Roughing It, Part 7

In Short

This travel memoir follows a cynical, quick-witted journalist as he departs the declining gold mining towns of California to explore the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). Navigating Honolulu, coconut groves, and volcanic slopes, the narrator delivers a vivid survey of island life, royal politics, native traditions, and American missionary influence. Beneath its sharp humor and outlandish tall tales lies a keen observer of human nature and colonial expansion. The book endures because of its brilliant balance of laugh-out-loud satire, rich historical record, and masterfully crafted American vernacular storytelling.

The Story

The narrative begins in the fading shadows of the California Gold Rush, where the initial frenzy of prospecting has dissolved into weariness and poverty. Among the dry gulches and quiet mining camps, the narrator lives alongside hardened, disappointed men who cling to memories and idiosyncratic companions to survive the isolation. Exhausted by the grueling work of daily journalism in San Francisco and eager for a change of scene, the narrator accepts a commission as a traveling correspondent for a Sacramento newspaper.

His journey commences aboard a steamer bound for Hawaii. The voyage becomes a micro-society of distinct personalities, dominated by an overbearing, argument-obsessed "Admiral" who invents history and politics out of thin air to overpower his fellow passengers. The Admiral's tyranny reigns unchallenged until a soft-spoken passenger named Williams uses polite, fabricated flattery and wildly invented historical facts to beat the bully at his own game, restoring harmony to the ship.

Upon arriving in Honolulu, the narrator enters a world of striking visual contrasts: serene coral foundations, lush volcanic ridges, and vibrant crowds stand in sharp opposition to the dusty streets and industrial bustle of San Francisco. He explores the island on horseback, grappling with stubborn rental steeds, disastrous American saddles, and sly local horse-traders who outwit unsuspecting tourists. As he travels through the countryside, he encounters coconut groves, ancient battlefields strewn with bleached human bones, and expansive orange orchards.

Moving deeper into Hawaiian society, the narrator turns his satirical eye to the mechanics of the kingdom's governance and culture. He attends the national Legislature, describing the regal presence of tribal elders who transitioned from traditional warriors to Christianized statesmen within a single lifetime. He witnesses the grand, theatrical funeral of Princess Victoria, observing the elaborate court hierarchy and the friction between traditional customs—such as mourning rituals and native music—and imported Western norms.

The journey continues to the island of Hawaii, where the narrator marvels at the massive heights of Mauna Loa and the tropical beauty of the Kona coast. Throughout his travels, he collects eccentric stories from fellow wanderers, culminating in an absurdly tragic tale told by a companion regarding a boy obsessed with growing a climbing turnip vine and a hilarious, illegible piece of advice from newspaper editor Horace Greeley. Blending genuine awe for the natural landscape with unyielding skepticism toward human pretense, the narrator concludes his journey with an expansive, unforgettable picture of a island nation in the midst of profound historical transformation.

How It Unfolds

Out of the goldfields The narrator bids farewell to the exhausted mining camps of California, detailing the eccentric figures and deep poverty left in the wake of the gold rush. Tired of routine newspaper work in San Francisco, he secures a assignment to report from the Sandwich Islands.

Surviving the sea voyage On the ship to Honolulu, an overbearing former officer called the Admiral bullies the passengers with aggressive arguments and completely fabricated history. A gentle passenger named Williams finally neutralizes the tyrant by out-inventing him with absurd flattery and false facts.

Arrival in an island paradise The steamer lands in Honolulu, introducing the narrator to tropical foliage, coral roads, and a tranquil atmosphere that sharply contrasts with mainland cities. He attempts to explore the countryside on horseback, resulting in comedic battles with stubborn horses, terrible saddles, and sharp local tradesmen.

Observing the court and kingdom The narrator inspects the Hawaiian government, visiting the Legislature and attending the lavish, month-long state funeral of Princess Victoria. He observes the unique political structure of "playing empire," where traditional Hawaiian leadership mixes awkwardly with American legal and religious influences.

