Year: 1873

In his lecture on the Sandwich Islands,
Mark Twain gave the following description
Of the Islands and their people:


" In fifty years" he said, the native
race would be extinct. Their color was
of rich dark brown. They were not in
the least vicious but gentle and harmless.
The women wear a single loose garment
that falls straight from the neck to the
heels. In the upper country the men
wear-wel, usually they wore smile or
a pair of spectacles, or any thing of that
kind. They were not proud, did not care
to make any display. In old times the
Kings power was supreme his person
was sacred.


Mr.. Clemens then gave some details
concerning the real signifcation of the
often mentioned tattoo describing to
what extensive lengths it was carried, and
how the unfortunate subject suffered death
if even their shadow CHANGED to fall
athwart the royal person. The late Kane
hameha was a man, who, although gentle
man in person and manners, yet retained
within himself many of the old Instincts Of
savagery He was ais ays anxious tor
return TO the despotic powers Of his
ancestors, His first act when proclaimed
King, was to abolish the constitution and
promulgate in its place one of his own
mpositon.-Some words of eulogy were
given the missionaries for the much good
they had accomplished. Upon their arri-
val the condition of the natives was bar
barous in the extreme Below the King
were the priests; below them the chiefs,
holding their land by strictly feudal
tenure. Farther down in the scale were
the common people, and at the very bottom
of the pyramid were women in an abiect
state OF slavery. They were degraded to
the level of brutes, having no rights, no
privileges. Death was the punishment
for wife who burst seat herself a. the
table with her husband or even eat from
the same dish. She was also forbidden to
touch the choicest fruits. All this has
now changed. Missionaries have taught
the whole nation to read and write in its
native tongue, so that 1t was now probably
the best educated country in the world.
The natives were very hospitable, and well
come any stranger and treat him with
their best But In trade it was different
that was business. In this they would lie
from the first word to the last not COM
mouplace lies such as any one could tell,
but gigantic structures sofcomplicated false
hood. They would sell mole hill for a
mountain, and so exaggerate it that it
would seem cheap at the price. A curious
trait in their character was the facility
with which they died. A native would
announce his intention of dying-lie down,
and do it as effectively as if attended by
all the doctors of the country.


They were passionately fond of dogs
hot handsome ones, but wretched ours
that white man would kill on general
principles. The tails Of these dogs, large
bushy, were their only commendable points.
A friend had said if he owned one of these
dogs he would cut off the tail and throw
the balance away. The Kanakas treated
their dogs very kindly, taking the best
possible care of them from the time they
were puppies until they were full grown
when they were killed and eaten. But as
the dogs reared for the table were always
fed on clean vegetable diet, they were
after all only the cherished American sau-
sage with the mystery removed.