Nuhou, Volume I, Number 3, 4 March 1873 — (Written for the Nuhou.) Pen Picture of the Pacific.–The Island of Remitura. [ARTICLE]

(Written for the Nuhou.)

Pen Picture of the Pacific.–The Island of Remitura.

Pei'hap» the reader never before. heard of Reiuitura,—whieh does not implj anj retnarkable geogi'aphieal ignorance on his or her part 5 howeveiv The writer was in the eame state of bliss until he got vyithin ohe hundred mlles of it by aecident, and a|ter a fcwent}y-four hours visit he eaj, ;with a peaceful con6eiēncej thafc hē would not go more than a tbousand miles out ol his way to visit it a second time. Notwithstanding all the ignorancp aforesaid, with regard to the existence of tbi-s growing nation, the fact remains that there is sueh an island lying around loose somewhere on the broad and heaving of the Pacif!c,all respectable charts giving it a loeal habitation and a name in Lat. 22° 40' 8., Long. 152° 50'W. There is no possible anchorage for either yacht or frigate, eo all vessels have to laj off and on, under sail or steam. The island is entirely surrounded bj coral reefs, over whieh the Pacific waters nieh and break, foaming mā frothing iu verj unpacific, $houghsnbliine, etjle e The landing is both difficult and dangerous,—-espe-cially to those who know nothing about it. Approachiug a wooden landing plaee in a smooth and approaching a wirvdward shore over or between reefs and breakers, \vith the tingry loani lashing itself in fury, ieady and willing tō engulf the luekleee wight that tempts the dahger, are widely difterent, and require \videiy diflferent sysWmB of navigation and seamanship* The whole island is covered with the moet luxuriant tropical vegetation, including almost all the ftuits peculiar to the Pacific IslandsV eoooaniH., bread fruit, banana, pine apple, orange, mango, gua?a, and a number of others, besides several varieties of berries, ali &i grow on this emall island with a luscipusnesB that would make any ordinary Christia?n'B mouth water with wishes. Several kihds of vegetables are grown, but as vegetables require cultivation, and as the native are opposed to euitivation or anything related to work, the vegetable yleld pf ihe island is emall in quaritity aiid poor in quality. The animal life of the kingdom (for kingdom it is, though not muOh larger ilian an ordinary # private garden,) is not so varied nor so interesting. A few houses, a great many hogs, (excluding patives) and ditto cliickens comprising the whole Bfcock, The natives number about 500« They are Malaysian by deseent and nature, and being few . in number and far from the corruptive influences; of civiiized life, one woukl naturally espeet to find them free irom the vices of the out§ide heathen. But.it is nof so. They will lie, steal $nd eheat ; in their own way as uaturally as Christians, Several little incidenfcs that took piaee while there brought forth these eharming traits in'all their luetre. They live chiefly on fruits and partly on.pigs, consequently fruit and pigs suffer to supp!y a demand they have no intereet in developing, Fruit ie plueked and made iiBeful just as soon as it ehows symptoms of ripenese, while the lifctle porkers are not cultivated long enough for 4hem to leam to grunt with any eeienee at all.

īn general, the nativcß great]j resemblo tbe Ilawaiiana, the woinen being espeeially rexuarkable for their fine figures and beautiful developinent. It is a question if they are not superior to.the Hawaiian women. It is possiblj from a

consciousnes9 of this flattering fact 4 though probably from weighfcier reasori6 5 thafc they take sucli p?irticular paine to expose their outlinea to an admiring world. Thē dress of the women is the same as their Hawaiian sisters, corisisting eimp]y of the long, loose gown. They haye not on!y pretty rorms, but many of them have decidedly pretfcy faces, adding not a litt3e to their eupeilieial Fond mammas eave themeelves the trouble 6f pants and darning stociings for the heirs r aM of iiaetamorphosing their old clothes jnto new ones for the heiresses, by lettiing these intereetings get along*without l'nem. As a coiisequence, one meets these little black imps everywhere s playing promisciiously 5 and cannot tell the dīflerence between fcliem without elose inBpecfcion. The men are athletic, powerful looking fellows, with lbgs and arms that look as if they might be pounded with a sledge hammer without producing inueh impressiōn on them. I felt an almost me l fsistible impulse fco try it with a yoting howifczer jon one or two who eame 011 boārd our ehip while jlaying fchere, but n6t knowirjg whafc their opinion iof such a proceeding might be, I euppressed my amiable aim for the advancement of science, ahd they departed in peaee. The men'e costume, feummer sfcyle, cotisisfcs of a cotton cloth or ban3ana, wound about the loihs in ihe diaper etyle f our innocent infancy. The more independent otr opulent, indulge in civilization to the extent of a cotton chec.k shirt. To avoid the inconvenience of wearing it properly, many of them roll up the iBhirfc lengthwise, carrying it' from one shoulder across the breast and back under the arm opposite, just as girls are euchred into wearing their sashes. The houses generally contain but one apartmen t, wherein half a dozen famihes may live, move and have their being. Men, women, pigs, children and everything else being eommon property in eaeh hous'e, there is no quarreling as to the ownership of any one anything, consequenfcly they are happy. innoeenee and happiness being eoncomitant>, they must necessarily be innoeeni also. W hat a splendi d pasture{for etrony minded females, and free lovers to emigrate to and settle ! The commeree of the Kingdom is neifcher estensive nor important. Ifc's commercial and eommunicafcional aflairs are atfcended to by a brigan~ tine and a schooner that cruise between it and Tahiti, to whieh plaee both vessels belong. The customs duties have not yefc been established, the internal revenue is uiiknown, the excise is not wanted, the ineome tax woukl be ?i dead letter if they had one, and altogether the whole poiitical economy of the Kingdom is sadly demoralized. They have no politieal spouters, no steam railroad.«, no superannuated ministers or public pervants to support, no daily paper, no strong-minded females that wanfc to vote, no weak-minded feiaale men that want to lot the strong-minded ones wear panie, no lawyers nor doeters, 110 villainous aldermen, no rascally eongressmen, 110 44 spoonuo Mobilier, no morality, no— nothing, happy land ! Paradise theseeond ; Heaven the seventn ; Elysium reereafced ; Utoi)ia fouDd, Oh-o-o-oh! llon. S. 11. late Attorney-Geuervd, proposes to deliver ap a4dress ou the poliiieal situation, at the Ilawaiian llotcl next Tuesday, the 11 th iust, We may espeet aa oratorieal treat from this genfcleman"ti Qulfcure and forensic expeneuce ; and possible aa he is going hoine, he may give ua $ome plaiu and insfcruetive talk about public aflairs, 3