| Show I t IS ft lr t 9 F orf pmt r. r rye ry w L Fishermen at Kealakekua Bay Prepared d by the National Geographic So SocIety So- So clely Washington ton D. D C. C Hawaii territory of the United States and most important strategically strategically strate strate- of the lands of the time Pacific Is not alone interesting because of its military and naval value to Uncle Sam emphasized some months ago ogo b by the deliberations at Washington in regard to the time worlds world's greatest ocean It Is in many ninny wa ways s 's literally merall an nn island paradise Scarcely an anywhere where else In the world mn may many one roam through tropical Jungles with never a thought of poisonous insects insects insects in in- sects or snakes Such creatures do donot donot donot not exist In these fair Islands Lyen poison ivy 3 and similar noxious plants are unknown And though in the edge e of ot the tropics Hawaii has a cooler temperature by ten degree than an any other land In the same laU lath tudes Moreover one may change his Ims climate at will by a journey journe of a few miles for fur the northern half halt of each island swept by the time trade winds is rainy and heavily wooded while just over the mountain ridge Is a n drier warmer region In a way the time United States Stales ma may maywell maywell I well thank Boston and Its daring tra traders els el's and missionaries of the early euly days s 's for the fact that Hawaii now flies flics the time Stars and Stripes rath rather r than the time tri-color tri or the time British union jack A Spanish navigator first discovered the Islands In 1555 hut but his country laid no claim to them and the they were practically forgotten The British ish Captain Cook visited the Hawaiian group in 1718 1118 and named them the Sandwich Islands Still the islands were practically unknown Then following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing the time close of ot the time American Revolution Rev American ships began to sail the time t se seven n seas In growing numbers n and d In 1759 the time first ship flying the Stars and Stripes Stripes from from Boston Boston vis vis visited the It was the first of many from the same port carrying traders whalers and adventurers rs and soon the natives had hind learned of the republic on th time the continent to the east cast and came to consider the United States and Boston oston synonymous The Boston Boston traders found each of the Islands under a separate king with two rival rulers ruler on Hawaii the largest of the time Islands One of the time latter tatter obtained obtained obtained ob ob- firearms and ammunition from the traders and got their assistance In building a navy With this American American Ameri Amen can help he became the Napoleon of the Pacific conquering the other Islands Islands Is Is- lands and as Kamehameha I ruled over the consolidated kingdom Hawaiian Trade Was Valuable The Time Americans found the time Hawaiian trade tra e a good thing They sold the king and his Ids nobles everything e from clothes and jewelry to billiard tables and steam yachts and in return carted carted carted cart cart- ed away Tay shiploads of valuable sandalwood sandal- sandal wood Strong liquor was not forgotten forgot forgot- ten among the tIle Imports and In Hono lIono- Honolulu lulu luhm among the naturally lighthearted light natives mes the American sailors contributed contributed contrib contrib- to the lie creation of ot a gay Pacific J I 1 resort a sort of forerunner of ot San Francisco's Barbary Coast of later Inter dec dec- ades odes D from American ships In the delightful haven ha of ot a barbarous paradise helped to heighten the fame tame or the Infamy of ot the time Honolulu of those days The situation became such that In 1820 1320 President Monroe Momoe sent ann an nn n agent ent to reside In Honolulu and look after American Interests In lu regard to commerce and seamen A shipload of missionaries also from Boston arrived in the lie Islands in 1820 much to the time disgust of of the traders as aswell aswell well as those who had deserted the sea to tread Hawaii's primrose path The complaint of ot the traders was that the missionaries s taught the natures natives the value of things and so made trading unprofitable American ways and teachings at their Ir best made a great Impression on the more thoughtful thought thought- ful Hawaiians and when the they reshaped reshaped reshaped re re- re- re shaped their government the they made the Ten Commandments the basis of ot their laws More and more Americans visited and settled In the islands and the time looked upon America as their best friend among the nations When pioneers from the United States were pushing west toward California Just before the