The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-07
TALKS OF
HAWAII.
Stubbs Lectures to
the Louisiana
Planters.
HE DESCRIBES THE
ISLANDS BRIEFLY
Distinguished Agricultural Expert
Who was here for the
United States.
CONTINUED from Wednesday,
GEOLOGY OF THE ISLANDS.


The rocks are mainly basaltic lavas, with
here and there a few remnants of ele-
waited sea beaches, composed of CONSOLE
dated coral sands.
The islands extend from northwest to
southeast, showing that through a fis-
sure in the earth's crust volcanoes have
been built up Botanical and geological
evidences go to show that the age of the
different islands increases as one pro-
ceeds from east to west. Kauai. the
most northwestern, is always mentioned
as the oldest island, and Hawaii, the ex-
IRENE southeastern is the youngest The
eroding forces of nature have produced
greater destruction upon the former ISL
and than on any other while the only
active volcanoes in the group are found
on Hawaii.
Judging therefore, from the greater
disintegration of it's SO Is, the much heav-
Ter denudation of its slopes, the presence
of numerous running streams; yea, even
precipitous falls and cascades, the great
er abundance of vegetation both In guam
tity and variety, all apparently support
the statement that Kauai is the oldest
of the islands. Rightly considered, it
proves only that volcanic activity ceased
here earlier than elsewhere. But it does
not show that it began here earlier than
Hawaii. Which island first lifted its head
above the ocean, there is absolutely no
way to determine. That the great gulf
between Japan and Hawaii has always
existed is shown by the absence of any
affinity between the flora Of the two
groups of islands.
Between San Francisco and Hawaii the
soundings have given pretty uniform
depths of 5000 fathoms, while further
south Cwo degrees or more) is found
one of the largest depressions in the
ocean which extends nearly to the low
lying islands of Jarvis, Christmas, Pal
myra and others, which trend in the di-
rection of the Society group. There is,
therefore no evidence to show terreS-
trial immigration of plants to these ISL
ands in former times.
Ocean currents however slight may
be the positive evidence, must be assum-
ed as the vehicle of transportation of the
flora found originally on the islands. The
enthusiastically current of the Pacific,
which strikes the continent of America
and is DETECTED southwark after con-
tact, deposits driftwood of pine logs uI'-
on the islands. This DETECTED current is
reinforced by feeder on it's southern
boundary from Mexico and Central and
South Americas and bears with it the
drift of these countries.
A review of the island flora shows only
one or two inhabitants of California, and
they from the highest mountains. while
the Andean flora are quite abundan..
The Equatorial counter current may.
during the long continuance of south
westerly gales, which frequently prevail
in winter, have deposited DRIFT on the
islands.
This isolation of the Hawaiian Islands
has given them peculiar f1oca, contain
ing a large proportion of plants found
nowhere else. The peculiar characteris-
ties of the islands contribute largely to
such results and aid in multiplying va
reties. The traveller may in :, i:ie;le
day pass from the tropical heat of the
coast to the region of perpetual snow,
and if he crosses from the windward
over to the leeward side of an island he
will encounter climate with a varying
rainfall, from 300 inches annually tc lees
than thirty inches. There is wonder
ful diversity in temperature, rainfall,
elevation and barometric pressure.
The soil, however, is quite uniform, de-
rived from a basaltic lava, with a mar
row band encircling the islands on the
coast of coral limestone. These soils are
extremely porous, and the rainfall passes
quickly into them, sinking into the arte-
sian reservoirs, made possible by the en-
circling belt of coral, which furnish the
potable and irrigating waters of the ISL
ands Therefore, geologically speaking,
the islands are very young, with a very
| limited fauna and flora
CLIMATE.
! The Climate is more semi-tropical than
/ tiOpiSdli anu " d NISllOI Is quite eiiJOS
able, though permanent dwellers COM
plain of the lassitude which the monoto-
nous climate proLdces, after a sojourn
/ of a few years on thes islands.
Hawaii is famed by northeast trade
winds and laved by cool oceanic currents
| coming from the north, thus reducing
by many degrees the temperature which
its geographical position would predi-
cate. The constancy of these winds and
! currents gives an equable temperature,
averaging about IS degrees F., through
out the year, with extremes of 80 to S.
degrees. Altitude is here the most po-
tent factor of temperature, the thermom-
ter falling about degrees for-every l.
WD feet of ascent; so that on the sum-
mits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa
snow and ice may frequently be found.
The Wlndward and leeward sides of the
| islands vary also in temperature and
rainfall. The eastern or windward sides
of the islands are constantly swept by
strong winds, which produce heavy rain
falls and lower temperatures. While the
western or leeward sides are compare
lively calm, dry and warm. On the for
fner farming of all kinds can be carried
! On without irrigation, while on the lat
! Ter, especially near the coast irrigation
Is essential for the production Of maxi
mum crops.
Even upon the leeward side the rain
faI varies with the altitude. beginning
on the coast about twenty inches annu-
any and increasing as one ascends the
mountains. Frequently on a plantation
OF varying attitudes, the rainfall will be
abundant for crop purposes on a part of
H. while on another part irrigation will
pe absolutely necessary to grow most
any kind of plant successfully. The
heaVy rains falling upon the windward
slde or the Islands have clothed the noun
tain slopes with dense forest. and cut
INTO them numerous deep and precipi-
tous ravines. On the leeward side a less
vigorous growth of plants is found; yea
IN many places near the sea, none at all
The islands are said to be exemnt from
the terrible cyclones which so frequently
ldevastate the Central Pacific
SOILS OF THE ISLANDS.
The recent geological origin of the
islands has already been mentioned One
would naturally expect, therefore, to
find the soils primitive in character