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THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
CAUTION -- Please handle this volume with
care. The paper is very brittle.




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HAWAiT        0    A       IdI
lBY JAM3ES JACKSON JARVES,
A1Sbt ha thh Aw st Canar Swirly.
BY3 ~l SIAMES MUNRtOf AND COMPANY
013 rvawisgitoa;atwsit; Bosoma.
The bsh i earooflyprepred and foroishos a highly altwratirot
ral~e.  he road ser hich the author has passed has hess
~ osiray utrsdbefre its aod the history will ho quits
a  eist  lotall treaders.  It is a history fall of its
ooRai -fsr the rnislaodo h bar sot boos Naraespod
at  inss sRitergeoa o lardgs esitotonirilo -idsosa
woobesrthe arlosfgoalattesliss and patiot resoarieb
I eieioeasy rlwoadoiiled, isi a stl adapitend to the
- dlkolodelphia Oheisthos Oatloorei a,
50000 oasrdee, ~ ~    otofth beah 1
tIIor ~applaadlroc nseltrlr~   iu Morbed fis sorb
lovewr o  ansd to bet slete bygetlaoa
ofsu fthehlkittegrs ApIsRferhrso o ftebomo
htotoase fobteghabiotiss oC mat, hr hoi mo reta
nfblthe udih lantlof tshierbodialeyiguonteineet
of iprane RhgoodrsodAeia lesiluur of  vat ella
iprtay nceyet ted the eyeniof the ltialrpad b hlmhr
thduey faeiR tither mteibol ef abudn pcladnad S
plamtisa aud tht masstory ifair io,,ar  a e  'e  sas
tenspt ea  fromi phersa tholo raiswgybtl  g
Usaeriso  Abehso  her!ineas of itsatimmeleenhary
eridesce an eqoalthat of te bodilysegans; ad while hepresON




asaos  r esti &tetic    0  5      505 ITUARVNO5I
~sitar beoreus y  notewith ahlnpi         prt
ath.mrto  n eadro   id nd  commeon               Mifno lestot
The rsolomeaoendib vaittlubl hifotrmtion.'-Loods inquirqr.
Thi  kokosnesesr seerit, and in of both Viuba and iulereo~t; on
a ro Wm mhful picture of a group of 'the borane femily placdd
Th okmop he reo umimendd to thre ceoer soa wltuld1 his
tot in the taific. Wonrstr.leiw
A Ableo a nd intereotling woth, of wYhicOh we cannot btoeki
terms of the highest romuierodalion- -London Aldlo.
Wehardly inoow wyhen we havceread a snore in resting work
'Of ifoid.-Ntiellrcliever.
A highly inteceriog a  nd oabeleworhk   Doeoreohcatoirwfyde
Mir.,tecoe gie Wnaormao   of fear hundred pages, g~  i 
styl as fecaher  of the trashy puhliestioss of lreo desy. a  op
frmarire io superior to them. The boak containsinisrei
dinecr of Is fon qaaifhbraos for the tock, in' addition to thIo
hrsen Ofouf    er  mn    h Hawai ian group andif drooed
mos diiget4.tu he tar yof All tmatters concernig t
dlisfg ofmsioee       it  h  lfirs of the noticegvern
improper, marinpelpet, aud injndicious;ot Anir.c Jtaeha
mottfir in  soigt heur light,~ and setio~d os, no he will ee~  
resds te honk, shot sot to boor iterfee  sthyhr     sew     s
have bees wanting so sheir duy aW.oltnya   pslso 
bu  sme.W  tehe cnriuds a d  oeeatywe          ts
is oo b acs man  in of dIinligec  ncletigmtras
n ry  iut io a coaittry withorit uny records excp
astaiinTWOe tngage is clear lnod energetic; teito
dutychpea especially, Are relulspecimensh of dsociptir
writing.
There is much, olse, suggestive of oeov ideas to any unk ofi
aperlaiv  mnd i hs heebo  f the rapid rcivirainc   h
e  oofti  mal lasteri of Iisands, of the woringh of theirs
f     ai ssemod enostidtuhionl monarchy, and of the monagentent
of teirUn  f Hps'eenttivs sd their doablia IEXntivc,
Its lite  tahoweeer, sprt from the political im p Ortne
of th is  u  hlchit ootsinswill gain fur itgsyredr.




SANDWICH        IISLAND
C1ENTRAL AMEICA.
YA US AURVS;
JAMES MtCNROI AND) COMPANY
1844.




Entered according to Act of Collgress, in the year 1843,
BY JAMES J. JARVES,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachu~setts.
BOSTON:
PRINTED BY 8 N DICMINSNC~,
t2 WA~Jn13GTON STrpmr.




.-Z-4 1                       i, E! '.A
C>.
PREFACE. 
'IT was designed to interweave, with the civil and
political account of the nation, a series of sketches,
illustrative of their present life and condition, and
other interesting points, which would have enlivened
a bare narrative of facts; also, to have pictured the
I wondrous natural phenomena of that prolific portion
of the Pacific, the great volcanic eruption of 1840;
and a full account of the mightiest of craters, the
gigantic Lua Pele, or Kilauea, in Hawaii. But it
would have swelled the volume to an unwieldy size.'
' At an early period will be presented an additional
volume, which, without being connected with the
present, will give in detail all that is necessary to
form a correct view of the Hawaiian Islands, their
condition, prospects, the every-day concerns of the
people, and missionary life as it now exists; the two
to form a succinct whole, illustrating each other.'From Preface to ' History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Isllancds.'




i        *


PREFACE.


This volume is in fulfilment of that pledge. In
it, I have attempted to delineate that which came
within my immediate observation, during a residence
of four years on the Group. As a description of the
familiar life of a people, in a novel and interesting
position, one which may with propriety be termed a
state of transition from barbarism to civilization, it
may attract the attention, and interest the sympathies, of readers of all classes.
A portion of these sketches have been previously
published in journals, and had some circulation, both
in Europe and the United States. Such, though revised, will readily be recognized by the reader who
has met with them elsewhere.


BOSTON, NOVEMBER, 1843.




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Land, Ho!- Hawaii in the Distance. Reflections upon visiting for the first time the Isles of the Pacific.  Coast Scenery.
Oahu. Its Capital, Honolulu. Harbor. Prevailing Winds.
Former Town. Present Streets. Puahi, or Punch-bowl Hill.
Battery-View from. Whirlwinds. Fort. Governor Kekuanaoa. Militia Drill. Palace. Residence of the Premier Kekauluohi.  Her Sister, Kinau-Burial of.  Churches. Literary and Benevolent Institutions. Schools. Annual Festivals
and Holydays. Population of Honolulu. Society, foreign and
native.  Groggeries. Sailor Dissipation. Police. Climate.
Commerce. A Stranger's first Impressions. Native Manners.
Mission Buildings. Street Scenes. Dog Feast. Saturday
Afternoon.  Nuuanu Valley.  Taro Plant.  Country Residences. Scenery of the Valley. Battle. Pali, or Precipice.  13
CHAPTER II.
Villageof Waikiki. Ruined House. Diamond Head. Ruined Temple. Manoa Valley. Singular Crater. White Man
turned Savage. Little Old Man - Anecdote of. Chief hung.
Forgery. Sunday at Honolulu. At Tahiti. Fashions. Remarkable disappearance of Dresses after Religious Service.
Corsets in use - Out of use. Chiefs Entertainments. Extraordinary -Preparations in honor of Captain Finch, U. S. N.
Children of Missionaries. Danger to their Morals. Painful
instances of Degradation at Tahiti. Boarding-School Estab



vii                     CONTENTS.
lished at Oahu.  Sports of Native Youth.  Musical Kites.
Pearl River. Ewa. Church and Station. Waialua. Manual
Labor School. Its Success.  Ruins of a Temple, and Site of
a Tribe of Cannibals. North Side of Oahu. Legends. Love
of the Marvellous.  Poetry.  Example of Modern Style.
Shipwrecked Japanese - Account of. System of Numerals.   59
CHAPTER       III.
Koloa Packet. Voyage. Companions. Devotions of Hawaiian Crew. Appearance of Kauai. Its Situation. Harbors.
Koloa Scenery. Sugar Plantations - History of: Paper Money.
Counterfeit do.  Sugar-cane.  Quality of Soil.  Profits of
Sugar. Probable Success in its Culture. Effect of Foreign
Capital and Enterprise upon Natives. Old System of Labor.
Present. A Novel Race. Market Day. Trading. Culture of
Silk. Rapidity of Growth of the Mulberry. Different Species
of Silk-worms. Cross-breeds. Loss of Capital invested in Silkbusiness at Koloa. Fatality of the Trees and Worms. Causes.
A Beautiful, but Secluded Spot. News from ' Home.' A Covetous Governess. A Singular Excursion. Mouna Kahili. A
Legend. A Predatory Chieftain. Reflections upon his Fate.
Valley of Hanapepe. Surf-swimming. Remarkable Freaks of
Nature. A Cataract. Great Mortality at Hanapepe. A Necessary though Sudden Marriage. Good Condition of Roads.
Who keeps them so. Town of Waimea. Capital of the Island.
Amelia, the Governess. Mission Houses. Residences of the
Rulers.  A Straw Palace.   A Fine Canoe. Fort. Niihau.
First Introduction of Fleas. Soil of Kauai. Geological Features. Mountains. Uplands and Lowlands. Pali. Remarkable Caves. Spouting-Horn. Rivers. Great Body of Arable
Land. Trades. Climate. Storms. Minerals, &c..           87
CHAPTER IV.
Travelling in Kauai. Horse and Equipments. Crazy Guide.
Stuttering Jim. Crueltyof a Chief. Narrow Escape of a.Missionary. Gov. Kaikoewa's Embryo City. His Harbor. Brig
in trouble. Desire of Natives to display their Knowledge of




CONTENTS.


ix


English. Wailua River and Village.   An Ex-queen. Her
History. Hospitality. Large Cattle. A Disappointed Sportsman. Celebrated Falls of Wailua. Singular Freak of a Chief.
Two Hawaiian Sam Patches. Inland Scenery. Mauna Waialeale. Wild Swine. Dogs. Degradation of Kauaian Women.
Obtain some Crania, and a New Title in consequence. Hospitality of Common People.  Offices and Titles.  Anahola.
A Veteran of Kamehameha. Prince of Laziness. Lonmi-lomi.
A Temple of God's own building. A Dangerous Ford. Roads
to Waioli. A Labor of Love. Valley of Kalihiwai.   Hala
Forest. Waioli. River and Mountains. Residents. Agricultural Operations. Silk Plantation. A Chronological Wood
Pile......139
CHAPTER V.
Island of Maui. Its Capital. Seat of Government.  Palace. His Majesty, Kamehameha III. His Spouse. Products
of Maui. ' House of the Sun.' Female Seminaryat Wailuku.
High School at Lahainaluna. Native Historical Society. Reflective and Perceptive Powers of the Ilawaiians. Influence v
of the American Missionaries over the Common People. Discrepant Statements of Travellers- Causes of.  State of Religion, as compared with the United States. Statistics. Actual Condition. Death Scenes. Comparison of the Relative
Influence of Spanish Padres and American Missionaries, over
their Converts. Different Phases of-National Character. Admitting to the Church  Moral Sentiments —Actual Recognition of. Truth and Falsehood. Criminal Statistics. Style.
of Living among American Missionaries. Their Houses, Cost,
&c.  Their Advantages and Disadvantages.   Enemies and
Friends. Objectionable Biography. Privations of the Earlier
Missionaries.  Qualifications for a Missionary.  Examples.
Their Hospitalities. Labors for the Literary and Commercial
World.   Faults.  Hostility to Roman Catholics.  Extent.
Anecdotes. Discontinuing Connection with the American
Board. Independent Missionaries. Tendency of the Present
Times. Ill Health of Females. Causes and Remedy..   170




X


CONTENTS.


