6^ CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library DU 21.S49 Dutch East Indies: 3 1924 028 634 925 x^ Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028634925 S^MJOiU. , G^C^U^fi"*^ , THE Dutch East Indies A Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Indian Ocean. PROFUSE L Y ILL USTRA TED. The Kendall Company, Publishers, Chicago, Illinois. 1893. Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1893, by JOHN S. KENDALL, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. J ^1 / v/d TABLE OF COXTEATS. .A Personal Letter 9 Honolulu and the Hawaiians 13 Samoan Islands 23 The Society Islands 35 Tonga, or Friendly Islands 40 Fiji Archipelago 42 New Zealand 51 Australia 61 Papua, or New Guinea 64 LIS T OF ILL US TEA TIONS. Page.. Frontispiece Queen's Palace, Honolulu 13, Diamond Head, Honolulu 15^ Private Residence, Honolulu 17 Malietoa Laupepa 24 Tamasese 25 Maatafa 26' A Samoan Belle 27 A Samoan Village 29 Maatafa's House 31 One of the Cloth Makers 33 Going to Market 37 Native Market at Tahiti 41 Fijian Village 45 A Fijian 43 Tongan Chief ^.4 At Home Under the Bread Fruit Trees 47 High-Cast Maori Woman 52 A Water Fall 55^ A PERSONAL LETTER. Steamer Zealandia, San Francisco to Aukland, Sept., 189:2. My Dear Papa: You may notice that I omit the day of the month in starting this letter. I am a good sailor, but too careless in keeping up my log-book. I might ask Will^ but shall not give him the opportunity to correct my reckonings. Besides, it majr be some other date when this letter is finished. I am delighted with the trip thus far. Bright sunshine, soft refreshing breezes', lovely, star-lit evenings, the blue sea everywhere about us as gentle as a mother rocking the cradle of her babe, while through it steams our great ship with easy swells, to me the very poetry of motion. I have had time to think since we came, on board, and I want to tell you again how thankful I am that you suggested,, laid out and made possible this trip. Will and I had arranged for a very differ- ent journey. First a month in Colorado and New Mexico — some shooting for Will and plenty of the majestic expressions of Nature for both to see and to enjoy- Next a week at Galveston. Do you remember what a lovely time we had on that long white beach at G.? I was not quite as old or proper when you took me on that first outing in the South as I am now. You stopped me then when I sat down to pull off my shoes and stockings to run barefoot along the white, hard sand. I can no better resist the temptation now than then, and I know the opportunity will come on this trip when I can gratify the wish. I recall with exquisite pleasure the sight of the waves chasing each other in long stretches over the shallow bar, throwing at our feet the white, round jelly fish, star shells, fairy seaweeds and coral shells. Beyond the bar a school of dol- phins were rolling over each other in hot chase of a sail putting out from the har- bor. Neither do I forget the great rows of pink and white oleanders, loaded with bloom and fragrance out in the open parkways. Then a day or two at Thibodeaux, that dreamy old town, with its unpainted,. weather-beaten houses, dropping apart with age and neglect, where the buzzards sat lo A Personal Letter. in long rows on the top board of some dilapidated garden fence, and lazily dropped to the ground on the other side as we followed the walk within arms length of them. I wanted to take Will with me out along the bayou drive to some old-time sugar plantation and see the live oaks and magnolias festooned with silver-grey moss swinging in the wind; to meet again the old Acadian and his pretty daughter and sit and muse on Longfellow's pathetic story of their wrongs. A little way east or west from these great plantations we could see the sycamore swamps, where big alligators sun themselves by day, stretched along an old tree trunk projecting from^the water, and at night, active and vigilant, plow through the black and stagnant water in search of food. I never recall the location without the accom- panying thought that here in Lafourche Parish, Harriet Beecher Stowe laid the darkest scenes in the life of Uncle Tom. It is a short ride to New Orleans, and there we should stop long enough to breathe the fragrance of its roses and jasmines — to see a little of its life around the French market, its great river commerce, the French opera, its old quarter and its new quarter, its quaint nooks and corners, interesting for their own sake and because so unlike our own Chicago. From New Orleans to Florida. We did not include this part of our contem- plated tour because it is all the style for bridal parties to take in San Augustine and the opening of the Ponce de Leon, but for the real enjoyment of its indolent climate, for a longer stay among the semi-tropical fruits and flowers, for its ocean beaches, fanned by the soft breezes from the Gulf. Will had purchased his out- fit for tarpon fishing, and it was quite a sacrifice for him to give up the big tarpon he was going to catch. Here our plans were left unfinished, and we began the study of routes and equipments for this unheard-of bridal trip among the Islands of the great Pacific. You know how much I enjoy the scenery of the country where ice and snow are unknown, and summer smiles the season round. You thought of this, and the thousand and one novel and interesting sights such a trip must afford, and I think you preferred it to an European tour in order that I might have something to write you about, other than of Italian art, or visits to old cathedrals. * * * This hiatus was caused by Will inviting me to join a whist party in the cabin. I had for my partner one of the new Professors in Chicago University. He is a very scholarly, agreeable gentleman, and we are liable to see more of him as he is on his way to Amboina, Spice Islands to collect shells and botanical specimens. He will not confine his work to this locality, but drift about among the islands A Personal Letter. ii and mainland to gather a great collection for our new seat of learning. I wish I were a man, sometimes, with a mission of this kind. Some men and most women are contented only with the forcing processes of a great city. I should be happy, for a season at least, in the Garden of Eden. Our first ocean trip of 2,100 miles is nearly over. We shall stay at Hono- lulu for the next steamer from 'Frisco to Aukland. We are in sight of the Islands, so the captain says, but I can see only a little jagged cloud just rising above the horizon. I have packed all our loose luggage and we are ready to land. The clouds have changed to rocks and forests, the ragged edges have changed to mountain tops. To our left is the Island of Mola- kai. on the right Oahu, ahead the open sea. Just around a jutting promontory ■on Oahu is Honolulu. I stop here, but my next letter will have something else to relate beside the personal fancies of Your affectionate daughter, Georgia. P. S. — I forgot to send Will's love to you and Aunt Marguerette, in which you know I join. Will says I am too excited to write. To Mr. J. K. Sewall, Chicago, 111. w o & HONOLULU AND THE HAWAHANS. Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, Sept. 15, iSgz, My Dear Papa: I intended to use the time while on the water to write my letters, but I must send this one from here, as it may be a long time before I have another chance to catch a returning steamer. My promise was to write you about the things I see, the stories I hear, and my own impressions — a task I thought easy enough,, but it now seems a great mountain. I have seen and heard so much, and every- thing here is so different from the picture my fancy had painted. My first letter left us steaming around the south-eastern promontory of Oahu,. a bold lava rock 750 feet high, reaching out into the blue sea; it is called Dia- mond Head, and is the most striking feature of the landscape surrounding Honolulu; passing through an opening in the coral reef we entered the harbor. Before us, stretching for two or three miles along the beach, built well out to the water's edge, lay the city of Honolulu. The view from the bay as we approached the landing was very beautiful. The bright sunlight glinted from hundreds of white cottages, imposing warehouses, great public buildings, and scattered its radiance through bowers of tropical foliage — an enchanting scene, after our seven days out of sight of land. A motley crowd was gathered at the wharf; we. quickly made our way to a carriage and were driven to the "Hawaiian" hotel, a long three-story building, with wide porches fronting each story. It is furnished comfortably in modern style; in fact, I found "Grand Rapids, Mich.," stamped on. the back of my mirror. After a little rest and a well-served dinner — fish and fruit particularly worthy of mention, the professor started out to pay a visit t& Bishop Museum, while Will and I proposed to " do " the town. Taking a car- riage, we made our first halt in front of the Queen's Palace. I save you a dis- cription of it by securing a really good photograph, which goes with some others by this mail. What you can not see in the picture, however, is the extent or 14 Honolulu and the Hawaiians. beauty of the ten acres of , park surrounding it, and its location, wliich is on the main street in the heart of the city. The material of which it is built is brick, with a made-stone of concrete for facing, and at a cost of about ^400,000. We then drove to the Goverment Building, somewhat resembling the Palace, not as airy in style, or modern in its architecture, but a good substantial build- ing, with a big town clock looking out from a high tower above the main entrance. In front of this building is a colossal statue of Kamehameha the Great, a chief of the Island of Hawaii, who in 1782 conquered the other Island Kings and made himself master of the Archipelago. From the Goverment Building we made a short drive through the suburbs of the town, out along a delightful road towards Waikiki, a resident suburb of the city along the ocean beach at the foot of Diamond Point. On this trip we found all the evidences of an Anglo-Saxon — I may say of an American modern city. Miles of well paved streets, street cars, •electric lights, telephones connecting almost all the business houses and many private residences, steam cars, excursion steamers, steam fire engines, schools, •churches, good business blocks and many elegant homes. The Islands are all of volcanic origin; good building stone is not attainable; stores and public buildings are of brick, lava rock, coral rock or concrete; private residences are exclusively frame structures. Among the more pretentious I noticed Mr. Claus Spreckles', Mr. C. R. Bishop's and Mr. Loren Thurston's, as much from the spacious and beautiful lawns and gardens surrounding them, as for the elegance of the buildings. I send a photograph of one of these home places, as in no other way can you con- ■ceive of the wealth of tropical verdure surrounding them. Of course the great proportion of the private houses are small cottages, all with wide porches, white and clean with whitewash. Professor Lyons and Miss Brewer, of Oahu College, called on us in the eve- ning. Our professor had returned from his visit to the museum in high spirits; he found a very complete collection of shells, native flowering plants, ferns, aboriginal implements of war and of domestic use, etc. School facilities were dis- cussed at some length. There are 180 schools on the different Islands, of which 36 are native schools, 144 are taught in the English language; 75 teachers are Americans; other teachers are Hawaiians, half-caste and English. The great sugar industry has made Honolulu a commercial metropolis. Each year is in- •creasing its Anglo-Saxon population; each year the native Hawaiian is dropping out in number and in influence in the affairs of the Island; each year the Hawaiian blood is mixing more and more with the foreign settler The descendants of the great Kamehameha will soon give way to the merchants and planters from over Honolulu and the Hawaiians. 15 the sea. The hopeful outlook for the natives is in the fact that his children at- tend the public schools, speak English and are slowly learning the usefulness of labor. I shall not follow our journeyings day by day; enough that we went by steam cars to Pearl City, to see sugar and rice plantations; by street cars to Kapiolani Park, a pleasure garden and race course combined; by carriage back into the hills where the black lava rocks. Punch Bowl and Tantalus, overlook the plain below, and from which a magnificent view was obtained. The bold promontory of Diamond Head on the left, the blue hills of Waianae on the right, and in front just at our feet Chinese and Hawaiian garden patches, clumps of banana trees, scattered palms and little cottages; beyond, the city, the circling beech and the blue and green ocean. You will find a photograph of Diamond Head with the others I send you; the curved shore line, the gentle swell of the surf, the native boat and boatman appear as listless and idle in the picture as they did at sunset the evening a party of us spent an hour there splashing around in the water and running along the sand, as I told you I would at the first good chance. The climate here is all that can be desired; thermometer at noon to-day, So''; mean temperature, by months, ranging from 70° in February to 76° in "Septem- ber; nights only 7° to 10° cooler than at midday. Rainfall variable, some loca- tions on the windward side having very little, and irrigation necessary to grow crops, while at other locations the fall is excessive. The more elevated plateaus are considerably cooler, while at Hawaii one can live near the line of perpetual frost. I am disappointed with the lack of tropical foliage, where nature has been left alone to cover the waste places. Great barren plains, rough lava hills seamed with wide crevasses, form conspicious marking in the landscape. This is partly atoned for by. the variety and beauty of the trees cultivated and cared for around the homes of the people. Another disappointment was our visit to the markets. Fish in great variety is found in abundance; fruit and vegetables in quality or quantity do not meet expectations; of the native fruits, bananas, cocoanuts, cus- tard apple, fresh figs, guivas, limes, mangoes, oranges, pineapples, strawberries and tamarinds were obtainable, some in ample supply, others inferior "and scarce. Dates are grown in a limited way, but are not natives to this island; and the same with regard to lemons. A few inferior peaches are grown, and the Chinese gardeners bring to market a small supply of melons. It seems to be from lack of care and attenticJn more than from climate conditions that the fruit trade from this country has not figured more largely among its industries. It is with real pleasure that I turn to the flora of the Islands; lantana and night-blooming cereus overrun the. l6 HONOUJLTir AND THE HaWAIIANS. lanes and b3'ways wherever we turn. Heliotropes bend their wealth of purple blue blossoms to the soft sea breezes from great bushes in every garden; passion flowers ablaze with color, clamber over rocks and trellises in perfect abandon; the jassemine in modest white, laden with perfume, scents the air; oleanders, azalias, bouvardias, geraniums, begonias, great clusters of ferns and innumerable other splendid varieties of foliage and flowering plants enrich the parks and lawns; while overhead, guavas, date palms, wine palms, bread-fruit, cocoanut, orange, lemon and lime trees complete the landscape. The natives number about 35,000 of the 90,000 inhabitants of the several islands. In color they vary from a mixture of Indian and quadroon to a much lighter shade. They are generally well formed, lithe and active, and nearly the average height of our people, Ihough the women are rather under height. Young girls can lay claim lo some degree of beauty in form, in eyes and teeth, and bright intelligent expression. I have seen no good looking middle aged women; they grow fleshy and coarse-'feiatored. On our trip to Tantalus, the Professor and Mrs. Adams, an American lady residing here, and Will and I, stopped at a native cottage to let our horses rest under the shade of a little grove of cocoanut trees. The house was a long, low frame, thatched with .dried -grass. The family, some eight or ten in number, were seated on some mafts on the floor, eating with their fingers from a large wooden bowl, something thicker than soup but thinner than dough. We