letter xix J " ANNEXATION" AND "RECIPROCITY:' 185 



and the first was most enthusiastically received. Mrs. D. and 

 I usually spend our evenings in writing and working in the 

 verandah, or in each other's rooms; but I have become so 

 interested in the affairs of this little state, that in spite of the 

 mosquitos, I attended both lectures, but was not warmed into 

 sympathy with the views of either speaker. 



I daresay that some of my friends here would quarrel with 

 my conclusions, but I will briefly give the data on which they 

 are based. The census of 1872 gives the native population at 

 49,044 souls ; of whom, 700 are lepers ; and it is decreasing at 

 the rate of from 1200 to 2000- a year, while the excess of native 

 males over females on the islands is 3216. The foreign popu- 

 lation is 5366, and it is increasing at the rate of 200 a year ; 

 and the number of half-castes of all nations has increased at the 

 rate of 140 a year. The Chinese, who came here originally as 

 plantation coolies, outnumber all the other nationalities toge- 

 ther, excluding the Americans ; but the Americans constitute 

 the ruling and the monied class. Sugar is the reigning interest 

 on the islands, and it is almost entirely in American hands. It 

 is burdened here by the difficulty of procuring labour, and at 

 San Trancisco by a heavy import duty. There are thirty-five 

 plantations on the islands, and there is room for fifty more. 

 The profit, as it is, is hardly worth mentioning, and few of the 

 planters do more than keep their heads above water. Planta- 

 tions which cost $50,000 have been sold for $15,000; and 

 others which cost $150,000 have been sold for $40,000. If the 

 islands were annexed, and the duty taken off, many of these 

 struggling planters would clear $50,000 a year and upwards. 

 So, no wonder that Mr. Phillips's lecture was received with 

 enthusiastic plaudits. Itfocussed all the clamour I have heard 

 on Hawaii and elsewhere, exalted the " almighty dollar," and 

 was savoury with the odour of coming prosperity. But he went 

 far, very far ; he has aroused a cry among the natives " Hawaii 

 for the Hazaaiians," which, very likely, may breed mischief; for 

 I am very sure that this brief civilization has not quenched the 

 " red fire " of race ; and his hint regarding the judicious dis- 

 posal of the king in the event of annexation, was felt by many 

 of the more sober whites to be highly impolitic. 



The reciprocity treaty, very lucidly advocated by Mr. Carter, 

 and which means the cession of a lagoon with a portion of 

 circumjacent territory on this island, to the United States, for a 

 Pacific naval station, meets with more general favour as a safer 

 measure ; but the natives are indisposed to bribe the Great 



