FIG. 1. A HAWAIIAN POUNDING THE TARO (Calocasia esculenta) TO MAKE POI, a starchy food much used by the natives.

The islands are the most isolated on the globe. An idea of the vast expanse of surrounding ocean may be obtained from the table of distances from the nearest land in various directions.

On account of this isolation the indigenous flora of the islands is comparatively meager, but contains a large proportion of

endemic genera and species. All the islands of the group were visited except the two smallest, Niihau and Kahoolawe. The latter is barren and windswept, and at present uninhabited.

The group lies just within the tropics in about the latitude of Cuba, but because of the vast expanse of water the climate, though technically tropical, does not have the high temperature generally associated in the layman's mind with the tropics. The daily maximum temperature in summer at Honolulu is about 85°, the minimum about 75°. The winter temperatures are a few degrees lower.

All the islands are of volcanic origin and are very mountainous. The mountains intercept the northeast trade wind with the result that the eastern sides of the islands have a heavy rainfall while the western sides are dry or even arid. The rainfall on the east or north slopes of the mountains may be from 100 to 300 inches, or on Waialele (Kauai) as much as 600 inches per annum. On the other hand, the annual rainfall is below 15 inches on the southwestern sides of some of the islands.

The sugar industry is the most important and represents the investment of a large amount of capital. Sugar cane is grown on the four large islands on all the low lands where irrigation water is available. In spite of the heavy rainfall most of the plantations supplement this by irrigation, bringing the water from the mountains by means of ditches or aqueducts.

FIG. 2.

Most of the sugar mills produce raw sugar, only one producing refined sugar.

The second important industry is stock raising. There are many large ranches devoted to the raising of cattle and sheep. The ranches occupy the land which is too dry for the successful growth of sugar cane. The island of Lanai is practically all one large ranch. The Parker Ranch upon Hawaii is said to

FIG. 4. THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, HONOLULU, showing the gilded statue of Kamehameha in front. The tall palms are royal palms. At the left is an Araucaria.

The third industry is the growing of pineapples. In comparison with these three, the other agricultural industries are scarcely worth considering. Considerable rice is raised, mostly for local consumption, and there are a few coffee plantations in western Hawaii.

The native inhabitants of the islands, the original Hawaiian race, are fast disappearing, although there are a fairly large number of part-Hawaiians. The present population consists of Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Hindus, Koreans, Filipinos, negroes, and a scattering of other races or nationalities. At present the Japanese predominate. The staple vegetable food of the natives is poi, a product of the root of the taro plant (Calocasia esculenta). The starchy root is cooked and then pounded into a pasty mass (Fig. 1). The grass huts of the natives, now to be seen only in less frequented parts of the islands, consist of a framework of wood to which is attached

FIG. 5. A RESIDENCE IN HONOLULU WITH AN AVENUE OF ROYAL PALMS.

layers of pili grass (Heteropogon contortus), a common native grass on dry or rocky ground.

There are good roads on all the larger islands and travel in the inhabited portions is easy. The higher mountains are reached only by trails and are not easily accessible. Interisland steamers facilitate travel from one island to another. One line leaves Honolulu in the forenoon and arrives at Hilo on Hawaii the next morning, stopping at Lahaina, island of Maui, on the way. Another line leaves Honolulu in the afternoon and arrives at Waimea, island of Kauai, the next morning. At

FIG. 6.

MONKEY-POD (Samanea Saman), MOANALUA PARK. A beautiful round-topped tree frequently grown in parks. The grass in the foreground is Bermuda or manienie.