igth January, A. D. i8gg. 



ESSAY 



BY 



JOHN FARQUHAR. 



Theme: — Our JSfejn Possessions — Hawaii. 



Illuj^trated by Stereopticon. 



The most momentous question before our administration, at 

 present, is the annexation of certain sections of the globe that 

 have recently come under our control. I am not a politician in 

 the popular sense of the word, although I never hesitate to vote 

 as my conscience dictates. I have been invited to address you 

 regarding the most momentous of these recent annexations — the 

 Hawaiian Islands. There can be no question but what this is a 

 valuable annexation, being so near our western coast. They 

 are the nearest land from Portland and Seattle, and afford 

 excellent protection to our western coast against rival povveis. 

 It is five days' sail from San Francisco, Seattle and Portland. 

 Aside from the situation, I want to show you, ladies and gentle- 

 men, that we have in these Hawaiian Islands valuable territory. 

 I would say here that when I come to a Horticultural Society I 

 mean to speak only on horticulture, but, on the present occasion 

 of speaking before this Society, I thought it might be gratifying 

 to say something aside from horticultural interests. I shall 

 endeavor in this address to omit nothing which might i)e of 

 horticultural interest. 



The voyage to Honolulu occupies nine days, really ten, but 

 in going west as you cross the one hundred and eightieth 

 meridian you live one day over twice, and coming east you 

 drop one day. I took passage on the Oriental Steamship line. 



