Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau, comprising an area
of 6,700 square miles, a little less than that of the State of New
Jersey, and about five hundred miles greater than the combined areas of
Rhode Island and Connecticut. They extend from northwest to southeast,
over a distance of about 380 miles, the several islands being separated
by channels varying in width from six to sixty miles. They lie entirely
within the tropics, not far from a direct line between San Francisco and
Japan, 2,080 miles from San Francisco, which is nearer to them than any
other point of land, except one of the Carolines. The largest and most
southern island is Hawaii, which has given its name to the group.

[Illustration: RAISING THE AMERICAN FLAG IN HONOLULU, AUGUST 12, 1898.

The cut in the corner shows the Royal Palace formerly occupied by the
Hawaiian Kings.]

THE HIGHEST AND LARGEST VOLCANOES.

The entire archipelago is of volcanic origin, but there are no active
craters to be found at the present time, except two, on the island of
Hawaii. Mauna Loa is the highest volcano in the world, being nearly
14,000 feet above the sea. It has an immense crater; but, while it still
sends forth smoke and has a lake of molten lava at the bottom, there
have been no eruptions for a number of years. Kilauea, the largest
active volcano on the globe, is about sixteen miles from Mauna Loa, on
one of its foothills, 4,000 feet above the sea, and is in a constant
state of activity. Its last great eruption occurred in 1894. This
volcano was described by the missionary Ellis in the year 1823, and
hundreds of tourists visit it every year. Its crater is nine miles in
circumference and several hundred feet deep. Under the conduct of
competent guides the tourists descend into the crater and walk over the
cool lava in places, while near them the hot flame and molten lava are
spouting to the height of hundreds of feet.

The largest extinct volcano in the archipelago is on the island of Maui,
the bottom of the crater measuring sixteen square miles. All of these
stupendous volcanic mountains rise so gently on the western side that
horsemen easily ride to their summits.

INHABITANTS OF THE ISLANDS.

When Cook visited Hawaii, he found the islands inhabited, according to
his estimate, by 400,000 natives. Forty years later when the census was
taken there were 142,000. These diminished one-half during the next
fifty years, and the native population of the islands in