were politely requested to join them, biait when we explained that we had a few moments only to take a look attheir ■" garden " they escorted us to some patches of greens near the house, where a mass of Tcrots were growing. This root is called taro, and resembles our horse radish in habit. Mrs. Adams explained the value of this root crop; it makes the bread of the entire population, and may be seen growing •in all the low grounds around the city. The top of the root is cut off and planted where water can be freely supplied. It grows for eleven months, is then dug up, baked in stone ovens.vpeeled and ground between stones into a mealy, white flour, It is dry enough in this state to be preserved. When wanted for use water is mixed with it, and time given to ferment; it is then known as "poi". Some mix it thick enough to stand .up in chunks lon the bentfirst finger, others have it thinner and use two fingers, -some still thinner: and when mixing it for company it is very polite to inquire ii^you will have one T&iager, two finger, or three finger "poi." Hogs and dogs were the only domestic animals to be seen. I have.omitted to say these natives were dressed in a. variety of .cotton stufi, cut something like a mix- ture of Chinese and .American styles. o a Honolulu and the Hawaii ans. 17 Fish ponds are numerous along the streams and water courses, low spots near the seashore, or walled up out on the sandy beaches: anywhere and everj-- where we ran across* these preserves where the natives keep their stocks of meat. Such beautiful fish — gold and silver, purple and blue, their burnished scales tinted the clear waters to vie with the flowers. There was neither sugar nor rice growing in this part of the island, but we saw plenty of both on the trip to Pearl city and beyond. One place we saw about two hundred hands cutting and cart- ing cane to the presses. Nearly all the laborers are imported under contract, bound for a series of years' service, fed and clothed in the simplest way. I could pick out Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Italians and a few native Hiwaiians among the workers. To my inquiry as to the reason that more natives were not given employment, Mrs. Adams explained that long habits of indolence, a mild climate, requiring little clothing and no artificial heat, wild fruits in abundance on the land, and fish in equal abundance in the waters surrounding the islands, a little patch of taro, needing a minimum of labor to attend and harvest it, made life so easy and free from care that few of the natives could be induced to undertake the laborious life on a sugar plantation. They are lacking in ambition to accumulate, unless it can be done in the line of old traditions, as fishermen or boatmen. A spirited dis- cussion on the way home was introduced by my remark, that foreigners had no business to disturb the quiet possession of these islands by the race that owned them, and whose every want nature had provided for. Will was particularly se- vere in his criticism; he characterized the present government as a plaything of the merchants and planters, who had made the city and supplied the funds for its support. The American Indian could not stop the progress of steam cars across the western plains — neither did we set up as king or ruler, a great chief of a native tribe. He prophesied that a republic would soon be formed, with limited suf- frage, and a half-caste or American would be elected president. The Professor has been so busy that we have seen little of him except at meals and on the two trips referred to. He has prepared for shipment many dupli- cates of the flora of the islands collected by Bishop Museum, and arranged for exchanges to complete the collection. He secured very few seashells, as the variety here are neither rare nor scarce. From Mr. Thrum, an enterprising pub- lisher and bookseller, whose store we visited, he secured a collection of ferns, some land shells, native woods, and volcanic specimens from the great crater of Kilauea, on the island of Haiwaii. Will has called on Minister Stevens, on the officers of the U. S. War i8 Honolulu and the Hawaiians. steamer, at anchor in the harbor, and investigated the condition of coffee culture (they say it is grown here successfully but I have not seen any), and made him- self generally useful as well as ornamental. I failed to mention that we have met the queen, Liliuokalani. She is the widow of an American sailor who died last year. She is short, rather dark, quite corpulent. The picture in the photo is like many other paintings of royalty, toa light, too smooth, too good looking; it flatters her. Then, too, we have seen a review of the " Queen's Own," a company of fifty or sixty native soldiers, and heard the native band, who play real music on real brass horns. To-night we go to the beach, as the breeze is fresh and the surf high, to watch the antics of the native bathers. Tomorrow we leave here on the steamer Mariposa for Apia, Samoan Islands. The Professor has a , small library with him that is of great service to us, and we have put ourselves under his protection for such a portion of the trip as our routes will allow. I have been able to gather so little regarding the history of these islands or the people inhabiting them that our good Profes- sor has prepared what he calls some dry statistics for my scrap-book. I was glad enough to get just these facts, and I think you will be interested in reading them. I mail you two Honolulu newspapers, one English, one Haiwaiian. I could add a Chinese one, but it looks so much like the end of a tea-chest that I leave it out. Some seeds I enclose, with directions for planting that I hope may be flow- ering plants in our green house when we return. We shall look for letters from home at Aukland, New Zealand. Will says to tell you he has had his guns out and rubbed them up, but as there is not a beast or bird on the islands larger than a turtle dove, he has not used them on elephants or tigers yet. Your dutiful daughter. Geokgiana. The Professor's Contribution to my Scrap-Book. THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELIGO DISCOVERY AND HISTORY. This group of Islands, located near the middle of the North Pacific ocean, was discovered by Captain Cook, in the year 1778. He was killed by the natives a year later on one of the islands. History holds him equally guilty with the Honolulu and the Hawaiians. 19 natives in fermenting the strife that resulted in his death. He named the islands after Lord Sandwich, England's first Lord of the Admiralty, and as the " Sand- wich Islands " they have gone into history. Cook found them thickly settled with a race of dark-skinned natives, prob- ably of Malay extraction, inclined to amusements, dancing, music, boating, fishing, surf-riding, etc.; to lives of ease rather than of toil; to peace rather than war. Each of the larger islands had its own king, and often when the more ordinary diversions grew tame, raids were made in their war canoes to neighboring islands for slaves and plunder. In 1782, Kamehameha, a chief of Haiwaii, raised an army to revenge the death of the king of his island at the hands of raiders irom one of the other islands, and following up his successes, overthrew the pos- sessors of all the other islands and established the unity of the kingdom. He was forty-five years of age at the time and a man of more than usual force of character and elements of leadership. For thirty-seven years he governed the islands in peace and prosperity, accumulated a fortune in the sandalwood trade, secured the protection of George III. as a defence from foreign interference, and turned over the kingdom, at his death, in 1819, to his successor, Kamehameha XL, with an undisputed title. In 1820, the American Board of Foreign Missions sent teachers and preachers from Boston to educate and enlighten the islanders. They were received with favor, and in forty years succeeded in teaching the entire native people to read and write, to make clothing, to attend day and Sunday schools and observe the habits and customs of a civilized and enlightened peo- ple. Kamehameha III., IV. and V. succeeded each other, but in the death of the latter the royal line was practically extinguished, and a successor, Lunalillo, was elected by the House of Nobles and the Legislature in 1873. He died a year later, and another election was held, resulting in the accession of Kalakaua I. He reigned seventeen years, traveled extensively in Europe and America, dying suddenly in San Francisco, in 1891. The present queen, Liliokalini, is a sister of Kalakaua. The heiress is a young lady of seventeen, now studying in Europe — the Princess Victoria. Legislation is conducted by a House of Nobles and a House of Representatives — 24 in each house, all elected since 1887, prior to which time the Nobles were appointed by the king. By a treaty of 1889 the United States are in practical control of foreign legislation. SIZE, SURFACE, ETC. The entire group of islands form a chain in the shape of a crescent, nearly 20 Honolulu axd the Hawaiians. 500 miles long from the extreme points of the Islands farthest removed from each other. The following table gives the NAMES, AREAS, ELEVATION AND POPULATION OF EACH. Names. Area in Sqare Miles. Acres. Height in Feet Population. 4,210 769 600 590 270 150 97 63 2,500,000 400,000 360,000 350,000 200,000 100,000 70.000 30,000 13,805 26.754 Maui 10,032 4,030 4,800 3,500 3,000 800 13,327 Ouhu 31,194 Kauai 11,644 Molokai 2,631 174 Niihau 216 1,460 Total 6.740 4,010,000 .S5,970 The islands are of volcanic origin. The soil is decomposed lava, sand and scoria, intermingled with vegetable mould. The surface is very broken; in some places the rough, rocky mountain sides are covered with small timber; in other places the dark lava rocks are clothed only in scanty grass clinging in the great seams and crevasses worn out by sun and rain. On Haiwaii the twin peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea rise nearly 14,000 feet above the sea level. While these mountains are not the highest in the world, they rival in interest the most noted scenery of Switzerland. Near Mauna Loa is the volcano of Kelauea; its crater is eight miles in circumference and 4,000 feet above the sea. Looking over the edge of this crater, a thousand feet below, may be seen at all times a sea of molten lava, bubbling up here or there, ready at a favorable moment to burst its bounds and burn its way, a river of fire, through forty miles of forest and ravine, to the sea coast. On the Island of Maui there is a much larger, though less active volcano. Vegetation, where the land is good — along the bases of the mountains and in the valleys — is very luxuriant; the tablelands generally furnish excellent pasturage. PRODUCTS, COMMERCE, ETC. The valuation of the kingdom for taxing purposes is $35,000,000, on which there is collected about $500,000 annually; about $700,000 is derived from custom dues, and from other sources $600,000; total, $1,800,000. Expenses of the gov- ernment slightly in excess of receipts, public debt being about $2,600,000. Ex- ports for 1890 amounted to $13,000,000, of which $12,150,000 was in sugar, $545,- 000 in rice, $175,000 in bananas, $70,000 in hides $35,000 in wool and $14,000 in Honolulu and the Hawaiians. coffee. Practically all of this export trade is to American ports, San Francisco principally. The sugar industry is in the hand of large planters or corporations, American, English or German; of the 65 firms or corporations devoted to sugar raising, with a combined capital of $32,000,000, American interests control $25,- 000,000. The largest plantation is on the Island of Maui; it is largely owned by Mr. Claus Spreckels; 12,000 acres of the 40,000 owned by this company is planted in cane. Great irrigation works furnish a liberal water supply. The mills on the place have a capacity of 100 tons of sugar per day. In 1891 there were employed as plantation laborers in the sugar industry: 10,529 Japanese, 4,210 Chinese, 2,470 Portugese, 1,850 Haiwaiians, 224 South Sea Islanders, 643 other nationalities. Rice culture occupied 6,175 acres and gave employment to 3,000 hands, mostly Chinese. Considerable trade is carried on in supplying provisions to the merchant and passenger marine of the Pacific ocean, which, in addition to the requirements of home consumption, has stimulated the raising of large herds of cattle and sheep. LAND OWNERSHIP, ETC. On the accession of Kamehameha I., he divided among his followers the lands ot the subdued island chiefs (the larger shares going to his trustj' lieutenants), reserving for himself the lion's share. Those original titles have changed in ■character and ownership, but enough has been preserved to vest in two large es- tates over one-third of the entire kingdom. The character, extent, value, etc., ■of the crown lands, one of the estates referred to, may be interesting. STATISTICS OF GOVERNMENT OR CROWN LANDS. Location. Total acres. Sugar Cane Land. Homesteads, Acres. Grazing Lands. Mountains and Forest Rentals from Acres leased. Estimated Value. Haiwaii Maui Lunai Kahoolawe Oahu Kauai Molokai 573,048 123,260 47,000 30,000 t28,3l5 27,273 22,175 11,008 293 80 150 5,899 1,243 07 8'J 363,030 57,375 47,716 30,000 22,300 13,723 4,632 168,111 57,510 5,915 13,400 2,000 $16,461 3,,553 1,050 250 35,904 1,285 360 5 785,.55') 166,445 43,000 15,000 G.56,100 37,500 26,010 Total 851.071 11,520 7,328 538,776 246,936 J58.863 $1,729,700 t City lots in Honolulu not enumerated. These crown lands cannot be sold or alienated, but are leased on reasonable terms. A recent concession allows to native Haiwaiians a homestead of ten acres on a thirty years' lease, the first five years free, and thereafter one dollar per acre 22 Honolulu and the Hawaiians. per year. Good sugar, rice or coffee lands can be obtained either by purchase or lease, on very reasonable terms. Prior to 1850, taxes — a poll tax and a land tax — were levied, proportionate to the requirements of the executor, and payable in service, labor and other products. Taxes in 1 891, levied on a fair valuation of real and personal property, were about the same as in the United States. population. By nationalities, 1890 and 1884 compared. 1890. 1884. 1890. 