The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-21

IdSnlOn- me ndDlt consisted
i of very long piece of gay colored cloth,
wrapped round the waist of the rider,
and then around the legs, the long ends
streaming out behind and almost cover
ing the horse when in rapid motion AS
/. the custom used to be 20 dash at full
speed through the town, it was very
gay sight when several of these riders
galloped by together in the brilliant sum
shine. Now alas! there are no more
such riding habits to be seen, and every
year there are fewer such riders.
LEI WREATHS AND SLAMS
Even the Leis which are sold at sew
eral of the street corners in Honolulu
are in danger of extinction. These lei
wreaths are formed of strings of flowers
on grasses, and are hung round the neck
or hat Of the purchaser. In old times on
festive occasions the Hawaiians used to
appear almost covered in the wreaths OF
varied colors. Now when friends are de-
parting it is customary to send lei
WreathS with aloha or goodbye wishes.
But even these charming flower wreaths,
costing only some. % cents each, are
likely soon to be unobtainable owing to
the substitutes introduced These cost
less, and have the added advantage that
they do not fade and need not be re-
newed. They are, however, poor SUBJ
lei wreaths of the real Hawaii. When
the leis are gone, another link with the
past Will have been severed, and pro-
gressive civilization may rejoice at an
other conquest.
In the old times luaus native feasts
were held whenever an occasion of honor
or rejoicing occurred and they were dis
tinguished by the quantity of food con-
sumed and the absence of ill-effects up
the diners This latter pripcina lly
because of the vegetable food in the
feast. The luau was held in the open air
or in boathouse, then the principal
house in the place. The food was laid
upon leaves spread on the ground. The
guests crowned and hung with les, sat
on the ground on the same level as the
food, and ate for hours at time. There
was always great display of the hand
made calabashes and dishes, while suck
ing pig. roasted whole in the ground,
and poi made from the root of the taro
plant were prominent among the edibles.
Now. however. the luau feasts take place
upon low tables several inches from the
ground, and the beautiful old handmade
calabashes or bowls have given place
to machine-turned, highly-varnished
bowls of modern manufacture. The old
calabashes had beautiful soft polish,
caused by soaking in oil and the rubbing
| DEBASING CIVILIZATION.
! Thus, one by one, old customs have
passed from their old state, and are now
rapidly descending the path to disap-
pearance. The old native dance-the hu-
la-hula-was condemned as not decent,
although the old dances We're perfect
marvels of the dancers art, and the I'M
| desirable elements of the dance were
! largely introduced by the imagination of
the civilized moralists. So the dance
was made offence, and only takes
| place when a party is made up, to bear
the expenses of special performance,
which expenses include the gne neces-
sary for the infringement of the laws.
The dance danced, doubtless. is
far worse than in the olden days, when
the hula girls kept time SO wonderfully
that, viewed from one end, whole row
seemed but as one figure going through
the dance. 1t is very curious how civili-
cation degrades the habits of savage
races by contact, and then demands theiI
suppression on moral grounds.
The Hawaiians do not work very hare
or very systematically. In the old days
before the advent of missionaries ane
traders, all the Hawaiians lived com
fortably without the need of working
| thanks to the natural resources Away!
, available. Civilization brought to then
, the necessity of working for living AM
, seeing others occupy the lands wlI4cl
once were theirs. Japanese and Chimes
, and other alien races have come into tn
land, and do the better kinds of work
: and the Hawaiian is left principally t.
fishing and boating, though even her
, the Chinese have intruded, and will 500
drive out the poor Hawaiians.
E 1t is sad to watch the passing of an
race, and doubtly SO when the native
: are such fine, well-made, generous, an
a good-natured souls. But the civilizatio
: of the white man is not kind to any c
a the colored races, and they go out on
D. by one. With the end of the Hawaiian
: another picturesque race win have disaI
l. peared from this earth.
a ALFRED STEAD.
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