The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-24
HONOLULU
To MANILA
Woman'S DeScrip.
ton of Long
Trip.
IMPRESSIONS OF
THIS CAPITAL
How Manila Impresses an Ameri-
can Sightseer-Life in the
Old Walled City.
he Washington Star says:

| Miss Mabel T. Kent of this city has
written a letter descriptive of her re-
cent trip to Manila on the transport
Meade. The letter isdated at the latter
place, September %. After noting an
uneventful voyage to Honolulu, Miss
Kent says:
Honolulu is a beautiful place II
| is quite hot during the day, but the
nights are cool and pleasant. 1t is very
mountainous, the mountains being
chiefly of a volcanic nature. Some are
heavily wooded, others bare of verdure,
showing plainly the lava formation.
There are some beautiful drives, and I
saw here some of the finest mountain
scenery I ever gazed upon in my life.
The tropical luXuriance is wonderful.
Even in Cuba 1 never saw the like.
THE size and variety of palms you
cannot imagine. You must see them to
realize it. The great banyan tree, with
its roots hanging from the spreading
branches, is a wonder. The Towering
trees and bushes are legion. They use
the hibiscus for hedges, and they are
brilliant with great red and pink bios
SONS. On one drive 1 saw a whole
hedge of night blooming cereus, and
the air was heavy with the fragrance
of the immense flowers.
THE natives are called Kanakas,
and are largely civilized. Indeed, Ho-
nolulu is too civilized for me. I wanted
to see more of the primitive life. There
is one large hotel, which has every
luxury and convenience, and many 9TH
ers which are more than comfortable.
There are lovely houses, surrounded by
fine grounds. There is an electric rail-
way which takes one up on a noun
tain from which there is a glorious
view. The native women wear a gar
ment called a hoIoku, but that is only
Kanaka for Mother Hubbard. They
wear them everywhere. Sunday night
I went to a native church (Presbyte-
rian). and when the choir stood up to
sing 1 noticed that all the women wore
Mother Hubbards. 1t certainly was
comicaI.
They have a pretty custom here of
wearing wreaths made out of the pet
ais of flowers of all colors; these are
wound around the hats of both men
and women, and also over the should
ers. They string beads and tiny shells
and wear them as necklaces. The Ea-
tives look like a mixture of Chinese
Indian and negro, with high cheek
bones, slanting eyes, thick lips and coal
black straight hair. They vary in col
or from coal black to a light mulatto.
There are fascinating small boys, stud
les in bronze, who will dive for a nickel
thrown from the wharf and catch it
before it sinks to the bottom.
ENCOUNTER BAD WEATHER.
After leaving Honolulu we struck
some bad weather. 1t rained about ten
times a day, and every day, and We
were most uncomfortable. Our state
rooms We're down stairs, and we could !
not open our port holes, as the waves 4.
would dash in. We had no salon to re- !
pair to. so we just sat on deck and |
let it rain The only good thing about
The rain was that it kept the air cool |
Then there came some pleasant wealth
az, and we all enjoyed life again. but
hat was too good to last, and a ty-
)hoon came along. We were lucky to
strike only the edge of it, but that
vas enough The waves dashed clear
'ver the upper deck. and there were
ines when we could not see the front
# the steamer for the binding spray
fortunately I was not i'll. so rather en-
Dyed the storm. as it was a grand
light. It lasted for thirty hours, and
fter that we had clear skies and
mooth sailing until we reached our
laven. 1t is a long, long trip. and
othing to vary the monotony-ro land
n sight for seventeen days. not even
sail on the horizon. My heart fails
he whenever I think of taking it over
gain, even if it is to go home.
Manila is a great place. a curious
fixture of civilization and primitive
fe, and the sights one sees are ex-
remedy interesting to a stranger. We
re stopping At one of the good hotels.
nd our rooms are large and airy. We
ave an elaborate tiled floor and an
ectric fan and light (Which. by the
ay. goes out promptly at II o'clock.
have one window in my room. but it \
very large. The upper half is Of c
lass. but the lower half is only a t
rating. We are on the ground floor.
nd the pavement is directly outside.
I'd any number Of vendors of dry 1
pod. with their packs on their backs.
I'll at me through the grating. ap-
.alins to me To buy. and when I say. -
10. no, vamos,' they grin and yell the
uder. Then I turn my back on them
Id they finally say, .goo-by.' They
Yer omit this farewell.
But 1 must tell You about my bed.