The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-10-10
NEW GEOGRAPHY

uGU ULUUIIIII III
MIR. EDITOR: My attention was at
tracted the other day by the heading
The New Geography and Some Queer
Things in it." in the p. c. Advertiser
of October 8. On examination the
queer things" were found to be rather
in the article itself than in the geo.
graphy.
On applying the methods of the
Higher Criticism" to the article in
question, one might suppose it to have
been written by two different persons
The first half Of it Document AZ is
a very just and discriminating account
of the main features OF the new geo
graphy of the Hawaiian Islands pre-
pared by Mr. c. w. Baldwin. 1t is
there pronounced to be by far the best
handbook of Hawaii that has ever been
gotten out" The maps, which were
all prepared specially for this work are
said to be 1.-The most up-to-date maps
of the Islands in existence The il
Illustrations too leave nothing to be
desired
The author of the first part Of the
article fully recognizes the solid merits
of the book, its eminently practical
character, showing the hand of an
experienced teacher, and its wealth OF
information, well arranged and given
in compact form" He does full JUS
tice to Mr.. Baldwin's thorough equip
ment for this work along the lines Of
the geology and topography Of the ISL
ands, subjects which lie at the founda-
ton of work like this" as well as on
the historical side.
So much for Document A as Higher
Critic might label it. But when we
read the second part of the article
document b we encounter a captious,
hypercritical spirit, quite different from
that of Document A. His first point,
however, in regard to the daily capa-
city of the irrigating bitches, where
three ciphers have been omitted by
the compositor, is well taken. If the
word millions" had been written out
in letters instead of figures, this error
would not have escaped the proof
readers eye.
In regard to the district magistrates,
they were styled district justices" I'M
der the monarchy, and, (not to go far
Their back, were appointed by the Pre-
sident of the Republic and then by the
Governor of the Territory, as stated
in the Revised Laws, published in 1905.
In that year, the Legislature saw fit
to intrust their appointment to the
Chief Justice.
The criticism is made that the sugar
crop of 1907. is understated by more
than 10000 tons The figures given
in the geography are, however, those
of the exact amount exported in that
year to the United States, and exceed
those of the crop of 1904 by more than
10000 tons.
The subject of the artesian wells OF
Oahu has been sufficiently discussed
elsewhere.
In regard to provincialisms so-Call9d
it should be remembered that the geo
graphy was written primarily for use
in Hawaiian schools and for local con.
sumption.
The word Pail" will probably soor
find it's way into the Standard Die.
tionary, in which are already found the
geological terms'"aa" and "pahoehoe,'
and the Spanish words canon" and
"barranca,''. besides the Polynesiar
words' ~tapa,' tattoo" and taboo"
: The "Makawao Foreign Church is
so styled in it's charter.
The word Chinese" may be prefer,
able to "Chinaman,' but the latter is
analogous in form to Englishman
Frenchman etc, and need not be often
sive to any one.
The opinion that there was an out
break on the slopes of Haleakala
hundred and fifty years ago." may be
"controverted" by some one, but il
was vouched by Mr.. E. Bailey, who ar
rived on Maui in 1886, and published
his Historical Notes" in the annua
report of the Hawaiian Historical
Society for 1896. His statement is that
"a great eruption of lava burst out on
the southwestern slope of Haleakala
in Honupaula, probably over one hun