No. 194.
Mr. Daggett to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

No. 100.]

Sir: From the records of the registrar-general have been gathered statements of the registered births and deaths in the Hawaiian Kingdom for the years 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, and the first half of 1883. For the purpose of comparison, I beg leave to summarize the figures as follows:

Years. Births. Deaths.
1879 2,331 3,292
1880 and 1881 4,709 5,101
1882 and first half of 1883 2,470 2,861
Total 9,510 11,254
Excess of deaths over births in 4½ years 1,744

Although the deaths above enumerated include the victims of the small-pox visitation in 1881 and 583 lepers at the leper settlement on Molokai, it is nevertheless manifest that the native population is steadily decreasing. There has been a very considerable increase in permanent population, however, since 1878. In addition to a small but steady increase from Europe and America during that time, and the coming of perhaps not less than 10,000 Chinese laborers, there have arrived 7,733 Portuguese, principally from the Azores, the most of them during the past eighteen months. A very considerable proportion of the latter are women and children. They are a peaceful, industrious, and prolific people; and as the most of them have come to remain, it is probable that the natural decrease in population (averaging about 400 per annum durring the past four and one-half years) will soon cease.

I am, &c.,

ROLLIN M. DAGGETT.