The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-23
SEEING
HONOLULU j
Mrs. Story's Second
Letter on Her
Travels

are a chain of volcanic islands stretch
ing 300 miles from north west to south
| east The oldest, on which the volca-
noes have been for centuries extinct,
are the most northwestward and ex-
tend to the south east in the order OF
their formation to Hawaii, the largest
and youngest, which is still in process
of formation from two volcanoes.
There are eight inhabited islands
with total area of about $500 square
miles and a population of $4,000 souls.
Since July 7, 1898, the group has been
in the possession, and since June IA,
1900, an organized Territory of the
United states.
Their names, beginning at the north
west are Kauai, 1.-The Garden Island -
because SO extensively cultivated; Ca
hu. the most populous. on which is the
city of Honolulu; Molokai, 1.-The Leper
Island" Lanai, Maui. Kahoolawe and
Hawaii. The last named is much the
largest and on it Capt Cook met his
the latter part of 177S 1t is said that
the natives. who were never cannibals
received and treated Cook most kindly
and his death was due to the fact "he
permitted himself to be worshipped as
a deity but failed to live up to his
PEDESTAL" Cook named these the Sand
witch Islands and the title lasted nearly
a century. A monument erected by
the English, marks the spot of the
death of the intrepid explorer.
The scenery on all of the islands is
fine a delightful carriage ride of six
miles from Honolulu. passing the
Royal Mausoleum and beautiful homes
with superb approaches of royal palms
and hibiscus hedges afiame with bios
SONS, brings one to the grandest
scenic point on the island of Oahu.
called the Pail, meaning precipice. In
1895 Kamehameha 1st. having conquer
ed his last and principal rival, the
king of Oahu, drove his enemies up
the valley leading to the Pail and
forced hundreds of them over the preci-
pice to meet their death a thousand
feet below. Lofty mountains On either
hand sentinel the narrow pass through
which the defeated warriors crowded
to their doom. The spot is weird and
magnificent and the view above. be-
low and off over the distant ocean is
superb.
If one has but few hours to spend
in Honolulu, as is often the case when
a ship stops here to coal or discharge
cargo, the Pail should be his first OBJ
jective point. Just back of the city
is an extinct volcano called the Punch
Bowl. worn by the lapse of centuries
to a height of 500 feet. We drove into
it's crater. now covered with vegeta-
ton and partially cultivated, and
strove in vain to realize that once an
awful seething. sulphurous cauldron
Kissed and dubbed and reared where
now all was peace and beauty We
gathered pieces of lava for souvenirs
and continued our drive to Diamond
Head, 761 feet in height, another ex-
tinct volcano which. jutting out into
the ocean, is an imposing landmark to
voya gers nearing Honolulu from the
north. There are several of these ex-
tinct volcanoes on Oahu whose ac-
tivity ceased ages ago and the dis
integra ted lava forms soil Of great
richness and de2th.
The population of Honolulu is 80 200.
The population of the islands is very
mixed as the following statistics show.
Natives. 29.7S7. Part Hawaiian 7S4S,
Chinese, 25.762, Japanese 81 lis German
1854. Portuguese 1855, American and
Hawaiian born foreigners. 1888. Statis-
tics show a steady decrease in the num-
Der of natives and a steady increase
in the number of foreigners. In 1872,
the number of natives was about So
600 and in 1900. 10000. The record of
japanese among the population begins
only with 1884 when the number was
116
The hotel facilities in Honolulu are
ample and excellent. In my last letter
I made mention OF the newest aspirant
for public patronage, the monster Alex
ander Young hotel. costing 81, 900. 000
built of steel, stone, marble and brick
by American contractors and workmen
with American materials and as nearly
fire proof as it is possible for q struc
ture to be- The dining rooms and
kitchen are on the top. sixth floor. and
the view from every window is worthy
a painters brush. The roof garden
consists of a paved area of about ore
third of an acre and is made charming
with palms. ferns. vines and attractive
plants. mere SSNcItl COllNSi u a week
take place when the many colored
electric lights among the foliage and
the evening costumes of the ladies COM
bined with the sweet strains of the
native Hawaiian band conspire to
create a truly fairy like scene. The
Hawaiian bandsmen frequently sing as
they play and their voices are very
sweet. Frequently they are assisted by
Sheridan. en- route from the PHILIPPINES
to San Francisco, stopped a day and
night at Honolulu during our visit and
the Filipino band on its way TO the
Exposition at ST Louis rendered an
artistic concert on the roof
We regret to say that this hotel
which is away ahead of the city's pres
ent needs. is reputed to be running
about $4,000 behind expenses each
month, but the owner is a rich Scotch
man who made his fortune here in