CHAPTER VI.
Embark for Hawaii. Companions. A Roman Catholic
Priest and Protestant Missionary. A Disputation. Coast of
Hawaii. Portof Kailua. Billy Pitt the Younger. Landing.
Strife among Porters. Many Call, Few are Paid. Gov. Adams-His Bulk and Character.     Palace.  Church. 'Blue
Laws' revived. Cotton Factory. ' House of Gods.' ' House
of Audience.' Manufacture of Idols. Battery. Cave of Laniakea. Mullet for Supper. Kapiolani. Cook's Monument.
Embark for Kawaihae. Parting Respects and Wail. Mauna
Hualalai-Eruption from. Roadstead of Kawaihae. Heiau
or Temple. Walkto Waimea. Fire. Weather. Productions
of Waimea. Men Procured. Start for Mauna Kea. Camp
among Fleas. Remarkable Crater. Minerals. Wild Cattle.
Horses give out-Men also. Reach the Summit. Wonderful
View. A Rocky Lodging-Place. Descend. Height of the
Mountain. A Snow-Balling in July. Reach the Base of the
Mlountain. A Bullock Catcher's Hut. ' Clinkers.' Rebellion
among Men. A Bed in the Rain, and a Smoky Cave. A Cold
Morning. Mammoth Raspberries. Effects of a Tornado or
Earthquake. Volcano of Kilauea. A Dangerous LodgingPlace. Storm and Eruption at Night. Steam Fissures. Sulphur Beds and Bath. Extent of Crater — Shape - Age - Elevation- Interior.  Descent.  Black Ledge-Walk around.
Burning Lakes and Cones. Gases. Beautiful Appearance of
Lava. Great Heat. A Perilous Climb. Dangers of Exploration. Appearance of Crater at Different Times. Volcanic
Action throughout the Group. Hawaii a Crust of Lava, with
Fire beneath. Another Mutiny. Provisions gone. Mauna
Loa, the Great Mountain — Douglas's Description of —Its
Errors and Inconsistencies. Leave for Hilo. An over-sharp
Landlord. Leave in a Pet. A Guide's Trick. Arrival at Hilo.
Situation and Natural Beauties. Its Resources, Climate, Population, Exports,&c. Mission House. Schools. A New Jaunt.
The Late Eruption. Immense Stream of Lava- Its Devastations. Burning Forests, Smoke, Fires, Gases, &c. Appearance at the Sea. Three Hills and New Coast formed. Salts.
Steam. An Account of its Filst Outbreak, and Subsequent
History. A Sublime Spectacle. The Ocean and Volcano in




CONTENTS.


xi


Stif. Eccentric Course of the Stream -Effects. Return to
Hilo. Primitive State of the Inhabitants. Sunday. A New
Way of Preaching. Feats in Swimming. A Shipwreck and
Wonderful Escape........        206
CHAPTER VII.
CENTRAL AMERICA.
Different Routes. Difficulties. Embarkation for Panama.
Fellow Passengers. Acapulco. Trouble. Imprisonment and
Release. Admiral Du Petit Thouars. Mexican Hospitality.
Gulf of Tecuantepec. Phosphorescence. Volcanoes of Guatimala. Arrival at Acajutla. Brigantine at Anchor. Shore.
Roadstead of Acajutla. Surf. Boats Capsized. Custom House.
A Hospitable Lady. Leave the Brig. Road to Zonzonate.
Sugar and Indigo Plantations. Ruins. Age of Zonzonate,
Population. A Kind Hostess. Carnival. Man Killed. A
Benefit from a Thespian Corps. Country Cousins. News
from Guatimala. Wars in the Interior. A Dilemma. Conclude to Go-ahead.  Preparations.  An Auxiliary.  Leave
Zonzonate. Cordilleras. Volcano of Itzalco. Dry and Wet
Seasons. An Indian Village. A Meditated Attack. Change
of Route. An Indian Hamlet. A Submerged Town. An Escape. A Fresh Alarm. Village of St. Helena. Bad News.
A Council. A Night March. Pass through Chiquimula. Efforts to capture us. A Hard Road, and a Thirsty Party. Pass
Zacapa. A Dilemma. San Pablo. A Halt. Slumbers Interrupted. Captured. An Unexpected Friend, Release. Gualan. A Surly Landlady. Mico Mountain. Isabel. Trade.
Scenery of the Gulf of Dulce. Boat Navigation. Chills and
Fever. Balize. Arrive Home.                             283




K  "1
A1  3,4~




CHAPTER I.
Land, Ho! Hawaii in the Distance.- Reflections upon visiting for
the first time the Isles of the Pacific. - Coast Scenery. — Oahu. -
Its Capital, Honolulu. - Harbor. - Prevailing Winds.- Former
Town. - Present Streets. —Puahi, or Punch-bowl Hill.- Battery.- View from. - Whirlwinds. - Fort. - Governor Kekuanaoa.-' Militia  Drill. - Palace. - Residence of the Premier
Kekauluohi.- Her Sister, Kinau. -Burial of.-Churches.Literary and Benevolent Institutions. — Schools. - Annual Festivals and Holydays. - Population of Honolulu. - Society, foreign and native. - Groggeries. - Sailor Dissipation. - Police. -
Climate.-Commerce.- A     Stranger's first Impressions.Native Manners. —Mission Buildings.-Street Scenes.-Dog
Feast. - Saturday Afternoon. - Nuuanu Valley. - Taro Plant.
- Country Residences. - Scenery of the Valley. - Battle. -
Pali, or Precipice.
LAND, HO! cried a full, clear voice from the fore
top-gallant yard of a fast-sailing brigantine, which,
but a few years since, had worn out five weary
months, on her way from Boston to the Hawaiian
Islands. During that time, several of the South
American ports had been visited, and a more than
usually rough passage encountered in weathering
Cape Horn.     For forty days, in the most inclement
season of that boisterous and inhospitable latitude,
the little bark had contended against adverse gales,
until it seemed to the exhausted patience of the crew,
as if the wind could blow but from one quarter, and
that ever dead ahead.      But before the sunny skies
2




14


SOUTH SEA GVPS.


and fairy-like evenings of the tropical Pacific, all recollection of the tempests of the south, and the long and
dark and almost continuous nights, had vanished as
fleetingly as a rain-squall before a driving 'trade.'
The sun shone out as brightly, and the sky was as
blue, as if the ocean had never roughened its surface
before a furious blast; the brigantine had donned her
fair-weather suit, and royal yard and studdingsail boom
were strained by the freshening breeze; while crew
and passengers wore as smiling faces, the reflection
of as many joyous hearts, as if life had ever been to
them all sunshine. In the every day concerns of
life, there are few sounds that send a more quickened
thrill through the frame, than the cry of 'land, ho!'
to the voyager, who has spent months pent in the
narrow confines of a small vessel, and whose heart
yearns to greet old friends or new faces ashore, and
to exchange the hard deck and his coffin-like bed, for
the green fields and ample households of motherearth.
To a novice in voyaging, the bright islands of
Polynesia, celebrated in song and story, the newest
and most fascinating field of maritime discovery, the
themes of praise alike to the man of piety and the
worldling, have a peculiar attraction. To the young
American, the lands of old Europe are fields of
storied interest;-of high and noble deeds —of
dark and sanguinary passions. In them he sees
enshrined the monuments of the proudest genius,
records of glory and shame, worth and wickedness,
arts and sciences, of the past and the present. In
mingling with the living generation, he is every



0 i if:  TH SEAS.


15


where reminded of the vices or virtues of the departed.
In perspective, far different are the groups of the
South Seas. They seem as the garden-spots of the
earth, and distance paints them as redolent with the
fragrance and luxuriance of nature.  Cocoa-nut
groves, uplifting their slim but stately trunks, form a
clear greensward, such as fairies might delight to
dance upon; their graceful tops waving gently as the
sea-breeze murmurs and sighs through them; coral
reefs, as beautiful in form and as bright in colors as
the dense and flowering forests inland; scenery rich
and varied; luscious fruits waiting but for the hand
to pluck them; the useful and ornamental of the animal and feathered kingdoms to administer to the necessities or please the eye of man; an absence of the
noxious or disagreeable, and above all, peopled with
the fairest race of savages, all combined, form a panorama so fascinating that the fancy loves to linger long
upon it. Imagination, warmed and invigorated by
the sunniest and healthiest of all climates, continually presents an undefined yet pleasing image of a
perpetual juvenescence; nature retaining a pristine
vigor and perennial green. But all their varied natural attractions, and the fictitious charms ascribed to
the race whose homes they have been from time immemorial, sink into insignificance in the eye of the
sober truth-seeker, who visits them not to gloat over
their physical allurements, which have been so often
depicted as the ease and innocency of mankind in
their aboriginal state, by those who would create an
Eden where only a Cythera existed, but faithfully to




HAWAII IN THE OU3ANCE.; 


examine the wondrous changes which a christian
benevolence has wrought upon them. Whatever
may be his nation, tastes, or pursuits, no one has ever
approached their shores without sentinments of more
than common interest or curiosity.
The land which was seen from aloft soon became
visible from the deck. It appeared more Ike a white
cloud, upon a dark base, resting in ether, than bond
fide land. As the vessel drew nearer, the outline
of a mountain was clearly distinguished, wVith a
dense bed of snow upon its summit. It proved to
be Mauna Kea on Hawaii, the loftiest peak of Polynesia, and discernible at sea to the distance of one
hundred miles and more. Vessels bound to Oahu
generally pass to the windward of the other islands, to
avoid the calms which prevail more or less to the leeward. In drawing in with the land, the breeze
usually freshens and becomes more squally with
slight showers of rain. From the boldness of the
shores, vessels can pass close along them, enabling
the traveller to scan their general features as he is
rapidly hurried by. Rising as they do, from out the
central portion of the great North Pacific, midway
between the continents of Asia and America, and
several thousand miles distant from any lands except
the barren, diminutive, and uninhabited coral islands
which are sparsely scattered over its surface, mostly
within the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, these
islands appear like giant guardians of the ocean.
They break at once upon the voyager with a suddenness and grandeur that excites his surprise and admiration. Providence seems just so to have placed




COAST SCENERY.


them, that they shall serve as a great ocean-hotelan oasis in the boundless waste of waters —a spot
where men of all races can meet on a neutral and
hospitable ground, and there raise their anthem of
praise for deliverance from the dangers of the treacherous deep, and petition for protection for the future.
By day, the huge volcano of Kilauea throw up
its heavy columns of smoke, and by night illuminates them by the reflection of its flames; at either
time a beacon to the approaching mariner; a lighthouse tended by God's own hand.
Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa tower to a height of
fourteen thousand feet. The coast affords a mingled
scene of precipices, some craggy, barren, and abrupt,
others sloping somewhat gently, green and picturesque. Along their ravines or over their brinks leap
many cataracts and cascades, bright and silvery in
the sunlight; these, mingling their streams atthe base
of the hills, pour their limpid floods into the briny foam,
which whitens and roars along the sea-shore. Plains
covered with grass, or dotted with luxuriant groves,
with here and there a native-hut partly hid in their shade,
incline gradually towards the coast. The eye roving
ahead perceives jutting promontories of black volcanic
rock pierced with wave-worn caves, or a strip of sand
beach edged by a shallow coral reef, over which the
surf tumbles madly or playfully, according to the
violence or lightness of the wind. Canoes are seen
shooting through them, their crews balancing their
totlish boats on the crests of the largest rollers, with
all the skill of a circus-rider upon his steed; now
they dart rapidly inland, at times appearing as if
2*




18


HONOLULU.


