290 



HAWAII. 



[letter XXXI. 



measure arises from the intimate friendly relations which exist 

 between the scattered families, but over-indulgence in it de- 

 stroys the privacy of individual existence, and is deteriorating 

 in more ways than one. From the north of Kauai to the south 

 of Hawaii, everybody knows every other body's affairs, income, 

 expenditure, sales, purchases, debts, furniture, clothing, comings, 

 goings, borrowings, lendings, letters, correspondents, and every 

 thing else : and when there is nothing new to relate on any one 

 of these prolific subjects, supposed intentions afford abun- 

 dant matter for speculation. All gossip is focussed here, 

 being imported from every other district, and re-exported, with 

 additions and embellishments, by every inter-island mail. The 

 ingenuity with which nuhou is circulated is worthy of a better 

 cause. 



Some disadvantages arise from the presence on the islands of 

 heterogeneous and ill-assorted nationalities. The Americans, of 

 course, predominate, and even those who are Hawaiian born, , 

 have, as elsewhere, a strongly national feeling. The far smaller ; 

 English community hangs together in a somewhat cliquish 1 

 fashion, and possibly cherishes a latent grudge against the j 

 Americans for their paramount influence in island affairs. The : 

 German residents, as everywhere, are cliquish too. Then, since j 

 the establishment of the Honolulu Mission, church feeling has 

 run rather high, and here, as elsewhere, has a socially decisive 

 tendency. Then there are drink and anti-drink, pro and anti- 

 missionary, and pro and anti-reciprocity-treaty parties, and 

 various other local naggings of no interest to you. 



The civilization is exotic, and owing to various circum- 

 stances, the government and constitution are too experimental 

 and provisional in their nature, and possess too few elements of 

 permanence to engross the profound interest of the foreign 

 residents, although for reasons of policy they are well inclined 

 to sustain a barbaric throne. In spite of a king and court, 

 and titles and officials without number, and uniforms stiff with 

 gold lace, and .Royal dinner parties with menus printed on white 

 silk, Americans, Republicans in feeling, really " run " the go- 

 vernment, and in state affairs there is a taint of that combina- 

 tion of obsequious and flippant vulgarity, which none deplore 

 more deeply than the best among the Americans themselves. , 



It is a decided misfortune to a community to be divided in 

 its national leanings, and to have no great fusing interests 

 within or without itself, such as those which knit vigorous Vic- 

 toria to the mother country, or. distant Oregon to the heart of 



