Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/249

Rh are rich in their tropical luxuriance, and produce great quantities of sugar, coffee, bananas, rice, and other articles of commerce. The weather is mild the year around, and varies so little that in the native tongue there is no word corresponding to our weather. The most the native says of a change is, that it is wet, or it is dry.

The principal city of the islands is Honolulu, which is up to date in every particular, having electric lights, telephones, street cars, several excellent newspapers, a fine hospital, a really beautiful set of public buildings, and several splendid schools. The population is a mixture of Kanakas, which are the natives, Germans, English, French, and Americans. In former years, foreigners predominated, but now Americans are pouring in fast.

For years the Hawaiian Islands had been under a monarchical form of government, but this became very oppressive during the reign of Queen Liliuokalani, and at last some leading citizens determined to throw off the yoke, and establish their freedom. Amid a wild cheering the flag of the monarchy was hauled down, and foreign flags,