Jere Krischel at 09:08, 11 February 2006

2006-02-11T09:08:36Z

Ken Conklin at 10:47, 10 February 2006

2006-02-10T10:47:28Z

Jere Krischel at 05:18, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:18:24Z

New page

1132 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
in Honolulu in attendance upon the Legislature: It was a pecuniary
loss to them, but they did it purely in a spirit of defense; that is to
say, they expected some action of the Queen, through her henchmen
in the Legislature, which would be detrimental to the business interests
of the islands; just what it was they did not know. There was nobody
there who was willing to say that annexation would likely take place
within the Hear future. The general impression was that it was bound
to come. They were to wait, but they feared some action of the Queen.
They had no idea that the subject of a new constitution was under
consideration. They had no idea that the Queen would be able to pass
this opium bill. While, of course, that had been introduced in the
Legislature, it had been side tracked. So long as these white members
remained in Honolulu there was a feeling that the Queen could not
carry it through.
The CHAIKMAN. Are the same remarks applicable to the lottery bill?
Mr. SIMPSON. And the lottery bill. But they finally stayed on so
long that one after another would drop out, and very shortly the Queen
had control of the legislature, and, as I am informed, she had these
bills passed. The people went about their ordinary business. They
did not disguise the annexation question, nor disguise any of the
Queen's actions at all, but treated the thing as though she and the particular
bill she desired to put through were standing menaces of their
interests. I had several talks with Minister Stevens while I was there.
Minister Stevens had been advocating the same principle of trade in
Honolulu that I had been advocating in the Puget Sound region, and
when he learned that I had, he very kindly called on me at the hotel
and I returned his call. In the course of several conversations we
became as intimate as persons might be under the circumstances. We
talked principally as to the interests of the country in a commercial
way. While we talked in a general way, I can not recall anything that
Mr. Stevens said to me that I could construe as being in the light ot
anything more than a wish.
He told me that frankly and politely—made no bones about it—thatthe
question of annexation was certainly a very live one there, and that it
undoubtedly would become an issue sooner or later. He also told me
that he did not express his opinion on the subject to anybody in Honolulu.
That I remember distinctly. He told me that he could not do
that, because it would give a wrong impression. He always stated
that he took information from all classes, and I remember that some
information he gave me appeared to me as though the thing must necessarily
come up in some shape sooner or later. That was that in 1876,
when the reciprocity treaty between this country and the Hawaiian
Islands was first put into effect, the United States had practically
exercised protection over these islands; that it was beyond any question
not only the duty of the United States to exercise this protection
at that time, but to continue to do it, on account of the monetary
interests of its citizens. Mr. Stevens stated that the United States was
the only country that had systematically kept a war ship there; that the
British Government rarely had a ship there, and then only temporarily
on its way to Australia.
The CHAIRMAN. I suppose you have stated as fully as you desire to
do the political situation out there ? Are there any other facts yon
wish to state?
Mr. SIMPSON. The natives did not seem to take any particular interest
in the matter except that they felt that something ought to be done
by the United States to relieve the sugar situation. They had no
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1133
organized idea as to annexation or a protectorate or a better treaty, or
anything of the sort, and they did not look to their own Government;
they looked to the United States to relieve them. I guess that is about
all I have to say on that subject.
The CHAIRMAN. NOW, if you will, proceed to give the data which you
say you have collected with respect to the commercial situation of
Hawaii.
Mr. SIMPSON. Prior to the settlement of the white men in the islands,
the native products were taro (or kalo), sweet potatoes, yams, sugar
cane, bananas, calabash gourds, wauke (or paper mulberry), out of which
they made their clothes; awa, from which they manufactured their
drinks, and also a few hogs and fowls. At that time there was no circulating
medium, the trade being carried on by barter. The natives
were not an ingenious people, and the improvements they made were
quite crude, but apparently carried on with very good judgment. They
built extensive irrigation ditches, and leveled terraces, and worked
their taro patches with very crude tools and implements. The first trade
with the outside world was in January, 1778, when Cook traded them
some nails and bits of iron for hogs, vegetables, fresh water, and wood.
Portlock and Dixon were the first to recognize the commercial importance
of the geographical location of the group in 1786, when they purposely
made it a stopping place to replenish their ships. Portlock and
Dixon were engaged in buying furs from Indians on the Northwest coast
of America and selling them in the Canton market. This trade was
augmented to a considerable extent.
In 1791 Capt. Kendrick, of Boston, in the sloop Lady Washington,
left 3 sailors at Kauai to collect sandalwood and pearls against his
return to England. This was the beginning of the sandalwood trade
with China, which reached its height during the period of years covered
from 1810 to 1825. Sandalwood was sold on board the vessels
in the Hawaiian Islands at that time at $10 a picul, or 135J pounds.
The trade averaged $400,000 a year for some years. In 1835 the sandalwood
trade had practically ended. Capt. Vancouver first gave the
natives the slips and seed for raising orange trees and grapevines and
many other subtropical plants, in 1792. The great bulk of marketable
vegetation of the islands was not indigenous to the islands. Nearly
everything they have there is brought from the different shores, in fact
the way the city of Honolulu is located there is no foliage, except 15
or 20 cocoanut trees. Now it is a beautiful city of subtropical trees
and foliage. In 1793 Vancouver returned from his trip to California
and landed a bull, 5 cows, 3 sheep, the first of the kind placed on the
islands. Horses were first taken to the islands in 1803 by Capt. Cleveland.
Vancouver superintended the building of the first ship in 1794.
The CHAIRMAN. Where was that built?
Mr. SIMPSON. It was built at Lahawa.
The first organized effort for commercial relations with the United
States was made when missionaries landed from New England in 1820.
The first whaling ship arrived at Honolulu in 1820, to be soon followed
by many others, and Hawaii was made a base of supplies. Much time
was saved by ships engaged in whaling by taking their oil to Hawaii,
transshipping it to New England, making necessary repairs, laying in
supplies, and utilizing natives on their whaling voyages. The Hawaiian
proved to be the best sailor obtainable. In 1826 it was estimated that
100 whaling ships annually were putting in at Honolulu, and each ship
is said to have expended on an average the sum of $20,000 each, or about
$2,000,000 a year. Recognizing the value of this growing traffic mer

