Upon landing at Honolulu we find ourselves in a city of some twenty
thousand inhabitants, presenting all the modern belongings of a
metropolis of the nineteenth century, such as schools, churches,
hospitals, charitable institutions, gas, electric lights, and the
telephone. Nearly all of the rising generation can read and write, and
the entire population are professed Christians. Great is the contrast in
every respect between these islands as discovered by Captain Cook in
1778, and their present condition. Originally they exhibited the same
barbarous characteristics which were found to exist in other islands of
the Pacific Ocean. They had no sense of domestic virtue, and were
victims of the most egregious superstitions. "The requisitions of their
idolatry," says the historian Ellis, "were severe, and its rites cruel
and bloody." Their idolatry has been abandoned since 1819. In the early
days the several islands of the group had each a separate king, and wars
were frequent between them, until King Kamehameha finally subjected them
all to his sway, and formed the government which has lasted to the
present time.
Many of the streets of Honolulu afford a grateful shade, the sidewalks
being lined by ornamental trees, of which the cocoanut, palm,
bread-fruit, candle-nut, and some others, are indigenous, but many have
been introduced from abroad and have become domesticated. The tall
mango-tree, with rich, glossy leaves, the branches bending under the
weight of its delicious fruit, is seen growing everywhere, though it is
not a native of these islands. Among other fruit-trees we observe the
feathery tamarind, orange, lime, alligator-pear, citron-fig, date, and
rose apple. Of all the flowering trees, the most conspicuous and
attractive is one which bears a cloud of brilliant scarlet blossoms,
each cluster ball-shaped and as large as a Florida orange. Some of the
thoroughfares are lined by pretty, low-built cottages, standing a few
rods back from the roadway, with broad, inviting verandas, the whole
festooned and nearly hidden by tropical and semi-tropical plants in full
bloom. If we drive out to the race-course in the environs, we shall be
pretty sure to see King Kalakaua, who is very fond of this sort of
sport. He is a man of intelligence and of considerable culture, but
whose personal habits are of a low and disgraceful character. He has
reached his fifty-second year.
It will be observed that the women ride man-fashion here,--that is,
astride of their horses,--and there is a good reason for this. Even
European and American ladies who become residents also adopt this mode
of riding, because side-saddles are not considered to be safe on the
steep mountain roads. If one rides in any direction here, mountains must
be crossed. The native women deck themselves in an extraordinary manner
with flowers on all gala occasions, while the men wear wreaths of the
same about their straw hats, often adding braids of laurel leaves across
the shoulders and chest. The white blossoms of the jasmine, fragrant as
tuberoses, which they much resemble, are generally employed for this
decorative purpose. As a people the Hawaiians are very courteous and
respectful, rarely failing to greet all passing strangers with a softly
articulated "alo-ha," which signifies "my love to you."
A drive up the Nuuanu valley, which opens with a broad entrance near the
city, introduces us to some grand scenery. In ascending this beautiful
valley one is constantly charmed by the discovery of new tropical trees,
luxurious creepers and lovely wild-flowers. The strangers' burial-ground
is passed just after crossing the Nuuanu stream, and close at hand is
the Royal Mausoleum,--a stone structure in Gothic style, which contains
the remains of the Hawaiian kings, as well as those of many of the high
chiefs who have died since the conquest. Some shaded bathing-pools are
formed by the mountain streams, lying half hidden in the dense foliage.
Here we pass the residence of the late Queen Emma, pleasantly located
and flower-embowered. This valley is classic ground in the history of
these islands, being the spot where the fierce and conquering invader,
King Kamehameha I., fought his last decisive battle, the result of which
confirmed him as sole monarch of the Hawaiian group. Here the natives of
Oahu made their final stand and fought desperately, resisting with clubs
and spears the savage hordes led by Kamehameha. But they were defeated
at last, and with their king Kaiana, who led them in person, were all
driven over the abrupt and fatal cliff fifteen hundred feet high,
situated at the upper end of the valley.
In the environs of the city one passes upon the roadsides large patches
measuring an acre or more of submerged land, where is grown the Hawaiian
staff of life,--the _taro_, a root which is cultivated in mud and mostly
under water, recalling the rice-fields of China and Japan. The vegetable
thus produced, when baked and pounded to a flour, forms a nutritious
sort of dough called _poi_, which constitutes the principal article of
food for the natives, as potatoes do with the Irish or macaroni with the
Italians. This poi is eaten both cooked and in a raw state mixed with
water.
[Illustration: HAWAIIANS EATING POI.]
