Paradise in the Pacific with the subtitle A Book of Travel, Adventure and Fact in the Sandwich Islands is the account from a journey by ship to the Hawaiian Islands by William R. Bliss in the 1870s. Bliss describes in details the nature and daily life of the native Hawaiians. There is also accounts of the volcanic activity and the sometimes problematic political situation on the islands. The author is fascinated by the people of Hawaii and a reoccuring theme for him is their simple living and how little they work. He writes: “That religious teachings, and intercourse with the white people, have generally improved the Hawaiian race, no one will deny But the moral and physical condition of the natives, which I have already portrayed, shows that there is yet great room for their improvement..”
The book starts out with this poem by Tennyson:
“Mariner, mariner, furl your sails,
For here are the blissful downs and dales,
And merrily, merrily carol the gales,
And the 1pangle dances in bi11ht and bay,
And the rainbow forms and flies on the land,
Over the islands free.
Oh I hither, come hither and furl your sails,
And 1weet shall your welcome be.”
Paradise in the Pacific is well-written and easy to read with many interesting observations. If you are visiting Hawaii you will be well prepared to understand a part the islands’ history, but keep in mind that this was written at another time. Download the free PDF e-book here: