The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-01


etery. Charles Mulford Robinson, the
civic beautifier, writes as follows:
The Hawaiian Islands, called .'the
Paradise of the Pacific" are coming
more and more into public thought as
a goal, as a dreamed-of haven, where,
in the happy Sometime one may go
to find rest and beauty. And those
things are found there. No one comes
back without testifying that the dream
is true; and year by year the tide of
travel rises, more persons journey to
Hawaii. realize the dream, and return
to awaken a keener interest in those
tranquil little islands-the farthest
from the mainland of all the inhabited
islands of the worid-where the broad
Pacific is a sapphire sea.
If one could go with his eyes closed
from Chicago to the Golden Gate,
there certainly would be no sense of
disappointment in the first impression
made by the vegetation of the Hawai-
ian Islands after six days of sailing
on the ocean. But all the way across
the ocean ones eyes are very much
open, and going as / did by way OF
Southern California, with frequent
stops of several days at time-and
always saying 20 ones self. Those
palms are fine, but wait for Honolulu,
these flowers are lovely, but think OF
the tropical blooms that we shall see;
and these green fields, and hilisides
verdans beneath the warm rains and
brilliant sun of the California winter,
are well in their way; but one must
be temperate in admiration since the
tropics are vet to be seen''-if one could
go to Honolulu with some of this ex-
perience, there could be no disappoint-
rnent But after the roses of Califor-.
MIA after the riot of flowers In park
and garden. by wayside and in wood
and field. which California offers to
the winter traveller. the first views OF
the Hawaiian Islands and of Honolulu
are not quite all one hoped.
The northern side of the island OF
Oahu, which is the first land seen at
close range, is bleak and bare Rocks
iuu into the, sea. extinct volcanoes
raise bleak sides in a gaunt and naked
ssternness that the tints of softenlng
distance scarcely hide; and when the
end of the island has been rounded
and skirting the southern shore one
comes into the harbor the land is YET
so far away that in the larger features
of the scene-in the beauty of peak
and crater anu OF SnduoWy faiiOy, ss1AN- !
in the interest of the structures or
the city-one quite forgets to notice |
the cocoanut palms, which in pictures
give the necessary touch of tropical |
ness. i
In. the first days there is recognized
the beauty of the hills, but they are
not quite as high as one had expected
NOT really mountains, on the island
upon which is Honolulu and one
misses a wealth of garden flowers.
There are no roses, a japanese beetle
having destroyed them all some years
ago and successfully prevented their
culture since. and the few flowers
aised in gardens-as petunias, gerani-
unas and nasturtiums-seem no more
than in the eastern states.
The banana is stunning but scraggiy,
and it's big leaves have become ia
milan in California. The gracefuI
oepper tree is not as beautiful here
az on tke coast: the orange and lemon
trees are hardly as good, and for the
common date and fan-leaved palm one
had no need to cross two thousand
miles of ocean. The whole effect IS
not. in short, the sum of many addl-
tions-California plus and plus-and IN
the first recognition of its algebra1c
character, that there are deductions 10
be made. one does feel a little pang
Of disappointment.
A;g s;agss .s;ss ss;as ssssS = ss>es ~ s =