Oahu is an example of a volcanic island. Volcanoes which were active long ago have been worn down and cut into valleys and ridges and are now represented by the Koolau Range and the Waianae Mountains. Diamond Head, Punchbowl, and Koko Head are volcanoes which were active such a short time ago that their original. form has not been much changed.
The mountains reach a height sufficient to check the moistureladen trade winds, thus producing a fairly heavy rainfall on the windward side; but they are not high enough or continuous enough to prevent winds and rain from coming to the leeward side at Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and Ewa. The valleys are broad enough to serve as fields for taro, and the small streams which run in most of them supply water enough for necessary irrigation. Near the seashore are groves of coconuts, and in the valleys and on the ridges at different elevations are the native trees and shrubs -- the hau, the ohia, the kukui, the koa,pandanus, and other species of plants suitable for food, for making of clothing, for the building of homes and canoes, for making cooking utensils and farming implements, and for use as medicine. On the island are more than four hundred kinds of native flowering plants. In the forests are birds which may be used for food and whose feathers are used for decoration. The coast is bordered by coral reefs, through which are passages at the mouths of the principal valleys. These passages permit the entrance of boats to safe landing places. The shallow waters at the mouths of streams make favorable sites for artificial fishponds; and the reefs themselves and the waters beyond furnish an abundant supply of sea food. On such an island as Oahu a fairly large number of people could live comfortably, either in villages or scattered about, and they could support themselves by hunting, agriculture, and fishing.
Most volcanic islands in the Pacific are well suited to human occupation; in olden times as well as to-day islands of this class, like Tahiti, Samoa, the Marquesas, Hawaii, Solomon Islands, Ponape, and Kusaie, were populated by a larger number of people in a more advanced stage of development than were the coral islands or the raised coral islands.
Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on earth
The Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on earth. It is twice the size of the Atlantic Ocean, four times the size of the Indian Ocean, and more than ten times larger than the Arctic Ocean or the Antarctic Ocean. Its length from north to south measures nearly 8,000 miles, and along the Equator where it is widest the ocean measures more than 9,000 miles. When marked out on a map, it is seen that the Pacific Ocean occupies more space than all the continents combined and covers more than one third of the entire surface of the earth.
Borders of the Pacific
The Pacific is bounded in part by land and in part by water. On the east and northeast it is walled in by land extending from Cape Horn along South America, Central America, Mexico, the United States mainland, Canada, and Alaska, a distance equal to nearly one third of the circumference of the earth. Until the Panama Canal was dug and opened for navigation in 1914, this wall was unbroken and the Pacific was entirely shut off from the Atlantic. On the north the Pacific is connected with the Arctic Ocean by Bering Strait -only 54 miles wide. On the northwest the Pacific is bounded by the continent of Asia, which is bordered by the long chain of islands known as the Kuriles, Kamchatka, Japan, and Taiwan. On the west the waters of the Pacific join the waters of the Indian Ocean by passing through straits between the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java, and Australia. On the south the Pacific Ocean is united with the Antarctic Ocean by two great branches; one of them, that between Australia and New Zealand, is 1,200 miles wide, and the other, that between New Zealand and South America, 5,000 miles wide.
Depths of the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is not only very broad but also very deep. Its waters rest in an enormous basin with steep sides and a wrinkled bottom. In several places the water covering the bottom of the basin is 25,000 feet deep, and at one place near Mindanao, one of the Philippine Islands, it is 32,088 feet deep. The average depth of the whole Pacific is nearly 14,000 feet, which means that, if placed almost anywhere on the bottom of the ocean, the great mountain Mauna Kea, 13,823 feet in height, would be entirely covered with water. Only near the continental shores of America, Asia, and Australia and near islands is the depth of the Pacific less than 1,000 feet.
From this deeply sunken floor of the Pacific masses of land project upward. Many of them do not reach the surface of the water; some of them, called reefs, come just about to the surface and may be covered by water during high tide and exposed to view at low tide; others remain above the surface as islands.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on earth. It is twice the size of the Atlantic Ocean, four times the size of the Indian Ocean, and more than ten times larger than the Arctic Ocean or the Antarctic Ocean. Its length from north to south measures nearly 8,000 miles, and along the Equator where it is widest the ocean measures more than 9,000 miles. When marked out on a map, it is seen that the Pacific Ocean occupies more space than all the continents combined and covers more than one third of the entire surface of the earth.
Borders of the Pacific
The Pacific is bounded in part by land and in part by water. On the east and northeast it is walled in by land extending from Cape Horn along South America, Central America, Mexico, the United States mainland, Canada, and Alaska, a distance equal to nearly one third of the circumference of the earth. Until the Panama Canal was dug and opened for navigation in 1914, this wall was unbroken and the Pacific was entirely shut off from the Atlantic. On the north the Pacific is connected with the Arctic Ocean by Bering Strait -only 54 miles wide. On the northwest the Pacific is bounded by the continent of Asia, which is bordered by the long chain of islands known as the Kuriles, Kamchatka, Japan, and Taiwan. On the west the waters of the Pacific join the waters of the Indian Ocean by passing through straits between the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java, and Australia. On the south the Pacific Ocean is united with the Antarctic Ocean by two great branches; one of them, that between Australia and New Zealand, is 1,200 miles wide, and the other, that between New Zealand and South America, 5,000 miles wide.
Depths of the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is not only very broad but also very deep. Its waters rest in an enormous basin with steep sides and a wrinkled bottom. In several places the water covering the bottom of the basin is 25,000 feet deep, and at one place near Mindanao, one of the Philippine Islands, it is 32,088 feet deep. The average depth of the whole Pacific is nearly 14,000 feet, which means that, if placed almost anywhere on the bottom of the ocean, the great mountain Mauna Kea, 13,823 feet in height, would be entirely covered with water. Only near the continental shores of America, Asia, and Australia and near islands is the depth of the Pacific less than 1,000 feet.
From this deeply sunken floor of the Pacific masses of land project upward. Many of them do not reach the surface of the water; some of them, called reefs, come just about to the surface and may be covered by water during high tide and exposed to view at low tide; others remain above the surface as islands.
