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It is not possible to state whether the native race will exist or flourish before the race of the Saxons. There is but little known of the origin, character and former history of these people. Their history can be given only as far back when the "floating islands" of civilized countries, as the natives called ocean steamers, first visited the shores of these islands.

One island is said to have been seen in the year 1542 by Gaetano, but the whole group cannot be considered as having been discovered until 1778, when the explorer Cook visited them. It was his ill-treatment of the natives that brought about the braw} in Kealakeakua Bay, Hawaii, 1779, and in which he met his death. The Hawaiian Islands were first visited by Christians when Cook and his followers visited them, but the natives retained no favorable impression. Several visits were made by Vancouver, and sincere attempts were made by him to give the natives enlightenment. The king and his chiefs desired that he secure missionaries and religious teachers from England to teach them.

The first missionaries to go to these islands were from America and landed in 1820. On their arrival they found these people without a religion, which seems a singular fact. These American missionaries were well received, and instruction began immediately, so that beside teaching them the Christian religion, they taught all the inhabitants how to read and write in less than forty years. In early times there was a king for each island, but under Kamehameha I, who was a shrewd man and very brave, they were united into one kingdom. A communication was sent to George III, 1810, desiring the islands to be placed under British protection, and to formally acknowledge the king of England as his sovereign. The favor was granted. Nine years after this king died and was succeeded by Liholiho, who soon adopted Kamehameha II as his name. Idolatry was abolished throughout all of the islands during his reign. He and his queen visited England and after a short residence in that country, both died in London, July, 1824.

Before the year 1838, the government was a despotism, but King Kamehameha III granted a constitution which consisted of a king, assembly of nobles, and a representative council, in 1840. This constitution was much improved at recent times. It was based on the form of Great Britain. In 1843 the French and English declared formally the independence of the Hawaiian kingdom. The succeeding rulers were Kamehameha IV, who served a short but useful reign, and died in November, 1863, his brother Kamehameha V, Lunalilo and Kalahaua.

While visiting the United States in 1891, King Kalakaua sud

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denly died in San Francisco, and was succeeded by Liliuokalani, his eldest sister.

This nation is thought to have a considerable antiquity. A genealogy of the kings has been kept for a great time and in it are embraced the names of seventy kings. The population of the islands has been constantly decreasing. At Honolulu there are Roman Catholic and English bishoprics.

When the American missionaries were laboring at Honolulu the Rev. William Ellis, a well known missionary, went with a number of Christian natives from the Society Islands, to Honolulu. Finding the language of these two groups very much the same, Mr. Ellis was able to assist the American teachers in reducing the Hawaiian language to a form of writing, as he had spent several years in the islands of the south.

The native language is a branch of the widely diffused Malayo Polynesian tongue. The Hawaiians and New Zealanders although so far from each other understand each other very well. The spoken language is soft and harmonious, being vocalic in its structure. The consonants k, l, m, n, p, h, the five vowels and the vocalic w are all the letters in use.

The islands were named Sandwich Islands when first discovered by Cook in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, first lord of the Admiralty. Although Cook was disliked by some of the natives and killed by one, yet the priests preserved his skeleton and the people worshipped it until idolatry was abolished. The moral character of these people was not superior to that of other islanders when first visited by Europeans, and until improved by the teaching and influence of Christianity it suffered much from the vices introduced by foreigners. They manifested considerable intelligence and have been easily taught. They are considered physically among the finest races in the Pacific, bearing a strong resemblance to the New Zealanders, and are well developed. They are more hardy and industrious than most of the islanders. This fact is probably due to their distance from the equator. The majority of the people are of medium height, but the chiefs and their families are noted for their height. The Hawaiians are a good tempered, pleasure loving people, and are fond of all games and sports. The women spend much time making gardens and growing flowers. In spite of all the advantages of civilization, the race is dying out and is threatened to become extinct.

In the days of idolatry the natives dressed with very little clothing but now they are all attired in the European fashion. Both sexes are fond of adorning themselves with wreaths of flowers and colored seeds strung for necklaces.

The people live chiefly on pork, fish, both dried and fresh, bananas, cocoanut, breadfruit and sweet potatoes.

The native dwellings are built of wood or more often are huts thatched at the top and sides with a coarse grass and the bark of trees. The cooking is all done outside of the house. A hole is made in the ground, which serves for an oven, and in which a fire is made and stones made hot. The fire is removed, the food wrapped up in leaves and laid on the hot stones and left until ready to be eaten. The national food is poi. The flesh of a certain breed of dog was considered a great delicacy after having been fed exclusively on poi.

Owing to the geographical position the commercial development of these islands has advanced more rapidly than the material improvement in the circumstances of the people. They have several registered vessels. Land is increasing in value.