Mexican war which added that hint state to the time Union a Brit Brit- I ish naval commander in the Pacific realizing the strategic Importance of the Hawaiian group seized the Islands islands islands is Is- lands but his but hIs country promptly dis disavowed disavowed dis- dis avowed his act After some difficulties ties with France over the Islands in inthe inthe Inthe the forties the United States declared a n sort of Monroe Doctrine toward them As carl early as 1851 the Island government fearing trouble with other nations provisionally ceded the islands to the time United States But the thee cession e slon was not accepted and numerous numerous numer numer- ous Otis efforts to become a part of ot the United States were made In the following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing half century Annexed by Uncle Sam In 1887 the time United States obtained a concession for the time use of Pearl harbor harbor harbor har har- bor for a coaling station When Queen attempted to abolIsh abolish abolish abol abol- ish the constitution In 1803 1893 the constitutional constitutional con con- constitutional party part led by American settlers brought about a revolution and dethroned her One of the first acts of the provisional gO government was to apply for annexation to the United States Germany was seizing Islands right and left In the Pacific and the HawaIIans wished to get under a sheltering wing Politics In the United States delayed action an and l in the meantime the time Republic of ot Hawaii was organized Then in during the Spanish-American Spanish war congress suddenly voted to make Hawaii Ha IIa wail American territory Though the time Hawaiian islands are known as fiS the way halfway house of the Pacific In reality the distance from San an Francisco to Honolulu is only about hull that from flom Honolulu to Australla Australia Aus Aus- mila time the Philippines or Japan All the Islands are of volcanic origin out DUt coral has grown on the time shores of man many of them The disintegrated lava laya has formed a rich soil which responds re reo responds liberally to Irrigation Irrig Only Cuba and Java Ja produce greater total crops of sugar find and the per acre yield of ot Hawaii Is the greatest In the world four four tons without irrigation and six she six tons with The sugar crop for the year ear ended curled June 20 10 1920 1020 0 was worth The pineapple crop sec see second second ond and in Importance was valued at 18 SIS Mauna Loa Volcano Perhaps the Hawaiian group Is best Known to most people because of ot the time huge volcano Mauna Iaun Loa on the Island of Hawaii In September lOW 1919 this great valve safety blew off steam giving a most unusual demonstration of natures nature's forces a huge vent yent ventin ventin in the mountains mountain's side a flood of ot molten molt molt- en lava lam was belched forth Spreading Spreading Spread Spread- ing out into a 11 great shallow hallow stream It came roaring down the mountain slope burning forests carrying huge trees and Immense boulders on its surface sur sun face sweeping face sweeping everything thing before It With a speed varying from 1 to 20 I miles mUes an un hour according to the time country coun countr tr try it was passing over It broadened I out until it was nearl nearly a mile In width I After wiping out the government belt road razing telephone poles and destroying destro destroying de de- I a aast vast ast amount of ot property the red hot lava tumbled over o a high precipice and plunged hissing Into th the sea nearly 20 miles from its source In approaching the flow from the sea In the early evening the glow from the lava was lava was visible for many ninny miles As One drifted within yards of the point where the liquid rock was rushing Into the sea the scene cne was awe Slowly the smoky haze hazl from the burning forests which hung over the source 20 miles Va u away uway lifted and the river of ot fire stood out In Its full tull glo glory Leaping from pall to aIle valley val aI le Icy ley rushing uphill and down the fier fiery flood thundered down the mountain slope carrying on Its bosom rocks as big as houses As the time stream of blazing lava neared the coastline it appeared to gather more speed taking the time final plunge e over n a foot toot cliff cUr at a terrific rote rate and looking for all the world like Uke a fiery Niagara As the red-hot red lava came In contact with the water great columns of steam and gas like Uke huge wat waterspouts spouts were forced hundreds of ot feet into the air Huge boulders I hurled Into space exploded c with thunderous thunderous thun thun- I derous reports Into auras of ot red and green lights while flashes of at what I looked like lightning nM aMod to the chaos I |
