The new era., 1910-02-10


Il years subject of much in
terest among scientists, and
active efforts are now being made to
systematically gather and preserve
the data, which is now rapidly disap-
pearing. concerning these peoples Of
the Pacific islands. Little is known
of their origin, but their almost abso-
lutte for unknown centuries made their
development independent of any out
side influences, and thus all the more
characteristic and remarkable.
The Hawaiians were of the highest
type of the Polynesian family. and
their development was probably fully
as high at the time of the discovery
of the islands by the whites. as that
attained by the Aztec Indians of Cen
tral and South America, whose won
derful works of architecture and cary
ings have fascinated anthropologists
Tor many years. Moreover while the
Aztecs had metals to work with the
absence of these substances in the
Pacific islands make the accomplish
ments of the Hawaiians, for example.
all the more remarkable.
The work of the Hawaiians in engi-
neeripg and construction, probably af
fords the most striking evidence of
the remarkable character of race
which through ignorance and confu-
sion with other peoples, has often
been thought of as low type savages
and cannibals. Allowing for the diff
ference in size of population. the con-
I.fT nf ha dc nf hp
Egyptians does not greatly over
shadow the accomplishments of these
islanders.
The construction of temples. or he
iaus." to the numerous deities, the re-
mains of which are to be found in
every part of the Hawaiian islands.
probably constituted the larger part
of the works of the ancient Hawa-
fans These temples were very num-
erous. Between 400 and 500 have
been definitely located. and there
were probably a great many, all
traces of which have been lost They
We're built of stone. either as great en-
closures, or in the form of truncated
pyramids, and some of the larger ones
covered from two to five acres of
ground Walls fifteen to twenty feet
thick, and thirty feet in height, built
of close rubble work and from 100 to
500 or 600 feet in length, were not
uncommon. Some of the platform
type were solid rock structures fifteen
to twenty feet or more in height Ce-
Ment was never used in these struc-
tcres, but in some OF them the stones
were dressed so that the masonry
would compare favorably with modern
work of the kind. Blocks of stone
weighing many tons sometimes enter
ed into the construction of these build
ings, though smaller stones were gen.
orally used.
OF all the hundreds of temples
known, probably no two were of the
same shape or size; but the skill with
which they were laid out shows unus-
ual engineering ability. Some were
perfect squares or parallelograms.
Some had one or more sides curved.
and in these cases the curves were
always perfect. Walls were in some
cases built in terraces, and always in
perfect alignment. While many of
these interesting structures are still
to be found in more or less complete
condition, probably the greater part
of them have been destroyed, the ma
terial in many instances going into
the construction of roads, fences. or
modern buildings.
Scarcely less in magnitude than the
heiaus, are the great sea walls built
in hundreds of places along the shores
of all of the islands for inclosing fish
ponds. The walls, occasionally a mile
or more in length, were sometimes
built across the entrance of a shall
low cove or inlet, at other times built
I'm u great semicircle enclosing from
one to over 500 acres of shallow
water. The walls are sometimes eight
or ten feet high, and often wider at
the base They are built of loose rock
and must have involved an inestim
able amount OF labor considering the
Fact that oftimes the material was
brought from q long distance. and
that the natives had no beasts of bur
den and knew nothing of machinery.
The remains of irrigation bitches
on a very considerable scale are still
to be seen in many parts OF the isl
snds. and bear witness to the ability
and industry of the aboriginal Hawa
uans. IN many localities may als<