Though Oahu is quite mountainous, like the rest of the islands which
form the Hawaiian group, still none of these reach the elevation of
perpetual snow. The six inhabited islands of the group are Kauai, Oahu,
Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii, the last containing the largest active
volcano of which we have any knowledge; namely, that of Kilauea, to
visit which persons cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and also the
American continent, between the two. Honolulu was chosen for the capital
because it forms the best and almost the only harbor worthy of the name
to be found among these islands. In the olden times Lahaina, on the
island of Maui, was the city of the king, and the recognized capital in
the palmy days of the whale fishery. This settlement is now going to
ruin, tumbling to pieces by wear and tear of the elements, forming a
rude picture of decay. Should the Panama Canal be completed, it would
prove to be of great advantage to these islands, as they lie in the
direct course which a great share of navigation must follow. The
aggregate population of the group is now about sixty thousand, of whom
some thirty-eight thousand are natives. History tells us that Captain
Cook estimated these islands to contain over three hundred thousand
inhabitants when he discovered them. Perhaps this was an exaggeration,
though it is a fact that they are capable of sustaining a population of
even much greater density than this estimate would indicate.
The ubiquitous Chinamen are found here as gardeners, laborers,
house-servants, fruit-dealers, and poi-makers. What an overflow there
has been of these Asiatics from the "Flowery Land!" Each one of the race
arriving at the Sandwich Islands is now obliged to pay ten dollars as
his landing fee, in default of which the vessel which brings him is
compelled to take him away. This singular people, who are wonderfully
industrious, notwithstanding their many faults, are equally disliked in
these islands by the natives, the Americans, and the Europeans; yet the
Chinamen steadily increase in numbers, and it is believed here that they
are destined eventually to take the place of the aborigines. The
aggregate number now to be found in the group is over twelve thousand.
It is evident that many branches of small trade are already monopolized
by them, as is the case at Penang, Singapore, and other Pacific islands.
On Nuuanu Street every shop is occupied by a Chinaman, dealing in such
articles as his own countrymen and the natives are likely to purchase.
It does certainly appear as though the aboriginal race would in the near
future be obliterated, and their place filled by the Anglo-Saxons and
the Chinese, the representative people of the East and the West. The
taro-patches of the Hawaiians will doubtless ere long become the
rice-fields of the Mongolians.
In the year 1887 there was raised upon these islands a very large amount
of sugar, over one hundred thousand tons in all. The entire product,
except what was consumed for domestic use, was shipped to this country.
Three-quarters of the money invested in sugar-raising here is furnished
by American capitalists, and American managers carry on the plantations.
A reciprocity treaty between the Sandwich Islands and this country
(that is, a national agreement upon matters of mutual interest), and
their proximity to the shores of America, have brought this people
virtually under the wing of our Government, concentrating their foreign
trade almost entirely in the United States, while the youth of the
islands, of both sexes, are sent hither for educational purposes. There
is no other foreign port in the world where the American flag is so
often seen, or more respected than in that of Honolulu.
The Hawaiian Islands are not on the direct route to Japan, and we
therefore find it better to return to San Francisco and embark from
there, than to await the arrival of a chance steamer bound westward. Our
course is not in the track of general commerce, and neither ship nor
shore is encountered while crossing this vast expanse of water. Storms
and calms alternate; sometimes the ocean is as smooth as an inland lake,
and at others in its unrest it tossed our iron hull about as though it
were a mere skiff, in place of a ship of three thousand tons'
measurement. The roughness of the water is exhibited near the coast and
in narrow seas by short, chopping waves; but in the open ocean these are
changed to long, heavy swells, covering the expanse of waters with vast
parallels separated by deep valleys, the distance from crest to crest
being from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet during a heavy
gale. The height of the waves is measured from the trough to the crest,
and is of course conjecture only, but in heavy weather it may safely be
set down at thirty feet.
Every steamship on the trip westward carries more or less Chinamen, who,
having acquired a certain sum of money by industry and self-denial, are
glad to return to their native land and live upon its income. Interest
is very high in China, and money is scarce. It is curious to watch
these second-class passengers. In fine weather they crowd the forward
deck, squatting upon their hams in picturesque groups, and playing cards
or dominos for small stakes of money. The Chinese are inveterate
gamblers, but are satisfied generally to play for very small stakes.
