180 HAWAII. [LETTER XVIII. 



stranger where, as here, American influence and customs are 

 dominant • but the English who are in Honolulu just now, in 

 transitu from New Zealand, complain bitterly of its "Yan- 

 keeism," and are very far from being at home, and I doubt not 



that Mr. M , whom you will see, will not confirm my 



favourable description. It is quite true that the islands are 

 Americanized, and with the exception of the Finance Minister, 

 who is a Scotchman, Americans " run " the Government and 

 fill the Chief Justiceship and other high offices of State. It is, 

 however, perfectly fair, for Americans have civilized and Chris- 

 tianized Hawaii-nei, and we have done little except make an 

 unjust and afterwards disavowed seizure of the islands. 



On looking over this letter I find it an olla podrida of tropical 

 glories, royal festivities, finance matters, and odds and ends in 

 general. I dare say you will find it dull after my letters from 

 Hawaii, but there are others who will prefer its prosaic details 

 to Kilauea and Waimanu ; and I confess that, amidst the 

 general lusciousness of tropical life, I myself enjoy the dryness 

 and tartness of statistics, and hard, uncoloured facts. 



I. L. B. 



t 



