The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-14
AROUND THE WORLD WITH WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN;
HIS FIRST LETTER TELLS OF THE WONDERS OF HAWAII
He Started Out by Losing a
Day Which He Can Never
Recover-Interesting Feat.
ures of Life on the Ha.
waiian Islands Uncle Sam
Recently Acquired.


to the whites on the first Thanksgiving
after the New England missionaries
landed.
After a call upon Governor Carter, a
descendant of the third generation from
missionary stock, we visited the aquar-
ium. When we noticed on the printed
program that we were scheduled for a
visit to this place it did not impress
us as possessing special interest, but
we had not been in the building long
before we were all roaring with laugh
ter at the remarkable specimens of the
| finny tribe here collected.
Language cannot do this subject JUS
t1ce. No words can accurately portray
what one here sees. The fish are odd
in shape and have all the hues of the
/ rainbow. The tints are laid on as if
with a brush and yet no painter could
initiate these-shall we call them pict-
ures in water color7 Some were long
and slim; some short and thick. One
had a forehead like a wedge, another
had very blunt nose. Some looked
like thin slabs of pearl with iridescent
tints; others had quilts like a porcu-
pine. One otherwise respectable look
ing little fellow had a long nose upon
the end of which was fiery glow which
made him look like an old topper; an
other of deep peacock blue had
nose for all the world like stick of
indigo, which it wiggled as it swan.
There were convict fish with stripes
like those worn in penitentiaries, and
! of these there were all sizes; some NOV
ing slowly and solemnly like hardened
criminals and others sporting about as
if enjoying their first taste of wrong
doing. One variety wore what looked
like an orange colored ribbon tied Just
, above the tail; the color was so like
J the popular flower of Hawaii that we
were not surprised to find that the fish
was called the lei. In one tank the
: fish had habit of resting upon the
rocks; they would brace themselves
). with their fins and watch the passers
!, by. At one time two were perehed side
e by side and recalled the familiar pict-
), ure of Raphael's Cherubs.
1 Besides the fishes there were crabs
n of several varieties, all brilliant in
q color; one called the hermit crab had
q a covering like velvet with as deli
: cate a pattern as ever came from the
loom. And then there was the octo-
pus with the under side of its arms
d lined with valve-like mouths. It was
hiding under the rocks, and when the
}, attendant poked it out with a stick, it
L darkened the water with an inky
8 fluid, recalling the use made of the
y subsidized American newspapers by
- the trusts when attacked.
. No visitor to Honolulu should fail to
= see the aquarium. Every effort to
:, transport these fish has thus far failed
- and to enjoy the dudes, clowns and
"a criminals of fshdom one must see
r. them in their native waters.
Re Surf Riding Delightful Sport.
~ The tour of the island closed with a
trip to the beach and a ride in the surf
boats. The native boat is long, mar
row, deep canoe, steadied by log
p fastened at both ends to the boat. and
floating about ten feet from the side.
These canoes will hold six or seven
persons and are propelled by brawny.
armed natives. Our party clad them
N selves in bathing suits and, filling
rs three canoes, were rowed out some
tie distance from the shore.
lg The natives, expert at this sport
ia watch for large wave and signal each
III other when they see one approaching
and then, with their big round paddles
IL they start their canoes toward the land
IL AS the wave raises the stern of the
le canoe, they bend to their work, the
IL purpose being to keep the canoe on thu
forward slope of the wave. 1t is al
IL exciting experience to ride thus, witt
80 the spray breaking over one while thu
y canoe flies along before the wave
IL Sometimes the boatmen are too SLOW
and the wave sweeps under the cano
ne and is gone, but as rule they know
he Just how fast to work. and there i
lie. great rivalry between the surf rider
cy when two or more crews are racing
Oh It is strange that form of sport s.
ay delightful has not been transported t
X the American seaside resorts. There /
or surf bathing the year round at Homo
ny lulu, and few beaches can be foun'
H. which can compare with Waikiki.
A Great Harbor Work.
re- The Oahu railroad. which carried u
he out to the sugar plantation, and whic
nd has seventy-one miles of track on tn
he island, passes within sight of Pear
'or harbor, which is the only large inle
dl- in the islands capable of being deve
oped into harbor. The United State
IN government is already dredging thi
narDOf anu preparing IL Iol poth nov
ne and commercial uses. The Hawaiia
yer islands occupy a strategic position a
ar well as position of great Importance
has and as they are on direct line bt
sht tween the isthmus of Panama and tn
'pt orient. their value as mid-ocean plac
ms will immeasurably increase The island
ay being now United States territory, til
nu- advantage of the possession of Pea
rts harbor is accompanied by respons
cts bility for its proper improvement. n
lar one can visit the harbor without al
OF preciating its Importance to our coul
re- try and to the world.
ng When we departed from the whal
III at nightfall to board the Manchuria "
were again laden with flowers, an
GUS as we left the island, refreshed by I'll
OF perfume of flowers and cheered h
ne songs and >farewells, we bore ava
Yen grateful memories of the day and {
- the hospitality of the people. Like a
~ who see this Pacific paradise, we +
~ solved to return some time and sper
part of winter amid it's beautie
;na Leaving Honolulu, Mr.. Bryan we
he to Japan, arriving there when histor
,se. making events were taking place. II
for first letter on his observations in tn
is most interesting country will appe
r. in the Sunday Journal of Jan. 21.l