Ihey would be cast end over end as they are pitched
along; or else they paddle seaward and ply their
nets and fishing-lines. Drawing nearer, clusters of
trees are discovered; a hamlet is seen, scattered up
and down the bank of a river, and when abreast of
its mouth a valley is disclosed, reaching far inland,
until it terminates in a narrow and wooded dell or
gorge. It gradually rises from the sea-side, teeming
with little plantations, until its further extremity is
lost in the vapor and clouds of the higher regions.
Many of these valleys are beautiful, though secluded
spots, and cannot fail to attract the attention of the
most indifferent observer as he sails by them. But
more of the island scenery anon. A vessel is seldom  more than twenty-four hours after making
Hawaii, in reaching Oahu.
On the south side of that island, about five miles
from the point called by the natives, Leahi, and by
the foreigners, Diamond Point, a bold and singular
promontory, is the town of Honolulu, the commercial
emporium of the North Pacific. For the last twenty
years it has been silently growing into existence, and
though its name is scarcely known to the world, it
has become the central point of christianity and civilization in this portion of the globe; and, both from
its past history and its increasing importance, is
deserving of particular notice. It is the first landingplace of the traveller, the gate-way into the Hawaiian
kingdom, and it is from here generally that his only impressions are received or confirmed. Too often has it
been the extent of the researches of tourists, whose
judgments of the group have been based solely upon
their knowledge of the denizens of its capital.




HARBOR.


19


Soon after the discovery, in 1794, of the entrance
through the reef which forms its harbor, Honolulu
began to be favorably known. Its name signifies
fair-haven. As a depot for trade its advantages are
great, and its facilities as a resort for shipping equally
so. The basin formed by the reef, is not large, but
sufficiently capacious to accommodate fron sixty to
one hundred sail at once. The anchorage outside
the reef, a mile from the town, is very accessible: and
during most of the year, perfectly secure. When
the wind blows from the south, which it rarely does
with violence, a vessel has the choice to come inside
or to put to sea. The entrance is somewhat intricate
and narrow, but it is well buoyed out, and skilful pilots
are always on hand. The channel is half a mile in
length, and will not admit vessels drawing over
twenty feet. At low water, which here falls about
four feet, the reefs on either side are bare. Not unfrequently, vessels are detained outside for several
days, by the freshness of the 'trades,' which here
blow directly off shore, and prevent ingress, but at
the same time afford a corresponding facility for leaving. It is seldom that a vessel is detained for want
of a sailing breeze. Early in the morning, before
the trades set down fresh from the mountains, is the
best time to bring a ship inside, which is commonly
done by towing.
A few years since, Honolulu was a mere collection of straw-hovels, interspersed with a few buildings of a little better character, occupied by the
chiefs or foreign residents. The whole were arranged
much after the plan of the Dutch settlers of Manhat



HONOLULU.


tan; although, in this instance, cows were not the
authorized surveyors of the streets, the waywardness
of the tastes and dispositions of the builders effected
a corresponding confusion, and narrow streets or footpaths, and a jumbled mass of huts, stores, walls, and
enclosures, was the result.
But Honolulu in 1842 wore a different aspect. It
is built upon a plain situated at the outlet of several
rich valleys, the chief of which is Nuuanu.  The
space is ample for it to swell into a large and flourishing city. On the west a small stream, running
from the valley of Nuuanu, separates it from the
low-lands where the greater portion of the taro plantations are located. A wooden bridge and earthen and
stone causeway afford an easy access to the town, for
the travel from that quarter of the island, which is the
most populous. Towards the east, a fine level plain,
which, when watered, becomes fertile, intervenes
between the town and a barren track of volcanic
rock, three miles distant, produced by the former outpourings of the numerous extinct volcanos, which
in this direction constitute the chief feature of the
scenery. Verdure is slowly gaining ground upon it
annually, as the soil formed from vegetable deposits
and the decomposition of the rock, increases. Tolerable carriage-roads extend for several miles in the
rear of the town and on the plain, which also affords
a good race-course. Between the plain and the sea
is an interval of low and wet land, bordered by and
based upon coral reef. The natives here manufacture considerable salt by evaporation, the salt water
being exposed to the rays of the sun in shallow ba



HONOLULU.


21


sins. The limestone of the reefs is an excellent
building material, being easily cut with axes when
in the water, and becoming hard upon exposure to
the atmosphere. It also yields an abundant supply
of lime.
Numerous wide and straight avenues, intersecting
each other mostly at right angles, run through the
town. Yearly it is assuming a more civilized aspect.
The warehouses and residences of the foreign merchants are principally concentrated in the western
part. Many of them are of stone and are well built
and handsome edifices. Some are of adobie, or
sun-dried bricks. These are made from the soil in
the streets, which is kneaded with the feet, water and
chopped straw being mixed with it. When it has
attained a sufficient consistency it is placed in
wooden moulds of the size required, and then left to
harden. They become very compact; the best will
scarcely yield to the blows of an axe. The walls of
the houses built of them are plastered over with lime.
These bricks no doubt are of precisely the same
make and pattern as those required of the children of
Israel by their Egyptian task-masters. Indeed, the
resemblance between a group of Hawaiians, with
their red skins and scanty costumes, and even the implements employed in making their bricks, are so strikingly similar to a hieroglyphical painting some four
thousand years old which has been transcribed by
Wilkinson, of a similar scene among the children of
Ham at that date, that the picture would answer as
well for one as the other. It is somewhat refreshing
in this changing age, to perceive that even one of the




22       PUAHI, OR PUNCH-BOWL HILL.


good old customs of our progenitors still continue
among us. And the very name of the bricks has
been perpetuated with scarcely an alteration, through
the many ages that have rolled on since the first
adobie was made.   Mr. Gliddon, the hierologisi,
informs us that adaub was the Egyptian word for this
kind of brick, and it is still used by the Copts and
modern inhabitants of that country. Doubtless the
Saracens derived it from them and carried it into
Spain; from Spain it found its way to the Americas,
and thence, with an exceedingly slight variation,
within twenty-five years has become familiarized at
the Hawaiian Islands. Continuing westward it may
arrive at the land of its birth.
The dwelling-houses are chiefly situated within
enclosures, a little retired from the street, and are
surrounded with small but well cultivated gardens,
which give them a rural and cheerful aspect. The
soil of Honolulu is light and shallow, resting upon
regularly piled strata of coral rock and volcanic cinders, and is formed mostly by the ashes from a neighboring extinct crater and the debris washed from hills
in the rear of the town. When watered, which is
done by windmills, it becomes productive. A few
years ago, scarcely a tree, with the exception of the
tall cocoa-nut groves which border the beach looking
seaward, like watchful sentinels over the town, was
to be seen within its precincts. Now the scene is
widely different.  Looking down from Puahi, or
Punch-bowl hill, an old crater half a mile back of
the town, and of several hundred feet elevation, a
pleasing and novel coup cd'eil is obtained. Punch



BATTERY.


23


bowl hill obtained its soubriquet in times not quite
as temperate as the present; its shape internally is
much like a bowl, being a gradual and uniform
hollow. Facing the town its sides are steep, and the
appearances of lava and other volcanic substances
from its base upwards so fresh, that one might readily be pardoned for indulging in some suspicion of
its ultimate intentions; for it appears as if nursing
its wrath, and ready at any angry moment to belch
forth once more its destructive fires. However, further back than Hawaiian traditions run, it has remained quiescent, and its nap does not appear
likely to be disturbed; nor does one of the ten thousand inhabitants that nightly repose within its shadow,
sleep less quietly for fear of its awakening. It forms
so prominent an object in approaching the town,
from whatever position, that it may well be taken for
the guardian genius of the place. And it could, at
small expense, be easily made so. Annually, fires
are seen to burst forth from its surnmmnit, followed by
loud reports and heavy volumes of smokle. They
are the pigmy fires of men in honor of men; salutes
discharged from sundry enormous thirty-two and
forty-two pounders, which in the days of despotism
were drawn up its sides and planted on its crest, at a
great outlay of human strength and stupidity. A
flag-staff- a stone wall-some natural embrasures
in the lava rock, a fire-proof straw-built and mnudplastered powder magazine, a few hovels, a dozen
ragged urchins, an old crone or two, with as many
of the sturdier sex, and a numerous colony of goats,
constitute the fortification and garrison. If the bat



S4


BATTERY, VIEW FROM.


tery was properly mounted and secured it would
effectually command the harbor and protect the town.
At the present time it answers for the more peaceful purpose of a promenade, and the view from all
points is well worth the labor of the ascent. Looking inland, the mountains rise gradually until they
terminate in abrupt peaks, covered with dense forests,
which lie in a region of almost perpetual mist, or
showers. Lower down the grass grows luxuriantly,
and herds of cattle there graze until night fall, when
they seek shelter in their pens. Seaward the eye
roams over the boundless ocean, whose waters line
the coral-bound shore with a broad belt of snowwhite breakers. Beneath lies the plain, alive with
pedestrians, horsemen, and vehicles of quaint or
fashionable appearance; a little farther, the town,
with its intermingling of barbarism and civilization,
and all its intermediate stages. Its numerous gardens, and the many trees which have been recently
planted, give it a rural appearance. The fort, shipping, red-painted roofs, stone churches, spires, lookouts, (for every house of any pretensions has a queershaped box or cupalo perched near or upon its ridgepole,) the motion of the arms of the wind-mills, engaged in their everlasting pump - pump, straw
hovels, and straw palaces, mud-built walls and mudbuilt habitations, all combine to form a unique if not
harmonious spectacle. Let the enterprising pedestrian select a windy day for his view, if he would
have its full value, when the dry season is nearly
passed and the trades come sweeping down the
heights in gusts with the force of whirlwinds. If




'WHIRLWVINDS.


