30 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



with absolute correctness, pronounce it well, and also speak and 

 understand it somewhat. To speak and to understand foreign 

 languages are of course valuable accomplishments if one is to travel 

 abroad. 



Let us suppose that an American, speaking five languages, starts 

 on a tour westward round the world. If he has spent years of study 

 on modern foreign languages, it is but natural that he should wish to 

 make use of his powers. Indeed, such a practical demonstration would 

 seem to many Americans to be the only justification of the time spent 

 in such study. 



His first stopping-place will be the Hawaiian Islands. In Honolulu 

 he will find himself in a New England town situated in the tropics. 

 The architecture is but slightly modified to meet tropical needs. The 

 manners and customs are American, the heritage of the early mission- 

 aries modified by their descendants. The language is English, which 

 is spoken not only by the white population but by the Chinese, 

 Japanese and native Hawaiians. This is obviously not the place to 

 begin to make use of our foreign languages. Of course the visitor to 

 the Hawaiian Islands soon becomes aware of the presence of the native 

 Hawaiian tongue. He hears snatches of it from natives holding con- 

 versation, but no white tourist is ever expected to understand it. 

 This is then the right time to say a few words with regard to the 

 oriental languages in general. No tourists and only a very few 

 scholars are ever able to speak them. Even the missionaries, after 

 long years of residence in oriental countries, speak only a minimum of 

 the local language. This condition of things is unfortunate from the 

 point of view of the traveler who is curious and desirous of information 

 at every point. Of course guidebooks and books on travel tell the 

 essentials, but they do not tell everything, and many a traveler of 

 good general intelligence has to pass on wondering about many 

 things. Even an accredited native guide leaves much to be desired. 

 With the English he may have acquired he explains things as best he 

 can, but he prefers to expound in a conventional manner, and does not 

 encourage too much questioning, often because he is unable to get the 