1884. Natives Half castes Chinese Americans Japanese Haiwaiian born, foreign parents, mostly Amer- 34,436 6,186 15,301 1,928 12,360 7,495, 40,014 4,218 17,937 2,066 116 2,040 Portugese British Germans Norwegians French Other foreigners., Polynesians 8,602 1,344 1,034 227 70 419 588 9,377 1,282 1,600' 362 192 416 956 Total population 1890, 89,990; total population 1884, 80,578. Hawaii 100 miles long by 80 miles wide. SAMOAN ISLANDS. Apia, Samoan Islands, Sept. 30, 1892. My Dear Papa: I am not as much in love with this Island as I was before I came here. Will and the Professor have gone on an excursion to Rose Island, and left me here under the hospitable roof of Mr. and Mrs. Haggard, an English family to whom Tve were fortunate enough to have a letter of introduction. I have time while they are gone to tell you why I am not anxious to make my home here for a prolonged period. Rose Island is a small coral reef inhabited only by sea-fowl, in- numerable in number and of many varieties; theyhave made this island theirnesting place for ages. A fine collection of bird skins and eggs will probably be brought back by the hunters. A story is told here that "Mr. Ueba" (Weber), former repre- sentative here of a large Hamburg firm engaged in planting and commercial en- terprises, bought the island for ^100, drove off the birds from part of it, and planted cocoanut trees. None of the trees grew, because there was nothing but guano for them to grow in, so he gave it up to the undisputed possession of the feathered aborigines. There are very few birds on the other islands except some very sleepy looking doves and a species of very active kind of kingfishers. Both doves and kingfishers are gorgeous in coloring, but so unlike their name- sakes in other lands that it required the Professor to recognize them. We crossed the equator on the way here, and of course celebrated the event It was about ten o'clock at night when the North star, that we had been watching for several nights sink lower and lower in the northern horizon, went out of sight, apparently into the bosom of the ocean. It will be weeks before we shall see it -again. Apia is on the north shore of the island of Upolu, the most important island of the Samoan group. The harbor is very much' like the approach to Honolulu. In place of the rugged promontory of Diamond Head, substitute a low, sandy point called Mulinuu, covered with cocoanut palms, and you will have a picture that will answer for the roadway where the tempest of March, 1889, destroyed three 24 Samoan Islands. war vessels of our navy, and as many of the German empire. One of the latter, the Adler, is now lying high and dry on the reef, the most conspicuous object in view as we approached the island. Looking from the outer harbor to the east, the volcanic hills, extending the entire length of the island east and west, send out a spur to the north, that reaches the coast in broken precipitous rocks, from loo to 300 feet high; here no coral reef guards the shore, and the waves dash and break into clouds of white spray unceasingly. In front and to the west, as far as the eye can reach, the hiUs begin to rise some distance back from the shore line and then rapidly increase in height to a ragged, uneven sky line, from 1,000 to 2,500 feet in height. The low plain near the coast, the mountain sides, the great ravines, are aU covered with forests. Many thousands of trees are cultivated; miles of cocoanut and lime trees stand in line like a regiment of soldiers on parade, but the natural forest is in posses- sion of the major portion of the country. MALiETOA LAUPEPA. Of Apia itself there is not much to be writ- ten. It is laid out after the plan of the man's face in the new moon. One horn, the forehead, is Mulinuu, a little collection of native houses under the cocoanut trees; among them, a very ordinary one, is the home of Malietoa Laupepa, king of Samoa. There are also two cheap modern houses here, occupied by German officials. Where the eyes come, is a row of stores, offices and barracks of the corporation of Hamburg, referred to before. For the nose put in Metafele, a lit- tle street of German stores and saloons, the German Consulate and the Catholic mission and school. Crossing a small river on a new bridge, recently built, we come to the mouth of our moon man — Apia proper. Here are a number of stores, one of them, as also a very fine new hotel, is owned by Mr. Moors, an American merchant and planter, and one of the leading men of the island; the newspaper office, an English mission house and the old English consulate. Here we cross another good bridge over the Vaisingano river, and begin Samoan Islands. 25 climbing up the chin, a few scattered houses, under clusters of cocoanut trees, then a planter's quarters (English), and on to the end of the horn the pilot house and signal station complete the ascent. Just around the poinl the American and English consuls have built new quarters. To understand the occasion for such a fringe of settlements is too deep a study for me, were it not for Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson, who seems to be the only Anglo-Saxon on the island who is here for his health, has been very kind in unfolding the mysteries of diplomatic intercourse as illustrated here, as well as in many other ways. As I gather from him, the facts are that the native king lives out on the horn because Apia is neutral territory, governed by the three powers: United States, England and Germany. German traders live over "the Rhine" because they are not very friendly to the English and American rep- resentatives. Without going into details, it may interest you to learn the reason of this unfriendliness. The people of the archipelago elect a king by district representation; the districts in Upolu being the most important,, lead in influence. Each village has its own chief. Upolu is divided into five dis- tricts; each district has a chief, but it has in addition the power to confer on some candi- date for the kingship the name of the province so honoring him. The king is supposed to have five names in addition to his family name: Maleitoa-Natoitele-Tamasoalii-Tuia- tua-Tuianna, but in practice no one chief could ever secure all five names. Thus five claimants to the kingship might each have one name conferred upon him. One with three names might have to fight one with two names and hold his possession by force. During President Grant's administration a kind of American protectorate was established over the islands, with Mr. O. B. Stern- berger in charge. This subsequently, in 1886, gave way to German occu- pation with Malietoa,-Natoatele-Tamasoalii-Laupepa as king. After a little the great Hamburg house, whose resident manager was the most potent factor in directing the management of the German interests, became dissatisfied with TAMASESE. 26 Samoan Islands. Laupepa, and trouble with the natives led to the deposition of the king and his banishment to the Marshall Islands. Tuiatua Tamasese, who had been vice king, was made king by the Germans. Under him the natives claimed they •could not get justice from the German consul. American merchants were dis- criminated against. Recriminations followed, and finally overt acts of hostility -were imminent. In 1888 Maatafa left Apia and raised an army to fight Tamas- sese and the Germans. This led to charges that arms and ammunition were sup- plied by the Americans and English, and that treaty obligations were broken. Maatafa kept up a winning fight for months. One after another, warships from all three nations gathered in the harbor. The tempest whirled them to destruc- tion, and with them 186 officers and seamen. In June the treaty of Berlin was signed. Germany consented to the demands of the other powers that Tamasese should abdicate; further, that the three powers should recognize the independence of the Samoan government * * * « ^m^^ jn tjjg present disordered condition of the government, Ma- lietoa Laupepa shall be recognized as king, unless the three powers shall, by common ac^ cord, otherwise declare; but his successor shall be duly elected according to the laws and customs of Samoa." Is it not funny that these three nations did not have men to confer with, who knew that an election of a king had never been accomplished without bloodshed? When Laupepa went into banishment he bequeathed the care of his country to Mataafa. His sturdy defence of the native's cause against the Ger- mans, his life in the forests, enduring with his men the dangers and vicissitudes of a long war, has made him the hero of the nation. Lau- pepa, returned from bani.shment, lives in a hut, with a regal income from his civil list of $q5 a month, was made king by the powers. The district of Malie, that once conferred on Laupepa the name of Malietoa by a new election conferred the name on Mataafa, who now resides at Malie. Fine native houses surround his residence. Horses, pigs and poultry MAATAFA. Samoan Islands. 27 are abundant. Delegations wait on him from far and near, with royal gifts, and are royally entertained. Malietoa Tuiatua Mataafa, king by the election of the Samoans, rules at Malie, seven miles from Apia, around the point. Natoaitele Tamasoalii Laupepa, and erstwhile Malietoa, King by the grace ■of the powers, rules at Molinuu. The Samoan is of the same race as the Marquesans, the Tahitians, the Ton- gans, the Maoris and the Hawaiians, but they are a better type than any of them, the Hawaiians particularly showing by their darker skin and formation more traces of Papuan blood. Never subject to the inroads of other races, they have preserved their original characteristics unchanged and uncorrupted. Their skin is dark olive, resembling polished copper, though the prominent chiefs and better families are much lighter. They are disposed to peace rather than war, self-sat- isfied, pleasure-loving, and delight in songs and athletic games. Fine dress is a passion, particularly with the younger women. A Sa- moan festival is well worth seeing. The men are tall, erect and "walk proud," as we used to say of Uncle Norton. The young girls are slight and graceful in form, and some real pretty, as you may judge from a picture of one I send you. As the girls grow older they do not incline to obesity and grossness as do the Haiwaiians. Caste is the basis of their society. A stran- ger will see little of it. The house and house- hold appointments of a common family differ little from the home surroundings of a chief. Each own their own tract of land, plant their own cocoanut and bread fruit trees, cultivate their patches of yams and taro, and paddle their canoes to the fishing grounds with equal A SAMOAN BELLE. freedom and contentment. It is in their inter- course with each other that the caste distinctions are manifested. The chief is addressed with all the ceremony of Queen Victoria's receptions. In Honolulu King Kalakaua was as likely to be addressed by a subject " Hello Kal," as Jay " your excellency." In Apia such a familiarity is unheard of, even the names 28 Samoan Islands. of many common articles of use about the house are never mentioned in the august presence of a chief. The history and standing of the leading Somoan families is known and respected through all the islands. Women are treated with universal courtesy. The father rocks the cradle, or gets up at night to walk the mats with the baby as often as the mother. Should the mother be occupied in beating out bark for the baby's frock, the father gets the dinner and washes up ^he dishes. The work of the men consists in build- ing houses, stone fences and canoes, in making fine mats, in fishing and col- lecting food. The production of food to support a family requires very little labor, and few aboriginal people live better than those on these islands. Bread- fruit is abundant. It hangs invitingly about every home, and groves of it, interspersed with cocoanut trees, surround all their villages. It takes the place of " poi " among the Hawaiians as the most important article of food — as much so as bread is considered with us. It is not very nutritive, but I have fared worse than I have here at a native house, seated on a nice clean mat, with plenty of bread-fruit, fish, yams and bananas for my dinner. At a "tea," given by Robert Louis Stevenson especially to introduce us t& some of the Apian families, all the guests sat on mats spread on the floor of his piazzas, Mr. Stevenson himself cross-legged, exactly like the natives. He also accompanied us to a native village in a very trim little sail vessel, which he owns and handles with great skill. At this village the chief received us with the greatest ceremony. A call for a fete at the " Town House," was sent out; dancing, singing, eating and drinking, and not a little after-dinner speech making, were indulged in. Many of the men, as well as the women, wore bunches of native flowers in the hair, around the neck or the waist. This gathering gave me some idea of a peculiar custom of paying visits, indulged in here from traditional times. It is called going on a Melanga. One family, or several, may join to- gether and start out on a visit. From village to village the journey is extended,, sometimes lasting two months. News of the approach of the party is heralded in advance, and custom and good manners make it incumbent on the villagers tO' entertain the wandering guests. Europeans often join in such a journey for the opportunity it affords to see the island and its people, without knowing that it may be a serious burden to entertain the visitors, which is borne with apparent good grace, but secretly denounced as beggary. Samoan Islands. agi It is three days since I laid aside my pen to welcome the bird-hunters. Sixty- three bird skins have been cured and properly packed up, and nearly as many eggs punctured and the contents removed. The remaining time has been fully occupied. Mr. Stephenson had told us that with one exception he considered Mataafa; the best exponent of the Polynesian race he had ever met, and we determined to see him. As the roads in every direction from Apia are lost in thickets, blocked; with stone fences, or end in morasses a stone's throw beyond the limits ol the neutral ground, we are like Venetians, and have to take to the water wheni we go visiting. I had previously secured good photographs of Laupepc, Tamas- sese and Mataafa, but on this visit I secured one of Mataafa's house. You have' no idea how comfortable such a house is. Along the top of a circular row of posts, usually made from bread fruit trees, heavy timber is securely tied. From these timbers long poles run, like ribs of an umbrella, to the top of a much taller post in the center; cross pieces of willowy poles are then laid on and tied to these ribs, until the frame-work for the roof resembles a hemispherical wire screen. Upon this frame-work a thick thatch of wild sugar cane leaves is secured. The- floor is slightly raised, and covered with pebbles from the sea beaches. Folding m ats, so arranged as to make a wall entirely around the interior of the circle of posts, from the roof to the ground, secure protection against inclement weather, and the privacy of the family. Coarse mats are used to cover the floor, or fine ones on special occasions, while large screens, movable at will, divide the large rooms into compartments. Each village has a large house of this kind, which is used as a public hall. Here guests are received, entertainments held, great councils of head men meet etc. While at Mataafa's village we learned from one of the young girls, that if we would run in to a landing at the mouth of a little creek about half way to Mulinuu Point, on our way back to Apia, we would find some women making native cloth, and we did so. The landing place was a bad one. Some loose rocks had been dumped along one side of the mouth of the creek, and just outside of them a row of posts stuck into the sand and tied together with some kind of a vine. Our boat was held with difficulty, near enough for me to get over the tops of the posts onto the rocks. The difficulties of landing were well repaid, by the gratifi- cation of our curiosity. We found eight or ten women, from lo to 50 years old, en- gaged in all the stages of work, involved in the manufacture of the finest quality of native cloth. One of the older ones was seated on the ground near the edge of the creek, stripping the bark from some poles. It was a nice job, as the bark must 30 Samoan Islands. be taken off in one piece of varying lengths, without splitting or otherwise injuring it. She tied the bark into bundles and, with a rock attached, sunk them under water. I learned that this bark is from young trees of the paper mulberry. Up the stream a few yards another operator was taking out of the water such bun- dles as had been in soak forty-eight hours, and removing the outer bark. The thin, white, delicate inner lining left after this process she spread in piles on a large mat near her. The next process was exactly the same as gold-beaters use in making gold-leaf — a gentle pounding to thin out and stretch and toughen the bark until it resembles parchment. They can make any size piece by using pre- pared arrowroot as mucilage, lapping the edges of the bark and beating them to- gether. They were not coloring any when we were there, though there must have been 200 to 360 yards of the cloth ready to color, hung on the bushes near .them. We secured a picture of one of these cloth-makers, wearing a skirt of cloth made by herself. i Will has been making a study of the fine mats of Samoa; we had heard something about them at Honolulu. Each family seems to strive to accumulate fine mats more eagerly than any other kind of property. I can see no real beauty or value in any that I have been shown, and yet pride of family, ancestral estates, plate, jewels, and what else is of special value with us, is all represented here by a fine collection of these mats. There are sacred mats, as well as family "fine mats." The sacred mat is ex- clusively the property of a district or a state. The most sacred mat is best described as the flag of Samoa, symbol of their independence and statehood. One of the causes of disaffection of the native people with Tamassese, came from his penchant to buy up Maleatoa mats, which I understand is akin to the pur- chase from an impoverished branch of a notable family, the coat of arms and an- cestral family portraits and adopting them, thus securing an ancestry. A not uncommon household utensil, particularly in their guest houses, is a large bowl, carved from a solid piece of wood; which they use as a punch bowl. In place of punch or frappe, the dried root of a species of wild pepper plant called kava is ground between stones into a white flour, put into the bowl and water added. The solid matter is strained out, leaving a comparatively clear liquid, which is the national drink of the islands. A Samoan invariably hails a passing stranger to come in and take some fresh kava with him. What particu- larly excited my curiosity was the smooth, bluish-white enamel covering the inside of the bowl — a deposit from the liquor almost equal to ivory in appearance. The punch bowl is in great demand; a passing stranger is always invited in to take some fresh-made kava. Samoan Islands. 