25


he is able to maintain his position on thi dizzy
height, until one of the eddying currents has swept
by him, he will see it whirling and dancing over the
plain, raising a dense column of dust, darkening the
sun and completely hiding objects but a few rods
distant. On it speeds, gathering dirt and momentum
as it goes. WAo! to the exposed. Eyes are filled,
nostrils choked, and the poor victims, stupefied and
blinded, know not whither to turn. Alas! for hats;
they mount to the upper regions; clothes are raised
from  their drying places, and away they toss and
whirl high in air, while the loo;e toga-like garment
of many an unfortunate wight is wrested from his
bruised linmbs and hastens to join its predecessors in
their aerial antics. Away rush the owners, running
and jumping, while their property is dodging and
flying about them, like a knowing horse that has
taken leave of his master, and, keeping just a rod
distant, eyes him askew, as if he would say, 'bide
my pleasure now.' In tine, however, all is righted;
hats regain their owners' heads, and clothes take
another dip in the brook; but on speeds the whirlwind. Anxious mothers flutter about their children,
like distressed hens over their frightened broods, for
they well know that unless they can avoid the shock,
their equilibrium and tempers are at once upset.
Watchful house-keepers slam their windows, and hold
their breaths and dusting-cloths, aware that full use
for both will soon occur. But the saddest ruin of all
is, when one treacherously overtakes a well-spread
dinner-table, entering through unclosed windows and
40ir8 covering viands and eaters with a layer of
3




26                  FORT.
fine sand.  There is no remedy but to dine the
next day.
The fort, that terror to evil doers of all races,
within whose walls they are consigned to, a spare
diet by day and a hard lodging by night, and the
companionship of filth and fleas at all times of their
incarceration, merits particular description. It was
built under the superintendence of John Young, a
few years before the death of Kameharneha I. It is
on the eastern side of the harbor, and encloses several acres of land. Ils walls are from twelve to fifteen feet in height, and of greater breadth, faced
with stone on the two sides, and filled in with earth.
The whole forms a hollow square; the parapets are
of adobies plastered, of no kind of use except for
appearance.  Between them   are mounted sixty
pieces of ordnance, some of heavy calibre, but the
whole structure would crumble to pieces before a few
well-directed broadsides, though for the purposes of
the government, in any case except that of foreign
war, it is ample. The guns point to all quarters,
commanding the town equally with the harbor. Let
us enter. At the southern gate, we find a well dressed sentinel with quite as much of a military air as
others of his profession, in more powerful countries
within the same latitude. IIe interposes no restriction. Inside, the square is neat and in good order;
rusty cannons and balls lay piled about. The menials
and officers of justice arc sauntering about with all
the pride and laziness of house-fed dogs, looking
very much as if they wanted to lay hands upon some
one. Groups of the most hardened villains are to 'ib




GOVERNOR KEKUANAOA.


27


seen manacled and stretched out on the ground beneath the shade of neither rain-tight or sun-tight
sheds; a white face now and then varies the general
array of dark countenances. It is that of some seaman, who prefers the risks of such a captivity to the
discomforts of the fore-castle, and has attempted to
run away or has been engaged in a drunken broil.
Women, the most dwarfish, ugly, and disgusting of
their sex, in garments tattered and torn, hair dishevelled, but surmounted by wreaths of flowers, in single file come panting into the fort. They bear upon
their backs loads of grass and rushes, to be strewed
in front of the governor's quarters, forming a natural
carpet. These women are violalers of the law connubial; and for want of funds to pay their fines, are
-obliged to bring these loads from the country. They
are only the most abandoned of their class, and pass
along with a bold stare or impudent leer. Various
well-built stone houses, containing munitions of war,
next attract our notice; but it is time we paid our
respects to the Governor of Oahu, Kekuanaoa, who
makes this place his head quarters. Ascending a
flight of wooden steps on the right, we reach the
summit of the wall, which forms a delightful promenade. Here, under the shade of a grove of hou
trees, commanding a fine view of the ocean and
country, the lesser criminal cases are disposed of. A
spacious stone house which we enter from the grove,
contains the hall of justice and the apartments of the
governor. In an allte-room we find him. He is a
fine looking, portly man of fifty years of age; his
air is military and commanding, and his deportment




MILITIA DRILL.


that of a gentleman; a man of business in his
habits. Secretaries are busily engaged in writing at
his dictation; the room is well furnished, all are welldressed, and every thing looks civilized and comfortable. We find the governor courteous withal, and
he will offer you refre.hmnents with all the grace of
a gentlenan of the old school. After knowing the
man, it will be your own fault if you do not pronounce him a very clever one; and that is no faint
praise for one who lived from youth to manhood in
heathenism of the vilest cast. He was in the suite
of the former king, Liholiho, when he went to England, and there received much attention. He is now
a member of the church, and a tee-totaler; partaking
of neither ardent spirits nor wine. IHis correct business habits, firmness, and decision have won for him
the esteem of all respectable men. Within a year,
the insurance offices of Boston have presented him
a handsome service of plate, for his zealous attention
to their interests and services rendered shipping in
distress. Taking leave of him, we return by the
same way, and in the area, beneath, find the militia
of the town assembled to go through the manual
exercise.  All the male population, as with us, are
drilled in arms several times annually. Their garments are not quite as uniform as their muskets, and
scoffers might pronounce them a breechless set.
However, they are in their working costume, and
Hawaiian citizen soldiery are no more given to wearing their bettermost upon a training-day than New
England's sons of Mars. They handle their guns
cleverly though, and it is well they do, for a young




RESIDENCE OF THE PREMIER KEKAULUOHI. 29


officer in uniform stands ready to apply a blow
from a good-sized rod, whenever any remissness is
manifested.
To the east of the fort are the barracks and royal
enclosure. Within it, is the Kauila house, a neat
and handsome edifice, containing the hall of audience
and the room where the supreme court sits when in
session.  Both are well furnished.  A number of
smaller buildings are appropriated to the royal suite.
The palace, which is new, is built after the manner of their ancestors, being of thatch upon a frame
of wood, both of beautiful finish. The interior
forms a large and noble hall, floored with mats. The
timber used in its erection is the same as that of the
famed ' Stewart Palace,' but the glass folding-doors
have degenerated into plain doors with top and side
-lights.
Kekauluohi owns a large two-story stone house in
the upper part of the town, well furnished, though
the grounds about it are not in the best order. According to an old custom of the land, her retainers
have erected numerous habitations immediately
around hers. The attendants of the chiefs swarm as
near them as possible. Kekauluohi is a daughter of
Kamehameha I., and has obtained among foreigners
the soubriquet of ' big-mouth queen,' from the great
size of that organ, which, although she weighs upwards of three hundred pounds, bears a great disproportion to the rest of her face. She succeeded
her sister Kinau, in the office of Premier, but holds
it for the infant daughter of the latter, Victoria, whose
legitimate title, when she arrives at an age suitable to
3*




KINAU,


take the office upon herself, will be Kaahumanu III.
Even the chief womnen find it difficult to shake off
all their former lounging propensities,. and perhaps it
is not desirable; certainly, in so corpulent women as
most of them are, and il such a debilitating climate,
it is excusable for thein to a certain extent to sink
their dignity in their comfort. In making a friendly
and informal call upon Kekauluohi, she is most commonly to be found in a loose satin dress, stretched at
full length upon piles of fine mats, (the Hawaiian
divan,) bolstered about with pillows, and surrounded
by a bevy of young damsels, to administer to the
comforts of her physical self. A Bible, hymn-book,
or the little newspaper printed iii the Hawaiian
tongue, are ever near her; the former bearing marks
of diligent use. When a visitor is announced, she
languidly raises her head, and holds out a hand to
be shaken, the plumpness of which entirely absorbs
the smaller. A shake from such a hand is perfectly
delightful; its softness and fairness, (for their hands
are pretty, and terminate in long tapering fingers,) are
irresistible; and, to those she likes, her smiles are very
gracious and her reception cordial.
Kinau was a woman of giant size, and possessing
great dignity of carriage and firmness of character.
In many respects she resembled her predecessor, the
imperious but truly christian Kaahumanu, whose
biography affords one of the most remarkable instances of a sincere conversion in the records of missionary toil.  The death of Kinau, which occurred
April 4th, 1839, was a severe blow to the nation.
After lying in state for a month, her body was de



BURIAL OF.


posited in the royal tomb, near the house of Kekauluohi, beside those of Liholiho, Kamamalu, Kaahumanu, and others of the royal lineage. Funeral ceremonies tell much of the actual state of civilization
in a nation, and hers are worthy of notice. At the day
appointed for the interment, the island poured its
multitudes into the streets of Honolulu. Kekauluohi's house, where the body lay, was besieged by a
dense throng of mourners, but order and quiet prevailed among them. A large body of troops, clad in
white uniforms with blue facings, lined both sides of
the road through which the procession was to pass to
the church. To avoid the dust, and render the
walking pleasant, rushes and mats had been strewed
along the streets the whole distance. The chiefs
were dressed in the deepest mourning; the females
wore black silk and satin dresses with dark turbans;
together they formed a sombre group. Hoapiliwahine, the mother of the deceased, the friend of
Vancouver, and the most aged among them, a giantess in stature, towered above all. Although buried
in the deepest grief she joined in the procession.
The coffin, which was covered with crimson velvet
and richly decorated, was placed upon a car, hung
about with black drapery. It was drawn by young
chiefs, in black pantaloons and head-dresses, but
without coats, their white shirt-sleeves forming not
an unpleasing contrast to the dark hues around them.
Above all, waved the stately Kahilis, the beautiful
feathered insignia of royalty. All the foreign officers in port, and the consuls, in uniform, merchants and residents of all classes, and the native in



CHURCHES.


habitants, united in paying the last sad tribute of
respect to the departed. Badges of mourning were
served out by the king to every one. Not a shout
or a cry disturbed the slow movements of the funeral
train; the booming of the minute-guns alone was
heard, and the solemn music of the band. As it
passed the soldiers presented arms. One aged female in the crowd, unable to control her emotion, and
moved by the recollections of the past, broke out
into a chant, after the customs of their ancestors.
But she was silenced, and the rites were performed
in a strictly christian manner. The corpse was placed in the vault amid the tears and sobs of relatives
and retainers; the last looks given, the crowd
quietly dispersed, anct dust was left to claim its own.
The most conspicuous if not the most ornamental
edifice in the town, is the stone church, erected at the
order of the king, by the joint labor of the whole
island. Ten years were ein)loyed in cutting the
stone, procuring the timber, &c. Meanwhile the
despotism of the chiefs became restrained by a written constitution. Tyranny and exactions laid its
foundation and raised its walls, but voluntary labor
and contribution completed the work. The manner
of its erection and its slow progress furnish an epitome of the history of the nation and all its varied
phases, from its darkest period of anarchy and confusion to the joyous and improving epoch which
marked its dedication. Chiefs and people can read
a lesson from its massive sides. Slowly and heavily
rose its walls while the nation wrought under taskmasters. Cheerily and speedily did they ascend and




CHURCHES.


