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Mahi'ai (2005) |
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| The Hawaiians were expert at the cultivation of plants, bringing to planting a higher state of refinement than Europe. The people used terraces and irrigation techniques to raise many diverse crops, including taro, sugar cane, banana, coconut, sweet potato and ginger. Farming was done by teams and drew upon a vast knowledge of soil, weather, and seasonal cycles. Dance and chants aided the work. 800,000 to 1.1 million Hawaiians were estimated to have died two centuries ago, due to Western disease. Lacking labor, the missionaries and planters brought workers from the Philippines, Japan and China to develop the vast fields of pineapple and sugar. |
