HAWAIIAN GUIDE BOOK. 



29 



THE FISH MARKET. 

 The greatest and most characteristic novelty of Hon- 

 olulu, never altering its features, is the fish market on 

 Saturday afternoon. It is located at the northern ex- 

 tremity of Queen Street. Here are exposed for sale 

 fresh fish from every part of Oahu coast, pickled salmon 

 from Oregon, dried fish from the other islands, squid 

 smaller than Victor Hugo's devil fish, dolphin and boni- 

 ta in their season, also flying fish and ocean mullet, 

 the latter always in good supply, the young fry being 

 secured and fatted in ponds. The variety and beauty 

 of the tropioal fish are wonderful. The naturalist with- 

 out exertion, save a short walk, may secure a score of 

 new varieties. The market is supplied with shrimps, 

 sea-urchins, lobsters, crabs and various kinds of shell-fish, 

 as also sea mosses, which are valued by the natives as 

 relishes for their poi. Here, too, meats of all kinds 

 are for sale, as well as vegetables and melons ; the awa. 

 seller has his department, and the tobacco (native leaf) 

 peddler a regular place of trade. Thousands of Hawai- 

 ians flock hither in holiday garb to procure the dainties, 

 to be obtained nowhere else, and the scene is one of dire 

 confusion to the stranger. With ordinary powers of 

 imagination you may get from this crowd a good idea 

 of what occurred a few thousand years ago at the Tower 

 of Babel. Every nation that you can readily call to 

 mind, and others that are yet nameless in history, are 

 here represented. We doubt if the Apostles had a bet- 

 ter field in which to display their gift of languages on 

 the "day of Pentecost." Stolid-looking Hindoo is 

 cheek-by-jowl with the gesticulating Frenchman — 

 swarthy Spaniard jostles the fair-haired German — pigmy 

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