When the sea becomes rough and a storm rages, they exhibit great
timidity, giving up all attempts at amusement. On such occasions, with
sober faces and trembling hands, they prepare pieces of joss-paper
(scraps with magic words), bearing Chinese letters, and cast them
overboard to propitiate the anger of the special god who controls the
sea. The dense, noxious smell which always permeates their quarters, in
spite of enforced ventilation and the rules of the ship, is often wafted
unpleasantly to our own part of the vessel, telling a significant story
of the opium pipe, and a certain uncleanliness of person peculiar to
Africans and Mongolians.
After a three weeks' voyage we reach Yokohama, the commercial capital of
Japan. When Commodore Perry opened this port in 1854 with a fleet of
American men-of-war, it was scarcely more than a fishing village, but it
has now a population of a hundred and thirty thousand, with well-built
streets of dwelling-houses, the thoroughfares broad and clean, and all
macadamized. The town extends along the level shore, but is backed by a
half-moon of low, wooded hills, known as the Bluff, among which are the
dwellings of the foreign residents, built after the European and
American style. A deep, broad canal surrounds the city, passing by the
large warehouses, and connected with the bay at each end, being crossed
by several handsome bridges. If we ascend the road leading to the Bluff
we have a most charming and extended view. In the west, seventy miles
away, the white, cloud-like cone of Fujiyama, a large volcanic mountain
of Japan, can clearly be discerned, while all about us lie the pretty
villas of the foreign settlers.
[Illustration: MODE OF TRAVELLING IN JAPAN. A JINRIKSHA.]
In looking about this commercial capital everything strikes us as
curious; every new sight is a revelation, while in all directions
tangible representations of the strange pictures we have seen upon fans
and lacquered ware are presented to view. One is struck by the partial
nudity of men, women, and children, the extremely simple architecture of
the dwelling-houses, the peculiar vegetation, the extraordinary
salutations between the common people who meet each other upon the
streets, the trading bazaars, and the queer toy-like articles which fill
them; children flying kites in the shape of hideous yellow monsters.
Each subject becomes a fresh study. Men drawing vehicles, like horses
between the shafts, and trotting off at a six-mile pony-gait while
drawing after them one or two persons, is a singular sight to a
stranger. So are the naked natives, by fours, bearing heavy loads swung
from their shoulders upon stout bamboo poles, while they shout a
measured chant by means of which to keep step. No beggars are seen upon
the streets; the people without exception are all neat and cleanly. The
houses are special examples of neatness, and very small, being seldom
more than twenty feet square, and one story in height. All persons,
foreigners or natives, take off their shoes before entering upon the
polished floors, not only out of respect to the customs of the country,
but because one does not feel like treading upon their floors with
nailed heels or soiled soles. The conviction forces itself upon us that
such universal neatness and cleanliness must extend even to the moral
character of the people. A spirit of gentleness, industry, and thrift
are observable everywhere, imparting an Arcadian atmosphere to these
surroundings. In the houses which we enter there are found neither
chairs, tables, nor bedsteads; the people sit, eat, and sleep upon the
floors, which are as clean as a newly laid tablecloth.
Here and there upon the roadsides moss-grown shrines bearing sacred
emblems are observed, before which women, but rarely men, are seen
bending. The principal religions of Japan are Shinto and Buddhism,
subdivided into many sects. The Shinto is mainly a form of hero worship,
successful warriors being canonized as martyrs are in the Roman Catholic
Church. Buddhism is another form of idolatry, borrowed originally from
the Chinese. The language of the country is composed of the Chinese and
Japanese combined. As we travel inland, places are pointed out to us
where populous cities once stood, but where no ruins mark the spot. A
dead and buried city in Europe or in Asia leaves rude but almost
indestructible remains to mark where great communities once built
temples and monuments, and lived and thrived, like those historic
examples of mutability, Memphis, Pæstum, Cumæ, or Delhi; but not so in
Japan. It seems strange indeed that a locality where half a million of
people have made their homes within the period of a century, should now
present the aspect only of fertile fields of grain. But when it is
remembered of what fragile material the natives build their
dwellings,--namely, of light, thin wood and paper,--their utter
disappearance ceases to surprise us. It is a curious fact that this
people, contemporary with Greece and Rome at their zenith, who have only
reared cities of wood and temples of lacquer, have outlived the classic
nations whose half-ruined monuments are our choicest models. The Greek
and Latin races have passed away, but Japan still remains, without a
change of dynasty and with an inviolate country.
In journeying inland we are struck with many peculiarities showing how
entirely opposite to our own methods are many of theirs. At the
post-stations the horses are placed and tied in their stalls with their
heads to the passage-way, and their tails where we place their heads.
