The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-21
The Mission of the Pacific Scientific
Institution.


to be reminded of the honorable career
| that Hawaii has had in connection with
the great work of education ana philan-
| thropy in the Pacific ocean. Nor do
they need to have it pointed out that
Hawaii, being as it is, so near the
geographical center of that great region
has from the first been near, if not IN
the exact center of almost every move
ment that has had to do with the ad-
vancement of the cause of civilization
in the Pacific.
| All present are familiar with the i'm
portant political events of Hawaii s
more recent history. However, there
may be some who are not informed as
| to just what steps have been taken of
late along educational, religious and
scientific lines that will tend to up
hold the proud record of the past and
to carry forward and enlarge the work
of extending the benefits of civilization
from the Hawaiian group as a center
a work of which every American is
justly proud.
It can be truly said that within the
last few months Honolulu has given
evidence of substantial progress along
this line. Within that period there has
been established Aliiolani College,
privately supported school for boys; the
College of Hawaii, which is the Terri
tory's college of agriculture and me-
chanic arts so familiar to all on the
mainland; the Mid-Pacifc Institute, a
philanthropic school for the religious
education of all races in Hawaii; and
lastly, the Inauguration of the Pacific
Scientific Institution, an institution de-
voted to the promotion of exploratory
and scientific research in the Pacific
/ ocean. 1t is in connection with the
plan and mission of this Iast-named in
stitution that I have been especially
asked to speak.
What has already been said concern
ing the Importance of preserving that
which it is worth while to preserve of
the legends, language, myths and gen.
eral culture of all primitive people has,
believe, been quite generally approved
by those present, and has encouraged
me to feel that this audience would
feel more than passing interest in this
tuti iah &c cd
among other things, for the purpose
of collecting, preserving and studying
just such data. Such, then, in part at
least, is the task before the Pacific
Scientific Institution of Honolulu. It
proposes, as rapidly as funds will per-
nit, to make a careful scientific survey
and exhaustive study of the primitive
culture and development of the depend
ent races inhabiting the various groups
of islands in the Pacific ocean.
1t seems unnecessary to dwell on the
fact that the Pacific ocean has long
been recognized as the most fruitful
field for scientific and philosophical re-
search on the globe; its vast expanse,
its clouds of tropical islands, its vanish
ing native inhabitants with their pecu.
liar manners and customs. it's striking
and fast disappearing land fauna and
flora, its volcanoes, its coral reefs teem
| ing with marine life, its great ocean
I currents, are only a few of the many
! fascinating subjects to be found within
( this mighty realm of nature, yet
| strange to relate, the exploratory ant
I scientific work which has been done il
! the past, only serves to point the way
\ to the enormous amount of work Of {
similar nature yet remaining to be done
= in this great ocean.
The eagerness with which many O
, the Pacific Islanders have embraced
\ Christianity and civilization with thu
consequent loss of all old traditions an,
customs, makes the study of the Pacif
tribes an unusually urgent matter MUG
that it is desirable to know about thei
origin has already disappeared. Niue
- more that we should know concernin
their environment is passing away o
changing in character. The survey o
the region which modern science dc
mands, and which it is felt eivilizatio
demands, must be made now or never
Speaking of the value of this worl
President David Starr Jordan, of Lelan
Stanford, Jr. University, has sale
There is perhaps no way in the worl
IN which more can be added to scienc
for the given sum of money than b
the exploration of these Islands.''
AT one time or another MANY plar
have been evolved and proposed fc
the accomplishment of this undertal
ing. But it has long been apparent til;
no single government or institutio
would undertake the study of this pc
- pie and their environment as a Who'll
before it would be too late to accor
pllsh the work. The task of Pacif
exploration is, therefore, an urgent i
ternational one, depending upon Il
friendly cooperation of philanthropist
fVu4c