Oahu and Neighbor Islands
The island of Hawaii not only covers 63 percent of the state's entire land area but is still growing through volcanic activity. I cannot recall any other place where the elemental forces of earth-building are so clear to see. Volcanic fumes leak out from a thousand orifices, and along great sweeps of the coastline one sees immense flows of hardened lava from outbreaks of the last few decades. One flow in 1960 added some 500 acres to the eastern coast. Mauna Loa (13,677 feet above sea level) is the world's most active present-day volcano. This mountain's volcanic activity has been going on over so many eons of time that its land mass of 2,000 square miles above the ocean make it the largest single mountain in the world. Its now dormant neighbor, snow-clad Mauna Kea (elevation 13,784), is believed to be the world's largest mountain in height, assuming one counts the rise both below and above the sealine.
While most of the volcanic eruptions pose little immediate danger to human life, they have wiped out villages in recent times, and there are continual fears that the prosperous city of Hilo on Hawaii's east coast could one day be damaged or wiped out by rifts from Mauna Loa's flank. There is little the city can do in defense or prevention. In the meantime, Hilo thrives as a sugar-loading port, county seat, and tourist center. It is a reflection of Honolulu's dominance that this little city is actually second largest in the entire state.
In the prevailing pattern of the archipelago, the Big Island has a verdant, moist northeastern side where the trade winds deposit the burden of clouds blown in over thousands of miles of open sea. The southwestern flank, by contrast, is dry and hot. Within a few miles, one can find tropical rain forest and prime agricultural land, misty plateaus and true desert. Sugar cane and cattle ranching are the traditional and still important farm industries, but Hawaii has long been America's leading orchid center and is unique in the U.S. for coffee growing along its eastern Kona coast. Now there is also a prosperous business in macadamia nut growing. Hawaii may make a lot of money over the long run from harvesting of its vast hardwood forests.
The Big Island's two big economic advances of recent years, however, have sprung from tourism. The first was the opening of Laurance Rockefeller's Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and golf course on the and South Kobola Coast. Land for the resort was sliced from the Parker Ranch, outranked in size only by the King spread in Texas. Travel writers who have had the time and money to go there report that the resort may be the most lavish on earth. Mauna Kea's setback architecture blends with rather than dominates the terrain, and the building contains a collection of fine Asian art. The guest is offered "rest, quiet, excellent food and absolute seclusion," and the diversions for the more adventurous range from golf on breathtaking occanside courses to "women, surfing, skin diving, tennis, wild boar hunting, pheasant shooting, or the great deep-sea fishing only lo miles away." With my time limited, I chose to visit volcanos and little seashore towns instead; perhaps it was a poor decision.
The Big Island's second big boost came from the direct flights between Hilo and the West Coast. A tour pattern developed in which Hilo became a popular exit gateway for tourists on their way back to the mainland, beginning the first major challenge to Oahu's monopoly on tourist days and dollars. Adverse reaction to the overcrowding of Honolulu has also contributed to interest in the numerous resort and land developments on Hawaii and other Neighbor Islands.
While most of the volcanic eruptions pose little immediate danger to human life, they have wiped out villages in recent times, and there are continual fears that the prosperous city of Hilo on Hawaii's east coast could one day be damaged or wiped out by rifts from Mauna Loa's flank. There is little the city can do in defense or prevention. In the meantime, Hilo thrives as a sugar-loading port, county seat, and tourist center. It is a reflection of Honolulu's dominance that this little city is actually second largest in the entire state.
In the prevailing pattern of the archipelago, the Big Island has a verdant, moist northeastern side where the trade winds deposit the burden of clouds blown in over thousands of miles of open sea. The southwestern flank, by contrast, is dry and hot. Within a few miles, one can find tropical rain forest and prime agricultural land, misty plateaus and true desert. Sugar cane and cattle ranching are the traditional and still important farm industries, but Hawaii has long been America's leading orchid center and is unique in the U.S. for coffee growing along its eastern Kona coast. Now there is also a prosperous business in macadamia nut growing. Hawaii may make a lot of money over the long run from harvesting of its vast hardwood forests.
The Big Island's two big economic advances of recent years, however, have sprung from tourism. The first was the opening of Laurance Rockefeller's Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and golf course on the and South Kobola Coast. Land for the resort was sliced from the Parker Ranch, outranked in size only by the King spread in Texas. Travel writers who have had the time and money to go there report that the resort may be the most lavish on earth. Mauna Kea's setback architecture blends with rather than dominates the terrain, and the building contains a collection of fine Asian art. The guest is offered "rest, quiet, excellent food and absolute seclusion," and the diversions for the more adventurous range from golf on breathtaking occanside courses to "women, surfing, skin diving, tennis, wild boar hunting, pheasant shooting, or the great deep-sea fishing only lo miles away." With my time limited, I chose to visit volcanos and little seashore towns instead; perhaps it was a poor decision.
The Big Island's second big boost came from the direct flights between Hilo and the West Coast. A tour pattern developed in which Hilo became a popular exit gateway for tourists on their way back to the mainland, beginning the first major challenge to Oahu's monopoly on tourist days and dollars. Adverse reaction to the overcrowding of Honolulu has also contributed to interest in the numerous resort and land developments on Hawaii and other Neighbor Islands.
The birth of the Hawaiian Islands
The birth of the Hawaiian Islands has been matchlessly chronicled in the gospel according to Michener, always a wonder to reread: How in the bosom of the boundless deep, countless millions of years before the first men walked the earth, a massive fissure some 2,000 miles in length suddenly appeared, exuding torrents of white-hot, liquid rock which exploded on contact with the heavy, wet burden of water, sending columns of released steam upward for nearly four miles to break loose on the surface of the sea and form a cloud and signal to an unknowing world the start of what might one day be islands. And for 40 million years, more or less, the dense, volcanic basalt built up, layer after layer; and one day, there was another molten eruption from the earth's core, except that now it reached the surface of the sea, and there was a tremendous explosion as liquid rock struck water and air together, and there was land. And then still more millions of years, the rise and fall of that and myriad other volcanic isles, and wind and water brought the first tenuous plant and animal life -- perhaps the seeds of plants and trees, or a coconut washed up against a shore, or a bird from distant realms -- and then interspersed ice ages, and finally, in the latter days of time the creation of the Hawaii we know; of lush valley and precipice, of volcanic peaks (some still active) and palm-fringed blue water, and flowers, and white surf, some islands already receding back into the sea, others still growing.
