The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-27

I
/ and is very fertile there is not a sufh-
cheney of water to irrigate it. In the
valleys the natives had their innumera-
! BILE taro patches which are now mostly
! converted into rice lands. Tt is said
i that forty feet square of taro is suff-
J clent to supply the needs of a native
! throughout the year and Judging by
/ the capability of the land and the fish
I cries this district must have been
| densely populated.
THE EXTINCTION OF THE Ma
TIVES.
The natives have died out to an
alarming extent and most of their taro
lands are in possession of the Chinese.
The latter have not only dispossessed
the natives but hold their own against
the japanese. japanese prefer work
ing the dry land while the Chinaman
does not object to soft job like
tramping in mud and planting rice. The
population consists therefore of large
proportion of Chinese, although there
are quite number of half-whites set
tied through it, many of whom talk
English very indifferently.
KANEOHE PLANTATION.
The late c. c. Harris purchased the
interest of Queen KaIama in Kaneohe
and by a peculiar law in Hawaii the
estates of any deceased owners of ku-
leanas Tin event of the extinction of
the family do not escheat to the gov
eminent but to the konohiki or lord
of the ahupuaa or division. Thus he
became the owner of much land there
and sugar plantation was stared. 1t
did. not keep pace with other planta-
tions in the modern improvements of
cultivation, fertilizing and machinery
and the lands reverted to innocuous
desuetude and is now merely used as
cattle ranch, which is the lowest use
lands can be put to. Large areas of
it have grown up to lantana and guava,
the former of which even exclude cat
tie. Here and there small patches of
tapioca and castor oil beans are cul-
tivated but one gathers the impression
that Kaneohe neither produces what it
should nor sustains 1.-THE of the popu-
lation it is capable of doing.
POSSIBILITIES OF KANEOHE.
Looking down on this region from
the Pail one could imagine what it
would look like if its rolling hills were
settled and cultivated by Swiss colony
with their chalets scattered all through
it. Here they could produce the finest
of grapes, as the soil is of that bright
red so suitable for the zinfandel and
other varieties. Rubber, vanilla, to-
bacco, coffee, sweet potatoes, melons,
yams and citrus fruits would find their
home here and a ready market in Ho
nolulu. AS resort for the inhabitants
of Honolulu the shore affords many de-
lightful hooks where the weary could
ON tbo ~, oec
and the bay used for boating
To show the appreciation in which
this part is held I might instance the
recent sale of place of about twelve
acres for $4,000 = 1t certainly is
most charming spot and will make an
ideal country ea-side resort.
We strolled along the shore, admir-
ing the prospect and watching the fish
ers bringing in rare and curious fish.
One in particular caught our fancy on
account of its uncouthness. 1t is call
ed the oopuhue and an uglier one | have
not seen. 1t resembles the balloon fish
and is notified and fierce-looking. We
were told that it was dangerous to eat
it, as a number had died from doing
so. 1t has four gals all of which con-
tain poison and must be carefully re
moved. They said the flesh was deli
cious notwithstanding it's bad reputa-
ton
We visited a rice mill, noting the
cleanliness of the surroundings and the
large overshot wheel which runs all
the machinery. Some of the carabao,
water buffalo, near by attracted the
man from Missouri and when the ugly
great animals-came up and allowed us
to scratch their necks their tameness
4 L.
in for a share of our attentions. We
then wandered up past the old church
of Kaneohe and sought in vain for some
the other buildings it is also in need
OF repairs.
HEEIA.
We wandered on down toward Heeia,
division of land adjoining Kaneohe,
passing through village of Chinese
houses and many rice patches which are
in the customary well-kept condition. !
The meaning of the word Heeia is land |
of the squid or hee, and here it is |
found in great profusion. The sGuid |
or hee is called by natives the king of |
all fishes, as it has no bones. Of course |
it is the fish denoted by the lord of |
the land as his especial property and |
squid spearing or fishing is tabued To |
us of Anglo-SaXon origin the tabuing |
of the fish of the sea is most |
obnoxious, and laws for the protection
of game birds are usually CALLING. One
of the first objects of the United States
in providing government for the Ter
r1tory of Hawaii was to endeavor to do
away with the Hawaiian custom of
tabuing the sea or its inhabitants 1t
is to be hoped that the time is near
when the Territory will acquire such
fishing rights as have come over from
feudal times and that fish will be as
free as they are ON the coasts of the
mainland. We saw surveyors at work
on a projection for line of railroad
which it is to be hoped will some day
be completed and 1T viii be possible to
make tour of the island on a tourists
ear
How | would like to tell of my com
panion's inqrIfies for the peanut tree,
and of his freedom in entering private