temperature is uniformly lower than on the leeward side, 

 while the moisture content of the air is higher and the 

 rainfall greater. The climate of the Territory as a whole 

 perhaps varies most in respect to rainfall, which may 

 be 200 inches or more per year on the windward side of 

 the islands, while it gradually diminishes to two inches, 

 or even less, on some of the leeward shores. In fact, there 

 are localities which receive no rain except during the 

 occasional "Kona," or southwest storms. 



The winds are ordinarily light, and Hawaii is never 

 visited by the fierce hurricanes of most tropical countries. 

 Paradoxical as it may seem, the winds are likely to be 

 stronger on the side of the islands opposite that from 

 which the wind comes. The humidity of the air is uni- 

 formly low, which makes even the moderate temperatures, 

 which prevail in the Territory, seem lower than they 

 really are. For this reason, sun strokes are of the rarest 

 occurrence in the Territory. Electrical disturbances are 

 also of exceedingly rare occurrence. 



The slopes are relatively steep on all the islands ex-^ 

 cept near the sea shore, and this brings about a rapid 

 change of altitude as one goes from the shore-line- toward 

 the interior. The highest elevations on the various 

 islands range from 1400 feet on Kahoolawe to 13,800 

 feet on Hawaii. At higher altitudes frost and snow are 

 ^een, particularly during the winter months. In several 

 fobalities it is possible to enjoy a warm sea bath and 

 reach snow within 25 or 30 niiles. On account of the 

 relatively low humidity and the absence of excessively 

 high temperatures, the inhabitant of temperate clim- 

 ates upon coming to Hawaii is able to do physical labor 

 in the open, such as he is accustomed to, and is better 

 Off iii health for so doing. At ordinary elevations, the 

 inhabitants of the Territory live practically in the open 

 air the year round, since it is almost never necessary to 

 close windows or to seek protection against the weather, 

 except for occasional showers. 



THE SOILS 



The Hawaiian Islands, as a whole, are of volcanic 

 Qrigin and all the rocks from which our soils have been 

 formed, may be considered as basaltic lava. This lava 

 came from craters or crevices formed by volcanic erupt- 

 ion, under a considerable variety of forms, and the orig- 

 inal rock material was, therefore, solid, smooth masses 