33


reach their top-most stone under efforts of an
emancipated race, determined to erect a temple worthy of the service of Jehovah. It was completed
mainly by the labor and contribution of its own congregation. Its great size is owing to a whim of the
king, who was determined to have his church the
largest in the kingdom. It is one hundred and ten
feet long by seventy wide and thirty high. When
the galleries are completed it will accommodate three
thousand worshippers. The interior is plain; ornamented with a handsome clock, the gift of a Boston
merchant. The exterior is in bad taste, being modelled after the old barn-like structures, which Presbyterianism, a century since, delighted to congregate in.
It has three rows of small windows on all sides, resembling the port-holes of a line of battle-ship. The
upper are arched, which relieves the bad effect somewhat. Its design is the more to be regretted, as from
the solid materials of which it is composed it bids
fair to out-live the Hawaiian monarchy and language, and to remain to after ages a monument of
their industry and piety. Its cost cannot be definitely computed; but had even a moiety of the labor
exerted after the native fashion been paid for, one
hundred thousand dollars could not have finished it.
In the rear of the church is the foreign burial-ground,
already numbering many stones to the departed missionaries, their children, and others, who, having sought
these shores when worn out with lingering diseases,
have here ended their days. For acres around arise
the humble mementos of the dead of the Hawaiian
race, and the ground already seems filled to the ut



CHURCHES.


most with its mouldering inhabitants. Towards the
sea, are the remains of the temple which once was
the pride of church-goers. A thatch building of the
largest class, supported on a massive frame-work of
wood bound together by cinet, and capable of accommodating five thousand worshippers. Like the
temple of Solomon, neither the sound of hammer,
nor axe, nor tool of iron, can be said to have been
heard while it was building. Now the cattle have
eaten away its grassy sides, and the rain and wind
play sad antics with its dilapidated roof. When
used, pigeons fly freely about over the heads of the
congregation, and fleas nibble busily at their feet.
As it was obliged to be occupied until the other was
roofed, the people generously provided a tarpaulin to
protect their pastor, while in the pulpit; much upon
the same principle of that church, who, laboring under a similar difficulty in a more inclement climate,
showed a laudable regard for their own pockets and
the comfort of their preacher, by voting to have only
the sounding-board shingled.
In the western part of the town, a new and neat
church of the same denomination, and capable of
accommodating two thousand persons, has been built.
The Romanists are erecting a costly stone cathedral,
one hundred and fifteen feet long by fifty wide. The
foreigners generally worship in a two-story wooden
building, sent out by the Seamen's Aid Society,
which also supports a chaplain on the station; but his
services are mostly diverted to the residents, many of
whom have fitted up the seats which were common in
the chapel to all classes, and appropriated them to their




LITERARY AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. 35


families, so that Jack Tar, if he comes, must occupy
tfe lower places in the synagogue. There are few
ports where better access can be had to a larger body
of respectable seamen, than at this place. In the
lower story of the chapel, a reading-room has been
fitted for their use. Another apartment is occupied
by the collection and library of the Sandwich Island
Institute, a useful-and interesting society.
An exceedingly beneficial institution is the Charity
School. Owing to the former condition of society
at this place, a numerous body of half-castes were
growing up devoid of the means of education, while
from their position, they were exposed to more than
ordinary temptations, particularly the females. Consequently a rapidly increasing class, the more vicious
from their greater abilities for evil as well as good,
was let loose upon the communiy. Many had no
acknowledged parents; those of others had deserted
them, or were too poor, ignorant, or wicked, to care
for their moral and religious well-being. Some were
found who were willing and able to do something.
Accordingly, in 1832 a society was established by
the residents of Honolulu, supported by voluntary
contributions. A school was formed, and a mission
family obtained their dismission from the Board of
American Missions, and undertook the charge of it.
Sufficient funds were obtained to provide a good
dwelling-house, with an adequate salary for the
teachers.  A handsome stone school-house  was
erected, which now accommodates eighty children of
both sexes; and the utility of the plan of instruction,
which is altogether in the English tongue, has been




313                SCHOOLS.
so well tested and approved, that children are annually sent from California to be educated here.
Suitable buildings for the board and lodging of such
scholars have been incorporated with the establishments. The funds now amount to eight thousand
dollars; but, if increased, its usefulness could be much
enlarged, a higher and more thorough system of education carried out, and more pupils be accommodated. On its present plan, its utility has been great,
and numbers of youth have been raised to fill stations profitably to society. Of that highly important
and interesting school for the royal children, I have
spoken in another worlV   It still continues in the
full course of successful experiment, and is well deserving the attention of the traveller. Numerous
schools for the native children exist under the surveillance, and, as far as practicable, immediate care,
of the American missionaries. In them, the rudiments of instruction are freely taught, and their
effect is very beneficial. ' Annually, examinations are
held, at which all the relatives of the pupils and the
populace, generally, are invited. After which, a feast
is provided for the urchins, and the remainder of the
day is appropriated to fun and frolic. In 1841, a
rustic spot a mile in the rear of the town was selected for the occasion. At noon fourteen hundred masters and misses in their best attire, divided into bands,
bearing appropriate banners according to the schools
to which they belonged, marched with drum and fife
to the field where the mighty gastronomic feat was
to be performed. Shawls, umbrellas, mats, extem* History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands.




37


ANNUAL FESTIVALS AND HOLYDAYS.


pore sheds, and every thing else that could afford a
shade, were erected to screen the devouring multitude from the sun, and the occasional showers of
rain, which, however, were not sufficient to dampen
their ardor in the least. What with mammas, and
papas, aunts and uncles, cousins and loafers, relations
of all degrees and relations of no degrees at all, several thousands squatted down upon mother earth, to
baked dog, pig, fish, poi, and other luxuries of a Hawaiian palate, all of which disappeared with a rapidity
which baffle calculation. The youthful aristocrats
dined with His Majesty and others of the court, in a
building prepared for the purpose. After the champing
of teeth and hum of merry voices had sufficiently
subsided, the king and premier made suitable addresses. The crowd then adjourned, highly pleased,
and looking forward with joyous expectation to the
succeeding annual return of the holyday. Such
merry-makings, combining amusement with instruction, have a most favorable effect. Who, with such
in view, regrets the libidinous dance, and the exciting
gambling of olden time?
New-Year's day is celebrated very generally by
the adults much after the manner of the genuine
Thanksgiving of New England; with an intermingling of the good things of this life, with the thoughts
of the life to come. At Lahaina, an annual feast is
held by the king and assembled chiefs, commencing
on the 30th of December and continuing three
days, in memory of the departed Princess, Nahienaena.  Salutes are fired from  the batteries,
and all the state and dignity of the kingdom em4




POPULATION.


ployed to give solemnity to the august celebration.
Nowhere is the Fourth of July greeted with a
heartier welcome than at Honolulu.  The enjoyment of 'the day we celebrate' is not confined
solely to the citizens of the great republic. All enter
with zest upon its jovialities. To the Hawaiians it
has become a holyday equal to any of their own,
though why, it would puzzle them to tell, except, perhaps, from the sympathy which merriment and happiness always inspire. The morn is ushered in with a
noise of drums and trumpets, fifes and horns, fiddles
and triangles, shouts of noisy urchins, popping off
of muskets, and every other extempore sound that
will add to the general din. The shade of Adams
the elder would rejoice in the display in this far-off
isle. Many of the stores are closed, the batteries,
thanks to the courtesies of the Governor, thunder
their welcome, one gun for each State, and the day
closes with parties and social amusements, at which
all the resources of Yankee wit and ingenuity are
drawn out. There is not an American heart that
does not beat heartier and prouder on this occasion,
and though their patriotism may not be quite so
practical, it is certainly as sincere in that of those, who,
living within their country, are involved in the din
and stir of politics. Abroad, more of the sentiment,
'our country, our whole country,' prevails.
The population of Honolulu and its suburbs is
computed at about ten thousand, of whom five to six
hundred are foreigners. More than two thirds of
these are citizens of the United States-the remainder principally English and Chinese. Of American
families, including those of the mission, there are




SOCIETY, FOREIGN AND NATIVE.-GROGGERIES. 39


twenty-three-and four English. Very many of
the residents have intermarried among the natives.
The foreign population is exceedingly heterogeneous,
formed from a multitude of nations, ranks, and degrees of refinement, wealth, and education. Frenchmen, Spaniards, Portuguese, Russians, in fact, representatives fromi almost every race under the sun,
from the cannibal of New Zealand to his civilized
prototype, the convict of New South Wales; -the
dark Arab and ebony African. Amid such a medley every shade of civilization and barbarism, with
their attendant virtues and vices, are to be seen. And
this variety and novelty renders society here agreeable to the voyager, though not always so to the resident. Side by side are the poison and antidote.
The church, concerts of prayer, religious influences
of the most devoted nature, library and museum,
school and lecture-room, beauties of nature, and the
refinements and attractions of domestic life, the luxuries and fair faces of his native land, invite on the
one hand. On the other, scenes of doubtful good,
the noisy frolic, cards and billiards, gambling and
bowling, and all the usual allurements to dissipation,
seduce the unwary. The elegant mansion reared by
civilization lies half hid amid huts of almost squalid
poverty, or of equally offensive filth. But it is to the
poor seamen, that the temptations are strongest.
Since the enforcement of the iniquitous Laplace
Treaty, groggeries have inundated the town with their
poisons. One of its most striking features is the
number of signs everywhere to be seen, tempting
the sailor to ruin. And to ruin he too often goes.




SAILOR DISSIPATION.


During the visit of the U. S. Exploring Expedition
in 1840, several hundred seamen having been turned
ashore with their pockets lined with money, the town
for some weeks was alive with Jack and his follies.
Hungry sharks, both black and white, gave them no
rest while their dollars remained. What with the
rush of sailor horsemen through the streets, for every
nag far and near had been pressed into the service
anad the bursts of merriment from every quarter;
the roll of the bowling-alleys, and bacchanalian
shouts, it was anything but a quiet place for its
peaceful denizens. Jack fairly 'put the town in
stays,' and yet no one was disposed to look harshly
upon his endeavors to amuse himself, so heartily did
he seem to work for it. Some scenes were comic
enough. A party in one street got up a race between
two fellows, drunk as drunk could be and yet keep
on horse-back. The stakes were placed in the hands
of a disinterested native, and the word 'go' shouted.
Off went the riders in a most extraordinary manner,
and off went the native after a most natural one, in
the opposite direction. The race was, now, who
should catch him. Another son of Neptune, in
riding out to take the air, found himself, to his inexpressible annoyance, pitching forward, in a most peculiar manner, and to a complete sacrifice of all
graces of equestrianship. Not in the least suspecting the cause could lie with himself, he declared that
the fore legs of the horse were shorter than his hind,
and to satisfy the spectators of the fact, got off and
measured them. Another powerful fellow, having
somewhat deviated from the ways of propriety, was




SAILOR DISSIPATION.


