The writing is wonderful although dated in some respects and very informative about the old days when it was a sovereign republic. Twain never did visit Kauai, but spend most of his time in Honolulu with a visit to the big island.
His writings include quite a bit of detailed economics statistics, for example, the booming sugar production.
- 1864: 10.4 million pounds,
- 1865: 15.3 million pounds,
- 1866 (through September): 27 million pounds.
His irreverent perspective certainly puts missionaries and western officials of the Hawaiian government in their place. While he shows due respect to Hawaiian royalty and parts of the culture, he comes off a little too superior to the common native and pokes somewhat ignorant fun at their "savage" ways.
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