3E The native language is soft and rather musical. It has been reduced to a written language and books and schools provided. This work it largely due tO' the efforts of missionaries. Few children over seven years old are found who can- not read. I am indebeted to Mr. Moors for some very interesting facts regarding the products of the islands, which I will summarize in brief: Indian corn can be suc- cessfully raised; Irish potatoes degenerate, and in a few seasons can not be dis- tinguished from the sweet potatoes. Coffee and cocoa are among the recent ex- ports of the German planters here, although their 10,000 acre plantation is largely used for cocoanuts, lime trees, pineapples and pasture lands for troops of horses and herds of cattle; experiments indicate that both cotton, sugar cane, cloves and indigo may advantageously cultivated. Labor is mostly imported from other islands, is fairly well paid. In the past there was little protection from injustice or ill-use given these imported laborers, but this condition is rapidly im- proving. It was disappointing to me to find here so few flowers. I hoped for magnificent orchids and other beautiful flowers, but there are none of special interest. I except only a species of climbing fern, growing in some places to the tops of trees a hundred feet in height. I did not tell you about seeing a real banyan tree on our way to Malie. We could not get near it, but readily distinguished it two miles away, among the thicket of the mountain side. A number of individual trees of immense size are known on the island. To give you an idea of the kind of forest here, imagine the little island of Savaii, so densely covered that few white men have ever penetrated the interior, and it is a question if parts of it ever have been seen by the natives even. We leave here with the general imression that the form of government has been antagonistic to the proper development of the natural resources of the islands. American and English influence is gaining ground, new roads are projected, encouragement given to new enterprises, settlers are invited, lands of the finest quality can be obtained at reasonable rates, and with a perfect climate the future of the islands is very encouraging. I will close my long letter. Tomorrow our steamer is due on its way to Aukland,, and you may expect my next letter either from there or from Sidney. We shall make but a short stay at either port, but hurry on, as we are anxious to reach the East Indian country. We are in perfect health and have lost none of our interest in the journey. Good night. Your daughter, Georgia. 32 Samoan Islands. The Professor's Contribution to My Scrap-Book. THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. This group of islands is situated thirteen degrees south of the equator, in Ilongitude one hundred and seventy degrees west. Bougainville visited them on his voyage and gave them the name of Navigators' Islands, in consequence of their skillful seamanship. Captain Cook made several visits to the group in 1775 and 1777. In 1816 jjohn Williams, a young Englishman twenty years of age, was sent out by the jLondon Missionary Society. He first located at Eimeo, a small island near Tahiti. Here he learned the native language, taught and preached in all the ■adjacent islands until 1823, when he took up his residence at Raratonga, one of the Henry or Cook Islands, 750 miles southeast of Samoa. After reducing the native language to writing, he translated several books and a portion of the Bible .and had it printed in London. While engaged in this work he made needed tools and with them, in three months' time, built and launched a vessel 60 feet long and 18 feet wide, and rigged it out with sails of native matting, cordage of ihibiscus bark and oakum of cocoanut husks and banana stumps. With this vessel he visited the Samoan Islands in 1825, and soon afterwards established a mission on the .islands. This was the first practical step in the occupation of the iisland by Europeans. There ar-e nine inhabited islands, covering an area of about 1,500 square miles. -Pour of them, viz.: Savaii, Upolu, Tutuila and Manua, are important enough from 'their size, number of inhabitants and agricultural possibilities to warrant special imention. Oloosinga, Afoo, Manono, Apolina and Amuu, though inhabited, are •quite small. Oloosinga is three miles long and less in width; very mountainous. A narrow plateau along the north side is thickly covered with breadfruit, cocoa- mut and lime trees, supplying food for the 700 or 800 natives inhabiting it. Afoo :is about half the size of Oloosinga, and has the same general characteristics. Apolina is a natural curiosity. A narrow opening in the rocky cliffs allow small vessels to enter a harbor in the interior of the island, which is the bed of an ex- itinct volcano, the island being the shell surrounding the ancient crater. The OxE OF THE Cloth Makers. Samoan Islands. 33 other two smaller inhabited islands differ little from Oloosinga and Afoo. One island of the group is not of volcanic origin — viz.: Rose Island, the most easterly one, is of coral rock, and of interest because the nesting place of sea birds for hundreds of miles around. Of the larger islands, Manua rises in the form of a regular dome to a point 2,500 feet above the sea, covered with forests. Its length is between seven and eight miles and it has about 1,000 native inhabitants. Tutuila, the next larger, is seven- teen miles long; scattered along the coast under the shade of overhanging trees, are located over forty native villages, numbering in all about 7,000 inhabitants. The best harbor on this island is on the south coast. It is valuable as a coaling station and for handling naval stores. It is called Pago Pago, and is owned by the United States; a valuable possession in case the control of the archipelago should pass to an European power. Upola is the most important island, although not the largest. Apia, its principal seaport, is the seat of German influence in the South Pacific ocean. The island is about 40 miles in length, and has a population of 20,000, of which about 500 are white foreigners. Savaii is the westernmost and largest of the group. It is about one third larger in area than Upolu, andhas a population of 15,000. The shore is low, and the ascent thence toward the center of the island is gradual, except where the cones of a few craters are seen. One crater peak is over 4,000 feet high. THE NATURAL PRODUCTS of the islands are such tropical fruits as are common to other groups in the neigh- borhood, with the exception that valuable timber is in greater abundance than on any of the other islands. Extensive farming operations cannot be carried on for lack of open spaces of sufficient area to encourage the starting of large plan- tations and the exhuberant growth of forests renders clearing too expensive. THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT. is monarchical. A native king is chosen by district election. His power is lim- ited and would soon be entirely wiped out if it were not to the interest of the United States, Great Britain and Germany to maintain the pseudo independence of the Samoan government, together with their native forms and customs. THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. On Board the " Dulcinea." October loth, 1892. My Dear Papa: You will undoubtedly rub your head and wonder what we are doing on board this strange craft. I want to say to start with that we are having a delightful time, but it requires an explanation to understand it. Having dined and wined with the several friends we had made at Apia, packed up our scattered effects, and only waiting the arrival of the wished-for steamer to embark for Aukland, when good Dame Fortune came out of her fit of sulks and put on her loveliest smile for us. In place of the big steamer we were looking for, a trim little coaster shot into the harbor. The black hull, yellow cabins and white smokestack were bright with fresh paint, and her crew, in natty uni- forms, attracted immediate attention. Four seamen and a young fellow in a neglige shirt, white pants and a blazer, tumbled into a dory and pulled for the beach, where we happened to be strolling. As the keel grated the sand the young man jumped ashore and stood face to face with our party. I need not describe the meeting, further than to say that the young man was Harry Preble, of Milwaukee. He was the picture of astonishment to see Will here with a wife, and Will was equally emphatic in accusing Harry of having turned pirate. Explanations [soon followed. Harry had been ordered by his physician to live a year or two in the Hawaiian Islands, and had been there most of the time since last spring; but, getting tired of doing nothing, and having pretty well ex- hausted the novelty of so confined a life, he had bought the "Dulcinea," cruised around all the Hawaiian group, and struck out for Apia. We told him our plans, and that we were to leave on the arrival of the steamer. To this arrangement he would not listen at all, but insisted that we should become his guests and help him to kill time for a month at least. As he did not care to venture so far as .36 Society Islands. Aukland, we decided on a short visit to the Society, Friendly and Fiji Islands. The professor was in high glee over the arrangement, giving us an imitation of a surf-rider, to work of his surplus enthusiasm, when we extended our -friend's invi- tation to him. We lost little time in boarding the "Dulcinea,'' £:nd although the run from Apia to Tahiti is 1200 miles, we reached the small islands com- posing the western group in three days and three nights. For three or four hours we steamed along within sight of several of these low-lying coral reefs, where navigation is really dangerous, so much of the channel between them is shallow, or interspersed with submerged coral rock. Having passed the western group, we had an open sea for half the afternoon, when land appeared looming up on the starboard quarter. Is that Tahiti, we asked. The mate, who is an old navi- gator in these waters, replied to our question that in was a small island called Eimeo. The picture it presented as we approached it was wonderfully, wierdly grand. Its lofty mountain range, its cloud-capped peaks, huge basaltic pinnacles of most fantastic shapes, towering from out the sea of billowy white clouds, which drifted around the blackened crags, while below the cloud canopy lay deep ravines, darkened by the densest foliage, extending down to the restless sea, which broke in thunder tones on the reef, held us in as rapt attention as the climax of a grand opera. But soon the picture began to recede and Tahiti grew before us on the other quarter. It was but a short time before we dropped anchor in the outer harbor of Papiete, the principal town of the archipelago. Here, while waiting for a pilot to come out and take us through the narrows, we had a splen- did view of the west side of the island, and a nearer acquaintance with a variety ■of native water craft shooting here and their across the quiet waters of the inner harbor. Tahiti (pronounced so as to rhyme with mighty) has been called "the gem of the southern ocean." I won't attempt to put my admiration for it into words. It is unsurpassed in loveliness. In shape it resembles the figure 8; the larger circle having a diameter of about twenty-five miles miles and the smaller part twelve miles. I can hardly give you any idea of the peculiar mountam formation, except by comparing it to a wheel. The hub, 7,500 feet high, right in the center of the Island, sends out spurs radiating to the coast, like spokes of the wheel, gradually lessening in height as they near the ocean. Splendid rivers rise amid the high peaks and flow through the valleys between the hills, so you can picture the effect of alternating hills and valleys, watered by crystal streams, abounding in water- falls, and all enveloped in luxuriant foliage. Society Islands. 37 Papiete is the sleepy, garden-like sort of place that one would naturally ex- pect it to be from such surroundings. The streets are little more than grassy pathways, with the exception of one long, white thoroughfare, where the business of the place is chiefly carried on; but all of them rejoice in the grandest names that a fertile imagination and a map of Paris can supply. You may know from this that the islands are a part of the French possessions, and Papiete the seat of French influence for a thousand miles around. We all voted Tahiti the first place in our regard, for, aside from its natural beauty, the French have built an elegant road entirely around the island. We rode in carriages, and we rode on horseback — one day north, and the next day south — fully half way around the larger portion of the island. We passed through sections of the country which seemed like vast orchards of mango, breadfruit, banana, orange trees, lemons, guivas, citrons, paupaus, vanilla, coffee, sugar-cane, corn and cocoanut palms. Every few miles we found a native village, nestling under the generous shade of a fruitful forest. Each village has its reception hall, as do the Samoans. We were entertained in one at a dinner, and I there ate a piece of raw fish, my first attempt, thomgh the Professor has extolled it as a delicacy ever since he first ■indulged in it. Women dress neatly and tastefully. The single garment is made of cotton, yoke shape over the shoulders, from which the skirt falls to the feet and trails behind; very suitable for the weather. The native houses are very similar to the cane-covered dwellings of Samoa, varying principally in shape and in having wood floors in place of gravel. Sleeping accommodations are much better. In many native houses we found real beds and pillows, stuffed with a kind, of tree cotton. Mosquito netting is in common use and patch-work coverlets of white cotton with crimson patterns in quite effective designs is the pride of many Tahiti matrons, one good thing they have learned of the foreigners. It did me a world of good to see, growing in several gardens in an exclusively native villages, splen- did orange trees loaded with golden fruit, intermingling with great clumps of rosy oleanders and crimson hibiscus. There is even less incentive to labor on Tahiti than on other islands. Seeds introduced by traders, missionaries, government officials and others, have materially increased the natural products of the islands. The native, reclining beneath the shadow of his own vine and fig-tree, has but to open his hand and they are filled from the overladen branches that shelter him from the burning sun. 38 Society Islands. Part of our way along the splendid road that we followed on our two days' trip, led us close along the sea beach, and it was as good as a circus to see the portly Professor leap from his carriage and rush after some enormous crab hurrying to the water; or catching sight of some shell that interested him, he would stop the carriage and bid us wait until he had gathered the treasure and safely stored it away. Again our road led into the woods, where the variety and beauty of the trees and bushes were a continual source of interest. To still further enrich the scenerj', countless numbers of waterfalls, rivaling Minnehaha in beauty and picturesqueness, are scattered over the island. A ruined French fort, overgrown with roses and cabbages, was discovered by our party, and further along the road two more, in a better state of preservation. These incited our gentlemen to dis- cuss at some length the struggle of Tahiti for independence. We spent our nights on board ship. The last night we spent at Papiete, we took a six o'clock dinner at a little French restaurant — and such a dinner: one dish Will declared was dog meat a la mode; another, mosquito fry — certainly mosquitos are large enough there to be put to some use. At any fate we made out a satisfactory meal, and soon after pulled off to our steamer, where I expected to enjoy a rubber of whist. Harry and I held our own pretty well, in a good many bouts with Will and the Professor on our run from Apia. We were hardly seated at our game when visitors arrived — Mr. and Mrs. Vibbert, whom we had met at the house of the Methodist missionary. All three of my gentlemen soon excused themselves and pulled back to shore, leaving me to entertain the guests. It is the onlytime, I think. Will has kept anything from me, but I believe he sent the Vibberts over to keep me company, to let him off to visit some kind of a dance, where he did not want me along. At any rate, I saw no more of them until after one o'clock, and I had to put my company to bed and sit up alone for two hours, waiting and worrying, for fear something dreadful had happened. We spent one Sunday on the Island and went to church. Sunday is their market day; business dispatched, many repair to church and appear to. be quite devout worshippers. The native pilot, after boarding our steamer an entering Papiete, dropped to his knees exclaiming, "Always pray to God before we go through." Papiete is a much older and more important port than Apia, and this may account for my impression that French occupation is doing more for the Island and for the native people, than the German prepoiideraace in. affairs is. doing at Apia. Cook or Hervey Islands. 