Social Life in the Tropics [pp. 561-569]

SOCIAL LIFE IN THE TROPICS.
scraggy old maids, as flower-girls and
"Titanias;" "Leicester," with attenuated limbs, in tights; and Shakspeare
in the last style of peg-top trousers;
Diana, in full party dress, and Minerva,
ditto, dancing with Mercury, in a white
linen suit of San Francisco make, and
a pair of wings fastened to his feet, to
emphasize the character-all apparently
self-satisfied, and full of enjoyment.
The floating population of the islands
is steadily increasing. Sight-seers and
invalids constitute the principal portion
of the visitors. Of the natural productions, volcanic and cutaneous eruptions,
lava, and savages, are the staple articles. However, everything introduced
increases and multiplies fearfully. You
notice this in horses. Every Kanaka
owns a horse; you can buy one for fifty
cents. Very good ones are sold for
two dollars and a half. You may see
architectural steeds of every size, shape
and color; but all famous for a rabbitygait, wind which never breaks, and a
talent for living upon any and every
thing, including rusty nails, pieces of
rope, vegetables, lava, California hay,
and other equally nutritious food. The
bad and good have been introduced
into that country in very equal propor tions-the most beautiful trees, love liest flowers, and delicious fruits, with
the most annoying insects, and loath some diseases; centipedes occupy your
bed on terms of closest intimacy; and
scorpions dog your footsteps with per severing diligence. As for mosquitoes
and white ants, words could not do them
justice-the former devour you, and
the latter devour your furniture and
books.
Of the Court I have not yet spoken,
feeling a pardonable timidity about en tering upon a subject so awe-inspiring,
and of such immensity; but any one
who has been presented at " St James,"
will at once see the resemblance be tween the two; one being based upon
all the traditions of English Court life,
and the other on "La Grand Duchesse
de Gerolstein and is also not unlike it.
The popular idea abroad that the king
is an "old, feeble, diseased man," is a
mistake. His majesty is about thirtyeight, is in perfect health, and bids fair
to outlive all his native subjects, who
are popularly supposed to be extinct
about eighteen hundred and ninety; in
that case, he might be induced by" Uncle Sam" to accept the Governership
of the island, thus retaining his authority over those white residents who are
now so ready to admit his superiority
to them in mind, as he undoubtedly is
in matter. His cabinet consists of
Chancellor, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Minister of Finance, Minister of the
Interior, Attorney General, Minister of
War, Commander-in-Chief, and Lord
High Admiral, etc., etc. Occasionally
one man holds all the offices, and claims
all the titles; but generally each office
is filled by a separate individual, and
all are white men of different nationalities, but principally they are Ameri cans.
The Hawaiian army under drill is a
sight to strike terror into the stoutest
heart of any who may have gone there
intent on fillibustering or annexation.
The infantry consists of one company;
the cavalry of fifty men; and the artil lery of the same number, and a dozen or
two small cannon, which invariably burst
when fired, thereby costing his majesty
the lives of two or three of his subjects.
Should this number of men appear small
in the army, it is amply remedied in
the number of officers. Colonels, Ma jors and Captains abound. To this sin gle company of infantry, and the staff
organization, there are two Colonels,
four Majors, and about fifteen Captains
and Lieutenants; these officers are
nearly all white men, and one cannot
help thinking, when looking at them
drilling their large body of troops, that
here is military genius indeed! Here
may be, perhaps, "some Cromwell,
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