Today you can look at a map of the plateaus and trenches and seamounts of the Pacific Ocean floor, and one feature, between the Aleutians and Australia, stands out. It is the great wall of the Hawaiian Range, set seemingly in the very middle of the Pacific. The range runs in almost a straight line for 1,600 miles, the mountains within it rising as much as 18,000 feet off the floor of the surrounding ocean, but only a few ever reaching the surface.
At the northwestern tip are the Midway Islands; then in the central section La Perouse rock and the Gardner Pinnacles, shards of once great volcanic islands which have been worn down, almost to extinction, by the forces of wind and rain and surf. And at the southeastern extremity of the range, there are the 20 islands of the state of Hawaii, seven of them inhabited. The largest of these is the most southeasterly, Hawaii, the "Big Island," bearing the name of the entire chain. It has 4,030 square miles, more than twice the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. The most heavily populated island is Oahu, 200 miles to the northwest; it has the city of Honolulu and 80 percent of the people but is only a seventh the size of the Big Island.
Today you can look at a map of the plateaus and trenches and seamounts of the Pacific Ocean floor, and one feature, between the Aleutians and Australia, stands out. It is the great wall of the Hawaiian Range, set seemingly in the very middle of the Pacific. The range runs in almost a straight line for 1,600 miles, the mountains within it rising as much as 18,000 feet off the floor of the surrounding ocean, but only a few ever reaching the surface.
At the northwestern tip are the Midway Islands; then in the central section La Perouse rock and the Gardner Pinnacles, shards of once great volcanic islands which have been worn down, almost to extinction, by the forces of wind and rain and surf. And at the southeastern extremity of the range, there are the 20 islands of the state of Hawaii, seven of them inhabited. The largest of these is the most southeasterly, Hawaii, the "Big Island," bearing the name of the entire chain. It has 4,030 square miles, more than twice the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. The most heavily populated island is Oahu, 200 miles to the northwest; it has the city of Honolulu and 80 percent of the people but is only a seventh the size of the Big Island.
Chief elements of the Japanese food
Let us now consider the chief elements of the Japanese food. First comes rice, which we believe is by far the best in the world, and which, according to the analysis of food scientists, contains a greater quantity of food units than the rice of any other land. The proper name for Japan, as given in the Kojiki, is "Ashihara-no-mizuho-no-kuni," which may be freely rendered as "the land of abundant crops of good rice." At a pinch the Japanese could thrive on rice alone plus some vegetables. A certain writer has said that the boasted yarnato-damashii, or the national spirit of Japan, is made up of the nourishment of rice, and it is the testimony of every soldier at the front that he could dispense with any other food, provided he has plenty of good old Japanese rice. Fortunately there is no sign of the land diminishing in rice crops, and the safety of the country may be said to be assured as long as this national staple food is obtainable.
The next great pride of Japan in food is tea. In black tea we must probably give the palm to India, but in all other kinds of tea, especially in the superior varieties of green tea, Japan decidedly commands first place. The green tea has fairly made the conquest of the world, but the world at present knows only a few limited kinds. The whole range of variety and quality of Japanese tea is as yet little more than a sealed book to the rest of the world.
The third boast of Japan in food which we claim as being better than the best anywhere is fish. For reasons which need not be stated here, the fish caught in the waters around Japan, taste far more delicious than similar fish caught in any other sea. It is a fact universally conceded. The most conspicuous among them are eels, tai, maguro, and soles of various kinds. As for the lobsters and crabs, they are world-famous. What foreigner knowing anything about Japan has not tasted the lobster tempura, and Japan's canned crabs are now shipped to the remotest corners of the earth. As for the eels, they are obtainable in Europe and America, but they differ vastly from the variety found in the rivers around Tokyo, and the kabayaki cooking is unique.
In fruits, too, Japan may fairly pride herself on occupying a foremost place in the world. In some fruit Japan cannot beat other lands, such as tropical melons, pineapples, grapefruit, lemons, etc., but in others, such as oranges, pears, apples, persimmons, bananas, Japan's products stand unsurpassed by the best products of any country. The Japanese table is not without fruit from January to December.
The Japanese beef is conceded to have a better taste than that of many other lands, thanks probably to the fact that cattle-raising in Japan is still in the natural state, not as yet having attained that of industrial breeding. As for poultry and game birds such as pheasant, duck, moor-hen, partridge, snipe, etc., Japan is their native home, having exported many precious birds to the United States and other countries, and it need hardly be added that the Japanese cooks know how to dress them for the table!
Thus, in every variety of food materials Japan is abundantly blessed and is indeed a paradise for cooks. It is all the stranger that this great feature of Japan is so little advertised. It is probably because Japan possesses so many beauty points, i.e. in scenery, blossoms, etc., that her quality as a land of good eating is apt to be overlooked. Besides, she has hitherto considered it undignified to make a point of advertising her viands.
The next great pride of Japan in food is tea. In black tea we must probably give the palm to India, but in all other kinds of tea, especially in the superior varieties of green tea, Japan decidedly commands first place. The green tea has fairly made the conquest of the world, but the world at present knows only a few limited kinds. The whole range of variety and quality of Japanese tea is as yet little more than a sealed book to the rest of the world.
The third boast of Japan in food which we claim as being better than the best anywhere is fish. For reasons which need not be stated here, the fish caught in the waters around Japan, taste far more delicious than similar fish caught in any other sea. It is a fact universally conceded. The most conspicuous among them are eels, tai, maguro, and soles of various kinds. As for the lobsters and crabs, they are world-famous. What foreigner knowing anything about Japan has not tasted the lobster tempura, and Japan's canned crabs are now shipped to the remotest corners of the earth. As for the eels, they are obtainable in Europe and America, but they differ vastly from the variety found in the rivers around Tokyo, and the kabayaki cooking is unique.