39 On leaving Papiete we had intended to make a bee-line for Tonga, nearly 1400 miles almost due west, but as it was only a very short run out of our way, we dropped south a little and stopped off a day at Raratonga. I was particularly interested in the place because it was one of the mission stations where Mr. Williams had labored so long and faithfully. This group of Islands — some ten or twelve in number — is called the Hervey or Cook's Islands, but all except Raratonga are of so little importance I will not mention them. Raratonga is about 35 or 40 miles in circumference, and in its general characteris- tics resembles its neighbors of the Society group. There are three considerable towns on the Island — New York, New Bedford and Raratonga — the latter probably numbering 1000 in population. We spent some hours on shore, and while I found much of interest in the magnificence of its natural advantages, I was sorely disappointed with the native people. At Tahiti we found cleanliness and an air of daintiness, even in the most modest dwelling; here we found a beggarly crowd, mostly dressed in not overly clean cast-off clothing secured from trading vessels. On landing they crowded round us, asking for tobacco, and one even attempted to pilfer my handkerchief, but Harry caught him in the act. I selected a more than ordinarily intelligent appearing woman of middle age, to accompany me to some of the native houses, and she told me some complaints the people make. The missionary who has charge of the station is exacting in many ways; he charges every one a dollar who stays away from church, or for smoking on Sunday; a dollar for a Raratonga Bible; " too much work," she said. The chiefs uphold the missionary in these practices, but the common people grumble, grow indiffer- ent, and like our Indian, beg rather than work, I presume the missionary is a good man, and means well, but the evidences lof the beneficent results hoped for and expected from intelligent mission labor are not manifest at Raratonga. I turn from the subject to something more in- teresting. I casually mentioned the gathering of some shells at Tahiti. I should have added that the Professor's collection there numbers over 200 specimens — not all shells, but objects of interest of one kind or another — one is a cockroach of enormous proportions. At Raratonga we saw our first tree ferns growing wild in the woods. There is a magnificent forest of these ferns on Eimeo but we did not stop there. We sailed away from Raratonga, thankful that we had a steamer at command and could choose our own time. 40 Tonga or Friendly Islands. October 2oth. After leaving Raratonga we had delightful weather for three days. A good share of the first day I devoted to the first part of this letter. Will and Harry told stories and spun yarns about their college days. The Professor spent hours in labeling every specimen he had on board. This, with reading and cards, had occupied us pleasantly, when a storm came up with frightful rapidity from dead ahead, and nearly dashed us to pieces. I have read about tropical storms, but L hope I shall never be on the ocean in so small a vessel again, where one is raging. I was deathly sick and so weak with fright that I am not yet fully recovered. For twenty four hours our little steamer fought and struggled with the monstrous waves that tossed it like a bit of cork. You can't tell how glad I was to step on. solid land again, when we put into the harbor at Tonga. The first day I saw very little of the town or the people. Will and Harry spent the day looking through the small stores that supply the natives with European goods, and exchange native products with the trading vessels that visit the island. At one store they met a real Connecticut Yankee with a stock of clocks, Waltham watches — the kind you wind up until tired out with the labor — carpenters' tools,, leather, etc.; these goods he was exchanging for native products, principally cocoa nuts. These nuts have a well established commercial value; a tree in good bearing will produce about loo nuts each year, and the nuts readily bring- from ;?i.25 to ^1.50 per hundred. The second day I had sufficiently recovered to take my place with the party in exploring the neighborhood. Tonga is the first considerable island that w& have visited, where lofty mountains are not the most pronounced feature of the landscape. Our course, that usually has, from necessity, led along near the shore,, was at Tonga straight away to the interior of the island. Native forests are scattered and less luxuriant than in the great valleys of the volcanic groups;, native farms are more numerous and produce a greater variety of products; the houses are better and are generally partitioned off by heavy mats into convenient apartments; immense bird-nest ferns and some splendid specimens of tree ferns, ^re not uncommon. I was particularly impressed with the fact that here — there being no large commercial firms engaged in planting, and therefore no demand for the importa- tion of cheap labor — the natives are more inclined to do such work for them- selves, thus becoming small planters and agricultural laborers on their own estates.. This thought led the Professor to make a note for his forthcoming work on the Tonga or Friendly Islands. 41 Polynesian races, that the introduction of foreign labor may have been instru- mental in teaching the natives to regard labor as a badge of servitude, and for this reason they rebel against it. I could discover no marked peculiarities that distinguish the Tongan from the Tahitian — a little brighter yellow brown in color, a step in advance in energy and home building, a more active commercial interest and training — but in many Vespects the same racial characteristics. Their village fetes, their kava drinking, their taboo of persons and things, their language and customs, all seem to indicate such differences only, as long residence in isolation would naturally develop. Around about Tonga are a great number of small islands; some few are moun- tainous, but mostly they are low coral formations like Tonga. There are so many that they are cheap. It is quite probable that not only white men, but tiie best native families will own their island by themselves, build a summer residence, establish parks and gardens, and entertain their friends. The present king is disposed to take a regular vacation; and on his summer tour shoot rats on one island, hold a reception on another, meet his councilors on another, and in general go the rounds of his dominions. We made a real pleasant acquaintance in Mr. Phelps, a Wesleyan Mission- ary, and family; his home is certainly very beautiful — not from an architectural point of view, but in real comfort; he has lived there long enough to plant and see grow up around him a grand collection of fruit and flowering trees and shrubs;, he has acres of grass and garden lands highly improved, and fine herds of domes- tic animals; he said it was very difficult to raise good stock because the grass was- neither nutritious nor of good quality. He gave us many interesting facts about the old customs of the natives and the steps taken to supplant them with a better civilization. Some — yes, many — of these old forms and superstitions remain — some because they will not be driven out, others because, not being harmful, they have been let alone; among the harmless customs is the decoration of the person with flowers, the love of pictures, etc. Mr. Phelps said that when he came to the island the men were clean shaven (that is as clean as they could be where the only razor was a clam shell). This set the Professor at work at once to find, a clam-shell razor; he not only found the razors but he hunted up a real old Tonga barber and brought him to the house, together with a subject to be operated on, and we had the satisfaction of seeing the deed done, and the razors,. iwo pieces 0/ pearl shell, a.Te An\y labeled among the Professor's collection. The- modus operandi was the pinching off the whisker between the sharpened edges. 4-2 Tonga, or Friendly Islands. Df the shells — slow but sure. There are but a few European families on Tonga, nor is the island large enough to invite any considerable European enterprises. We shall make a short stay at the Fiji islands, which are about 600 miles north-west of Tonga, where we expect to arrive to-night, and I will finish my [etter on the way from there to Samoa and mail it from there. October 26th. Late in the afternoon of the 20th wt rode at anchor in the harbor of Suva, Dn the south-east shore of Naviti Levu, the largest of the Fiji islands. We spent :he night at anchor there, that we might have a daylight view of the great island Dn our way to Bau. For about seventy miles we steamed along near enough the 3ast coast to see the country, like a magnificent panorama, roll past us — hills and i^alleys, plateaus and forests, plantations and large villages, passed in review in rapid succession, while now and then fishing parties out in their boats, would hail as with shouts and cheers. We anchored at Bau three days, spent one day on Murray island, one day at Levuka, and made a short stop at Nasavusavu, on a 3ay of the same name on the south coast of Vanua Levu, the second largest island, and to-day we are speeding back to Apia. The Fiji group is a very large one; two of the islands, Naviti Levu and Vanua Levu, measure respectively 95 by 65 miles, and 115 by 25 miles, and are the most important; still, many of the smaller islands are from 12 to 20 miles long, and thickly populated. All the more important islands are of volcanic origin, and present the general characteristics Df nearly all the island groups we have seen except the Friendlys. The village of Bau, from a date long before the first white man landed on its shores, has been an important center of native activity. Distances to any part Df the archipelago are measured from Bau; here it was that the old fat king Thakombau lived and died; for years he was a cruel, merciless cannibal, but for some time before his death in 1884 he gave up his more villainous practices, and ren- dered material assistance to the missionaries in their work among his people. The town is not on the main island, but on a little island a short distance from it to the north-east. It has a population of about 1600, made up of Fijians, Ton- gans, Polynesian laborers, Chinese, English, French, Germans, etc. We landed and had made our way along the main street for a block or so, looking for a place to get our dinner, when Harry spied a sign reading "The Duke's Inn," and we went in. We found the landlord had lived on the islands for seventeen years; hewasan ex-soldier, ex-saloon-keeper, ex-foreman of a sugar mill, and ready to serve us in Fiji Archipelago. 43 most any capacit}-. Our dinner that day was fried chicken, coffee, (grown on the islands,) wheat bread, from flour imported from Aukland, fried potatoes, and a bottle of English ale. We spent the afternoon in Bau, and arranged for an earl}' start the next morning, for a trip into the interior of the great island, Naviti Levu. A short pull in a native boat, put us on shore where our boniface, as per agree- ment, had a good team in waiting, and we started; I shall not tire you with the ■details of this two days' journey; we visited fifteen or sixteen villages, spent the night at the largest one (called Navena) where the only white man besides our party was a Catholic priest. The native chief entertained us, and he did it just as well as he knew how, and the accommodations would allow. He went so far as to have some Indian corn pounded fine and boiled in an iron pot, that he usedon special occasions, because he informed us that he knew corn came from our country. I must say, however, that I was so frightened and nervous that I slept but little that night. The general appearance of the country re- minds me of Oahu more than of any of the other islands. The mountains are not very high nor are they so numerous as to leave no place for anything else. A part of the island is mostly great rolling plateaus — some entirely destitute of trees, others bearing here and there a single screw pine, or little clusters of them. They are from three to four times as large as the specimen in the green house at Washington Park. On another part of the island there are dense forests of valuable timber. Everything that is suited to a tropical climate may be found on these islands. One English company is operating an immense estate, and at least a hundred foreign planters are profitably engaged in agriculture on a smaller scale, and there is room for a good many hundreds more. We run across one large cotton field, where a gang of very black hands were at work, that might easily have been mistaken for a Mississippi plantation. Of all the islanders we have yet seen the Fijian is the ugliest; they are much darker in color, many of the men have coarse black beards, and long bushy hair tied up in knots on the top of the head; the A FIJIAN. 44 Fiji Archipelago. women are not as pretty as others I have seen, nor are they held in such respect as are the women of Tonga and Samoa. I have heard the talk about Papuan ancestry and Malay extraction, but was. not impressed with the distinction until we visited the Fijis. The Tongan im- presses me as a healthy, robust Chinaman, with a tinge of Indian in his make-up. A Fijian, as of the same stock, but with a stronger impress of a wild African lineage. Hundreds of Tongans have settled on the Fiji islands, evidently with, beneficial results; they are better bred,, the}' eat and drink, work and sleep, mora like civilized beings. A Fijian will lift his- cocoanut filled with water a foot above his. mouth and pour the water down his throat, for fear he might touch his lips- to. a vessel that some other Fijian had dranfc from. A number of suchi peculiar customs are still, practiced. They are mostly professed Christians and regular church attendants. Naturally shift- less, deceitful and unreliable, they are rapidly learning to maintain order, pre- serve the peace, and cultivate their garden patches. The early settlers on these islands were a hard class of runaways, criminals — a lawless, dissolute set; their influence on the natives was bad; the natives themselves, were cannibals, head hunters, tattooed and painted savages. With such surround- ings and with such miterial to work on,, on, I am sure we must admit that missionary work has been wonderfully success- ful, in so changing the character of so large a tribe, as to render it perfectly safe for a stranger to spend a night in the interior of this great island surrounded by the native people. On returning to Bau, our landlord and guide produced a, number of trophies — Fiji war clubs, beautifully carved and of all imaginable shapes, also some immense ear ornaments that are wora in. the ear as a collar- button is used in a collar. Some would require a hole in the ear at least an inch, in size to insert them. The Professor made as go€id a bargain, as, he could for his Fiji collection — glad to secure them at any pjice. TONGAN CHIEF. p-iji Archipelago. 