32: 



NATURE 



[Feb. 25, 1875 



whom the writer of these lines was first indebted for a 

 knowledge of its existence, but it is now out of date. 

 It is sincerely to be desired that a band of scicnlilic pro- 

 fessors to whom the necessary forniula- arc familiar would 

 be disposed to co-operate in producing a work similar to 

 Can's " Synopsis," but extended to all branches of 

 science, and in accordance with the most advanced state 

 of knowledge of the day. F. G. 



THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 

 The Ilaxvaiian Archipclai;o. Six Months among the 

 Palm Groves, Coral Reefs, and Volcanoes of the Sand- 

 wich Islands. liy Isabella J. Bird. With Illustrations. 

 (London : John Murray, 1S75.) 



WIC fear there are few who have any definite idea of 

 the situation of the S.andwich Islands, or indeed 

 of any of the otlicr numerous groups that bcstar the 

 blue Pacific. 



The .Sandwich Islands lie upwards of 2,000 miles south- 

 west of San Francisco, and consist of fifteen islands, of 

 which only eight appear to be inhabited, vi/., Hawaii, 

 Mauai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Molokai, Oaliu, Kaui, and 

 Niihau. The total area is about 7,000 sc|uare miles, and 

 the native population is under 50,000. There are besides 

 upwards of 5,000 foreigners, the Chinese being more 

 largely represented than any other nation, Americans and 

 British coming next. There is, however, a large native 

 white population, descendants of American missionaries 

 and others who settled in the islands years ago ; most of 

 the Ciovernment offices — for the Sandwich group has 

 a Constitutional Monarchy — being filled by whites of 

 this class. The islands have for many years been 

 professedly Christian in religion. They extend from 

 18' 50' to 22" 20' N. lat., and from 154' 53' to 160° 15 

 W. long. Their official designation is the " Hawaiian 

 Isl.mds.'' "Their climate for salubrity and fjencral cqua- 



FlG. I.— A Nigh 



bility is reputed the finest on earth. It is almost abso- 

 lutely equable, and a man may take his choice between 

 broiling all the year rounil on the sea level on the leeward 

 side of the islands at a temperature of So", and enjoying 

 the charms of a fireside at an altitude where there is frost 

 every night of the year. There is no sickly season, and 

 there are no diseases of locality. The trade winds blow 

 for nine months cf the year, and on the windward coasts 

 there is an abundance of rain, and a pcrenni.al luxuriance 

 of vegetation." 



So says Miss Bird, whose delightful book we recom- 

 mend to all who wish for a full and graphic account of 

 the present condition of the Sandwich Islands and 

 islanders. She spent seven months of the year 1873 on 

 the islands for the sake of her health, rode and sailed 



and climbtd about fearlessly everywhere, using her eyes 

 to the very best advantage. The result is, that in less 

 than 500 pages she gives a panoramic picture of the 

 various phases of nature and life in the Sandwich Islands, 

 which leaves little to be desired. 



The largest of the islands is Hawaii its area is 

 4,000 square miles — but the capital, Honolulu, the 

 headquarters of one of our Transit expeditions, is on 

 Oahu. Hawaii Miss Bird calls a huge slag, and 

 the same, we fancy, may be said of most of the 

 other islands ; everywhere there are unmistakable signs 

 of the fiercest volcanic outbursts, and every now and 

 again arc the inhabitants reminded of the instability of 

 the foundations of their lovely dwelling-place. Neverthe- 

 less, nobody in Hawaii troubles himself with the thought , 



