The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-12


ten by Mrs Mary W. Story, who.
with her husband, visited here some
weeks ago:
Our trip from San Francisco to Ho-
nolulu occupied six days. During the
first three days two-thirds of our pas
sengers were i'll and inclined to vote
the great western ocean anything but
pacific in its treatment of them.
After that we gradually got on deck
and the latter half of our voyage was
pleasant but uneventful. Not a sail
was sighted and the appearance of a
flying fish was greeted as quite an
episode. While all We're at breakfast
on the morning of the fifth day and
the Sonoma was acting very circun-
specify, suddenly and most unexpect-
edly. a big wave dashed against one of
the dining saloon windows shatter-
ing it to splinters and drenching the
table alongside. where, fortunately, no
one was sitting.
Our last dinner on shipboard a little
ecIipsed its excellent predecessors and
each guest found a his plate favor
containing a gay little tissue paper cap
which Immediately went into service
on the head of the recipient, till the
long tables looked like an animated
flower garden of yellow, purple pink
and white monks hoods.
From dinner all repaired to the So
ciai hall where a very enjoyable enter
tainment followed. Just after break
fast on the sixth day we sighted land
We had crossed the Tropic of Cancer
and were about % degrees north of the
Equator. Off to our left was Molokai
the lpnPr island
NIT and falling with long drawn out
slope to the west suggesting the long
drawn out misery of the lives wearing
to a close amid the mocking beauties
of its verdant valleys.
To our right and separated from the
leper island by thirty miles of ocean
lay Oahu, our destination, higher
larger and towering with picturesque
outlines skyward, indigo blue as first
seen arising from an indigo sea. AS
We came nearer and could plainly note
the volcanic nature of the islands the
coloring became exquisite The most
distant ranges a dark, pearly blue, the
nearer ones indigo with white veilings
Of mist on slopes and summit and in
the foreground emerald russell, Grim
son, brown and yellow, the varying
colors of soil and vegetation in dis
tractingly beautiful alterations. And
SO We skirted the eastern and southern
coast of Oahu till toward noon when
we cast anchor in Honolulu harbor on
the southern shore.
As we neared the wharf our atten-
ton was attracted by the young Ha-
waifan men swimming at the side of
our ship ready to dive for any coins
that might be thrown overheard to
them. They We're good looking. we'll
developed fellows with light brown
skin and straight, coal black hair.
With open eyes they plunged. disap-
peared and in a few seconds reappear-
ed the coin between their liDs. On the
wharf both men and women We're to
be seen with wfeaths of flowers about
the crowns of their hats and boas of
/ flowers or vines about the neck only
here they are not called boas but leis.
pronounced lays,-anything that may
be laid about the neck or around the
crown of a hat or on the head as a
wreath is a lei and though frequently
seen, and very pretty they look the
custom of wearing them is dying out
We, with a number of friends whose
acquaintance we had made on ship
board. We're soon pleasantly domiciled
at the magnificent new hotel the
Alexander Young of which more anon.
and after a splendid dinner in the de-
lightful dining hall on the sixth floor
commanding an extensive and en-
trancing view of the harbor and its
shipping, the encircling mountains
range behind range. with their cloud
caps and varied coloring. and the
greenery of trees, every one of them
a stranger to US. we We're eager to sally
out in exploration of the strange and
hea nj Ion til,
Mark Twain is credited with having
said that the good never die in Ha-
wall" They simply fall asleep to
awaken in another heaven. Certainly
after our first ride in Honolulu we
could honestly declare that it came
nearer to Paradise than any spot in
the world that we had visited. Such
wealth and variety of vegetation. such
gorgeous flowers, so many fruits and
the natural beauty of mountains, plain
and sea conspired to make a scene of
rare loneliness such as we had never
before seen.
Every one looked at us curiously
Our winter hats and heavy garments
marked us as new arrivals among a
people universally clad in white from
top to toe. Most of the native women
We're attired in Mother Hubbards'' or
holoku which soon ceased TO look
odd, but instead, very comfortable and
appropriate. for the climate here is
warm and humid. Everywhere We see
these loose garments, made in cotton,
muslin or silk, at the theatre church
and society functions. and we who
have come with too heavy clothes for
so deg. weather quite envy the wearers
of these airy looking gowns. All the
men are attired in white duck.
Americans cannot compete with i'm
ported labor in the matter of wages.
The Chinese and Japs work faithfully
and willingly in the rice fields on the
banana plantations, in the taro
patches. the market gardens and the
sugar refineries for so or 90 cents a day
and lodging, but not board. Ten cents
! is ample to feed his family At home
/ he could earn barely one-fifth of the
above wages.
/ In our hotel all the service is per-