45 Before we left Bau we had the pleasure of making fehe; acqiiaiiotaiiiGe of Mr. William Murray, a Scotch. planter, whose little schooner we saw anchored in the harbor. He had for some years lived on an island all his own,, and as it was on ouir way to Vanua Levu, he easily persuaded us to stop a day with him. Murray- island, when he purchased it, had some outlandish Fiji name, that I cannDt now recall, but it is referred to as Murray's island since Mr. Murray settled upon it. The cultivation of sugar cane is his main business. Mr. Murray s house is a: large, comfortable frame building, in a park of ten or twenty acres, enclosedlby the- most beautiful hedge I ever saw; he said that it was an English hedge.. We rode' horseback over his estate, and learned more of the capacity of the, archipelago by our day's sojourn there, than we could in a month of ordinary sight seeing. Mr- Murray is experimenting with a little coffee plantation, an acre or two of. Indiai tea, a few acres of coffee, etc. He has a kitchen garden for melons,, corni, pota- toes, wheat, (not much wheat) cucumbers, tomatoes, etc., and' of course great patches of yams and taro for his laborers, and a forest of cocoanut, orange and lime trees. He has so far sold only his sugar products, coffee and cotton. He employs 350 laborers — not one of them native Fijians. Three or four foremen: are English and Scots, a few Tongans, employed in the more trusty capacities,, the rest engaged from "labor" ships — practically slavers, who bring, laborers, under contract for three years' service, for which gioo to $150 is paid. These- laborers are procured from New Hebrides, from the Solomon group and from a group along the equator called the Line islands. A run of ten hours from Murray Island brought us to Lavuka, a place of 1,500 population, almost exclusively European. Here the Englishman is su- preme. We spent nearly the entire day and untjl late at night in one round of visits. The Professor's acquaintance with friends of a teacher in an academy here, opened up an extended introduction to consuls, government officials, officers of the army and navy, ministers, etc. The Governor of the Island is an appointee of the Crown, and many officials under him in the administration of the general affairs of the Island are foreigners,, but local officials are mostly natives. I am not allowing the Professor to do all the collecting of curios, and I shared with him some beautiful plaited work, taken from old temples of the Gods. We saw the ruins of a number of these pagan temples. From Lavuka tO' our anchorage off Vanua Levu is about 40 miles. Our stop there was productive of no incidents especially worth chronicling. The bay is the largest and finest for a harbor of any seen on our travels. The Island is more mountainous than. .46 Society Islands. Vanua Levu, ^nd more generally covered with forest growth; otherwise the same general description, both as to the inhabitants and the products of the Island, already given of its larger sister, will be sufficient. I now leave the subject — grateful in having such an opportunity to see so much of these wonderfully beautiful and fruitful Islands, in company so altogether .agreeable and profitable. Of this I write more at length to Aunt Margurette. As I have taken three or four days to write this letter you are permitted to read it in sections; when tired, stop ; or, as the doctors say, a dose after break- iast, and another at bed time. Good night. Georgia. The Professor's Contribution to My Scrap-Book. The Society Islands. The Society Islands, sometimes called from the name of the chief island the Tahiti group, were probably visited by the Spaniard, Pedro Fernandez de Zuiros as early as 1607. They were re discovered by Captain Walter in the English ship, Dolphine in 1767. Captain Cook made visits to the Islands in 1769, '73, '74 and '77, and named them in honor of the Royal Society of London. In 1774, Spanish jpriests landed and made an attempt to establish a missionary station, but it was soon abandoned. In 1788 the famous ship, "Bounty," with its mutinous crew, ^aid them a visit. TJie first permanent missionary establishment was located at Tahiti in 1797, and from that date the influence of European civilization began to be felt. The location of the islands is from 16° to 18° south of the equator and 148° ,to 155° west longitude. There are thirteen inhabited islands — Tahiti, Maitia, Eimeo, Maiaoiti, Tetauroa, Otaha, Moorea, Tuba, Lord Howe's Island, Scilly .Island, Huahine, Raiatea and Borabora. The population of the entire group is about 25,000, of which number about 15,000 live on the island of Tahiti. The smaller islands vary so little from each other, except in size, that no particular description is required. Eimeo was for some time the headquarters of the busy missionary, Williams, and it is the most beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean. Williams also lived in turn on Huahine and Raiatea. The entire group is of volcanic origin; mountainous in the interior, with tracts of low lying and extra- ordinary fertile land occupying the shores all around from the base of the moun- tains to the sea. The inhabitants in nature differ but little from the Samoans, Tonga, or Friendly Islands. 47 but they are more advanced in civilizaiion, wearing clothing of European style — mostly cotton cloth — attending church services, etc. Their houses also shcrw a furthur adoption of European customs in furnishings and ornamentation. Tahiti, the main island, is 35 miles long and 120 miles in circumference — Papiete, the principal town, has a population of 3,000 — about 1,000 being Euro- peans. About 1840, Roman Catholic missionaries landed on the island and dis- turbed the quiet possession of the Methodist and other Protestant missions, which resulted in French intervention in 1844. Not until 1880, however, was a final treaty concluded, placing the islands under French protection. Some Protestant missionaries left the island after this treaty on account of French interference with their labors. At the instance of Great Britain the rights taken away by local French authorities were restored and harmony established. In 1891 the last king of Tahiti, Pomare V., died, and in accord with the treaty of 1880, royalty ceased to exist, and the annexation to France was complete. The Exports of the islands — alMrorh Papiete — are cocoanut oil, oranges, lime-juice, arrow root,- kauri shells and pearl shells. Cocoanuts are the general article of barter, being exchanged for calicoes,, cotton cloth, knives, cordage, etc. Exports and imports are about equal — ;?75o,ooo per year. The chief agricultural products cultivated for export are raised on one plantation of 10,000 acres, managed by an English Company. Tonga, or Friendly Islands. Tonga or Friendly Islands is another group visited by Tasman in 1643, and by Capt. Cook in 1773, and again in 1777. Tonga, the principal island, is 21° south of the equator, and longitude 175° east. The group is a large one, there being about 180 islands, of which thirty are inhabited. The estimated population has been largely exaggerated. Visiting vessels, sailing round the islands, found the shores thickly settled and from this, judging the interior to be equally pop- ulous, estimated the number of inhabitants at 50,000. More recent and accurate statistical information gives them something under 25,000. Unlike most other groups in these waters, the Friendly Islands are mostly of coral formation, elevated from 20 to 50 feet above the sea level. The climate is pleasant and salubrious, though moist — rain fall being abundant. The natives 48 'The Fiji Archipelago. are of the yellow-brown Polynesian family, with the general characteristics of the Samoans — intelligent, skillful and more inclined to industry. Many good farms are conducted by the natives. Exports from the group are not large, though the inter-island trade is con- siderable. Missionary work, 'both Wesleyan and Catholic, has been very success- ful. Tonga has its printing presses, good schools, and an orderly observance of the customs of a civilized community. Nearly all the islanders read and write both, in their native tongue and English. In 1876 a treaty 'was concluded with Germany, granting that empire a coal- ing station. England recognized the independence of the kingdom by treaty of 1879. Independent chiefs formerly governed different islands, and frequent wars disturbed the prosperity of the country. In late years King George has been recognized as king and has preserved peace throughout the islands. Tonga, the principal island, is about 20 miles long by 12 wide; area of entire archipelago, 400 square miles. A large bay on the north side of Tonga affords a good harbor, but very difficult of access, owing to the number of small coral islands and reefs scattered about the entrance, rendering navigation dangerous. Some of the smaller islands' have excellerit harbors, where trading vessels are usually to be found passing in and out at all seasons of the year. The Fiji Archipelago. The Fiji archipelago is made up of nearly 250 islands, situated i5°-2o° south of the equator,, and extending each side of 180" longitude — just one-half way around the earth from Greenwich. The total area of the islands is 8,034 square miles — about the area of Massachusetts. Two Islands — Viti Levu and Vanua Levu — comprise seven-eighths of the total area. They are of volcanic formation — the windward sides are covered with thick forests, while the leeward is a gra:ssy country dotted here and there with screw pines. The fxropulation is in the neighborhood of 125,000 — 2,500 whites, 6,500 Polynesian laborers, 116,000 natives. While the natives are of undoubted Malay origin, they differ from the Samoans in color and 'habits; the former are yellow brown, the Fiji a yellow-black. They are tall, muscular and well-built, with regular features; they are cleanly in habit and love the water. Human sacrifices have been common with them, and not merely enemies and strangers were .slain and eaten^ but even wives, children The Fiji Archipelago. 49 ■and friends were ruthlessly murdered and cooked. The king of the Cannibal Islands reigned at Fiji. Not until 1854 was this custom materially modified, and not until 1878 was a final abandonment of the custom acquiesced in by the natives. Tasman, the Dutch navigator, discovered the islands in 1646. The ugly char- acter of the inhabitants led early navigators to fight shy of the roasting oven they Icnew awaited their capture, so that nothing looking to the settlement of the group ■was accomplished until the landing of Wesleyan Missionaries in 1835, who landed tinder the protection of King George of Tonga Islands. In 1840 the United States exploring expedition surveyed the main islands. In i8go there were 800 churches, with a regular attendance of over 100,000 natives, good schools equally well distributed, and peace prevails over the islands. Political History. In 1855 Thakombau, Chief of Bau, was made responsible for a debt due from the natives to the Americans; this resulted in his elevation to the title of '' Tui VI. ' or "King of Fiji." In 1857 he offered to surrender the control of the kingdom to Great Britain if they would discharge the debt. An English commissioner visited the islands and on their report the offer was rejected. In 1869 the United States declined the protectorate of the islands. In 1873 the offer was renewed to Great Britain and accepted in 1874, and Fiji is now a crown colony. Products, Revenue, etc. The mountain slopes of Fiji are well adapted for the cultivation of coffee; rice is a bountiful crop in the low valleys and marshy lands; cotton is grown successfully and profitably; the sugar industry is already well established and may be largely increased, Abundance of suitable timber for house and ship building can be had for the cutting. Exports vary from ^1,000,000 to ^1,750,000 per year; imports slightly in excess of exports. The capital is Suva, on the south side of Viti-Levu, but the most important town is Levika, on the small island of Ovalau. It has a good harbor, light-house, etc. NEW ZEALAND. AuKLAND, New Zealand, November 12-17, 1892. My Dear Papa: We reached this port on the 12th, and found a large mail awaiting us. Your three letters received my first attention; they were so cheering and comfort- ing, that I forgot for a while to lament the absence of our friends that we left at Apia. Our trip from Fiji to Apia was concluded without incident, except the oft repeated regret that we should there part company with Harry. I know that he felt the keenest regret to bid us good bye, and I admit that I had great difficulty to keep back the tears. He is a lovely character, and I trust he will so far be restored to health, as to permit him to accept our invitation to make us a long visit during the World's Fair. But I have only told you one-half our troubles. We found anchored at Apia a Japanese gun boat, delivering instructions to their consuls, or representatives, and the Professor in some way secured an invitation to sail with them for the Island of Ceram, stopping at several ports on the way; so we had to say good bye to him also, as he was not desirous of going round by Aukland and Sidney. I think we shall meet him when we get into that part of the ocean; in any event, we are to hear from him at Batavia, Java, where we shall also look for letters from you. Our steamer left Apia the day before the Japanese was to weigh anchor. The long distance from Apia to Aukland is not a pleasant trip under ordinary conditions. Travel is not sufficient to insure agreeable companionship, or suffi- cient variety of work or amusement to pass the time pleasantly. It was an agreeable change from our cabin on ship board, to a suite of large rooms in a hotel here. Aukland is located on a space of land projecting into the bay, divid- ing the spacious harbor into two parts. I have read very often about English subalterns and soldiers, retiring on half pay and starting a "Public;" and the queer names that are generally given such lodging and drinking houses. I have 52 New Zealand. seen scores of such places here: "The Stag," "The Doe and Dog," "The Queen's Arms, ' "The Red Bull," are a few specimens I noted down. Bar maids, tobacco smoke, pictures of horse races, fox hunts, etc., are conspicuous. While many build- ings appear substantial and well built, they are low and dingy. I did not intend to write anything about the city, and will stop by saying it is English all through. It is the Maories that brought us here, and of them I will write: The general character of the soil and climate of New Zealand must have had something to do with the acquired habits of the native New Zealand people. Animal life was never prolific; native products of the soil, suitable for food, were limited and required labor to obtain. To these great islands there came, about the year 1400 A. D., twenty large canoes with 800 men, women and children, from a place called Hawaiki. A careful study of Maori traditions and his- tory has established the probability, that these settlers came from Savaii, the larg^est island of the Samoan group, 3,000 miles away. This conclusion is reached, partly from the fact that Raratonga and Monona are mentioned in the Maori accounts of this migration, as well as Hawaiki, and also from the fact, of the close resemblance in color, habits and speech the Maori still bear to the Samoan. This band of adventurers, driven out HIGH CASTE jiAORi WOMAN. of Savaii by civil wars, found at New Zea- Jand, either an uninhabited island of almost limitless extent in comparison with the one they left, or at best very sparsely settled, by a much darker and less intelligent race of Papuans. Their first labor was the erection of a fortified dwelling place on some sightly point of rock, overlooking the surrounding country; their next labor was in pro- viding food for their subsistence. In far-away Savaii the goiden fruits ripened in the sun as in the Garden of Eden before man came, and the decree was issued, "by the sweat of thy brow shaft thou eat bread." In their new home, roots, small berries and fish were alone obtainable, or now and then a great bird might New Zealand. 