The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-07-16
P C|F|C PARADISE
AWAITS B|GF FLEET

the crescent-shaped harbor today, it |
will have traversed distance of 2,O9S
miles since leaving San Francisco nine
days ago. The floating fortresses will
remain here until next Thursday be- |
fore resuming the voyage, with Auck-
land, New Zealand, as the next stop
ping place. During the week in Homo
lulu there will be scores of entertain
ments for both officers and sailors, and
If Commander in Chief Sperry and the
other rear admirals of the fleet do not
die of indigestion, it will not be the
fault of the entertainment committee.
AS the vessels steam through the
narrow but deep channel which gives
entrance through the coral reef to the
harbor which is known as "the cross
roads of the Pacific" the enthusiasm Of
the people already boiling over, will
pass all bounds. Practically all of
Honolulu's 10000 population will be on
hand to give a welcome, and will be
augmented by thousands of others
from every part of the island of Oahu.
1t will be cosmopolitan crowd on the
pier to greet the ''jackies,' shouting
"Aloha" Glove to your in the musi-
cal tongue of the Kanakas. There will
be wreaths of flowers for throwing
over the heads of the Americans as
| they step on the pier. 1t will be an
offering of music and flower loving
people. In the crowd will be the full
bodied and plump-faced natives, Amer
leans, Chinese, Japanese and Portu-
guese and mixtures of nearly all of
these races.
Honolulu itself will not present so
many characteristics novel to Ameri-
can eyes as some of the sailors may
expect to find. 1t is sometimes said
Is an illustration of what New
England conscience unillumined by i'm
agination can do for a town. The
descendants of the missionaries who
have done so much that is worth while
for the islands insisted In erecting
brick blocks of the uninteresting type
of the average small American city
among the palms of this semi-tropical
country. Under American domination
the city has taken many progressive
steps. The streetcars drawn by horses
of which the inhabitants used to com.
plain have been replaced by trolley
cars, and one may reach almost any
place in the neighborhood by their
use. The signs, are in English and the
English language is the one chiefly
used.
One Of the places to which many Of
the sailors will undoubtedly go will
be Waikiki Beach, which is reached by
trolley. It is in front of this beach
that the Hawaiians indulge in the ex
citing sport of surf-riding. There are
perhaps, no people on earth more near
ly amphibious than the Hawaiians
Surf riding may be called the national
sport of the natives of the Sandwich
Islands.
Another of the pleasures of the ma
. tive Hawaiinas which has survived II
I the hula-hula dance. This posturinG
dance is not on the official program, as
its modern form is not entirely like
its primitive practice. That there
will be opportunities to see it is vel
dent, however, as the two principa
purveyors of this form of entertain
: ment have been making preparations
They have endeavored to monopoliz
all the dancrs on the island by en-
gaging them far in advance for tn
week of the fleets visit. The compe
tition between Nine Puahi and Prir
cess Therese. the native widow @
Robert w. Wilcox for the business O
providing dancers for the event reacf
ed the vituperative stage some tim
ago, and it was thought that probabl
a hula-hula trust might result befor
the fleet dropped anchor at Honolulu.
/ The scenic features of the island
are many. AS is well known, the ii
lands of volcanic origin, and on Hawa
can be seen two Of the largest crater,
Mauna Loa and Kilauea In the yer
outskirts of Honolulu is a volcano, tn
Punch Bowl This is very safe kin
: Of bowl for the sailors to visit, as
: is no longer flowing bowl. What
said to be one of the most beautift
views in the world is that, from 9TH
PAIL" This is within half doze