41


confined in the fort. Here the shortness of the grub
agreed not at all with his shore appetite. Managing
to free himself from  his irons, he seized a club,
knocked down the sentinel, rushed out of the fort,
and, encountering the armed patrol, put them to
flight, and for some time was fairly master of the
town. Several seamen likewise imprisoned, not being able to escape, their comrades determined to
release them, and these comedies wellnigh terminated( in a tragedy. Having armed themselves with
such weapons as they could lay hands upon, they prepared to storm the fort. The Governor, apprising
Commanders Wilkes and Hudson of the state of affairs, they immediately set off for the scene of action,
and found their men duly prepared to carry their
designs into execution. But the authority of their
captains overawed them, and after giving up their
arms they peaceably retired.
Such are some of the effects of the introduction
of liquor freely into an island seaport. In no place
could a Washingtonian society be productive of
more good in proportion to the foreign population,
(intemperance is not a common vice among the natives,) for in no other is there a greater proportion of
individuals engaged in the traffic in ardent spirits;
and daily about the streets are to be seen painful
instances of fine abilities and prospects partially or
wholly ruined by habitual intoxication.
A higher moral tone is beginning to prevail, and
elements exist which, if properly nurtured, will render
Honolulu free from such scenes. Many generous
hearts and humane spirits exist there. They need
4*




42      POLICE. b- CLIMATE. -CA6MMERCE.


but to be aroused from the  argy which long absence from civilized lands, and habitude to such
scenes, have engendered. In no place is misfortune
more freely comforted, or hospitality more abundantly bestowed.  If the vices of Honolulu are
boldly conspicuous, its virtues are none the less so.
Quiet reigns through the streets at night. A late
law obliges all seamen to retire to their ships by nine
o'clock, P. M., and no native, except by permission,
is allowed to be out after that hour. A strong body
of police enforces this salutary regulation.
To a valetudinarian, few places offer more inducements for a residence. The climate is warm without
being too debilitating. Dry and yet not checking
perspiration.  Sultry nights are unknown.  Good
board, pleasant society, all the necessaries and most
of the luxuries of life are at command. By varying
the location through the different islands, any degree
of heat or cold, dryness or dampness, can be obtained.
At Honolulu are now residing in active health, individuals whose lives would long since have paid the
forfeit had they remained within a less genial zone.
Fruits, vegetables, and meats are abundant, and annually becoming cheaper. It requires but the completion of the Panama canal to render the Hawaiian
Islands a most desirable resort for invalids. The
United States will then be brought within a voyage of
two months, and that at suitable seasons, through the
most quiet portion of the great oceans, presenting
many interesting points in the track.
As a commercial centre its importance is great,
and every year further developes this fact. It forms




A STRANEER!S FIRST IMPRESSIONS,


43


an excellent depot '!it oods for the Mexican, Russian, Chinese, and Californian markets, and, like
Singapore, it must eventually become a mart for the
nations of the Pacific. Already its harbor is border.
ed with ample warehouses, while wharves afford every facility for loading or discharging. Its ship-yards
for repairing vessels are unsurpassed in that ocean.
Artisans of every craft are numerous. Stores are
abundant; in short, the materials to attract commerce
are there, and yearly its advantages are more fully
appreciated. A visitor does not perceive all this at the
first glance. Coming from a civilized world, the for.
eign houses, the signs of refinement and improvement, do not attract his notice. These he is accus-,tomed to.  It is the half-clad semi-barbarian, the
naked children splashing, leaping, and swimming
about the vessel like so many amphibious animals,
that first draws his eye. The rude canoe shoots over
the water-a foreign jargon, apparently harsh and
inharmonious greets his car. He looks inland and
beholds strange natural scenery, extinct volcanos,
and spectre-like cocoa-nut trees. The town appears
much like a collection of hay ricks. The numerous
thatched habitations, with their low doors, small windows, half demolished mud walls-too often pigs
within and children without, dirt every where, (logs
caressed and offspring neglected, these and much else
that is queer, surprises and confuses him. In time he
learns to dislinguish, amid this chaos, all the intermediate stages from the veriest filth and poverty,
crime and licentiousness, the Medusa-like offspring
of former heathenism, in which the vices and none of




44


NATIVE MANNERS


the virtues of civilization hari  ted themselves, to
the orderly households of even native families. He
will see that some of their habitations are well built,
neatly furnished to the extent of their means, and
children clothed and cared for. In short, Christianity
and civilization have set their seal upon many such.
Industry and orderly habits are to be found. But it
must be confessed that the habitations of the lowest
orders are beyond description, vile. Dirt and vermin
abound in them. A few ragged mats, a bottle or
too, an old stool, some calabashes and a few dresses
of cotton or calico constitute the sum total of their
worldly effects. We find books, however, few natives being without a Bible, hymn-book, and the elementary school works. These abodes are shared in,
common with swine, dogs, and poultry, who are quite
upon a par with their biped comrades. An old woman, whose uncovered cuticle hangs in deep folds
about her person, pets an enormous hog, which roots
about her uttering most affectionate salutations.
Young and old of both sexes are mutually employed
in searching heads in pursuit of the tiny game, which
affords a choice morsel. The internal economy of
these houses is of the most gregarious character.
Men and women, boys and girls, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, married
and single, lay aside all modesty, (which with very
many is like wearing clothing, a habit borrowed from
the whites, troublesome in itself, and only to be used
before them,) and with the utmost nonchalance appear only in the bronzed suit nature has provided
them. Often the same mat is shared at night by all,




NATIVE MANNERS


45


and the same tapa  vers them. Horrible, says the
visitor, what savages! Stop, gentlle sir, open this
gate, which stands so conspicuously in this neat
white wall. Within, a well laid-out garden meets
the view; arbors of grape vines, a fish pond, many
kinds of forest trees, flowers in full bloom, a well
brushed greensward. This is very pretty. Here is
a neat office. Enter; books, table, secretary, and
writing apparatus, all fit for a gentleman's study.
Look there; a kitchen, neat and in good orderhere a bath room, all in separate buildings, as is the
fashion in these islands. Now we wrill peep into the
drawing-room. It is a thatched building, but how
very pretty and airy. The posts are all painted, the
thatch laid on as smooth as can be. P)ainlings adorn
the walls; the best China matting is on the floor;
the furniture is abundant, comfortable and handsome.
Look into the bed-room; that bed-stead is made
from a cabinet wood grown on the island, than which
no other country can produce a more beautiful. The
counterpane is as white as snow. Examine every
thing, cupboards and all; Yankee house-keepers
would say that every thing ' was as neat as wax.'
And it is, indeed, so; crack and corner all alike
clean. This is certainly a model for any one. Yet
friend, this house is the residence of a pure Hawaiian,
and single also. And you will find him as neat in
person as he is in his house, and withal an intelligent, clever fellow. Hie was a common native once,
but has raised himself mainly by his own exertions
to high offices, and the confidence of the king. He
is now upon a special mission to the governments




46    MISSION BUILDINGS.-STREET SCENES.


of the United States, England, and France. His
name is Haalilio.
Great as are the contrasts between the two residences described, I have seen as great in Central
America, Peru, and Chili, and of all those countries, I
apprehend that Hawaii is advancing with the most
rapidity in the path of order and civilization. The
buildings of the American mission are situated at
the two extremes of the town, the east and west, and
three quarters of a mile apart. Hard by the bridge,
and immediately opposite his church, is the residence
of the Rev. Lowell Smith. Towards the east, and
near the stone church, the property of the mission is
chiefly  concentrated.  Seven dwelling-houses, a
printing office, bindery, workshop, and storehouse,
which with the property in them are valued at forty
thousand dollars. The buildings are large and commodious, but I shall have occasion in another place
to speak of missionary comforts as well as trials.
The streets of Honolulu afford many novel and
amusing spectacles. They furnish a sort of panorama of the transition and progress between old
habits and new -past ideas and present. Ladies
and gentlemen in fashionable finery, officers in uniforms, gigs and carriages, (the latter somewhat rare
it must be confessed,) jostle with the rude savage
from the interior, the maro his only covering and his
calloused shoulders groaning beneath a heavy load.
Indeed, I shall not soon forget my sensation of awkwardness on my first arrival in Honolulu, while escorting a lady-resident through the streets. One of
these fellows, as naked as an Apollo de Belvidere,




STREET SCENES.


47


with the exception of the miserable apology for a
cloth about his loins, met us; he was the first I had
seen. I did as any one would have done just arrived,
green from a land of clothing; gazed very intently
in another direction, while he brushed by. We
passed others in our walk and I soon looked upon
theml as unconcernedly as my fair friend, and I had
not been a month in the place, before that sort of
costume had become so natural, that thousands might
have gone by, and unless my attention was particularly directed to them, I could not have told, whether
they were clad or not. So much for the commonness of the thing. There is something vulgar in an
exposed white skin; but a red one is so much like
many other hues in trees and rocks or walls about
one, that a perfect indifference to the common exposure of the person as seen in all warm climates
among the indigenous inhabitants, is soon acquired.
To return to the crowd. Native women, possessing
but little more of the world's goods about them, and
displaying sights which do not tend to increase admiration for their sex, saunter lazily about.  The
common dress of the women consists simply of a
loose gown, of cotton or calico. The younger and
handsomer pay great attention to their toilet, and especially towards evening throng the streets, decked
out in the gayest colored calicos, silk or satins; their
hair is either done up after the latest fashions imitated
from the foreign ladies, or is encircled with rich and
expensive wreaths made from feathers. The less
wealthy wear those made from the beautiful crimson
blossoms of the ohia tree. The effect of either is




48


STREET SCENES.


very good, though the latter has somewhat of a bacchanalian appearance. Among these girls one occasionally meets with a very good face, but their countenances generally are dark and broad, and with rather
gross features. For all that, they are as sensible of
admiration as the most civilized belle, and parade
their charms and finery with an air of quite as much
self-satisfaction.
Here we see also drays hauled by brute cattle and
human cattle. And not the least curious objects, are
the little, low, four-wheeled vehicles, a sort of medium between a hand-cart and a wheelbarrow, drawn
by a native in front, whiile another pushes in the rear.
These are u-,ed by the foreign ladies in their fashionable calls and shopping. Strapping stout fellows,
bearing on a stick a few side combs or pipes, the
value of the whole not amounting to a couple of
dimes, while away the entire day in attempts to
peddle their goods.  Market men, balancing their
wares which are placed in calabashes slung at the two
ends of a pole, which is supported at the middle on
their shoulders, adroitly push their way about the
crowd. The gain-seeking industrious but dissipated
Chinese in their snowy-white costume, with their
long tails of braided hair reaching to their feet, the
jovial tar making the most of his brief reprieve from
the forecastle, in short, nondescripts of all classes,
ages, sizes, and colors complete the scene.  The
clothing put into requisition is of the most varied and
fantastic character.  One man with all the self-satisfaction of a gentleman of fashion, comme il faut,'
may be seen promenading with nothing on except




STREET SCENES.


