t by the Government and leased to a competent
landlord. It is kept on the American plan, and has all the modern
comforts and conveniences, is lighted by gas, furnished with electric
bells, and has accommodations for fifty guests.

The native women festoon themselves in an extraordinary manner with
flowers on all gala occasions, while the men wear wreaths of the same
about their straw hats, often adding braided leaves of laurel hung
across the shoulder and chest. The white blossoms of the jasmine,
fragrant as tuberoses, which they much resemble, are generally employed
for this decorative purpose, being offered for sale about the streets
and on the veranda of the hotel in long strings woven fresh from the
vines. Upon the slightest excuse for doing so, all Honolulu blossoms
like a rose. We landed on a Saturday, which is a regular gala-day with
the natives, and indeed every one seems to join in making it a general
holiday. It is pay-day on the plantations and in the town
establishments, besides being the day on which the country people come
to market with their produce. But all marketing, all buying and selling
of goods is over by noon or an hour after, when the riot of
pleasure-seeking begins. It was a ludicrous sight to observe the sailors
who happened to be in port join in the Saturday carnival. To do so in
proper style it was absolutely necessary for them to be on horseback;
and a sailor in that situation always seems like a fish out of water.
With his feet thrust as far into the stirrups as possible, his body
bent well forward and with both hands firmly grasping the pommel of the
saddle, he leaves the horse to go pretty much his own way, while he
thumps hard and fast up and down in his uncertain seat, to the
undisguised merriment of the natives and lookers-on generally.

One of these foremast hands had been furnished with a bucking horse,--we
rather think designedly so. The animal was subject to periodical attacks
of this vicious propensity, one of which fits took him directly opposite
the Post-office, where we chanced to be standing. It was really
astonishing to see how successfully the unaccustomed rider clung to the
horse's back; a practised rider could not have kept his seat more
determinedly. The struggle between horse and man lasted for some ten
minutes, but was finally ended by Jack Tar being landed in the middle of
the street face downward, to the infinite amusement of the crowd who had
watched the progress of