53 possibly be captured, or a nest of eggs discovered. To seek food, the first dwell- ing place was abandoned by half the invaders, and a new domicile built miles away. In time a hundred thousand descendants of the voyagers were scattered in villages over the island, all fashioned and located to protect from invasion, not irom some other people, but from other villages of their own people. Forgetting the perils of the long voyage their common ancestors had suffered together in iounding the new state, they waged almost continual warfare — village against village, tribe against tribe. At an earlier date these wars were more in the nature ■of family fights to possess eatables. In later times the possession of women and land was fought for more often, their wars became altogether barbarous and inhuman — the victors generally making slaves of the women, and eating the men and children, of the vanquished party. In this condition the white man found them. Capt. Cook introduced the hog, and the process of civilization was under- way. Dogs had before been the only meat on the islands, except their own lelatives. A dog is a meat eater, and it meant work to provide food for a dog, but a hog, being a vegetarian and a grubber, made its own living, increased and 'multiplied. It has ceased to be any mystery to me, why the pet of the girls in a Hawaiian family is usually a clean, white pig, with rings in its ears and a ribbon •or garland of flov/ers about its neck. Let me note here some comparisons of the Maories and their Saraoan ancestors. In appearance the Maori are a trifle the -larger, the men averaging 5 feet 6j^ inches in height; the shape of the Maori ihead more closely resembles the Anglo-Saxon; in color there has been little change; I reason that these changes are due to a more active life, in food hunt- ring, and in the exercise of higher faculties in preserving life. In disposition the Maori was certainly the more dangerous foe; in 1772 Du Fresne and .twenty-five of his crew were murdered by them; in 1809 the crew .and passengers of the English ship Boyd, to the number of seventy, were massacred; but Du Fresne violated a Taboo by putting a chief in irons, and the K;aptain of the Boyd had a chief flogged. In their customs they have preserved in many essentials the ancestral ideas, ■with various modifications. Formerly the New Zealander was tattooed in the most remarkable manner. Set curves and lines of color entirely covered the face and a considerable part of the body of the prominent warriors. This practice is now abandoned and good specimens of this work are found only on the older vchiefs; women tattooed the chin only. 54 Nfiw Zealand. The Maori countenance is singularly grave and thoughtful — even verging on sadness in expression. They are deficient in reason and judgment, but possess, strong memories and quick perceptions. Since the islands have passed into the possession of the white man, the Maories have taken to modern clothing, and possess flocks, herds, furniture, homes and cultivated lands. Two-thirds of the adult natives can read and write, and three-fourths belong to some Christian church. I have not seen the Polynesian before where his people form only a; small part of the population, but I judge that these natives, while not overly neat or cleanly in habit nor given to labor and thrift, yet they will increase in number,, intermarry, and eventually be absorbed in the great future that the climate and. soil of New Zealand offer to the home seekers. These thoughts have come to me from a comparative study of the natives. on the several islands we have visited. While hurriedly drawn, my sources of information have frequently been men who have expended the best years of life among these people. We went sixty miles to visit a good representative Maori, village as they exist to-day. ■ There are a few natives in Aukland, but continued! intercourse with the English has so modified thei- manners and lines of thought that they are not representative of their people. Next to seeing and talking with the natives in their own homes, within sight of the great mountains that have looked down on them and their ancestors for generations, we have derived the most satisfaction in visiting the Aukland museum. There are paintings and photographs of the natives, young and old — chiefs, warriors, priests, commoners and slaves. Some especially emphasize the shape of the head and the facial expression; others their dress and ornaments; others the wonderfully expressive figures tattooed on their faces and bodies. Another collection illustrate their ancient dwellings, their domestic utensils, etc. A series of utensils for boat building show an adz, a chisel and a kriife of green stone — hard and fine as jet — wound on handles of hard dark wood with the finish of flax fibre — the stone brightly polished and the wood elaborately carved. Some hatchets and war clubs are of the same careful and elaborate workmanship. The most intricate carvings are seen on a long narrow box, used for the preservation of the tail feathers of a bird — the Huia — a kind of crow, that bears a few dark green tail feathers that are tipped with white. Every great chief had his box and his Huia feathers, which, though it cost him two years of labor to secure a bird and pluck the coveted feathers, and two years more to ornament his box to preserve the feathers in, counted the time as well expended. The photograph of the old chief I enclose is a good example of tattooing; it shows. New Zealand. 55 also the Huia feathers as worn on great occasions, and also the native cloth woven from flax. There is preserved at the museum some fossil remains of the extinct Moa, a bird resembling the ostrich but very much larger. The size and appearance of this immense creature, that could stand on the ground and pick pine nuts hanging i6 or 17 feet high, is not based on the evidence of fossil remains entirely, as he lived and roamed over the country long after Tasman visited it. I have asked Will to make a note of such facts regarding the general features of these islands as will likely interest you. I am a poor hand to delve into books for statistics. I miss the Professor with his invaluable fund of informa- tion and suggestions. We sail from here to Sidney, and there take steamer for the great coffee, tea and spice islands of the Dutch East Indies. I think I have not mentioned that there is not a native annual flower or plant in all New Zealand. Grass, trees and flowers keep right on growing winter and summer. This is a strange country; almost tropical in climate, its flora more nearly resembles that of the far-away Hudson Bay country than it does any of its island neighbors, while it is remarkably healthful, with pleasant breezes from across a thousand miles of ocean in all directions; I prefer the rich green grass, dotted -with prairie flowers of my own Illinois, to anything here. Your dutiful daughter, Georgia. AN OLD MAORI CHIEF. Will Has His Say. The madam has directed me to run over to the Library and write for her a little history of this country, and here I am with several hundred volumes of material staring at me from the shelves. I think I am just the right one to write a history of a nation of 750,000 intelligent Europeans in two days' time, because I know so little about the subject. I am just like the Britisher who arrives in 56 New Zealand. Chicago, armed to the teeth, expecting to hunt buffalos and fight Indians Juffc beyond the city limits. After remaining three days he returns to England and writes a book, giving a full and accurate account of the Yankee and his character and civilization. So I came here a week ago, expecting to find the woods full of painted pagans, but do find that I must go about as far from Aukland to see a. real wild Maori, as our English friend must needs go from Chicago to see an Indian. If I could buy two books I find here, I would chuck them in the madam's luggage, and thus make a contribution of some value and save me some reading and writing. Of my personal knowledge I am prepared to remark that this is not a game- preserve; the only wild bird of any considerable size, burrows itself in the ground during the day, wears hair in place of feathers, and to catch one I should recom- mend a night drive, with a freshman holding the bag, as it is a runner like our snipe but as large as a turkey. I find authority for the statement that besides the dog there was once a race of native rats; the dog had his day and went out o£ fashion when Cook introduced pork, and the rats were all eaten by a few Norway relatives that landed with other emigrants from the vessels in the harbors. Thus the native mammalia of the country have become extinct. Snakes, toads and frogs never did live here; just mosquitos and beetles are the principal game birds.. New Zealand was named by Tasman, who discovered the islands in 1642; he did nothing but give them a name, as he was scared off by the crowd of naked savages rushing to the shore swinging their war clubs and making up faces at his outfit. Over one hundred years afterwards, viz: in 1770, that indefatigable voyager of the Pacific, Capt. Cook, came along on his way to find a good place to observe the transit of Venus, and he struck up a trade forthwith; he knew their cousins and their uncles and their aunts over on Tonga and Monona, and just the things they stood in need of. He took a good look around the country, and in the name of His August Majesty, added the islands to the domain of England by the rights of discovery. From a hasty glance at a map of New Zealand, there appears to be one long- narrow island turned over at the north end — the whole resembling in shape, a top boot. Not alone in shape reminding one of Italy, but it is about the same size also; or better yet, about twice the size of the state of New York. In examining the map more closely, however, three islands will be disclosed — the straits separating them, being eighteen or twenty miles wide. New Zealand. • 57 They extend from 34° to 47" south of the equator; in longitude 166° to 179° east. The climate is warmer in the north island than in the south island — sum- mer season comes in January and winter in July. Surface. A great portion of the entire area is occupied by mountains, among which are many extinct and a few active volcanoes. In the north island the central range reaches g,ooo feet in height, and is snow capped the year round. Along the west coast of the south island is a mountain chain — one peak rising above 12,000 feet in height. This range, as it descends to the east, spreads out into great plateaus and table lands. In north island the mountains are mostly clothed with evergreen forests; one species of these cone bearers are of great size — often forty feet in circumference and sixty feet to the first limb. Water power is abundant, though the rivers are short and not navigable. Soil, Climate and Productions. Of the total area, 70,000,000 acres, nearly 40,000,000 acres are supposed to be more or less suitable for cattle raising and general agriculture, 20,000,000 acres to be covered with heavy forests, and 10,000,000 acres to be worthless — either rugged mountain peaks, scorise hills or exposed shahs. The soil, though often clayey, is fertile and easily worked. The climate is unusually salubrious. The summer is longer than in the middle states of the United States, rain fall abund- ant, and yet a large proportion of sunshine. The mean temperature of the hottest month at Aukland is 68°, and of the coldest month 50" Land may be cultivated any month of the year. All native trees and plants are evergreens. Grass grows the year round, and cattle and sheep need no housing or feeding. All the grains, grasses, fruits, vegetables and trees of the warmer temperate countries are cultivated in New Zealand with perfect success. In 1890, some- thing over 7,000,000 acres were under crops. The principal crops are wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and grass. Horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry are an im- portant factor in the productions of the country, as preserved meats and wool figure as leading exports. There are about 2,000 miles of railway and 5,000 miles of telegraph in operation. Settlement. After Cook's visits to the island, English and American whaling ships had recourse to these coasts for provisions and shelter. 58 New Zealand. Native flax became an object for barter with the natives, for which merchant vessels exchanged arms, hatchets, etc. Individual English sailors soon began to settle among the natives, intermarry and acquire land titles. In 1 814 missionary enterprise began, and they labored to introduce better forms and customs, to protect the natives against the injustice, fraud and oppres- sion of the earlier settlers. Of course, trouble must come where society is left without legal restraint, as well in so-called civilized communities as in a savage country. A British Consul was appointed in 1833 to look after the interests of British citizens on the island, but he had no soldiery or men-of-war back of him, and accomplished little. Local wars continued; in 1840 a treaty was concluded with the Native Chief and Great Britain, whereby the sovereignty of the island was ceded to Britain. Thus New Zealand became a regular colony of Great Britain and the seat of government became located at Aukland. A colonization scheme, called the New Zealand Co., had been organized in 1839, and had obtained a pretended title to nearly one-third the islands, and for ten or twelve years most of the colonists had come under the auspices of this company. They were in hot water most of the time; an open war with the natives was carried on from 1843 to 1847. Great Britain recognized the necessity of a change of man- agement, and in 1852 paid the New Zealand Company something over a million dollars to relinquish all their claim in New Zealand. Another war with the natives broke out in 1861, and continued for four years, or until imperial troops were withdrawn. The colonists soon settled the trouble. The natives are now largely engaged in trade and agriculture. In 1865 the seat of government was changed from Aukland to Wellington. New Zealand is divided into sixty-three counties. The government is administered by a Governor appointed by the Crown, and a Minis- try, a Legislative Council appointed for life by the Governor, and a House of Representatives elected by the people. Education and Population. The University of New Zealand, the University of Otego and Canterbury College afford the opportunity for higher education. Numerous high schools and excellent private schools and academies are provided for secondary education. Over 1200 primary schools are carried on by the state, with an attendance of 120,000 pupils. The church of England, the Presbyterian, the Wesleyan and the Catholic churches are predominant. New Zealand. 59 The total population is estimated at 80,000, of which about 35,000 are native Maories; most of these are on the north island. England, Scotland and Wales have furnished the major part of the present population of the country. Land titles are now on an established basis. Agriculture would easily be made profit- able if markets could be opened up nearer the place of production, as the soil and climate are best suited for the raising of the coarser products that cost most for carriage. AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA OR NEW GUINEA. Steamer Empress, Indian Ocean, December. 