The houses in Honolulu are mostly one story wood, together with the thatched huts, but it is said to present to approaching vessels more of the appearance of a civilized place with its public buildings and churches than any other town of Polynesia. The streets are laid out in American style and are straight, tidy and clean. Water works from a neighboring valley supply the city. The buildings built of stone are the king's mansion, a hospital, a hotel and the government buildings, in which there is a library of English books and a museum containing corals, shells and all sorts of natural specimens and curiosities. Among the brick buildings are large iron works, a brass foundry, and establishment for working up wood, and rice mills. All the necessaries and most of the luxuries of civilization can be obtained at Honolulu. In the city are several hotels and many agencies of both British and American insurance offices. American and English medical men have a practice in the town, also several lawyers are settled there. Weekly newspapers are published both in English and the Hawaiian language. Near the town there is a college, where for a small amount the boys and girls can secure a good English education. By a recent school law, the supervision of education is placed in control of the Secretary of foreign affairs as head, under him being six commissioners appointed by the President, the clergy of any denomination being excluded from appointment to this board.

Attendance at some of these schools is made obligatory for all children between six and fifteen years of age. The government inspects the private and independent schools, and instruction can only be given in English unless special permission is granted.

On the north side of the island of Molokai is a settlement to

which all persons having leprosy are banished. There are about 800 lepers. The annexation of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States brings this government face to face with the problem of caring for its new wards, the lepers, and maintaining an absolute quarantine against leprosy. There is much doubt as to the origin of leprosy in these islands. It is claimed to have been brought by the Chinese, the Negros and Portuguese. It probably existed in the islands in 1823, though certain authorities claim it first made its appearance in 1848 and 1858. The government has kept it from spreading since 1865. A hospital was organized and opened on the island of Oahu at Kalilukai, which is three miles from Honolulu. Here the lepers are received, inspected and treated. The milder cases were kept here and the severe and incurable cases were sent to Kalawao on the island of Molokai. The government supplies the lepers with the following weekly ration: Beef 7 pounds, salmon 5 pounds, fresh fish 7 pounds, poi 21 pounds, rice 9 pounds, sugar 3 pounds, bread 8 1-2 pounds, flour 12 pounds. Each leper receives in addition a clothes order every six months worth five dollars and a monthly allowance of soap, salt, matches and kerosene oil. The cost to the government is about $67,000 annually for the care of the colony of lepers.

There are several steamship lines between Honolulu and the United States. It takes from six to seven days to sail from San Francisco to Hawaii. There are a few railways on the islands. They use paper and silver for money, and a large amount of Americn gold is in circulation there, also some United States silver and paper money.

There are many good roads, and they have a system of telegraph communication. The foreigners are acquiring wealth rapidly and some are wealthy. The foreigners are sociable, have numerous clubs, benevolent societies, etc. The American customs and influence seems to prevail.

Although this group is within the tropics, there is no region in which the climate is so delightful and so uniform. The minimum temperature is about 54 degrees and the maximum 88 degrees. Extremes of heat or cold do not occur. Storms accompanied by thunder and electricity are seldom known and never do they experience heavy wind storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.

The sky is remarkably clear. The rainfall is greater on the northeastern slope of the islands, being about 200 inches annually, but the average for the whole group is between 50 and 60 inches. There are but few good harbors. The best one is that of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. For about nine months of the year the trade wind blows southwest and during this time safe anchorage may be found almost every where on the south

shores of the islands. During twelve years the extremes of temperature in the shade were 53 degrees and 90 degrees. June is the warmest month and January the coldest and most rainy. By ascending the mountains a more bracing climate may be obtained. Honolulu and Lahaina are particularly well adapted for the residence of their people as the climate is so genial.

PRODUCTS.

Only a small portion of any of the islands is adapted to agriculture, but a very fertile soil, well suited to the raising of sugar cane exists in some parts, so that about one-fortieth of the surface of the land is devoted to this industry. The soil is naturally thin and poor. The best land is found at the base of the mountains. Large herds of cattle are raised and fattened on the extensive pasture lands, and killed to supply meat to the whaling and merchant vessels. Tropical forest trees and other vegetation grow in great profusion in the valleys and on the upland slopes of the mountains. At the base of the mountains are grassy plains and sugar and coffee plantations. Wild horses roam about the islands over the pastures in great numbers. The stones used in building consist chiefly of sandstone, coralstone, basalt and compact lava.

The cattle and other useful animals of a foreign nature were introduced by various navigators.

There are many dogs, rats and bats. The birds have beautiful plumage but do not sing very much.

It is said these islands are free from snakes, frogs and toads. A small lizard is the only reptile.

The sugarcane, banana, plantain, candlenut, palms, cocoanut and the taro flourish on these islands. The taro supplies the natives with their principal food. It has a large starchy root and is as important in Hawaii as the potato is with us.

The candlenut kernels are of such an oily nature that they are burned for candles. There is a plant called the cloth plant. The roots are used for food and the leaves are used to thatch their buildings or huts.

Next to the production of sugar, the most important industries are the cultivation of coffee and tropical fruits. Rice and tea have recently been introduced by the Chinese population.

On some of the islands there are sheep farms and wool is increasing in its production. The chief exports are sugar, wool and coffee.

The commerce, which is chiefly with the United States is gradually increasing. In 1896 the value of the exports was between $15,000,000 and $16,000,000. Nearly all of the imports to these islands are from the United States. Great Britain imported

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