In fruits, too, Japan may fairly pride herself on occupying a foremost place in the world. In some fruit Japan cannot beat other lands, such as tropical melons, pineapples, grapefruit, lemons, etc., but in others, such as oranges, pears, apples, persimmons, bananas, Japan's products stand unsurpassed by the best products of any country. The Japanese table is not without fruit from January to December.
The Japanese beef is conceded to have a better taste than that of many other lands, thanks probably to the fact that cattle-raising in Japan is still in the natural state, not as yet having attained that of industrial breeding. As for poultry and game birds such as pheasant, duck, moor-hen, partridge, snipe, etc., Japan is their native home, having exported many precious birds to the United States and other countries, and it need hardly be added that the Japanese cooks know how to dress them for the table!
Thus, in every variety of food materials Japan is abundantly blessed and is indeed a paradise for cooks. It is all the stranger that this great feature of Japan is so little advertised. It is probably because Japan possesses so many beauty points, i.e. in scenery, blossoms, etc., that her quality as a land of good eating is apt to be overlooked. Besides, she has hitherto considered it undignified to make a point of advertising her viands.
Names in Japanese cuisine
Kwanto cuisine, Kwansai cuisine, Kyoto cuisine, Nagoya cuisine
Apart from this world-wide influence on the Japanese food, there have been numerous local factors to give variety to it. Thus there are such names in Japanese cuisine as Kwanto cuisine, Kwansai cuisine, Kyoto cuisine, Nagoya cuisine, etc., just as in Chinese they speak of the Peking, Shanghai, Canton, Szechwan, Yunnan cuisines.
Besides, there were numerous provincial factors to influence the Japanese cuisine, contributed by the three hundred daimyo domains. These were attributable to their peculiar local products as well as to their respective native geniuses.
There can be no cooking without food materials to be cooked. Thus the Tokyo cuisine means largely the food made of products of Tokyo and adjacent districts. As the culinary art improved the food materials, so did the materials fashion this art. In these years of improved transportation facilities, when the products of one prefecture are almost the same as the products of the whole nation, the demarcation between this and that cuisine has become very thin and fugitive, although one may still point out the superior or inferior points in the culinary products of diverse cities. Foreign visitors to Japan will not find it easy to distinguish between the Kwanto and Kwansai cuisines, nor will even the ordinary Japanese eaters, because of the growing similarity just mentioned. We may mention, however, the typical characteristics of some districts. As Kwanto abounds in the best kind of maguro and bonito fish, more of them are used in the preparation of everyday meals than any other kind of fish, especially the dried bonito, as in imparting flavor to soups and in cooking vegetables. But Kwansai, deficient in these two types of fish, at least in the good variety which Kwanto has, makes use of other fish, and in flavoring the soup, vegetables, etc., has recourse to the seaweed, directly imported from Hokkaido. Kyoto, which was surrounded by mountains, and had no direct access to the sea, was poor in sea fish but had good freshwater fish, and also a large variety of exquisite vegetables, especially bamboo-shoots and mushrooms, than which no other city could show better. The conditions have changed, of course, but anyone with the least educated taste in Japanese food, can recognize both the fortes and weaknesses of Kyoto, something along these traditional lines. Nagasaki is still noted for its turtle dishes, chicken, beef and pork dishes, owing to the exotic influences already referred to, all of which, now spread throughout Japan, had been unknown in other parts of Japan up to the Restoration.
Apart from this world-wide influence on the Japanese food, there have been numerous local factors to give variety to it. Thus there are such names in Japanese cuisine as Kwanto cuisine, Kwansai cuisine, Kyoto cuisine, Nagoya cuisine, etc., just as in Chinese they speak of the Peking, Shanghai, Canton, Szechwan, Yunnan cuisines.
Besides, there were numerous provincial factors to influence the Japanese cuisine, contributed by the three hundred daimyo domains. These were attributable to their peculiar local products as well as to their respective native geniuses.
There can be no cooking without food materials to be cooked. Thus the Tokyo cuisine means largely the food made of products of Tokyo and adjacent districts. As the culinary art improved the food materials, so did the materials fashion this art. In these years of improved transportation facilities, when the products of one prefecture are almost the same as the products of the whole nation, the demarcation between this and that cuisine has become very thin and fugitive, although one may still point out the superior or inferior points in the culinary products of diverse cities. Foreign visitors to Japan will not find it easy to distinguish between the Kwanto and Kwansai cuisines, nor will even the ordinary Japanese eaters, because of the growing similarity just mentioned. We may mention, however, the typical characteristics of some districts. As Kwanto abounds in the best kind of maguro and bonito fish, more of them are used in the preparation of everyday meals than any other kind of fish, especially the dried bonito, as in imparting flavor to soups and in cooking vegetables. But Kwansai, deficient in these two types of fish, at least in the good variety which Kwanto has, makes use of other fish, and in flavoring the soup, vegetables, etc., has recourse to the seaweed, directly imported from Hokkaido. Kyoto, which was surrounded by mountains, and had no direct access to the sea, was poor in sea fish but had good freshwater fish, and also a large variety of exquisite vegetables, especially bamboo-shoots and mushrooms, than which no other city could show better. The conditions have changed, of course, but anyone with the least educated taste in Japanese food, can recognize both the fortes and weaknesses of Kyoto, something along these traditional lines. Nagasaki is still noted for its turtle dishes, chicken, beef and pork dishes, owing to the exotic influences already referred to, all of which, now spread throughout Japan, had been unknown in other parts of Japan up to the Restoration.
The Cathedral of Amiens France
To one who loves Gothic architecture there are few cathedrals more interesting than the cathedral of Amiens. It was built in 1220 to 1288,--the sixtyeight years of work of the two bishops Everard, who founded it, and Godfrey, who carried it to completion and consecrated it. The name of the architect is preserved, which is not always the case with Gothic builders. Robert of Luzarches was the designer, and Thomas de Cermont and his son Rénauet completed the building.
