Victorian era gripes about Hawai’i

We see a bit of Tahiti bias here about many things, including mangoes and a “mere dress” but this did make us laugh when we found it. Visit first, judge later...

"And every one agrees in telling me that the Hawaiian Isles are not to compare with these in beauty, — that the hills are comparatively shapeless, the foliage poor, the bread-fruit sickly and blighted, the cocoa-palms mere ghosts of their southern relations, and the mangoes miserable fruits, not worthy to bear the same name as the luscious mangoes of Tahiti. They tell me, too, that the people are much less attractive; that they have taken on so much blunt civilisation, that they have lost whatever native grace they may have once possessed. Even the same garment — the flowing sacque — is there worn so short and full that it is scarcely to be recognised, and instead of floating drapery it becomes a mere dress.

Well, I must now begin my packing. There will be time enough for writing before we reach Honolulu."

—From “A Lady's Cruise in a French Man-of-war” (1882) by Constance Gordon Cumming

Photo: Temporary Chimneys and Fire Fountains, Constance Gordon Cumming, 1880

Constance Frederica Gordon Cumming, born in 1837 in Scotland, was a renowned Scottish travel writer, artist, and explorer of the Victorian era. Cumming embarked on numerous journeys during the late 19th century, documenting her experiences through engaging narratives and her own illustrations. Her travelogues offered detailed insights into diverse cultures and landscapes, presenting a unique perspective of the places she visited. Her notable works include "At Home in Fiji" (1881) and explorations into the volcanic landscapes of Hawaii.