3d, 1892. Dear Papa: We left Aukland the next day after I mailed my letter to you from there, and sailed for Sidney. We had no time there, nor any opportunity, to learn much about the native Australians, and I shall certainly not attempt to quote statistics regarding the great island almost equaling Europe in area, and peopled by 3,500,- 000 of enterprising Europeans. Especially would this be a waste of time, in con- sideration of the fact that we heard on all sides the sound of preparation for a commendable exhibit of its resources at the Columbian Exposition. Some few things that we saw, and a few facts that we gathered, such as are not usually noted in a historical sketch, may interest you. Rail and road facilities are very good — that is, so far as the road bed is concerned, but I can't say as much for their passenger cars, or the general accommodations. In spite of all these little dis- comforts and annoyances, I don't know when or where I have ever enjoyed trav- eling more thoroughly than during our short stay at Sidney. Every day — I can almost say every hour — gave us some new surprise. Strange, peculiar, wonder- ful — partly expresses it. My first impressions of Australia were not favorable; I was reminded of the old pictures in my geography, of immense stretches of al- most barren prairie, with here and there a drove of sheep nibbling the scanty herbage, and the other picture of a treeless mountain range, where a few discon- solate-appearing miners were swinging pick axes — supposedly gold hunting. There is more than a grain of truth in the impression such pictures convey. We rode over low rolling plateaus where for miles not a tree was in sight, nor a bird even to give life to the picture; yet even on these dry interior plains, great pat- ches of "heath" and native honey suckle — aromatic and bright colored — break the monotony; the grasses are all strangers. Lack of seasonable rain fall seems to be the only reason why the interior of Australia is so nearly valueless. For miles near the sea coast rain is more abundant, and the highlands are rich in forest trees of the Eucalyptus order; the forest foliage is all of the same color — an olive green, and the leaves, which are alike on both sides, grow with their edges verti- '62 Australia. cal in place of horizontal, as with us; a species of oak tree is entirely leafless. About fifty miles- south of Sidney we left the train and drove alongside of several miles of wheatfields to a sheltered valley near the coast, that was enchanting; palm trees 80 to 100 feet in height, Indian figs draped with strange parasites, ■creepers, tree ferns, stag ferns, flame trees and vines, intermingling with the lof- tiest trees, rich with blossoms, showed such a wealth and variety of vegetation as I have not seen elsewhere. The flame tree, with its profusion of red blossoms, can be seen along the mountain valleys from many miles at sea. The fire tree, the only non-parasitic plant of the same order as our mistletoe, grows quite large and bears a mass of dark orange blossoms. Another tree, fuliy fifty feet high, was loaded with flowers, having large stamens of crimson color, tipped with light orange. There are 10,000 specimens of vegetation, most of which are found only in Australia — a larger list than can be made up from all of Europe. Of accasias alone some 300 different kinds are found, usually yellow, blossoming and fragrant. The animals are more strange than the flora; not one of the order mammalia is native to the island, while the pouch bearers of that country have but one rel- ative in the world living elsewhere, and that is a second cousin — the opossum of our country. We have been to Barnums together and watched the kangaroo stand on his tail, but we did not see any pouched cats, pouched rats, pouched mice, pouched squirrels, pouched musk rats, that lay eggs and have a bill like a duck, pouched ant eaters with a mouth full of teeth — fifty-two of them — several more than any other eater finds use for; they are all to be found in this queer country. The collection of Australian birds, while not exhibiting so many freaks of nature, is very large and remarkable for the beauty of plumage and brilliant colors; 650 species are noted by Australian naturalists, as against 500 in Europe. Among them all I did not see a butterfly, of which there are few or none native to the island. I said I would let the natives alone, but I can't well leave the subject with- out noting that while they are noX. pouched, they are as unlike the Malays we have seen, or in fact any other race of human kind, as the other natural products of the country. If they can throw a boomerang from them and have it return to their feet, it is about their only accomplishment. I fear my figures may mislead you. The 10,000 species of plant life is very largely, short stunted shrubs, grasses, ferns, etc. Of large fine trees there are very few kinds, and these are confined to the mountain slopes and valleys near the sea. Of the 650 species of birds, many are varieties of parrots, pigeons, king Papua or New Guinea. 6j fishers, etc., and while handsome in color, they are sparsely distributed, and lack the song power that fills our native woods with music all the summer long. I would rather hear the bobolink thrill his song from the top of some high tuft of grass in the meadow lot, than own the whole bird outfit of Australia. December 4TH. Will and I were seated under a little awning on the upper deck yesterday - afternoon, gazing eastward toward the great island of New Guinea, and wishing- we could learn something about it, when one of our passengers, a short, thick-set,, elderly gentleman, came up and introduced himself as Capt. Van Durk, and in- quired if we were journeying to Batavia. Will told him that was to be our first stop; he then asked if he (Will) was a coffee buyer, or a tea buyer, or a sugar trader. On a negative reply to each inquiry, he hesitated a moment and then laughingly added that we must be agents for the World's Fair, as he had heard we were from Chicago. Will satisfied his curiosity — that we were traveling for pleasure and for all the information we could procure, and inquired what business the Captain was engaged in. This opened up a very interesting sketch of his career. When seventeen years old he shipped from Holland as a clerk for the Netherlands Trading Company, serving them at Batavia, Samarang and Sura ■ baya for eight years. He then returned to Holland for a year, married, borrowed a little additional money and with what he had saved, returned to Batavia and purchased a snug little trading vessel. For twenty-four years he had followed the business of a trader among the islands of East Indies. Six years ago he retired from trade and settled down on his plantation in Java and was growing sugar cane and rice. On many of his voyages his wife accompanied him. I in- quired how he came to know anything about Chicago. "Why," said he, "there is a youngster comes to Batavia from Malacca and Singapore every season buy- ing coffee for a Chicago merchant, and I have often talked with him about your city; in fact I tried to work off a cargo of sugar on him, but Cuba is too near your country." He also said he had heard a good deal of talk about the F3ir at Sid- ney. We arranged to meet after our six o'clock meal, when he promised to tell, us some experiences in Papua. Of course you might know I was in a great hurry to get through dinner, and' envious of the time the gentlemen occupied with their smoking — the Captain taking a wee bit of Holland gin between puffs of his big pipe. When ready for his story I plied him with suggestive questions, but will tell you, as near as I can, , the facts he related without the interruptions that occurred.. €4 Papua or New Guinea. " I have made," he said, " six trips to the island of Papua or New Guinea; the west half of it, more or less, is under the control of the Dutch government just the same as is Java. Lieutenant Colonel Nagtlas, of the Engineers, was .governor in those days. The possession of the island passed into our hands through the Sultan of Tidore, one of the spice islands, whose ruler had at one time extensive possessions in that part of the Archipelago. Taxes on birds of Paradise and other exports of Papua are collected annually by the fleet from Ti- 'dore. On one of my trading trips to Ceram, I put into the port of Amboina just in season to meet one of those fleets returning from Papua. I was so taken with the accounts I had of them regarding the nature and the value of the cargo, that I determined that my next trip should be to that island. I therefore secured two of thejnatives who were being taken to Tidore, and set sail for Surabaya to take on supplies. I loaded with rice, hatchets, knives, Holland cotton, bright colored handkerchiefs, kettles, glass rings, large needles, and kindred material. My cargo of rice I disposed of at Banda island, where the ground is too rolling to cultivate this staple. We made several calls on the way, but our first landing in Papua was at Dorey, a little village on the north shore, the first and only ilanding we had seen that seemed favorable. There we found a few European settlers — Dutch sailors, Catholic missionaries, Arabs, and three or four Chinese. Here I stayed for a week, trying to learn the lay of the land and how best to pros- ecute my venture. All the 'trading I was allowed to do at Dorey was with the foreign settlers, as they would not allow me to open up a trade with the natives. I was dissuaded to go on with my undertaking. Back in the interior I was told the natives went entirely naked, lived in the trees, and were very ugly; to the East a tribe had recently held a feast, at which the whole band had made them- selves drunk with soured palm juice, and then killed one of their number, cut off his head, and kicked it along the ground like a foot ball. In spite of these stories i wasibound to make an effort .to open up a trade with them. My two Papuan ■guides assured me that in the village they came from we would be well treated, and so we left Dorey and ran along the coast some twenty miles, when we found a little harbor at the mouth ..of sl sizeable creek. Here, as nearly everywhere else along the coast, cocoa nut trees were abundant, but not a sign of a hut or of a :human being was to be seen. We landed, and i sent one of my natives back into ithe valley to notify .his tribe of our presence, and assurance of good trading for ■them. I found, more trouble all along the coast in assuring the natives that I •was not collecting tribute for the Sultan of Tidore, than from any other source. ■Once assured of .this,. I hadiit-tle .difficulty in securing the confidence of different Papua or New Guinea. 65 tribes. Our messenger was gone over night, but early the next morning he came back in company with fifteen or twenty men and women, each carrying something to barter. Here I remained ten days collecting Massoi bark — very fragrant and valuable — nutmegs, and birds of Paradise; of the latter I secured over 500 from this village (Papua is the home of eight species of this most beautiful of all birds); cloth, needles and thread, and knives were in chief demand. All liinds of odd, rare curios were brought to the shore for my inspection, wonderful orchids, bird's nests, flying kangaroos, etc. — among other salable articles two men were offered; they were prisoners captured from a neighboring tribe, and were brought to our camp with their hands bound behind their backs, and a rope tied to each ankle, the other end of each rope being held by one of his capturers on either side. I declined to purchase the prisoners, but finally offered a brass ket- tle for each, if they would take off the ropes and give them a hundred yards start in a race for their own village. Having exhausted the stock collected in this vil- lage, we weighed anchor and proceeded along the coast some eighteen to twenty miles, where we were signalled by a band of nearly a hundred — men, women and children — to come ashore; at the same time two canoes put out to meet us. I was somewhat nervous until assured that the demonstration was not a hostile one. We soon discovered that this tribe had learned of our trading with their neighbors and wanted to have the same opportunity, which I was glad enough to give them. Here we found a new difficulty, viz.: no one of our party could understand their talk. My two natives, who were born and grew up within a few miles of this tribe, could understand only a few words, and we carried on our trading by signs. They had been visited by many trading expeditions, as they lived near the shore; had accumulated a stock of tortoise shells, pearls, dried shell fish (valuable for the China market), and logs of ebony. I was surprised to find here patches of corn and rice, comfortable thatched houses, and plenty of cotton cloth for garments." "I continued east on this first trip nearly one hundred and fifty miles, ex- changing my supplies for a very valuable cargo. My glass rings failed to bring the returns I had expected, and I should have brought them back were it not that 3. native who had been a slave on some of the Western islands, recognized the baubles as jewels taken from the head of a serpent, and as "great medicine." I soon got rid of them after that, and considered it a fair exchange to give one of these pretty colored glasses for a pretty colored bird, that cost the native nothing more than a day's time, squatted under a tree waiting to pull a string when his game had become entangled in his snare. I was away from Batavia about six 66 Papua or New Guinea. months on this first trip, and although it was very profitable, I kept nearer home the next year, where it was safe to take the madam with me. The second year I again visited the same tribes and a number of others. One more trip, four years later, two along the south coast of the island, and one entirely around the island,, occupying nearly a year's time, has enabled me to pick up about as much knowledge of Papua as any white man has, and that is not very much. The island, as you know from your map, is a very large one, second only to Australia^ my log book in the voyage around it, registered over 4,000 milesj cutting out all unnecessary digressions, I should estimate the course around, near the shore, at over 3,000 miles. The vegetation of the country is very similar to the most productive of the equatorial islands. Cocoanut, betel nut, sago, banana, bread fruit, orange and lemon trees are to be found near the coast in all parts of the island, while back in the rising lands, ebony, massoi, canari, nutmeg, and numberless other valuable timber, hides the ground from view. Birds and animals, what few of the latter there are, are closely allied with the species found in Australia. No traces of volcanic action have been found, though back in the interior snow capped mountains rise above 13,000 feet into cloudland. Nothing about the in- terior of the country is known except as seen from long distances, or as learned from some captive native. The population is unknown; presumedly it does not exceed 2,000,000. This estimate may be too low from the fact that there is nO' central government, and therefore no enumeration of warriors to estimate from. Independent tribal organization is everywhere found; each tribe seems to be held closely within prescribed boundaries. While it is true that the Western part of the island has been in contact with European and Malay civilization for several generations, no headway has been made towards colonization beyond a few points directly on the coast. This is partly due, I think, to injudicious selection of points of attack." "The rainfall on the north coast is excessive, the vegetation is prolific, the temperature high, making the decomposition of vegetable and animal matter very rapid; at river mouths and along low bottom lands fevers are prevalent. I took off three sick missionaries on my second trip to the north shore, leaving none on the island. Other officials sent there, who have been deterred by the apparent hostility of the natives from taking up a residence back a few miles on the higher land, have generally fallen sick and quit the country." "I am not prepared to say how much truth there may be in the stories about the barbarous practices of the natives in the interior of the island. I can speak for many of the coast tribes from my own intercourse with them. I think that Papla or New Guinea. 67 the interior is not thickly settled because the coast tribes are able to confine the interior tribes to the interior of the island. If they were very numerous they would fight their way to the coast. While the tribes do not speak the same lan- guage, they bear a strong likeness to each other in the entire western part." "They are called by some, descendants of the Malay exodus; I can not so class them. They are as unlike the Javanese as are the Chinese, and even more so. They will average 234 inches taller; they are almost black; they have a flat, broad nose, more like the negro; their hair is kinky — standing out ten or twelve inches from the head like wool on a sheep's back. In the tribal wars that are raged almost continuously, many prisoners are secured, who are sold to labor ships. It is from this source many of the plantation hands on all the Pacific islands are secured. The eastern part of the island is peopled by lighter colored races, more nearly allied to the Samoan and Maori tribes; they are not as civil- ized, however, as the black Papuans of the west end. This condition is due to the lack of association with the outside world." "Small settlements on this big island can do very little towards civilizing the natives or developing the resources of the country; some large movement in the line of occupation by Europeans is needed. Corn, cotton, sugar, coffee, tea, etc., can be raised in abundance, and no country in the world offers so fruitful a field for enterprise as this great island." Here I will close the Captain's story and my letter. Your affectionate daughter, Georgie. jntemfy Co^ DATE DUE FHINTEDiN U.S.*