at all surprising not to find a few ornamental plants among the 
list, for in those days Honolulu had little to offer in the vegetable 
line save taro and bananas, and for a European used to vegetables, 
living was indeed a difficult problem. He tells us that in 1815 he 
planted vines (grapes) for the king, and that on December 30, 
1817, he set out coffee, cotton, cloves, tomatoes, turnips, pepper 
(capsicum), wheat, barley, castor oil, saffron and cherries. 
Again it was Don Marin who made the first sugar in the Islands 
on the 25th of February, 1819. On the 22nd of September of the 
same year he tells us that he obtained his first orange from the tree 
planted eight years ago. 
While these introductions have no particular connection with the 
plants concerning us in this book, it is, however, of interest to record 
them. The first introductions of seeds were those of melons, 
pumpkins and onions ; they were landed on the Island of Niihau on 
Sunday, the first of February, 1778. Vancouver, on the fourth of 
March, 1792, presented to Kahaumoku, a chief on Hawaii (father 
of Kaahumanu), the first grape, orange, and almond seeds as well 
as other garden seeds. 
To Don Marin or Manini, as he was called by the natives, who 
also named the Bermuda grass after him, which to this day is known 
as Manienie, is due first credit. It is only to be regretted that the 
whereabouts of his journal are at present not known. Other men 
actively interested in the introduction of plants were G. Wunden- 
berg, W. L. Lee, E. Bailey, A. Jaeger and others, to mention only 
the earlier ones. 
G. Wundenburg reports having successfully planted at Hanalei, 
Kauai, in 1849, the first Inocarpus edulis, Tahitian Chestnut, while 
Papaias, Chirimoya and Vi apples he planted in 1848, the seed 
having been brought from Tahiti. He also records the planting of a 
Tamarind in 1847, which flowered for the first time in May, 1852. 
In the same year (1847) he set out two date palms. 
Numerous must have been the introductions of both ornamental 
and useful plants as early even as 1840, for W. L. Lee, president 
of the R. H. Agricult. Soc, writes on June 7, 1853: "Let those 
who wish to be convinced of the value of trees look back a few- 
years upon the burned and barren yards of Honolulu and compare 
them with the cool and beautiful groves of our forest city." 
Numerous other references could be cited would space permit ; suf- 
fice it to say, however, while general introductions were made no 
real efforts, at least no successful ones were inaugurated, for the 