49


his maro and a pair of warm mittens; another with
only a coat; some with shirt, vest, and coat, minus
the pants —others with shirts outside their pants;
boys with men's clothing; men with boys,' so short
and tight they can only waddle, and appear as ill at
ease as monkeys in clothing. Many, however, are
perfectly well clad, and these incongruities are yearly
disappearing, as the resources and knowledge of the
common orders increase. Singular displays happen
not unfrequently, in the efforts to appear fine at a
marriage. A bridegroom who had not the wherewithal himself, (it was in the country,) borrowed of
a friend a huge green blanket over-coat, a dickey, and
a pair of fisherman's boots, the thermometer being at
ninety degrees. Thus equipped he joined his bride,
who was arrayed in a new cotton garment, her only
dress. The twain hurried to the residence of a missionary, who soon made them one. The husband
restored his wedding suit to its owner, passing the
honey-moon, as he had his life previous, shirtless.
A spirit of waggery or good-humored blackguardism exists to a great extent, and they enjoy a joke as
heartily as the Irish. The discomfited party receives
no quarter. They are frequently serious upon trifles,
and the reverse. I bought some eggs of a marketman, at my door. After he was paid, he commenced crying in a most piteous manner; his grief quite
oversame him  Upon inquiring the cause, he replied -
'his "alohas" (love,) for the eggs was very great indeed
-he could not part with them.' At times you will
hear one calling to another across the street, 'I have
5




DOG FEAST.


been born again, have you?' referring to a change
of heart.
None should leave Oahu before partaking of a
feast after the native manner. This the hospitality
of the residents seldom fails to provide. A spacious
thatched house is usually selected in a retired spot in
one of the valleys, fresh mats laid upon the floor,
and the roof decorated with flags, flowers, and shrubs.
The table is spread upon the ground, upon which
the guests stretch themselves out likewise. A pleasant position by way of variety, but painful after
it ceases so to be. Dog, baked on hot stones in the
ground, or luaved, as it is here termed, from which
the entertainment derives its name luau, constitutes
the chief attraction. All strangers profess to be desirous to taste dog, and they seldom leave disappointed. If they manifest any disapprobation, they
are then helped to pig, alias a dog with a pig's head
and feet ingeniously attached, which invariably is
pronounced very fine. So much for the reputation
of Oahu poi-fed pork.
The Hawaiian method of cooking is excellent.
The rich juices of the meats or fish are preserved,
and a delicious flavor imparted from the taro leaves
in which they are enveloped. But the choicest morceaux are the fine mullet, raised in artificial ponds
by the chiefs, where they are fed until they attain a
great size and fatness. They are seldom to be obtained, except as a gift, being reserved exclusively
for the aristocrats of the land. The chiefs are great
epicures in their own way, reversing the order of
civilized gourmands, who usually prefer their meats




SATURDAY AFTERNOON.


51


in a green state, while they esteem it an additional
relish to have their fishes alive, and some of the
smaller sort are eaten in that condition.
There are few spectacles more novel and interesting to a stranger, than that to be witnessed frequently
in this town, on a Saturday afternoon; and as it is
one which yearly is losing its originality and becoming tempered by increasing civilization, I am induced
to devote a few lines to preserving such of its features as may be interesting to those who are fond of
reviewing things ' all of the olden time.' It is a gala
day for all classes, and is improved to its full extent by the natives. He who has never seen Hawaiian horsemanship, and the display of fashions
that flourish at that time, can form but a faint conception of the scene. Picture to yourself, on the
wide plain to the east of the town, all the natives assembled, from the tiniest urchin, to the portly poi-fed
adult, weighing. but little short of three hundred and
fifty pounds, who have been so fortunate as to find
four legs besides their own, beneath them. Their
Rosinantes are of every shape and hue, as may
readily be imagined; no beast being allowed to
plead an alibi on so momentous an occasion —a
motley assemblage they form, from the meek, allenduringjackass, carrying double, to the kicking,biting,
backing mule, whose greatest recommendation is the
facility with which he can dislodge his rider —from
the leanest, lankest, rib-protruding horse that can
scarce hold itself up, to the proud steed that disdains
the ground on which he lightly treads. Of saddles,
the majority have none —a dirty piece of kapa in



52


SATURDAY AFTBITWl


tervenes between the dark skin of some and the
galled back of the unpitied animal which they stride
-others, whose resources are more extensive, are
seated upon a triangular frame of wood, over which
a rough piece of hide is thrown, their feet upheld by
stirrups of rope or wood, and envied is the individual that can command a complete fit-out. The bridles are quite as various and primitive as the rest of
the equipments-a rope, noose, or nothing — on
goes this cavalcade, upon the run, trot, or hobble,
helter skelter, whooping and shouting, like so many
Cossacks in a hourra, plying their heavy spurs to the
horses' flanks, their loose kapas streaming in the
wind, bare-headed and bare-breeched, away they
scamper, enveloped in a cloud of dust. Enjoyment
with them is 'neck or nothing.' Indeed, a Hawaiian,
of the baser sort, when mounted upon a half-broken
colt, into which he has infused, by dint of kick and
blow, his own impatient spirit, with his naked legs
close clung under its belly, his body bent forward to
an angle of forty-five degrees, tossing one arm into
the air to increase the already headlong course of his
steed, may be said to be extremely happy. Glory or
ambition have no further charms for him - Alexander taming Bucephalus was a fool to him.
In striking contrast to this scene is a little group of
youngsters, who have succeeded in ensnaring some
stray donkey in their toils. Luckless victim! How
quiet he stands as they attempt to mount his bruised
sides. Now one succeeds - he 's off- another tries
- off again - scrambling, pulling, laughing - they
enjoy it, if the donkey does not. Such fun; one,




SATURDAY AFTERNOON.


53


two, three are at last mounted upon the diminutive
animal, their feet dangling to the ground, their companions whipping and pushing to get headway upon
him, so their turn may come next. t The poor beast
can endure no longer; he makes a convulsive start,
much like a locomotive, and with a jerk leaves his
riders sprawling in the dust.
Let no one suppose that these John Gilpin rides
are confined exclusively to the sterner sex. Far
from it. This equestrian fever burns as brightly in
the bosoms of their better parts, as in their own -
contemning alike beaux, side-saddles, and all the
garniture so much esteemed by their civilized sisters.
It is not an uncommon sight to see two astride of
the same animal, careless alike of looks, convenience, or display of limb, so it be but a ride, and fast
enough. It is beyond our power to do their costume
justice. It usually consists of bright-colored calico
loose-gowns, with a kihei, or piece of red, green,
yellow, or black silk, or some less costly material,
wrapped tightly round their waist, and encircling their
nether members in loose and graceful folds. Shoes
and stockings are luxuries not to be aspired to, by
every maiden. Wreaths of flowers or feathers deck
their brows, and necklaces of the odoriferous halanut hang upon their bosoms, while their bright eyes
sparkle with triumph as they look down upon the
staring pedestrian. Mingling with the less showy
horsemen, they present a most picturesque coup d'aTi1. But to produce this spectacle in all its novelty,
His Hawaiian Majesty and Court must be present,
mounted on noble animals, handsomely capari



54


SATURDAY AFTERNOON.


soned, and joining in the crowd in all the pride and
state of conscious rank. Add to this the brilliant
uniforms of naval officers that may be in port, and
the neat costume of the residents, some on horseback, others sporting gigs or curricles, and we have
a mixture of rude barbarism, and show of civilization, with every intervening grade, which no other
island in Polynesia can equal. Here are found people of all tongues and nations -English, Scotch,
and Irish- Russians, Americans, and Frenchmen
- Spaniards, Danes, and Swedes — Portuguese,
Japanese, and Chinese —Lascar and Arabian —
the kakaued Marquesian, the Tahitian, Samoan, and
forbidding New Zealander, besides many others
whose origin seems to be a combination of every
variety, all gathered together for one purpose, pleasure; but the chiefest pleasure is to gaze upon them.
On days when races are to take place, the crowd
and variety are greater than ever. But the most
striking part of the scene occurs towards evening.
During the afternoon, the populace, dressed in their
best attire, which being of bright colors, makes them
look like a crowd of harlequins, or a parterre of variegated flowers, to the number of many thousands,
assemble in the main street, to witness the complicated feats of horsemanship, such as leaping, plunging, racing, kicking, tumbling, (off sometimes,) and
various other approved methods of showing off,
much in vogue here, among some ambitious youth,
and greatly to the edification of the gaping crowd,
though somewhat to the danger of their curious persons. However, this fiery zeal soon exhausts itself,




NUUANJ VALLEY. - TARO PLANT.


55M


and as it grows dark the motley multitude on the
plain commence their return, usually preceded by his
Majesty and suite, who ride leisurely along, that plebeian eyes may gaze their fill on royal and patrician
forms. Pride of blood holds full sway here - nowhere has it more sincere worshippers.  The remainder make their way to their several homes;
some quietly, and others furiously dashing through
the crowd, which scamper from them right and
left. By night the streets have regained their usual
quiet, and a few stragglers are all that are to be seen
of the late gathering.
Out of town, the chief point of attraction is Nuuanu valley. At its mouth lie the numerous little taro
plantations, which afford the chief sustenance for the
native population. The taro or kalo is planted in
square or oblong beds of various sizes, prepared with
much labor and expense. The soil is a soft rich
mud, kneaded and trod into the consistency of a
thick paste.  The plant is propagated by simply
setting out the tops of the ripe root; the water is
then let in upon them, and retained by means of
impervious embankments. Great skill is displayed
in irrigating and cultivating these lands. The taro
arrives at maturity in from twelve to twenty-four
months, and there is no prettier sight in the agricultural kingdom than to look down upon the valleys
planted with this vegetable. The regularity of the
plantations, the intervening foot-paths, and the brown
tints of the overshadowing hills, contrast beautifully
with the deep, rich green of its lily-shaped leaves,
as they wave over their watery beds. The root is of




56


COUNTRY RESIDENCES.


a dark color, and in form like a beet. In its natural
state, it is extremely acrid to the taste, but when baked, boiled or fried, is inferior to no vegetable. It
is a good substitute for bread; being much superior
to the bread fruit, and is healthy and nutritious. By
the natives it is usually prepared in the form of a
thick paste, called poi, and not eaten until it has fermented and become sour. No other product yields
more food to a given space of land, and none is
more profitable to the agriculturalist.
A good carriage-road runs through these planta.
tions, for five miles up the valley until it reaches the
thickly wooded land, where the hills become so abrupt, ravines so deep, and forest so dense, that it is
tiresome for even the equestrian to penetrate farther.
But Nuuanu is classic ground to the Oahuian. Here
was fought their last bloody battle for independence;
here fell their gallant monarch, and the brave, ambitious, but treacherous Kiana.  In beauty, stature and accomplishments, nature's true nobleman.*
Here the impetuous and ever victorious Kamehameha drove his routed foe, with slaughter, through
its dark passes, until they reached the brink of the
pali, when death by the musket or spear, or the fatal
leap from its summit, awaited them. Some escaped
in the gloom of the forests, but many were sacrificed
by being driven headlong over its brink. It is a
wild and beautiful spot. After riding through the
cultivated lands of the valley, passing the numerous
country lodges of the foreigners which dot its sur*For a likeness of this individual, see vignette, title-page to History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands.




SCENERY OF THE VALLEY.