All honor to them, for they have achieved one of the Gothic wonders of the world. If the original plan had been carried out, the cathedral of Amiens would be without a peer among Gothic churches. Unfortunately, its exterior is sadly marred by a wooden spire which is so far too small for the church that it seems quite ridiculous, and it is marred also by the failure to complete the two western towers, which were meant to culminate in spires. The exterior is hurt also by the too close crowding around it of small buildings. It is not possible from any point of view to get an adequate idea of the whole church. When these criticisms are made, as unfortunately they must be, there is nothing more to say that does not tell of almost unlimited admiration.
To convey in words the overpowering effect of the façade is not possible. It stands quite alone, in my mind, among all Gothic façades I know, easily surpassing all the others. Here is the very essence of the Gothic builder's art. Here the exquisite lines of his construction blend in the most perfect harmony with the superb richness of his ornamentation. Mr. Ruskin says that those who built the Gothic churches really believed they were building dwelling-places for Christ, and they wished to make them as comfortable and beautiful for Him as they could. The façade of Amiens certainly bears out this idea, for the central figure in it is Christ, called "Le Bon Dieu d'Amiens," who welcomes all who come to enter its portals and gives them His benediction.
But at first the figures are not noticed individually. Arch upon arch, pinnacle above pinnacle, column above column, pier above pier, its vanishing lines lost at last in the heavens above, the wondrous façade bursts upon the astonished eye in an overpowering grandeur, a wealth of sculpture, an exquisite grace of line and composition, unlike anything else in all architecture. And when the dazzled sight has become somewhat accustomed to the full blaze of this Gothic splendor, when the mind, irresistibly led at first to aspiration, can rejoice in the beauties that help make the wondrous whole, then comes the thought, "What spirit was it that inspired him who did this, and how can he move men thus through all these ages?" And the mind, answering, says it is easy to see that perfect honesty of construction and perfect beauty are not far apart. The great rose window could not be without the strong support of buttresses that permitted so large openings in such lofty walls.
Massive solid piers must give strong foundation for spires that are to touch the clouds, and as the piers rise higher and higher, and less and less supporting work is to be done, they become lighter and lighter, vanishing one by one into pinnacles, until at last the eye is led to the one supreme pinnacle,--the nearest point toward the heavens the builder's skill could reach. This utmost touch of the spire is not here as Robert of Luzarche meant it should be, but all the lower lines are eloquent of it. In their own beauty of form and thought they point to the beauty's consummation, until the completed spire is seen in a dream, almost, as Robert must have seen it.
But graceful lines and forms were not enough, however inspiring they might be. The portal of the house of God must be beautiful in every part. About the door must be the saints and angels who surround the Lord. The beauties of God's flowers and vines and leaves must lend adornment to these columns and enrich these arches. Thus the sculptor and the cunning carver help the builder. In the great central portal the apostles and saints stand reverently, but with most simple dignity, about their Master. Each figure has its niche in the recessed doorway, and as all stand upon the same level,--and the same order is preserved in the side portals,--the whole forms one long procession of apostles, martyrs, and saints on the Saviour's right hand and on His left, reaching from one side of the vast façade to the other. Above the Saviour's figure is told in stone the thought these pious builders had about the last judgment. Many another scene or story from the Scriptures is here upon the recessed arches and the great bases of the piers, nor is one spot left without its ornament or its sacred figure, excepting such as should be left unornamented in order that grace and strength and beauty of construction might quite plainly be seen.
All honor to them, for they have achieved one of the Gothic wonders of the world. If the original plan had been carried out, the cathedral of Amiens would be without a peer among Gothic churches. Unfortunately, its exterior is sadly marred by a wooden spire which is so far too small for the church that it seems quite ridiculous, and it is marred also by the failure to complete the two western towers, which were meant to culminate in spires. The exterior is hurt also by the too close crowding around it of small buildings. It is not possible from any point of view to get an adequate idea of the whole church. When these criticisms are made, as unfortunately they must be, there is nothing more to say that does not tell of almost unlimited admiration.
To convey in words the overpowering effect of the façade is not possible. It stands quite alone, in my mind, among all Gothic façades I know, easily surpassing all the others. Here is the very essence of the Gothic builder's art. Here the exquisite lines of his construction blend in the most perfect harmony with the superb richness of his ornamentation. Mr. Ruskin says that those who built the Gothic churches really believed they were building dwelling-places for Christ, and they wished to make them as comfortable and beautiful for Him as they could. The façade of Amiens certainly bears out this idea, for the central figure in it is Christ, called "Le Bon Dieu d'Amiens," who welcomes all who come to enter its portals and gives them His benediction.
But at first the figures are not noticed individually. Arch upon arch, pinnacle above pinnacle, column above column, pier above pier, its vanishing lines lost at last in the heavens above, the wondrous façade bursts upon the astonished eye in an overpowering grandeur, a wealth of sculpture, an exquisite grace of line and composition, unlike anything else in all architecture. And when the dazzled sight has become somewhat accustomed to the full blaze of this Gothic splendor, when the mind, irresistibly led at first to aspiration, can rejoice in the beauties that help make the wondrous whole, then comes the thought, "What spirit was it that inspired him who did this, and how can he move men thus through all these ages?" And the mind, answering, says it is easy to see that perfect honesty of construction and perfect beauty are not far apart. The great rose window could not be without the strong support of buttresses that permitted so large openings in such lofty walls.
Massive solid piers must give strong foundation for spires that are to touch the clouds, and as the piers rise higher and higher, and less and less supporting work is to be done, they become lighter and lighter, vanishing one by one into pinnacles, until at last the eye is led to the one supreme pinnacle,--the nearest point toward the heavens the builder's skill could reach. This utmost touch of the spire is not here as Robert of Luzarche meant it should be, but all the lower lines are eloquent of it. In their own beauty of form and thought they point to the beauty's consummation, until the completed spire is seen in a dream, almost, as Robert must have seen it.
