The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-12-12
1LTHOUGH the Hawaiian
Islands occupy an isolated
position IN the W estern
\ Hemisphere the native


NSSsSGN position IN the Western
l&WggB Hemisphere, the native
inhabitants resemble in many ways
the races of other remote islands
of the Pacific. The legends as well
as the language. customs and phys.
ical characteristics of the Hawai-.
ians and other South Sea islanders
are similar enough to indicate that
the races of Oceanica must have
had a common origin. A close
student of this subject affirms:
"A New Zealander and a Hawai-.
ian, though more than four thou
sand miles apart, are members OF
one family and require but short
period to acquire the faculty of a
free exchange of ideas"
In The Secret Doctrine Madame
II. P. Blavatsky writes that in re-
mote ages vast continent existed
across what is now the Pacific
Ocean, and that the many islands
of the South Pacific were once
high mountains on this great CONT
nent. To the truth of this state
ment many students of archaeology
and ethnology have added evidence
which provides logical basis for
the belief that there was, in pre-
historic ages, great common race
from which these many now wide.
ly separated peoples have sprung.
The first authentic records OF
Hawaii were furnished by party
of explorers headed by Capt. James
Cook, who is usually spoken of as
the discoverer of the islands. 1t is
believed, however, that they were
known to Spanish and other navi-
gators of the Middle Ages; for
evidence of this exists in the strik-
ing resemblance of many of the
native myths to the Bible accounts
of the creation, the deluge, and
other stories. 1t was in 1878 that
Capt. Cook landed upon these
islands and named them Sandwich
Islands in honor of the Earl OF
Sandwich who was at That time the
British First Lord of the Ad-
miralty. The natives, however,
have always clung to their own
beautiful name, Hawaii.
The eight islands of the group
were ruled each by it's own king,
and there were the usual castles,
according to the manner of feudal-
ism. At the close of the eighteenth
century wise and powerful king
named Kamehameha l had sub
dued all the other kings and gath.
cred the tribes together under one
rule. He was a remarkable man.
imbued with the purpose of i'm.
proving the conditions of his peo'
pie and working for their enlight.
eminent. His memory is revered
by all Hawaiians, and statue Of
this king has been erected in one
of the parks of Honolulu.
Six other native kings ruled over
Hawaii between 1878 and 1891, the
last being the well-know king
Kalakaua. He was succeeded by
his sister Liliuokalani, whose briei
reign was followed by the passing
of Hawaiian rule. Upon thi'
event, after bloodless revolution
the islands became a republic, anc
in 1897 they sought and accom-
plished their annexation to tht
United States.
During the century which ha'
elapsed since the discovery O.
Hawaii, in which time a large for
eign element has populated tht
islands, the native Hawaiians. to {
great extent, have adopted the Gus
toms of the white man. In the in
terror districts their style of life il
still primitive and more character
istically Hawaiian, but in th'
towns and cities they have adapted
themselves readily to the com
plexities of conventional life.