SANDWICH ISLANDS, (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) May 31, 1874.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 333, 2 July 1874, Page 2

SANDWICH ISLANDS, (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) May 31, 1874.

In " walking up and down the earth, and wandering to and fro in it," I have at length reached these lovely little paradisiacal islands of the wide Pacific, where, through the treachery of the savage Hanaka, poor old Captain Cook terminated his voyagings. One of the first scraps of knowledge I acquired after my arrival here was this, that the outside world in general is profoundly ignorant of at least threefourths of what is interesting in this little pin head country, and that much of what is currently reported, and generally believed abroad is incorrect. This conviction has been forced upon me by the free and untrammelled exercise of my own senses, and does not result from the biased statements of informants. Ihe country is small, quiet, and of minimum importance in the scale of earth's nations ; but presents many natural, moral, and collateral features of interest to the thinking and inquiring mind. Its dimensions and geographical position are too well known to need repetition. On the whole, the climate is remarkably salubrious, and, considering that we are on the equatorial side of the 23rd degree of north latitude, unsurpa&singly mild and equable. Even in mid-summer the thermometer rarely exceeds 100 degrees in the sun. But such is the range of altitude on one or two of the largest islands, that you can pass, within the few brief hours betweeu the rising and setting of the sun, from the plains of perpetual summer to the mountain summits where all nature is bound in the grasp of eternal winter. Excepting on Uie most elevated mountain peaks and rocky ridges destitute of soil on the lowlonds, almost every mentionable variety of tropical vegetation is most abundant and spontaneous. The cocoanut, breadfruit, banana, mango, tamarind, kukuinut, mummy apple, and guava everywhere abounds. Honolulu, the capital of the kingdom, and every town and village throughout the islands, is prettily ornamented and beautifully shaded with countless evergreen trees and shrubs of tropical growth. A sufficient quantity of rice and coffee is raised for home use, with a small surplus for export. But sugar-growing is the staple interest of the country. Without one exception the plantations are all in the hands of foreigners, and the manual labor done by natives, Tahitians, Chinese, and Japanese. On the plains, and on the hill sides, the sugar cane grows most prolificly. I have heard of well authenticated cases of six and seven tons of sugar being manufactured from one acre of cane. To be sure, this is much above the general average. Less than two, or two and a half tons per acre is considered a slight crop. The entire population of the islands, including natives and foreigners, does not exceed fifty thousand. Not taking into account Celestials, the American is the predominating foreign element, and I think the British comes next. The native race is a branch from the same trunk as the Maoris, but lacks the pride, independence, and combativeness of the New Zealander. They are a large powerful-bodied people, but averse to hard work. Their language is similar to the Maori, and is undoubtedly a dialect of the same original tongue, but is much softer. Remembering that it is the unrefined speech of an uncultivated, semi-civilized people ; its vocabulary is large, and its variety and accuracy of expression considerable. There is not a word or even a syllable in the language that does not terminate with a vowel. This makes it sound somewhat monotonous to a European ear. The " Kuakoa," a weekly newspaper in the Hawaiian language, has an extensive circulation, and is almost universally read by the natives. Here everybody can read, excepting a very few old people, and those who are too young to learn. The State provides a free education for all its subjects, and makes it binding on all children between the ages of seven and fifteen to attend school. English is becoming pretty generally taught in the Government schools. Indeed, in the town schools it is the chief language. Most boys and girls in the town districts can read and speak some English, as well as their mother tongue. "Were it left entirely with the people, I believe that nine out of ten would make English the only language taught in the schools. They are all anxious to learn it, and fathers and mothers look with pride upon their children when they can prattle a few sentences of the foreigner's tongue. To the American missionaries, who landed on the islands about fifty years ago, is due the introduction of civilized forms of life ; and until recently that body of zealous, energetic, earnest men exercised » supreme controlling influence over the native population. I venture the opinion that if those divine preachers of righteousness, in addition to instructing the savages in the beautiful story of the Cross, had assiduously instilled into the native mind principles of industry, it would have been infinitely better for the Hawaiian nation to-day than it now is. A large proportion of young ablo-bodied men never do a stroke of work either with their hands or their heads, but "loaf" on their friends from the beginning to the end of the year. There is no Vagrant Act in Hawaii nei, and surely in no part of the world is one more needed. The (Government is in the hands of (he king and Mb Cabinet Council. Thajegiblath c

work is conducted by a Parliament composed of commons and nobles ; the former are elected by the people, and the latter by the Crown. There is no * Upper House ; the two castes of members constitute but one Council. The king's ministers are four — £ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Interior, ™ Minister of Finance, and Attorney-General. The nationalities of the present responsible advisers of the king are as follow -.—one Englishman, one German, one American, and one native Hawaiian. I understand that this is the first time, since the pre- • sent fora of Government came into existence, that / a native has been admitted to a seat in the king's cabinet. The Legislative Assembly numbers about forty members, and consists of natives and foreigners. In all former Parliaments there has been a strong foreign element, but in the elective portion of the present Parliament there is but one white man. Although, according to the constitution, the regal power can be vested in no one who is not of the native race, and the Parliaments have been composed largely of natives, yet for a long time past the enacting of laws and the administration of Government have really been conducted by foreigners. Many of the subordinate magisterial benches are occupied by natives ; but the Supreme Court, consisting of a Chief Justice and two associate judges, is composed entirely of foreigners. Formerly the native mind contemplated the foreigner with a mixture of awe, reverence, and trust, regarding him as. the supeiior of the brown skin races ; but within • the last sixteen or eighteen months, since the death, of King Kamehameha V., the bearing of the natives, towards the intruding white man has become somewhat changed. Lunalilo, the king who succeeded the one above mentioned, was virtually elected to* the throne by the whole people. The constitution provides that each king shall appoint his. successor,. or in the event of his failing to do so, a successor must be chosen by the legislature. Kamehameha Y. having died without appointing a successor, the* , matter rested with Parliment. There were several^ alii (chiefs and chiefesses) eligible for the position r two or three of whom offered themselves as candidates for the vacant throne. W. C. Lunalilo, one of the highest chiefs in the land, and" a man of superior education and ability, adopted the prudent measure of addressing a wisely worded manifesto to the people. This resulted in the entire vote of the islands, except ten or a dozen, being^ cast in his. favour. The day appointed for the legislature to meet witnessed the assembling of thousands so as. to be at the base of operations. It was well knownthat several prominent members of the House wereopposed to Lunalilo, but such was the pressure froixfl without that all present voted for him. So the people felt that they had elected their own king. I have referred to this matter here because I believeit to have been the commencement of a new state of feeling in the native breast with regard* to foreigners, residing in the country. From that time the Hawaiian began to recognise his own importance,, and to think that he could do his own business, without imported assistance. And so strong has, this feeling become that many leaders of the peoplecan now be found who boldly proclaim that they do> not want the haori (foreigner), and would prefer hi* leaving the country. When the general elections, took place, early in the present year, numbers of white men offered themselves to various constituencies, but one only ; was elected. The Parliament is now in session, and its doings certainly cannot be said to evince political wtadOm or finished statesmanship, but is strongly tinctured with brainless loquaciousness and nonsensical ckildichness. Of legislative movements and other current events, full particulars by next steamer.