But graceful lines and forms were not enough, however inspiring they might be. The portal of the house of God must be beautiful in every part. About the door must be the saints and angels who surround the Lord. The beauties of God's flowers and vines and leaves must lend adornment to these columns and enrich these arches. Thus the sculptor and the cunning carver help the builder. In the great central portal the apostles and saints stand reverently, but with most simple dignity, about their Master. Each figure has its niche in the recessed doorway, and as all stand upon the same level,--and the same order is preserved in the side portals,--the whole forms one long procession of apostles, martyrs, and saints on the Saviour's right hand and on His left, reaching from one side of the vast façade to the other. Above the Saviour's figure is told in stone the thought these pious builders had about the last judgment. Many another scene or story from the Scriptures is here upon the recessed arches and the great bases of the piers, nor is one spot left without its ornament or its sacred figure, excepting such as should be left unornamented in order that grace and strength and beauty of construction might quite plainly be seen.
Montreal Olympic Park, Montreal Botanical Garden, Biodome de Montreal
The biggest, fastest and the best in sports can be found in Montreal.
Montreal Olympic Park
Site: 4141 Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue
Site of the '76 Olympic Games, home to the Olypic Stadium, this is the scene of big name sporting events, as well as major cultural events, and big ticket concerts Topping off the stadium, the Montreal Tower (the world's tallest inclined tower).
The prettiest, strangest and the best in attractions can also be found in Montreal.
Montreal Botanical Garden
Site: 4101 Sherbrooke Street East
One of the largest gardens of its kind in the world, with 26,000 species and varieties of flora in 10 exhibition greenhouses and 30 gardens. Don't miss the Wacky Woodwork Treehouse, from June 6 to November 16. Kids will also get a kick out of the Insectarium and its exhibit of beautiful insects from over 100 counturies.
Biodome de Montreal
Site: 4777 Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue
Four natural ecosystems in an environmental museum including a tropical forest, the Laurentian forest, the St. Lawrence marine environment and a polar world.
Casino de Montreal
Site: Parc des Iles
One of the world's ten largest casinos. An unforgettable experience. Six floors of exciment and warm, friendly service that's second to none. Don't miss it!
The Biosphere
Site: Ile-Sainte-Helene
A spectacular setting at Parc des Iles, a fascinating look at water, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. Posted by deskjet at 2:04 PM Labels: 76 Olympic Games, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal Olympic Park, Montreal Tower, olympic stadium, Olypic Stadium, The Biosphere, tropical forest, Wacky Woodwork Treehouse Newer Post Older Post Home
Montreal Olympic Park
Site: 4141 Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue
Site of the '76 Olympic Games, home to the Olypic Stadium, this is the scene of big name sporting events, as well as major cultural events, and big ticket concerts Topping off the stadium, the Montreal Tower (the world's tallest inclined tower).
The prettiest, strangest and the best in attractions can also be found in Montreal.
Montreal Botanical Garden
Site: 4101 Sherbrooke Street East
One of the largest gardens of its kind in the world, with 26,000 species and varieties of flora in 10 exhibition greenhouses and 30 gardens. Don't miss the Wacky Woodwork Treehouse, from June 6 to November 16. Kids will also get a kick out of the Insectarium and its exhibit of beautiful insects from over 100 counturies.
Biodome de Montreal
Site: 4777 Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue
Four natural ecosystems in an environmental museum including a tropical forest, the Laurentian forest, the St. Lawrence marine environment and a polar world.
Casino de Montreal
Site: Parc des Iles
One of the world's ten largest casinos. An unforgettable experience. Six floors of exciment and warm, friendly service that's second to none. Don't miss it!
The Biosphere
Site: Ile-Sainte-Helene
A spectacular setting at Parc des Iles, a fascinating look at water, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. Posted by deskjet at 2:04 PM Labels: 76 Olympic Games, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal Olympic Park, Montreal Tower, olympic stadium, Olypic Stadium, The Biosphere, tropical forest, Wacky Woodwork Treehouse Newer Post Older Post Home
Ohio River was leading Cincinnati to greatness
Ohio River was leading Cincinnati to greatness. Business centered at Public Landing, where steamboats came and went, whistles blew, crowds milled, and the wharf towered high with merchandise. At mid-century a local newspaper described the scene: Bells were ringing, mates and draymen were swearing, negroes singing, boxes, barrels and bundles were rolling and tumbling, thirty to forty rousters chased one another up and down the gang plank, and above the monotony of it all, could be heard the words 'down below' as heavy articles of freight were dropped into the hold. Now and then a barrel rolled off the gang plank into the river and was chased by the rousters. All moved like clockwork. From above, a hundred or more passengers gazed upon the scene and exchanged greetings with friends upon the shore, while the pilot surveyed it from his throne upon the 'Texas.' When darkness overtook preparations, blazing jacks were used to light up the freight piles and gang ways, and the scene continued.
This enormous activity was directly traceable to the Ohio River, the great marine highway that twisted and turned for nearly a thousand miles between Pittsburgh and Cairo, Illinois. Cincinnati's epic rise sprang from its situation on the river, and from the changing types of craft that passed over it.
Boats first appeared in numbers on the Ohio during the 1780's, when Americans floated downstream to seek new homes in the West. At that time few roads penetrated the Ohio Valley, and the river offered the only easy approach to the western country. Soon a host of odd craft was all along the Ohio. Some bore people, livestock, and household furnishings to the new settlements; others carried produce to market. These batteaux, pirogues, barges, flatboats, keelboats, and arks were fantastically slow, except in time of high water; and while the Indian troubles lasted they usually were boarded with heavy side timbers having portholes for muskets and small cannon.
Fortnightly passenger service between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati began in October 1793, when Jacob Myers introduced two packets propelled by sails and oars. The packets also carried freight and sometimes convoyed other craft. After two more boats were put in service in January 1794, weekly runs were inaugurated between the two villages. Passengers were boarded and "liquored" by the management, and there was a separate cabin for women.
Since it was too costly to buy goods in Philadelphia and haul them over the mountains in horse-borne pack trains, Cincinnati and the other inland communities sent their exports to New Orleans by boat and received imports in the same way. In a few years a vast commerce rose on the rivers between Pittsburgh and New Orleans, with Cincinnati as a great midway port.
