What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.

CHAPTER -T XXII.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS-HONOLULU AND ITS ENYIRONS-HAWAIIAN CUSTOMS-THE KING A VULGAR DIPLOMAT-HONOLULU SOCIETY-PUBLIC BUILDINGS-NUUANU VALLEY THE PALI-WAIKIKI-LEAHI-WAIALAE-WAIALUPE-MANOA VALLEY-OAHU COLLEGE
— MISTAKEN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION-PUAHI.
THE Hawaiian Islands are grouped in a somewhat crescentic
form, with a convexity presenting to the northeast, and lie between the parallels of 18~ 50' and 22~ 20' north latitude, and
west longitude 154~ 53' and 160~ 15'. There are eleven of
them, of which three are but barren rocks and uninhabited.
The other eight, named from northwest to southeast, are Niihau,
Iauai, Oahu, /Iolokai, Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii.
The whole embrace an area of nearly sixty-one hundred square
miles, of which Hawaii contains two-thirds, its superficial extent
being four thousand square miles.
Although Hawaii is most distinguished for size, agricultural
capacity, and physical grandeur, Oahu, from its more central
position, and from the influence of general maritime interests
and trade, has asserted political supremacy, and on it is the capital of the kingdom, ffon3olulu, a name implying, it is said, "on
the back of, to leeward," because it is beyond the mountains,
and protected by them from the northeast trade-winds.
No equally small part of the New World has been so minutely described as the Hawaiian Islands. The Pacific commerce has sought their welcoming harbors wherein to fold its
weary wings, while whalers, worn with toil, have gladly escaped
from polar storms, to rest and refit in their genial atmosphere.
The mariner has ofttimes told his tale of wonder, and awakened
in the homes of civilization a peculiar interest in the beings who
e