The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-01-16
Two Trips Around the World
O. E. HAMILTON
The Paradise Of the Pacific
BY o. E. HAMILTON

FTER five days and seventeen
~ hours at sea, while standing on
= = deck looking off starboard in the
early morning hour, there appeared
along the horizon ahead and distinguish
ed from overhanging clouds, a dim out
line, becoming darker and darker until
one doubts not the appearance of land
the island of Moloki. The same phe-
nomenon is witnessed starboard when
old Diamond Head looms into view, the
first introduction to the Hawaiian
Islands-musically christened by popu-
lar sentiment as "The Paradise Of the
Pacific" We have now in number of
letters to do with the great Pacific and
the things that are here.
These islands, among thousands be-
sides, are the children of the deep. The
Hawaiian group are thirteen in number,
eight Of which are inhabited. All are
Of volcanic origin. Some have been
aided in their formation by the coral
builders. The story Of their formation
may be seen in the action Of Mauna Loa.
This volcano is on Hawaiia, the most
easterly Of the group, and rises nearly
$4,000 feet. There was an eruption Of
this volcano in 1852 projecting a col
umn of lava into the air distance of
500 feet. Another occurred in 1859;
still another later than tho close of the
civil war, following tremendous quakes
of the earth. The last time it vomited
forth deep stream of moulten lava
which burned and plowed it's way down
into the sea, accommodating until it
broke above the surface Of the sea,
forming an entirely new island. Just
last week there was an upheaval from
the bottom of the sea off the coast of
New Zealand, throwing the ocean sur
face up like mighty fountain into the
air, the bursting forth Of lava on the
ocean bed forming mountainous ac-
emulation. This, with the aid of the
polype ian insect), is the accepted un-
Outstanding Of island creation. We
know that in the bed Of the oceans Of
the world, enormous changes are con-
stantly taking place. The present
shape is due partly to the effect of rain,
earthquakes, waves and winds.
The island OF Oahu which naturally
receives most attention excepting the
interest taken in the burning of lake of
fire on Mauna Loa, bears it's geological
imprint clearly on the surface. There
is Diamond head, we'll defined sharp
ridge, formed from it's crater, now ex-
tinct, serving as a shelter to Waikiki,
one of the finest bathing resorts in the
world. Just at it's base is situated
United States fort. Not far from it,
with downward swoop between, be-
gins range of mountains reaching for
the most part across the length Of the
island. The top is sharp "razor back
ed" ridge that has the appearance Of q
backbone to the entire island. On the
northwestern side there is a steep, even
abrupt descent to plain below that
stretches off to the uneven shoreline.
This ridge runs to the northwest Gull
minating in two mountains between
three and four thousand feet high from
which mountains and backbone ridges,
like great ribs descend and spread out
into one of the most fertile and peopled
valley of the whole group. Standing on
the ridge six miles from the harbour,
the sea can be seen in opposite
directions.
AS the good ship turks around from
where the Diamond Head shore pro-
jects into the sea, it seems hardly
possible that there, with the mountain
range SO hard by seemingly crowding
the shore, reaching back from the beach,
could be nestled a city of homes, bust
ness, factories, pleasure resorts and
fifty Thousand people.
Such is Honolulu, "Starna Bulletin;"
'Paposi Hea." Shrill and clear above
the muttering of the people crowding
the dock, the cry Of the newsboy, Star
an Bulletin! running the two names to-
gether as though they were one. Cab!
cries driver. Cab! ear! Ca.ab! says
another. Ca-a-ab Heah! shrieks one
more. And then the chorus! While
the modest black, velvet skinned native
women sit quietly along the footpath
surrounded with stacks OF "Leis"-
flower wreaths sale. They call this
bustiing American city, but out Of the
fifty-thousand people only eleven-thou-
sand are te-English and Americans.
It's American like some southern
cities with three to four negroes to
one white man. The white man pre-
dominates. There are the great Chinese
and Jap quarters, the natives, some
Porto Ricans, Tahitians, ct cetera.
Honolulu is not hustling place.
Tropical regions make fast people slow.
The native is lazy unless allowed to
labor along the wharf. 1t is said that