From New Orleans came cotton, tobacco, hemp, lead, powder, saltpeter, sugar, wool, and the fine clothes, furnishings, and luxuries of New York, Philadelphia, and Europe. From Cincinnati went grain, pork, and whisky; then, with the rise of industry, tools, furniture, paper, flour, and other items. Various "trades" developed between Cincinnati and the towns of Louisville, Marietta, Wheeling, and Pittsburgh; and some enterprising Cincinnatians made a good living from navigating floating groceries, sawmills, gristmills, and blacksmith shops to the villages and landings along the Ohio.
Much of this early river traffic was confined to flatboats, barges, and keelboats. Flatboats moved downstream only; they drifted with the current, often traveled at night, and progressed as little as one mile an hour in low water and five miles an hour in high water. Very numerous at first, flatboats were favored by incoming settlers because they carried sizable quantities of livestock, furnishings, and farm equipment, in addition to many passengers. Often two or more flatboats were lashed together before proceeding downstream; besides offering better protection against Indians, this arrangement permitted "visiting," swapping, frolics, and dancing. At Cincinnati and the other river towns, flatboats were loaded with produce and manufactures and sent on the long haul to New Orleans. There the cargoes were marketed and the boats knocked apart and sold for timber; then the crews returned overland from Natchez.
The task of going upstream as well as down was met by barges and keelboats, which depended upon the muscular exertions of the boatmen to buck the current, get through shallows, and cross sandbars and other hindrances. Barges were almost entirely covered by low, stout cabins, from the roofs of which men propelled the craft by means of long, oarlike "sweeps." A number of barges, built locally, traded out of Cincinnati. One of the finest was the Missouri, a 44-oar boat that made the 180-mile journey to Louisville in 22 hours and 24 minutes while carrying 1,600 barrels of flour. Another, the Cincinnati, achieved the shortest time on record when, in 1811, it did the 1,500-mile run from New Orleans to Cincinnati in 78 days. At that date it usually took six months for barges to make the round trip between the two towns; but by 1816 the time had been shaved to permit two round trips during the navigation season.
Until the steamboat arrived, the fastest freight haulers on the western waters were the keelboats. These narrow, light-draft vessels had heavy keels on their bottoms; the keel eased steering and protected the bull against logs, snags, and shoals. Each keelboat had running boards along its sides, from which the keelers plunged long, iron-tipped poles into the river bed, walked aft with their weight against the poles, then ran forward to repeat the performance. In low water--then very common to the Ohio--keelers had to go ashore with long ropes and literally pull their craft until a deeper pool was reached.
About 1805 there were 50 keelboats in trade between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but by 1815 the total had jumped to 150. Two months were required for the round trip between the two towns, each keelboat attempting to make three complete trips during the navigation season.Cincinnati saw the hell-roaring keelers for several decades and cried "Thank God!" when the steamboat at last drove these hearties farther west. The keelers were the wildest and toughest men on the frontier. Breeched in buckskin or linsey-woolsey, and shirted in flaming red, these big-boned fellows walked with long strides, whooped bellicose taunts at flatters, bargers, and townsmen, and often provoked fights just for the exercise. Following such an outburst of high spirits, these buckoes tapered off by demolishing signs, outbuildings, and furniture and glassware in near-by taverns.
Keelers liked to wench, gamble, drink, dance, sing, spit, and shoot at mark. Mike Fink, most redoubtable of all the keelers, best illustrated their temperament when he set fire to his woman to caution her against infidelity. All keelers liked to fight, and a boatman wearing a red feather in his cap had to meet any challenger. Such contests usually started with a little mutual "blackguarding"--a game in which the keeler tried to silence his opponent with a barrage of picturesque boasts, epithets, and insults.
This enormous activity was directly traceable to the Ohio River, the great marine highway that twisted and turned for nearly a thousand miles between Pittsburgh and Cairo, Illinois. Cincinnati's epic rise sprang from its situation on the river, and from the changing types of craft that passed over it.
Boats first appeared in numbers on the Ohio during the 1780's, when Americans floated downstream to seek new homes in the West. At that time few roads penetrated the Ohio Valley, and the river offered the only easy approach to the western country. Soon a host of odd craft was all along the Ohio. Some bore people, livestock, and household furnishings to the new settlements; others carried produce to market. These batteaux, pirogues, barges, flatboats, keelboats, and arks were fantastically slow, except in time of high water; and while the Indian troubles lasted they usually were boarded with heavy side timbers having portholes for muskets and small cannon.
Fortnightly passenger service between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati began in October 1793, when Jacob Myers introduced two packets propelled by sails and oars. The packets also carried freight and sometimes convoyed other craft. After two more boats were put in service in January 1794, weekly runs were inaugurated between the two villages. Passengers were boarded and "liquored" by the management, and there was a separate cabin for women.
Since it was too costly to buy goods in Philadelphia and haul them over the mountains in horse-borne pack trains, Cincinnati and the other inland communities sent their exports to New Orleans by boat and received imports in the same way. In a few years a vast commerce rose on the rivers between Pittsburgh and New Orleans, with Cincinnati as a great midway port.
From New Orleans came cotton, tobacco, hemp, lead, powder, saltpeter, sugar, wool, and the fine clothes, furnishings, and luxuries of New York, Philadelphia, and Europe. From Cincinnati went grain, pork, and whisky; then, with the rise of industry, tools, furniture, paper, flour, and other items. Various "trades" developed between Cincinnati and the towns of Louisville, Marietta, Wheeling, and Pittsburgh; and some enterprising Cincinnatians made a good living from navigating floating groceries, sawmills, gristmills, and blacksmith shops to the villages and landings along the Ohio.
