The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-21
THE NEW MAPS or HAWAII.

ln6 hluk VI bno AAHNuAlul AatahNo boeeh
the survey Of parts Of his domain in 1871,
His survey department consisted Of two
men. two boys and a few aborera, and The
work they did was shpshod and often
ludicrous, The head Of the department,
an old surveyor in the United States, OBJ
jected 10 the Hawaiian jungle and never
entered II except along well beaten paths
II he could help II. He was accustomed TO
send an assistant ahead out OF sight and
almost out OF hearing and then the fellow
who had beaten HE way through the vege-
taion would yell at tho top Of his voice.
The surveyor would forthwith sight his
instrument at that yell, The ohainmen
would then measure the distance In a go
as you please fashion. they took the easiest
route they could find TO the spot WHARF the
advance guard still stood emitting supple
mentary yelpS for their guidance,
This Is one illustration Of the pioneer
methods Of island surveying, and the re-
suits Of course we're very crude and lmper-
feet. The disputes over property Hines
were endless, and confusion was worse con-
founded in many Of the regions which had
bean surveyed when our flag was raised
over the islands.
As soon as the authority Of the United
States was established II set about bring
ing order out Of the chaos. The primary
purpose was 10 ascertain the exact areaS
and location OF the Government lands, but the
public need was 90 great that the work was
extended to include the making Of all maPs
and all the exact measurements and records
needed for public purposes. The general
result is now produced on nine fine maps
in oolors, showing each Of the nine counties
Of the Territory and appended 10 the Gov
ernor's annual report recently printed in
Washington.
To make these maps the islands we're
covered by a triangulation scheme after
the method Of the Coast and Geodetio Sur
vey. The coast lines we're surveyed and
maps we're made OF all the islands excepting
a few rocks and islets that are Of no brao-
teal Importance. Judged by the most
refined standards the work Ia not above
criticism, but II is the greatest geographical
work yet accomplished In Hawaii, 10 prov
ing TO be Of the highest utility and is receiv-
ing the warmest commentator from the
scientific map staff at Washington,
II is a pleasure to look at these maps
because they give so much and such varied
information. There are plenty Of areas in
our home domain Of which maps as good
az these cannot yet be made because de-
tailed surveys have not been run
The position Of every school house and
post Office in the island is gwen. We see
in green the distribution, the shape and the
extent Of the areas Of public land. in yellow
the homestead settlement tracts. in white
bordered with yellow the areas Of grazing
lands and in white bordered with blue the
forest reserves. Other colors and symbols
show the location and extent Of the sisal
and sugar plantations, the unreserved for
eat lands, the Federal reservations and the
wet lands adapted for rice and taro. From
these sheets we get a good idea Of the
distribution and extent Of the agricultural
industries, the great esource Of the terri
tory; and we are impressed with the fact.
which the maps clearly reveal, that an i'm
portant part OF the total area Ia not adapted
for any kind OF cultivation,
The Governors report says that the land
still embraced in the public domain Ia about
LOO, 600 acres, most Of which is not adapted
for tillage, and this only when roads, costly
to construct, make the good lands acces-
sible. The cream Of the island areas and
the most easily reached public lands became
private property long ago.
The survey department Of Hawaii ia to
he congratulated upon the large amount Of
accurate information it has collected, II
the mechanical production Of these data on
the map sheets does not represent the best
Of c~artography 1t ls AT least well done; and
the study Of this product is recommended
to all who would ike 10 see for themselves
that a really good map is an admirable short
cut to the requirement Of geographical
tnfnrnatiop