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{p|1132}}
 in Honolulu in attendance upon the Legislature:  It
 was a pecuniary loss to
@@ Line 27: / Line 26: @@
 not carry it through.
-The CHAIRMAN.  Are the same remarks applicable to the
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} Are the same remarks applicable to the
 lottery bill?
-Mr. SIMPSON.  And the lottery bill.  But they finally
+Mr. {{sc|Simpson.}} And the lottery bill.  But they finally
 stayed on so long that
 one after another would drop out, and very shortly the
@@ Line 62: / Line 61: @@
 anything more than a wish.
-He told me that frankly and politely---- made no
+He told me that frankly and politely-made no
-bones about it---- that the
+bones about it-that the
 question of annexation was certainly a very live one
 there, and that it
@@ Line 96: / Line 95: @@
 Australia.
-The CHAIRMAN.  I suppose you have stated as fully as
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} I suppose you have stated as fully as
 you desire to do the
 political situation out there?  Are there any other
 facts you wish to state?
-Mr. SIMPSON.  The natives did not seem to take any
+Mr. {{sc|Simpson.}} The natives did not seem to take any
 particular interest in
 the matter except that they felt that something ought
@@ Line 109: / Line 108: @@
 {{p|1133}}
 organized idea as to annexation or a protectorate or a
 better treaty, or
@@ Line 118: / Line 116: @@
 have to say on that subject.
-The CHAIRMAN.  Now, if you will, proceed to give the
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} Now, if you will, proceed to give the
 data which you say you
 have collected with respect to the commercial
 situation of Hawaii.
-Mr. SIMPSON.  Prior to the settlement of the white men
+Mr. {{sc|Simpson.}} Prior to the settlement of the white men
 in the islands, the
 native products were taro (or kalo), sweet potatoes,
@@ Line 191: / Line 189: @@
 superintended the building of the first ship in 1794.
-The CHAIRMAN.  Where was that built?
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} Where was that built?
-Mr. SIMPSON.  It was built at Lahawa.
+Mr. {{sc|Simpson.}} It was built at Lahawa.
 The first organized effort for commercial

Template:1132-1133 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 09:08, 11 February 2006

Ken Conklin at 10:47, 10 February 2006

Jere Krischel at 05:18, 12 December 2005