The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-12-12
HAWAII, PARADISE OF THE PACIFIC
Descriptive Article that Gives One Desire to be
Transported to this Garden of Eden
By Edith White in Raja Messenger

UOuuS WHlCu pcISISt, duu CHCSC dIe
picturesque and interesting. The
climate is warm and delightful, and
in the country districts many OF
the natives live in grass houses
without floors, the ground being
covered with mats woven from the
long leaves of the lauhala tree.
1t is essentially an out-of-door ex-
istence. They live on fruits, poi,
and fish, the latter eaten either
raw or wrapped in the large leaves
of the ti plant and cooked between
hot stones buried in the ground-a
forerunner of the freless cooker,
by the way. POI is made of the
potato-like root of the taro, pound
ed into a pulp and then fermented.
At their native feast, called the
luaw, they all sit upon the ground
in circle around the wooden Gala
bash or gourd filled with poi, with
which they serve themselves by
dipping into it with their fingers.
Added to this simple diet is the
kukua nut which is so rich and oily
that in former times it was also
used for illumination. The nuts
we're roasted and shelled, and then
strung upon a stick and used as
candles; so \they are still called
candle nuts A very pretty ma
tive custom is the making of
wreaths out of delicate and fra
grant flowers. These wreaths,
called leis, both men and women
wear as decorations. Out in the
country one often sees a party of
men and women on horseback, all
decked in floral wreaths upon their
hats and around their necks.
|
The native Hawaiians, like our
American Indians, have their as
pirations toward the beautiful and
the expression of art in their daily
life. Their handicraft shows re-
markable patience, ingenuity and
skill. The women weave by hand
the most exquisite fabrics out of
materials which nature abundantly
affords. Their mats, made of the
leaves of the lauhala tree, are now
famed and costly, although origi-
nally they we're in common use by
the natives as beds. The mats
were folded and piled one upon
another until the mass made soft
resting-place. In former times
warriors shields were woven of
these leaves and served as a pro-
lection against spears and arrows.
The museum at Honolulu con-
tains many interesting specimens
of native craftsmanship. Among
the relics of the kings are wonder
full feather capes in brilliant colors
and gay patterns, so richly woven
into net foundation AS to resemble
plush. So rare were the birds
from which the feathers were
plucked that these capes rivaled in
value the jewels of most crowned
heads. 1t is said that Kamehame-
ha, l forebade the killing of these
birds, and permitted only limited
number of feathers to be taken
from each one.
i There is also an interesting col
lection of kahilis, which are made
of many colored feathers wired
into circular form and fastened to
koa- wood poles inlaid with tortoise.
shell. The kahii is an insignia OF
royalty and was used by all no.
BILE families in funeral rites.
| Among the curios are gourds
innumerable, used as food baskets.
dishes, water-bottles, hula drums,
and even travelling trunks! Oh
musical instruments there are but
a few kinds, but the mkulel, a sort
of small guitar with only -four
strings, is dear to the heart o1
every Hawaiian.
| Interesting as the quaint customs
of the people are. we must ever
find that the great charm of the