The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-23

servitude upon the reef. There. a
low water, they hewed out the cora
blocks, of which many of the earl,
/ buildings were constructed, and I,
this day a convict is spoken of q,
being "on the reef" although cora
has given place to brick and ston,
and timber, and the reef is compare
lively deserted.
AT once, or as nearly on the in
slant as one ever gets in an easy
going land, l made application at the
gate of the nearest, contest, cleanest
and most cheerful House of Correc
ton in the world. In form and colo,
only 1t is outwardly severe, and even
this is the kind of severity affected
by those suburban residents who
build angular, gray monuments of ma
sorry and inhabit them in an uncom.
tortably medieval frame of mind II
stands upon a coral ridge and is nj.
most surrounded by fish ponds. mud.
flats and salt-marshes. It is approach.
ed by a well-kept, but unheltered.
coraldusted drive, that glares in the
sunshine and moonlight as if to mag
Nifty the shadow of him who is being
led away captive, or to cast a glory
about the feet of the one who is set
free. knocked with a knocker sur
mounted by a British lion in bronze:
the gate was Immediately opened by
native guard in a dark uniform, who
like all the natives in dark uniforms.
looked exceedingly stuffy and uncom-
Portable. / asked leave to enter. He
seemed to think l had done him a
favor and honor in calling upon such
a very warm day and at once waved
me gracefully across a court that was
as trim and complete as a modern
stage setting for an act in a society
drama. There was, | confess, a super
fluffy of very neat stOneworl in wall
and pavement; but there were flower
plots quite like stage flower plots and
a moderate perspective which seemed
heightened by exaggerated fore-short-
ening, all of which was so obviously
the naked eye.
Other guards, perched in pictures
que hooks and corners, smiled a well
come as I advanced. The original
stuffed one, who had backed machani-
cally into his sentry-box out of the
sun, was also smiling, and smiling
very broadly for a man on serious
duty
Might I come in and inspect the
prison? Assuredly. Would | only be
good enough to look at everything,
see everybody, go everywhere and
then graciously inscribe my name in
the finest of visitors books, with the
very whitest of paper and very
brave array of signatures? went
IN and out, up and down. over and
across and back again. The valley
Of Rasselas could not have been more
than was the inner court of
hat island Jail, with its spreading
tree in the midst thereof. The
Keeper apologized for the smallness
If his family at the moment; he beg
sed to assure me that there were more
han | found present; that the house
vas always full; those whom / saw
we're the lame, the halt and the blind;
he able-bodied were all out at work
IN the road, clad in garments of two |
olors-half and half, like a chorus
n Baccaccio-at the expense of the
miable Government
If those of the inirmary, summing
hemelves in the court, were so mer-
y, what must be the state of the able
odied, thought l. l had seen detach-
lents of them at their Woodwork
'hich they evidently did not take to
cart but, on the contrary regarded
4 the light of a somewhat tedious
Dke.
While / was absorbed in the le-
ends of the local museum, illustrat-
d with celebrated shackles, bits of
angman's rope, blood-stained nipple
tents of destruction and a whole
ogue's gallery of interesting crimi-
ais, there was sound of revelry,
nd 10! the prisoners who had had
leir outing were returning ioyously to /,
lis haven of rest, and some of them
ithout a keeper. Chief among the |
crew was one who wore
Is prison garb jauntily, who betray- ,
a tendency to good-natured bravo /
, and who kept his fellows on a. j
'ar. The Warden presently claim |
my attention and told me some
ling of the prisoners history. lie i
I'd been reared among a primitive
'ople; was superstitious, ingenious,
knew little or nothing of
reign ways and manners and cared I
tile to hear of them. The simplicity
HE 1fF, ,..,,vnI l. I