Traversing ancient grounds and volcanoes Riding through the Kona district and visiting ancient battlefields covered in sun-bleached bones, the narrator reflects on Hawaii's pre-Christian history and rapid modernization. He marvels at the staggering heights of Mauna Loa and enjoys the dense, fragrant tropical forests.

Tales along the trail The narrative wraps up with a series of memorable, rambling anecdotes shared by fellow travelers along the road. The most elaborate tale involves a young man's bizarre quest to turn a root vegetable into a climbing vine and the fatal confusion caused by an illegible letter.

The People

• The Narrator: A cynical, humorously detached journalist seeking escape from routine work. He views the world with sharp observation, oscillating between genuine wonder at natural beauty and persistent skepticism toward human pomposity, swindles, and political pretense.
• Dick Baker: A gentle, graying pocket-miner in Dead-House Gulch who has suffered eighteen years of unrequited toil. He seeks comfort in the memory of his remarkably wise cat, Tom Quartz, who shared his obsession with mining logic.
• The Admiral: An aggressive, argument-loving shipboard tyrant who reads only a secessionist magazine and freely manufactures historical facts to win debates. His loud bluster hides an inability to handle polite, matching deception.
• Williams: A calm, soft-spoken passenger on the Honolulu-bound steamer. He single-handedly disarms the Admiral by feigning complete deference while inventing even more outrageous history, becoming the hero of the ship.
• M. Kekuanaoa: The eighty-year-old President of the Hawaiian Assembly and father of the King. A former warrior under Kamehameha I, he embodies the dramatic generational shift from traditional Hawaiian life to an educated, Christianized statesman.
• The Kanaka Horse-Jockeys: Local horse sellers around Honolulu known for their elastic conscience and inventive tricks, routinely outwitting foreign tourists with blind horses, shared disguises, and glued-on blankets.

In Its Own Voice

"He knowed more about mining, that cat did, than any man I ever, ever see. You couldn't tell him noth'n 'bout placer diggin's--'n' as for pocket mining, why he was just born for it."

• Dick Baker fondly recalls the astonishing mining intellect of his beloved gray cat, Tom Quartz.

"When the sun sunk down--the one intruder from other realms and persistent in suggestions of them--it was tranced luxury to sit in the perfumed air and forget that there was any world but these enchanted islands."

• The narrator arrives in Honolulu and succumbs to the peaceful, hypnotic atmosphere of the Hawaiian coast.

"In our country, children play 'keep house;' and in the same high-sounding but miniature way the grown folk here, with the poor little material of slender territory and meagre population, play 'empire.'"

• The narrator offers a biting commentary on the elaborate royal titles and miniature bureaucracy of the Hawaiian monarchy.

What It's Really About

Beneath its comedic travelogue surface, the book examines the friction between different cultures, the illusion of human progress, and the inevitable expansion of Western influence. It contrasts the raw, opportunistic frontier of the American West with the rapidly changing social dynamics of nineteenth-century Hawaii. The narrative repeatedly juxtaposes traditional Hawaiian customs—ancient battle grounds, traditional funeral rites, and native foods—with the incoming frameworks of Christian missionaries, foreign business, and royal bureaucracy. Through deadpan tall tales and sharp observation, it exposes how human vanity, greed, and deception remain remarkably constant, whether among California gold prospectors, shipboard debaters, or island horse traders.

Why Read It Today

This work remains a masterclass in American satirical travel writing. Readers looking for a historic window into nineteenth-century Hawaii and the post-Gold Rush West will find a rich, highly entertained narrative filled with memorable set-pieces and vivid landscape descriptions. The writing catches the rhythm of American vernacular humor at its peak, balancing sharp social commentary with pure slapstick comedy.

Modern readers should be prepared for period attitudes and language that reflect nineteenth-century colonial viewpoints, particularly regarding native populations and foreign customs. The structure is episodic and deliberate, prioritizing long anecdotal detours and detailed social observations over a tightly driven plot. Yet, the narrator's unyielding eye for human foolishness and his extraordinary ear for storytelling keep the journey lively. What lingers long after reading is the book's vibrant energy—a irrepressible curiosity about the world that turns every dusty trail, shipboard argument, and tropical vista into an unforgettable story.