Much of this early river traffic was confined to flatboats, barges, and keelboats. Flatboats moved downstream only; they drifted with the current, often traveled at night, and progressed as little as one mile an hour in low water and five miles an hour in high water. Very numerous at first, flatboats were favored by incoming settlers because they carried sizable quantities of livestock, furnishings, and farm equipment, in addition to many passengers. Often two or more flatboats were lashed together before proceeding downstream; besides offering better protection against Indians, this arrangement permitted "visiting," swapping, frolics, and dancing. At Cincinnati and the other river towns, flatboats were loaded with produce and manufactures and sent on the long haul to New Orleans. There the cargoes were marketed and the boats knocked apart and sold for timber; then the crews returned overland from Natchez.
The task of going upstream as well as down was met by barges and keelboats, which depended upon the muscular exertions of the boatmen to buck the current, get through shallows, and cross sandbars and other hindrances. Barges were almost entirely covered by low, stout cabins, from the roofs of which men propelled the craft by means of long, oarlike "sweeps." A number of barges, built locally, traded out of Cincinnati. One of the finest was the Missouri, a 44-oar boat that made the 180-mile journey to Louisville in 22 hours and 24 minutes while carrying 1,600 barrels of flour. Another, the Cincinnati, achieved the shortest time on record when, in 1811, it did the 1,500-mile run from New Orleans to Cincinnati in 78 days. At that date it usually took six months for barges to make the round trip between the two towns; but by 1816 the time had been shaved to permit two round trips during the navigation season.
Until the steamboat arrived, the fastest freight haulers on the western waters were the keelboats. These narrow, light-draft vessels had heavy keels on their bottoms; the keel eased steering and protected the bull against logs, snags, and shoals. Each keelboat had running boards along its sides, from which the keelers plunged long, iron-tipped poles into the river bed, walked aft with their weight against the poles, then ran forward to repeat the performance. In low water--then very common to the Ohio--keelers had to go ashore with long ropes and literally pull their craft until a deeper pool was reached.
About 1805 there were 50 keelboats in trade between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but by 1815 the total had jumped to 150. Two months were required for the round trip between the two towns, each keelboat attempting to make three complete trips during the navigation season.Cincinnati saw the hell-roaring keelers for several decades and cried "Thank God!" when the steamboat at last drove these hearties farther west. The keelers were the wildest and toughest men on the frontier. Breeched in buckskin or linsey-woolsey, and shirted in flaming red, these big-boned fellows walked with long strides, whooped bellicose taunts at flatters, bargers, and townsmen, and often provoked fights just for the exercise. Following such an outburst of high spirits, these buckoes tapered off by demolishing signs, outbuildings, and furniture and glassware in near-by taverns.
Keelers liked to wench, gamble, drink, dance, sing, spit, and shoot at mark. Mike Fink, most redoubtable of all the keelers, best illustrated their temperament when he set fire to his woman to caution her against infidelity. All keelers liked to fight, and a boatman wearing a red feather in his cap had to meet any challenger. Such contests usually started with a little mutual "blackguarding"--a game in which the keeler tried to silence his opponent with a barrage of picturesque boasts, epithets, and insults.
Japan is an island country
Japan lies in the Pacific, with her face toward the morning sun and her gates open to the east. Geographically defined, Japan is a series of long and narrow volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, lying off the north-eastern coast of the Asiatic continent in the shape of a longitudinal curve.This simple definition would require a detailed explanation were we to exhaust its full meaning --a task for which we have now no space at command. All we can do is to take up one by one the salient points of the definition and treat them from the standpoint of anthropo-geography. In the present discourse, I wish to amplify the following points: 1st, that Japan is an island country; 2d, that it is volcanic; 3d, that it is narrow; 4th, that it is long; 5th, that it lies off the coast of the Asiatic continent; 6th, that it lies in the Pacific Ocean.
Islands naturally possess a maritime climate, the distinctive features of which are equability, relative humidity, and great cloudiness. One curi- ous effect of our moist atmosphere is the frequent use of very warm baths, which are taken at a temperature as high as 120° Fahrenheit. New- comers to Japan regard such a practice as highly unhygienic, but a few years' residence demonstrates to them that the custom is dictated by climatic demands. Our people are not happy unless they bathe frequently, and this habit of daily ablution is perhaps due to atmospheric humidity.
It has throughout the year an average of 150 days of snow or rain, and 215 days of fair weather; that is, for every three days of rain or snow, we have four fine days. As to quantity, the rainfall ranges, according to locality, from twenty to thirty inches a year.
Being located where they are, the Japanese islands are farthest removed from the centre or centres of world politics,--from European capitals or from the Atlantic coast of this continent. It is over seven thousand miles from New York to Yokohama.
Tahiti has an unexcelled climate for the tropics
Tahiti has an unexcelled climate for the tropics, the temperature for the year averaging seventy-seven degrees and varying from sixty-nine to eighty-four degrees. June, July, and August are the coolest and driest months, and December to March the rainiest and hottest. It is often humid, enervating, but the south- east, the trade-wind, which blows regularly on the east side of the islands, where are Papeete and most of the settlements, purifies the atmosphere, and there are no epidemics except when disease is brought directly from the cities of America or Australasia. A delicious breeze comes up every morning at nine o'clock and fans the dweller in this real Arcadia until past four, when it languishes and ceases in preparation for the vesper drama of the sun's retirement from the stage of earth.Typhoons or cyclones are rare about Tahiti, but squalls are frequent and tidal waves recurrent. The rain falls more than a hundred days a year, but usually so lightly that one thinks of it as liquid sunshine. In the wet quarter from December until March there are almost daily deluges, when the air seems turned to water, the land and sea are hidden by the screen of driving rain, and the thunder shakes the flimsy houses, and echoes menacingly in the upper valleys.
Papeete, the seat of government and trade capital, is a sprawling village stretching lazily from the river of Fautaua on the east to the cemetery on the west, and from the sea on the north to half a mile inland. It is the gradual increment of garden and house upon an aboriginal village, the slow response of a century to the demand of official and trading white, of religious group and ambitious Tahitian, of sailor and tourist. Here flow all the channels of business and finance, of pleasure and profit, of literature and art and good living, in the eastern Pacific. Papeete is the London and Paris of this part of the peaceful ocean, dispensing the styles and comforts, the inventions and luxuries, of civilization. Papeete is the entrepot of all the archipelagoes in these seas.
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