Isabella L. Bird - Six Months in the Sandwich Islands

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Auckland-The Mail Steamer NevadaA South Sea HurricaneThe South Pacific DoldrumsThe Tropic of Cancer

First Impressions of HonoluluTropical VegetationThe Nuuanu Pali Female EquestrianismThe Hawaiian HotelParadise in the PacificMosquitos

An Oahu SabbathA State PageantAn Abrupt DepartureInterIsland TravellingMauiContradictory StatementsWindward HawaiiA Polynesian ParadiseHilo Fascinations

Beauties of HiloPalms and BananasMy First Hawaiian RideHilo VisitingThe Rev. Titus Coan

Our Equipment for the VolcanoRiding "cavalier fashion" Upa The Volcano RoadLight in the DarknessThe Crater of KilaueaThe House of PlThe Crater House

"Too much chief eat up people" Lomi-Lomi Volcanic Possibilities

Hilo HomesHila GossipForeign LifeThe National Dish Pilikia and Aloha Surf-board Riding

Windward Hawaii"Gulches"The Mexican SaddleOnomeaA Sugar PlantationSugar makingThe ruling interest.

Ephy AustinA Hawaiian Mnage Diet and DressFern-huntingA Primeval Forest.

IsolationA Native SchoolA Young Savage"Bola Bolas"Nocturnal DiversionsNative HospitalityEvening Prayer

The Waipio Fall"Bessie Twinker"William WallaceCities of RefugeHuman SacrificesLegendary Tyrants.

A Moonlight StartNative HospitalityNative LuxuryA Council of WarThe Rainy SeasonThe Melithreptes Pacifica Prospects darkenA FreshetA Dialogue under DifficultiesA Swim for Life-The "Scotchman's Gulch."

"The High Priest of Pl"Missionary HardshipsA Renowned BaptismThe "Revival"A Tidal WaveKapiolani's HeroismLava Flows and Earthquakes.

A Royal LandingThe Royal ProcessionPuna WoodsLunaliloThe Hookupu Loyal EnthusiasmThe Gift-bearersThe GiftsThe King's Speech

Cookery"Father Lyman's" PartyLunalilo's IntelligenceA Hilo "At Home"The last of Upa.

An Imitation GaleLeeward HawaiiA Heathen TempleThe Waimea PlainsThe Early SettlersNative Criticism

A Grass LodgeAlone among "Savages"A Dizzy PaliOut of the WorldElysiumA Lapse into SavageryA Troubled NightThe Waimanu ValleyA Silent WorldA Pilikia

Beautiful Lahaina!The Leper IslandSister PhoebeA Family SchoolGentle DisciplineLocal Difficulties.

Social HurryA Perfect ClimateHonolulu "Lions"Queen EmmaA Royal Garden PartyDwindling of the Native PopulationCoinage and Newspapers

Hawaiian WomenThe Honolulu MarketAnnexation and ReciprocityA Probable FutureThe "Rolling Moses."

The "Trades"An Inter-Island PassageA Missionary FamilyPhysical Features of KauaiLiquor LawsA Plant of RenownA Domestic School

The Charms of KauaiKaluna the SecondA Patriarchal EstablishmentA Family RomanceA Typical CanonThe Blessing of Plenty

Koloa WoodsBridal RejoicingsNative PeculiaritiesMissionary MattersRisks attending an exclusively Native Ministry

"Sundowning"An Evening RideThe Vale of HanaleiExquisite Enjoyment "Paniola."

The Princess KeelikolaniThe Paradise of MauiAn Island SaharaThe Dead Volcano of HaleakalaCloud SceneryMaui Hospitality

Incidents of TravelA New LightTropical ColdA Hawaiian DesertA Mountain Sheep StationMauna Kea and its Tufa Cones.

Alone with NatureA Light EquipmentKahlA Garrulous AssemblageA Paralysed VillageHilo

Puna, the Home of the Cocoa-palmA Magical SpringA Leper Exodus"Bill Ragsdale"Self-sacrifice of Father Damiens

The "Unexpected" happensHilo KindnessA Venerable Pair of StockingsPreparations for the Ascent of Mauna Loa.

A Second Visit to KilaueaRemarkable Changes in HalemaumauTerrible Aspects of the PitTheory and Aspects of the "Blowing Cones"A Shock of EarthquakeA Mountain Ranch

Ascent of Mauna Loa Pahoehoe and a. a. The Crater of MokuaweoweoThe Great Fire FountainOur CampA Night SceneAn Alarming Ride

Captain Cook's MonumentDreamlandThe Dead Volcano of HualalaiLassoing Cattle"Praying to Death"The Honolulu Mission

The Climate of the IslandsTheir AdvantagesTheir DrawbacksGossip Nuhou Evils of an Exotic Civilization Aloha nui to Hawaii-nei

Representatives

Continental Europe: BOXERBOOKS, INC., Zurich

British Isles: PRENTICE-HALL INTERNATIONAL, INC., London

Australasia: PAUL FLESCH & CO., PTY. LTD., Melbourne

Canada: HURTIG PUBLISHERS, Edmonton

Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc.
of Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan
with editorial offices at
Osaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032

Copyright in Japan, 1974, by Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc.

All rights reserved

Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 73-77575

ISBN: 978-1-4629-1160-8 (ebook)

First edition, 1890 by: John Murray, London

First Tuttle edition, 1974

0226-000355-4615

PRINTED IN JAPAN

TO

MY SISTER,

TO WHOM THESE LETTERS WERE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
THEY ARE NOW AFFECTIONATELY

Dedicated.

SIX MONTHS IN THE
SANDWICH ISLANDS

A CHAPTER ON HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.

A FEW facts concerning the Hawaiian islands may serve to supplement the deficiencies of the previous letters. The group is an hereditary and constitutional monarchy. There is a House of Nobles, numbering twenty members, appointed by the Crown. The House of Representatives consists of not less than twenty-four, or more than forty members elected biennially. The Legislature fixes the number, and apportions the same. The Houses sit together, and constitute the Legislative Assembly. The property qualification for a representative is, real estate worth $500, or an annual income of $250 from property, and that for an elector is an annual income of $75 The Legislators are paid, and the expense of a session is about $15,000. There are three cabinet ministers appointed by the Crown, of the Interior, Finance, and Foreign Affairs respectively, and an Attorney-General, who may be regarded as a minister of justice. There is a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and two associate justices, and there are circuit and district judges on all the larger islands, as well as sheriffs, prisons, and police. There is a standing army of sixty men, mainly for the purposes of guard duty, and rendering assistance to the police.

The question of "how to make ends meet" sorely exercises the little kingdom. All sorts of improvements involving a largely increased outlay are continually urged, while at the same time the burden of taxation presses increasingly heavily, and there is a constant clamour for the removal of some of the most lucrative imposts. Indeed, the Hawaiian dog, with his tax and his "tag," is seldom out of the Legislative Assembly.

What may be termed the per capita taxes are, an annual poll tax of one dollar levied on each male inhabitant between the ages of seventeen and sixty, an annual road tax of two dollars upon all persons between seventeen and fifty, and an annual school tax of two dollars upon all persons between twenty-one and sixty. There is a direct tax upon property of per cent. upon its valuation, and specific taxes of a dollar on every horse above two years old, and a dollar and a half on each dog. Of the $206,000 raised by internal taxes during the last biennial period, the horses paid $50,000, the mules $6000, and the dogs 19,000!