The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-20
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
RICHARD 8. JOHNSON GRAPHICALLY
DESCRIBES A VISIT.
He Writes TO His Father. DR.. John r.
johnson, of This City-Things
Worth Seeing.

Richard S. Johnston, son OF DR.. John #.
Johnston, Of 726 North Illinois street. has
written an interesting letter to his father
describing his impressions of the Hawaiian
islands. Young Johnston is a close observer
and his mental snapshots of the natives
and their old customs are graphically pic
tured. The letter was written on board
the steamship Ventura July IL.
The natives are a pleasing lot, Mr.. john
ston says, and have a wholesouled hospital
ity for visitors that goes straight to the
heart. The men are we'll built and muscular
and the women, he says, are rather pretty.
They are all a musical lot, and are sing
ing or playing their native songs most of
the time. Their music is plaintive; all the
songs are very simple and appealing.
at costs a good deal of money to live in
Honolulu. Chickens cost $3.50 apiece; eggs
are 8 cents each, butter is 60 cents per
pound. cabbage costs 5 cents per pound.
potatoes cost 10 cents per pound and other
articles of food are in proportion"
Mr.. Johnston attended the grand ball
given by Governor Dole recently. I'VE saw
everybody of consequence he writes, land
had an opportunity to talk at length with
the Governor and his wife. The natives
were in their best attire. A number of
them were dressed in their 'holokus' or
Mother Hubbards.' the popular dress of
the native women. The loose dresses were
deliberately trimmed, however, and made
of silks, satins and the finest of cloth. The
foreign ministers were present in gorgeous
uniforms and the old native princely fami-
lies were represented. The palace was IL
Illuminated with -incandescent lights and the
trees on the avn were filled with colored
lights. Outside the palace an immense
crowd watched the festivities
One of the unique experiences of Mr..
Johnston was a special dinner which he
describes as follows: II went to a native
were invited. After japanese wrestling
matches and sparring the dinner party Wis
tied a japanese theater. The audience was
seated on the ground, eating fruits and
drinking native drinks. One of the per-
formers was a Japanese musician who
played 'Cavalleria Rusticana' on one string
of his queer fddle-like instrument. After
he had finished the interpreter informed the
visitors that 1t was customary TO present
the special performer with a purse, and a
present of $50 was made up for the violin
list. After getting the purse" Mr.. Johnston
says, the violinist stood up and addressed
the audience, saying that his European
friends had presented him with a purse of
800. The natives looked at us with the sort
of respect that is paid to millionaires as we
went out. 1t is said that the Japs are the
biggest liars on earth, and 1 begin to be-
lieve that ii is a fact"
Two native customs particularly i'm
pressed Mr.. Johnston. One is the habit of
the Hawaiians of swimming out to meet
ships and diving in the clear water for
pieces of silver money. The natives are
the most expert swimmers in the world and
take to the water like ducks at two or three
years of age. The other custom is the
habit OF the natives of going about dressed
in the gaudiest of apparel and covered
with wreaths of flowers called 'leiS." One
of their expressions of welcome is to Irvine
these "leis' or iower-wreaths around visi-
tors.