Instead of iron shoes, the Japanese pony is shod with close-braided
rice-straw. Carpenters, in using the fore-plane, draw it towards them
instead of pushing it from them. It is the same in using a saw, the
teeth being set accordingly. So the tailor sews from him, not towards
his body, and holds his thread with his toes. The women ride astride,
like the Hawaiians.
A trip of fifteen miles from Yokohama will take us to the town of
Kamakura, where we find the remarkable idol of Dai-Butsu. This great
Buddha image, composed of gold, silver, and copper, forms a bronze
figure of nearly sixty feet in height, within which a hundred persons
may stand together, the interior being fitted at the base as a small
chapel. A vast number of little scraps of paper bearing Japanese
characters, flutter from the interior walls of the big idol, fastened
there by pious pilgrims, forming petitions to the presiding deity. As we
enter, these scraps, agitated by the winds, rustle like an army of white
bats. This sacred figure is as remarkable as the Sphinx, which presides
so placidly at the feet of the great Pyramids. As a work of art, its
only merits consist in the calm dignity of expression and repose upon
its colossal features. It is many centuries old, and how such an
enormous amount of bronze metal was ever cast, or how set up in such
perfect shape when finished, no one can say. It must have been
completed in sections and put together in the place where it stands, the
joints being so perfectly welded as not to be obvious. It was formerly
covered by a temple which has long since mouldered to dust, but it is
certainly none the less effective and impressive, as it now sits
surrounded by the natural scenery and the thick woods.
Japanese art, of which we have all seen such laughable specimens, is not
without some claims to excellence; otherwise we should not have the
myriads of beautifully ornamented articles which are produced by them,
exhibiting exquisite finish and perfection of detail. Of perspective
they have no idea whatever; the play of light and shade they do not
understand; there is no distinction of distances in their pictures.
Their figures are good, being also delicately executed, and their choice
of colors is admirable. Thus in profile work they get on very well, but
in grouping, they pile houses on the sea, and mountains on the houses.
In caricature they greatly excel, and, indeed, they scarcely attempt to
represent the human face and figure in any other light.
Tokio is the political capital of Japan, and is situated about twenty
miles from Yokohama, containing over half a million of people. It has
broad streets and good roadways, having adopted many American ideas of
city customs and government. The Bridge of Japan is situated in this
city, crossing the river which intersects the capital, and is here what
the golden milestone was in the Forum at Rome--all distances in the
Empire are measured from it. There are many elaborate temples within the
city, containing rare bronzes of great value. Priests are constantly
seen writing upon slips of paper, inside of the temples, at the request
of devotees, which the suppliants pin upon the walls of the temple as a
form of prayer. The renowned temple of Shiba is one of the greatest
attractions to strangers in Tokio. Here lie buried most of the bygone
Tycoons (sovereigns of Japan). The grounds are divided into many
departments, tombs, shrines, and small temples. In the main temple there
is an amount of gold, silver, and bronze ornaments of fabulous value,
leading us to wonder where the raw material could have come from.
History knows nothing of the importation of the precious metals, but it
is true that they are found in more or less abundance all over the
country. Copper of the purest quality is a native product, the
exportation of which is prohibited, and mining for the precious metals
is carried on to but a very limited extent. The temple of Shiba is
situated near the centre of the population, occupying many acres of
ground, walled in, and shaded by a thick grove of trees, whose branches
are black with thousands of undisturbed rooks and pigeons which are
considered sacred. The principal characteristic of the architecture is
its boldness of relief, overhanging roofs, heavy brackets, and elaborate
carvings. The doors are of solid bronze in bas-relief.
In the suburbs is a hill known as Atago-Yama, from whence there is a
grand, comprehensive view of the capital. A couple of miles to the
southeast lies the broad, glistening Bay of Tokio, and round the other
points of the compass the imperial city itself covers a plain of some
eight miles square, divided by water-ways, bridges, and clumps of
graceful trees looming conspicuously above the low dwellings. The whole
is as level as a checker-board; but yet there is relief to the picture
in the fine open gardens, the high-peaked gable roofs of the temples,
and the broad white roadways.
A visit to Kioto, which is called the City of Temples, shows us some
prominent local peculiarities. The Japanese character presents as much
unlikeness to the Oriental as to the European type, and is comparable
only to itself. A native believes that the little caricature in ivory or
wood which has, perhaps, been manufactured under his own eyes, or even
by his own hands, is sacred, and he will address his prayers to it with
a solemn conviction of its power to respond favorably. His most revered
gods are effigies of renowned warriors and successful generals. African
superstition is no blinder than is such adoration, though it be
performed by an intelligent people. Some of the native animals, such as
foxes, badgers, and snakes, are protected with superstitious reverence.
