es much the same
position on the west coast of America as Norway does on that
of Europe, but has four times as wide a habitable area as
Norway and a milder climate on its south coast lands.
Therefore, as Norway sustains a population of 2,240,000,
there is no special reason why Alaska may not yet possess a
population of 3,000,000 or 4,000,000 and take rank as one of
the important States of the American Union.

HOW HAWAII LOST ITS QUEEN AND ENTERED THE UNITED STATES

Up to the year 1898 the United States was confined to the
continent of North America. In that year it made a great
stride outward over the oceans, adding to its dominion the
island of Porto Rico in the West India waters and the
archipelagoes of the Philippine and Hawaiian Islands in the
far Pacific. Porto Rico and the Philippines were added as a
result of the war with Spain. As to how Hawaii was acquired
it is our purpose here to tell.

Midway in the North Pacific lies this interesting group of
islands, first made known to the world by Captain Cook, the
famous English discoverer, in 1778, and annexed to the
United States one hundred and twenty years later. Before
telling the story of their acquisition a few words as to
their prior history will he in place.

Called by Captain Cook the Sandwich Islands, after the
English Earl of Sandwich, they afterwards became known as
the Hawaiian Islands, from the native name of the largest
island of the group, and are now collectively known as
Hawaii in their new position as a Territory of the United
States.

When Captain Cook visited this locality he found the islands
inhabited by a friendly, kind-hearted people, disposed to
receive their visitors in a hospitable spirit. But, in the
usual way of sailors and discoverers dealing with the
primitive races, quarrels soon developed, some of the
natives were shot, one of them by Cook himself, and in the
fight that followed the great sailor and discoverer lost his
life.

At that time each of the islands was governed by a chief, or
king if we may call him so, who had absolute authority over
his people. Greatest among them was Kamehameha, heir to the
throne of Hawaii, who was present when Captain Cook was
killed. Bold and ambitious and invested by nature with
political genius, this chief conceived the idea of making
himself master of all the islands and subjecting their
chiefs to his rule.

A shrewd and able man, he was quick to perceive that the
strangers wh