HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



51 



not be forgotten that the mind of the aborigines is more 

 susceptible to the reception of vice than virtue, and the 

 Hawaiians are no exception to this rule, so that many 

 of their original natural virtues are on the wane. On 

 the whole, the natives have paid dearly for what they re- 

 ceived from the white man, as the very soil which be- 

 longed to them has largely passed out of their hands, 

 and is now owned by foreigners. 



Fig. 11. — The government bouse, Honolulu. 



PREVAILING DISEASES. 



Since the government of the islands has fallen into 

 the hands of the white population every possible effort 

 has been made to protect the natives against the spread 

 of infectious diseases. The board of health has been 

 watchful and active in its efforts to improve the sani- 

 tary condition of the islands, more especially that of 

 the capital city, Honolulu. Like all primitive peoples, 

 the Hawaiians have absolutely no appreciation of the 

 importance of hygiene and sanitation, and consequently 

 the surveillance of sanitary matters requires constant 

 watchfulness on the part of the board of health. 