Before one of the temples we see a theatrical performance in progress,
which seems rather incongruous, but upon inquiry the object of this is
found to be a desire to appease the special gods of this individual
temple; in fact, to entertain and amuse them so that they will receive
the prayers of the people with favor. The exhibition consists of dancing
and posturing by professionals of both sexes, accompanied by the noise
of whistles, gongs, bells, and fifes.
At Koby we embark for Nagasaki, sailing the whole length of the famous
Inland Sea, a most enchanting three days' voyage among lovely islands,
terraced and cultivated here and there like vineyards on the Rhine. The
course is characterized by narrow and winding passages, losing
themselves in creeks and bays after a most curious fashion, while brown
hamlets here and there fringe the coast line. Nagasaki is in the
extreme south of Japan, a city second only to Yokohama in commercial
importance. A sad interest attaches to the small but lofty island of
Pappenburg, which stands like a sentinel guarding the entrance to the
harbor. It is the Tarpeian Rock of the far East. During the persecution
of the Christians in the seventeenth century, the steep cliff which
forms the seaward side of the island was an execution point, and from
here men and women who declined to abjure their faith were cast headlong
on the sea-washed rocks five hundred feet below. The harbor is
surrounded by lofty elevations. Tall, dark pines and a verdant
undergrowth mark the deep ravines and sloping hillsides, upon which
European dwellings are seen overlooking the bay. If we climb the path
among these hills we occasionally pass a Buddhist temple, and come upon
many wild-flowers, shaded by oaks and camphor-trees of great size and
beautiful foliage, with occasional specimens of the Japanese wax-tree.
Still further up, the hills are covered with dark, moss-grown
gravestones, bearing curious characters engraven upon them, and marking
the sleeping-places of bygone generations. The unbroken quiet of this
city of the dead contrasts vividly with the hum of busy life which comes
up to us from the town with its population of a hundred thousand souls.
As to the products of this locality, they are mostly figured porcelain,
embroidered silks, japanned goods, ebony and tortoise-shell finely
carved and manufactured into toy ornaments. Every small, low house has a
shop in front quite open to the street; but small as these houses are,
room is nearly always found in the rear or at the side for a little
flower-garden, fifteen or twenty feet square, where dwarf trees flourish
amid hillocks of turf and ferns, with here and there a tub of goldfish.
Azaleas, laurels, and tiny clumps of bamboos, are the most common plants
to be seen in these charming little spots of greenery.
Botanists declare Japan to be one of the richest of all countries in its
vegetation. The cultivation of the soil is thoroughly and skilfully
systematized, the greatest possible results being obtained from a given
area of land. This is partly due to the careful mode of enrichment
applied in liquid form. Its flora is spontaneous and magnificent,
repaying the smallest attention by a development which is surprising.
Next in importance to the production of rice, which is the staple food
of the people, come the mulberry and tea plants, one species of the
former not only feeding the silkworm, but it also affords the fibre of
which Japanese paper is made, as well as forming the basis of their
cordage and some descriptions of dress material. In usefulness the
bamboo is most remarkable, growing to a height of sixty feet, and
entering into the construction of house-frames, screens, many household
articles, mats, pipes, and sails. The camphor-tree, which is seen in
such abundance, is a grand ornament in the landscape, lofty and
broad-spread. The camphor of commerce is extracted from both the stem
and the roots of the tree, which, being cut into small pieces, are
subjected to a process of decoction.
No sooner have the Japanese been fairly introduced to American and
European civilization, than they have promptly taken a stride of four or
five centuries at a single leap, from despotism in its most ultra form
to constitutional government. When America opened the port of Yokohama
to the commerce of the world, it also opened that hermetically sealed
land to the introduction of progressive ideas; and though,
unfortunately, the elements of civilization which are most readily
assimilated are not always the most beneficial, still the result, taken
as a whole, has been worthy of the admiration of the world at large.
The natural intelligence of the Japanese has no superior among any race,
however much it may have been perverted, or have lain dormant. There is
evidence enough of this in the fact that the young men of that country
who are sent here for educational purposes, so frequently win academic
prizes and honors over our native scholars, notwithstanding the
disadvantages under which a foreigner is inevitably placed.
When we speak of the progress of the Japanese as a nation, we must not
forget that the national records of the country date from nearly seven
hundred years before the birth of Christ, and that a regular succession
of Mikados (supreme rulers), in lineal descent from the founders of
their dynasty and race, has since that remote date been carefully
preserved.