The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-29

neslans, so far as permitted by the ma
terlal accessories around them, had de-
veloped culture which compares favor.
ably with that possessed by other races
at the dawn of authentic history.
The chronological result of the mission.
aries presence among the natives is al
so to be recorded The motive which
actuated these workers is irreproacha-
bic, but as class the ministers of the
gospel have been singularly deficient in
realizing the Importance of preserving
an account of native customs and ha bits.
Many noteworthy exceptions, however,
occur to this statement, and sach names
as Ellis and Chalmers will always be
associated among those who have con-
tributed to Pacific knowledge BY the
not unnatural antagonism of the Chris
tian missionaries to the heather cult, all
that pertained to the native religion was
sternly suppressed. The native converts
to Christianity, in the zeal and bigotry
of their new faith, in turn did every
thing in their power to suffocate the
early religion, and thus effected the
extinction of much which cannot be
determined.
Together with the ban placed upon
the native religion, the whole realm of
myth, genealogy, legend, and history
fell into disrepute, until, instead of pre-
serving more or less accurate record
of their race in their elaborate oral
traditions. the native tribes in many
instances now present the condition of
isolated units, lacking the record of
their past and severed from their af-
fnity to other peoples. One beneficial
work of the missionaries was the trans.
lation of the Bible into many tongues,
which has thus helped to preserve u re
cord of the languages of the region
much in their early purity.
An Immediate Exploration Necessary.
It is probably not too much to say
that in the Pacific as great changes are
now wrought ethnologically in five years
as without the influence of the eau
casian would be brought about in many
Another ten years will
probably be too late in which, with any |
of satisfactory result, comp |
lete chronological exploration of this |
region can be conducted. Unless the |,
work is actively undertaken long before |
this period has elapsed, the value to be |
derived therefrom will be very greatly |
The exploration, therefore, must be !
prosecuted now, or on the |
present generation viii lie the reproach |
Of having refused to preserve lnforma-
ton of vast Importance to the scientific |
workers of future generations. we or |
our time cannot content ourselves with |
the plea upon which we can aequit our
ancestors of having neglected this work. |
Thew at least erred ignorantly, and even
had they been cognizant of its impor-
rrron aputnna6 for n
dertaking it as are we of the present
Law
MANY of the causes which have con-
-rihuted to the destruction Of the inhab-
tants themselves have also been at work
n undermining the majority of the Pa
.ific fauna and fora. Protected by their
isolation from the struggle for survival
which continental species must contin-
lallv maintain: nurtured in an environ
nent admirably tempered to an easy ex-
stence; rendered non-resistant to intro
luced disease by long generations of i'm
nunity: situated on small islands which |
no means of retreat. the native
species of both animal and plant life
lave in most cases proved unable to |!
,xist in the aggressive competition with
lardier types.
The decay of the native bird life IN Il
nanv islands is remarkable, although Il
,ther than exotic influence has assisted
n their destruction. On the island upon
which Honolulu is situated. more than
lalf the native species of birds have be-
ome extinct during the last century.
Tpon the land mammals of the region
he effect has been even more disastrous,
nd most of the few aboriginal species
ave so utterly disappeared that NJ re
liable description of them has been pre-
eryed. In some eases even their former
xistence is questioned. The botanical
pecies have in the same way been
rowded out bv more persistent foreign
lants or have been destroyed by domes-
ic animals.
Upon marine life very little modifiea
CONTINUED or Page Eleven.) II