
west to southeast and all the principal
Islands had rival kings. Frequent wars.
naval excursions and invasions were the
result. The Islands are all mountainous,
offering secure Businesses TO the contend
ing factions, and the ancient Hawaiians
developed a good fighting physique.
2 Climate.-The Hawaiian climate is
the most equable tropical climate in the
world. It is never, as in other tropical
Islands. excessively hot. The usual range
Of temperature is from 40 to so degrees
at the sea level it never falls
below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, nor does it
ever exceed 90 degrees. Hurricanes and
-yphoons are absolutely unknown. This
and this immunity are due
% an ocean current from the north,
which tempers the winds and laves the
sland coasts in an ever-howing stream
II temperature of about 20 degrees.
The innocent Hawaiian climate favor
ID the habit of outdoor life, which was
Utmost universal, the native huts being
Used only for sleeping places and for
from the rain. 1t also deyei-
ped aquatic and seagoing habits. The
earness of the Islands to each other,
he gentle winds, the sea, never violently
though often rough, these
made the natives the most powerful and
airing swimmers in the world. trained
hem in fishing and seagoing, and tempt
d them away on long ocean Yoya ges-as
ar as the Society Islands, 2,OvJ miles to
he southwark. In fishing, too, they be-
anne great experts.
5. The soil was in large part fertile.
his, with the favoring climate. made !
ut a few weeks labor in the year neces- /
airy. The natives did not exert them
elves toilsomely in agriculture. Their
rincipal food was the root of the taro;
mis- being nearly all starch, it produced (
reat obesity, especially in the chiefs, |
tho, having much TO eat and not much |
} do, grew excessively fat.
4. Negative Conditions.-The total alb /
ence of wild beasts and noxious vermin. I
s well of destructive tempests and |
emperatures, was favorable to the |
sychical development and the genial |
Ontent of the Islanders. Nature had no !
errors for them; even the great volcanic
rupt!Ons of Mauna Loa and Kilauea, eX-
eeding in magnitude all others on rec
I'd. were very seldom destructive of hui
ian HE; nor did the violent earthquakes
D more damage than jostle the grass
Ottages of the jewellers in this lotos
md.
The Hawaiians thus enjoyed, in the
lain, very peaceable conditions of ex-
tence. They were indeed harassed by +
le tabu and by the wars of their chief i
inns: but the struggle for life, as known
more densely populated countries, was /
ot known to them. They found time +
y some forms of culture. They had no Il
astic art; metals We're unknown, and n
ley never attained more than a limited y,
kill in mechanical arts: but in poetry 4
lere was an interesting development, in
lie form of sonorous chants or meles ,
'dSHeu III d peCuI-ar poetic QlCtlOn; in
ese were embodied the exploits and the
yes of their heroes, as well as their ira I
tons, mythology, and even their astro- I
'mical. botanical and animal lore :
Ihey had very acute eye for ma ture 7
heir language is full of terms for all G
sible things and doings; but it was {
tie capable of expressing general con- +
ptions, such as time, goodness. tenn /
rance, virtue: thus there were many :
nonyms for rain and sunlight. calm !
Id storm, but no word for weather. +
lis deficiency caused much trouble to r
e missionaries in the task of translat- i
: the Scriptures into the native tongue. +
lie things most valued by the natives +
old times were the sticks of Oregon
lie, which ar long intervals came drift .
: TO the Islands from the northwest 4
asst, and were beeagerly seized to be i
shioned into war canoes. 1t is said q
at when the translator came to the 7
ssage in the Epistles. reading: Add / 4
your faith knowledge, and to your f
owledge temperance, and TO your tenn @