Carrie Chapman Catt - Diaries, Korea and Japan, October 4th - 30th, 1912 (Box 1, Folder 8)

a book on Hawaii and to a photographers where I could not get what I wanted, and then we went to the Museum. It is placed in a beautiful building and includes a very valuable collection of arts, crafts [goods?] &c of the Polynesian peoples.

We then took a drive out to the [Pale?] (meaning [illegible]) Here a break in the mountains leaves a [precipice?] below which is the plain which leads to the sea. Here a Chief drove his enemy and they were killed in the [fall?]. A mere rope used to be stretched from the plain to the top of the cliff and the natives climbed up and down. The main thing now is the view [illegible] at sea which is magnificent. We drove along streets of beautiful houses (the houses were not great) [illegible] [great?] [illegible] [illegible] Royal Palaces and other tropical wonders, and [with?] [illegible] velvety lawns. It was all very pretty and the wrinkled mountains were hidden under a varied blue haze which was very picturesque. Then we went to the Aquarium which I had been told I mustn’t miss and I found it a marvel of wonders. I did not [dream?] that such curious creatures existed. The shapes were curious but it was the colors which were amazing. There was a pair of bright lemon colored of the sun fish shape. There were two varieties colored a deep brilliant Chinese blue, one was [tubed?] in all the [illegible] of "baby blue" and several [illegible]

were pink, and red. In one tank were dark fish shaped with lemon [drawing] like this, the stripes being bright and well defined and there were in the same tank fish of the same shape [drawing] and colors with the stripes running the other way. I hope they will cross for then they will produce a plaid fish! One grey fish seemed to be set with diamonds, little spots sparkling like these precious jewels. One fish was like this [drawing] the colors [more?] brilliant and [prismatic?], all the lines of the rainbow appearing in [there?] and he carried a long delicate flag behind him which waved in the water. There were [green?] fish striped with white and indeed every fish was a wonder of nature. Several look as if stuffed with cotton, covered with [dove?] colored silk and then hand painted [drawing] and one had a [pink?] ribbon bow on his tail and another had a tail [nailed?] on [nut?] blue moonstones! My astonishment grew with each tank and I [consider?] these beautiful creatures almost worth a trip to Honolulu [illegible]

At about five o'clock I went to the [illegible] Hotel took a room, rested &c and later dressed and had dinner with a big cup of coffee. Mrs. [Dorset?] came with her mother and we went to the Opera House. Considering the brief time allowed for arranging

there was a good audience. The stage was decorated with two huge [bunches?] of a brilliant red flower I had not seen. These they gave me and there were enough for every table in the dining room. I got to bed about midnight. This morning at about nine I went down upon the Dock (as the ladies did not like coming on the boat) Mrs. [Dorset?] and Mrs. [Bai bridge?] were there. Mrs. [Dorset?] brought me some photos and an Hawaiian fan and Mrs. [Bainbridge?] a cup made of coconut from which the Hawaiians eat their poi. Just as the gangplank was being taken down there [illegible] [Hawaiians?] came and [illegible] in to me about a dozen long and brilliant garlands. The [illegible] [formed?]] is composed of native women mostly, The Gov and his wife (a sister of Walter Dillingham) were present at the meeting and evidently some other prominent people. At the last moment Mr. Smith, the manager of the Dry Dock [illegible] here came aboard and we had a little hurried con-versation [conversation]. Honolulu is a little warmer than I [illegible] the sun shines and it is always taking [illegible] you the long run, we would miss the [frost?] and find it de-pressing [depressing] I think. The boys celebrated their [illegible] achievement gathered around the [boat?] and dived

for nickels. They reminded me of the strange fish at the aquarium and they were every but as much at home. The most curious "beastie" in the aquarium after all were the octopuses or octopi. These possess the means to change their color, so that when one which attached itself to a grey rock, he became grey and [another?] which had fastened himself to a conglomerate became spotted exactly like it. Out in the open they were white. Just why nature has equipped some creatures with such tremendous means of self defense and others such little or none is difficult to understand. The octopus is a good comparison for the [trusts?] His long suckers can bring blood and when that tentacle is cut off he doesn't mind. He pulls another off his rock and begins to work that.

In [India?] garlands were thrown around our necks in the Temples, and we were expected to open our pocket books. But a missionary on board says that honored guests at all [illegible] always have garlands about t heir necks and I [illegible] that we had them placed there at the [illegible] in [Bone Bay?] Now why and how does it happen that these people the Indians and the Hawaii, Aryan

and Polynesian have this same custom? The [illegible] were the first Polynesians I have seen. I am [sure?] they have Negro blood, and the aborigines of India also have N. I believe the Negros were the first lot that got out of the trees. Somehow they never got very far from their tailed ancestors.

I feel that I have practically arrived at the end of my trip, since all the rest of the way is my own homeland. We have made suffrage speeches to audiences on the continents America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and on the ships of three Oceans. Our audiences have included the followers of every main religion, Christian and Jew, Mohammadan, Hindu, [illegible] Buddhist, Confucian, and [Shinto?] and represent-atives [representatives] of all the main human races, Aryan, [illegible Negro, Malay, Polynesian, Mongolian. We have left the seeds of revolution behind us and the hope of liberty in many souls. But [we've?] got much more than we gave—an experience as [illegible] to act [illegible] [preconceived?] notions that it is difficult to estimate its influence upon us. I sincerely pray that some degree of blessing this trip has been to me may be