57


face, the land gradually ascends, and the valley narrows as the visitor recedes from the sea, until he.
enters upon the woody portion, where the mountains,
approaching each other,attain an elevation of a little
short of four thousand feet. Emerging from these
copses he nears the termination of the valley, where
the mountains, abruptly receding from their lofty pinnacles, meet in the sweep of a semi-circle, presenting broken peaks, which in the distance resemble the
parapets of a ruined fortification.  Approaching
them, he enters a foot-path which winds for a short
space among them, until turning the outer peak, a
coup d'ail greets him, as unexpected as it is grand
and beautiful. Standing upon the offset of a precipice of six hundred feet elevation, the eye takes in
at a glance the rich panorama. On either side forming one vast circular wall, for a dozen miles or more,
the mountains rise precipitately, yet wooded to their
very summits. In the distance is the ocean; nearer
a beautiful bay, dotted with rocky islets, and washing the foundations of volcanic headlands, hoary
with age. Beneath him, lies a fertile plain; groves,
hamlets, and small streams varying its expanse; at
its further border the sun discloses the bright walls of
the buildings of the mission station at the village of
Kaneohe. The whole appears as if it had once
formed an immense crater, the seaward side of
which had subsided into the waters, discharging its
fiery contents into the ocean. Time, however, has
clothed the whole in Nature's most pleasing hues.
Native ingenuity and foreign art have made a com



58            PALI, OR PRECIPICE.
paratively easy path to the plain, from which much
of the marketing for Honolulu is derived. When
the trades are the freshest, the wind rushes with
great force through this pass, as through a tunnel,
and, spreading over the valley, reaches Honolulu
with scarcely abated violence.




CHAPTER II.
Village of Waikiki. — Ruined House. - Diamond Head. - Ruined
Temple.- Manoa Valley. - Singular Crater. - White Man turned Savage. - Little Old Man. - Anecdote of. - Chief hung. -
Forgery.- Sunday at Honolulu.- At Tahiti.- Fashions.Remarkable disappearance of Dresses after Religious Service. -
Corsets in use. - Out of use. - Chiefs Entertainments. - Extraordinary Preparations in honor of Captain Finch, U. S. N.Children of Missionaries. - Danger to their Morals. - Painful
instances of Degradation at Tahiti.- Boarding School Established at Oahu.-Sports of Native Youth.-Musical Kites.Pearl  River.-Ewa.-Church and      Station.-Waialua.Manual Labor School. — Its Success. - Ruins of a Temple, and
Site of a Tribe of Cannibals. - North Side of Oahu. - Legends.
- Love of the Marvellous.- Poetry. - Example of Modern
Style. - Shipwrecked Japanese. - Account of. - System of Numerals.
THE village of Waikiki, four miles to the east of
Honolulu, built under a beautiful grove of cocoanut trees, bordering the beach, was the former capital. In it still remain the ruins of a stone house,
once the residence of the conqueror Kamehameha.
A mile beyond, and at the base of Leahi, the old
well known crater of Diamond Point, whose chalky
sides form so conspicuous a head-land, is a relic of
paganism. It is a heiau or temple, built of stone,
and in very good preservation.      Its length is about
one lundred and thirty feet, and its breadth seventy.
The walls are of black lava, compact, and well
built;. several feet thick at their base and about two




60


MANOA VALLEY.


feet wide at the summit, which is from four to eight
feet in elevation. Its altars, sacred houses, and sacerdotal accommodations have long since crumbled
into dust. Upon its walls, the heads of Kiana, the
king of Oahu, and other slain chieftains in the battle
of Nuuanu, were impaled. Iiecatombs of victims
have perished within its precincts, and it will remain
for generations, the dark and repulsive type to the
Hawaiian, of what this nation once was; while the
dreary and frowning crest of Leahi, rising above,
alike recalls the mind to that period when the fires
and heavings of the earth beneath, spread terror and
destruction among the affrighted inhabitants. They
stand well beside each other; one, the puny and
desolate monument of man's apostasy; the volcano,
the wrathful sign, that Nature shared the curse of
Adam's crime.
Manoa valley is a beautiful spot. As a vessel
passes Diamond Point, and comes abreast of Waikiki, this valley opens to view. Iigh mountains
enclose it on every side, except toward the sea, from
which it appears like the interior of a vast natural
bowl, overgrown with dense shrubbery, and forests,
into whose gloom the sun rarely penetrates. In the
valley beyond this, which from the difficulty of access, is rarely visited, are two curious objects; the
one a freak of nature, the other of man. Ascending
by a narrow foot-path, a spur of the mountain at its
upper end, the explorer enters upon a dense region
of vegetation, wearisome to penetrate, but from its
novelty and richness, enticing. After hours of uphill scrambling, slipping, pushing, and dodging, he




A WHITE SAVAGE.


61


finds he has made considerable advance. A vacant
space bursts upon him; he perceives that he is at the
source of one of those pure streams of water, that dash
in numerous cascades down the mountain sides, and
meandering through the vales beneath, diverted by
native skill into a thousand channels, give life and
growth to the thirsty crops near the sea. Pushing
aside the heavy foliage of the giant trees that surround him, a deep hollow, circle is described.
Clouds almost perpetually rest upon the summits of
the mountains that surround the dell, the bottom of
which is overgrown with dank grass and reeds, and
is wet and miry. It is in a region of constant showers, and the dampness arising from its misty bosom,
admonishes one not to tarry long. A glance suffices
to show the great depth and regularity of the hollow,
which doubtless wet as it now is, once was the
abode of a far different element. Its shape and situation both define it as a crater, and that too of no
ordinary extent.
Returning from an excursion to this place, with a
friend, we stopped near the foot of the hills at a native house. It was of the most ordinary character,
of straw, a few feet high only, with a low and narrow entrance, more fit for dogs than men. A herd
of swine were making themselves at home in and
about it. There was abundance of Hawaiian wealth
moving about; that is to say, quadrupeds and feathered bipeds. But filth was the most prominent characteristic. At our approach, the inhabitants, both
brute and human, poured out to meet us, with a noisy
chorus of 'aloha,' love to you, the yelping of curs,
6




LITTLE OLD MAN.


and the grunting of the more stately.animal. One
of the men at once attracted my attention. He had
nothing on but a shirt which had seen long and
faithful service, guiltless of soap or water. His hair
was white and upright- his beard long and grayhis eyes red and sunken — his limbs attenuated,
grimed with dirt, yet their original color seemed to
have been white.   He stood gaping curiously
at us, surrounded by the noisy retinue. To me he
appeared like one of those deformities in the human
race, which nature seems occasionally to indulge in,
as if to show  how repulsive 'the human form
divine' can be made. ' What a singular object,' I
exclaimed, 'how horrible.' 'Hnsh,' said my companion, he understands English,' and so we passed
on. He then told me his history. Once he was a
respectable white man, and of a good family —but
drunkenness had ruined him many years ago. Suddenly he vanished from Honolulu, and his whereabouts was not known for a long while, until he was
found living in this plight, away from the white man,
and among the rudest of the Hawaiians. There are
several instances here somewhat similar. Men who
have cast off every outward sign of civilization, and
forgotten that they ever saw a land of freedom and
knowledge. Men who have adopted the vices of the
savage, as well as his costume, language, and manners, so that it requires a sharp eye to discriminate
between the two. They are content to fawn about
low chiefs, for the sake of eating the food of idleness. But the Hawaiian Islands will soon cease to
support such. There is a little old man, of some



CHIIEF HUNG.


63


what better deportment than this class, who lives, as
he was preserved, by the kindness of a chief-woman,
of uncommon dimensions. He had deserted from a
whale-ship, and taken refuge in her house. His pursuers tracked him thither, and his capture seemed
inevitable. But being a favorite of the patrician
dame, her ready wit soon suggested a safe retreat.
There was no bed that he could creep under, but
there was something which was rather safer. Seating herself, she made a sign, and the lucky wight
crept under — no matter what — but it was where,
thanks to her obesity, he had sufficient room, and
where no one would have ventured to have pursued,
had even a suspicion of his locality occurred. The
officers arrived and sought, but sought in vain, while
the old lady maintained an immovable gravity, and
politely entertained them. After their departure he
was released.
But Honolulu is rapidly giving signs of increasing civilization. Justice at her police court is dealt
with a rapidity and fairness, truly edifying to all except criminals. In 1840, a chief, having become enamored of another woman, undertook to rid himself
of his lawful wife. Uniting himself with another
man, whose desires were similar, the twain prepared
a violent vegetable poison, which was to be given to
the spouse of the chief at a feast prepared for that
purpose. It was infused into awa, which was handed
her to drink. She did so, complained that it was
bitter, and, after suffering much, died in three hours,
first asserting that her husband had poisoned her.
The criminals were tried by jury, convicted, and




64     FORGERY.- SUNDAY AT HONOLULU.


finally confessed their crime. The trial was conducted equitably, and with dignity, every favor the
law permitted being allowed the prisoners.  The
chief being of high rank, it was supposed that he would
be pardoned. But the majesty of the law was vindicated, and both were publicly hung. Another
chief undertook to forge a will, purporting to be in
his favor and that of the king's, from Hoapili, the
old governor of Maui. But the forgery was proved
upon him, his property was confiscated to the state,
and he banished to the island of Kahoolawe, the
abode of criminals, where he remains chief among
them. Verily! the land in which murder erects the
gallows, and forgery cannot thrive, even among the
noble and powerful, is not bad.
Sunday culls out the best attire of the whole population. On that day, stockings and shoes grace the
feet, and bonnets the heads, of dames, who, during
the rest of the week, are guiltless of any such display.
The churches are crowded, and the congregations
really appear well. Incongruities in taste of course
appear among those for whom want of means and
knowledge are sufficient apologies for not being particularly exact as to fit and shades. But all are clean,
and quiet, and happy. Order and silence reign, except about the Romish chapel, where the throats of
the faithful seem to take a special license on that
day. However, as they indulge only in the merry
converse of youthful and roguish spirits, there is
nothing to find fault with. The difference between
the Hawaiian ladies and the Tahitian is at no time
more apparent than on the Sabbath. The former




SUNDAY AT TAHITI. - FASHIONS.


65


appear staid, and wear dresses mostly of puritanical
plainness. They walk home from church in them
also, and all appear serious and thoughtful, as they
trudge along with their children clinging to one hand,
and their holy books in the other. Not so the Tahitians. Of better forms, lighter complexions, and fairer
countenances, they don all the finery which money
and the island can afford. The church is filled with
French caps, bonnets, laces, ribbons, muslin frocks,
all of the most showy and fragile description. The
more that can be piled on, the better. It is somewhat comical to see their dark, high-cheek-boned
faces almost lost amid the delicate productions of the
needles of Europe.   Onions in Flora's choicest
bouquets would not look more outre. So that their
heads resemble the specimen-blocks at a milliner's
windows, their feet may take care of themselves.
The galleries resemble a tulip-bed, that is, provided
the eye fixes itself at a certain altitude. But should
it be disposed to wander a little lower, it will see
rows of bare feet stuck through the supports of the
railing, looking for all the world like the bulbs of as
many variegated flowers. But the way they leave
the church is an example for all who have a discreet
care of their outward gear. Many, I do not say all,
take off their bonnets; next go their frocks, laced,
fringed petticoats, finally, all that is liable to be spotted, for the roads are muddy, until the fair ones are
seen trudging home bare-legged and bare-headed,
reduced to the native paleo, their national costume
of yore. Once corsets were all the rage; their fat
forms were squeezed into the smallest compass pos6*




ENTERTAINMENTS.


sible. The veriest martyr to tight boots never bore
compression more resignedly than these dames, until one day, a wag told them that they were nothing
but machines of torture, and would eventually occasion their deaths.  It so happened, the following
Sunday, a damsel fainted under the squeeze. Horror struck, the fair victims, believing the words of the
white man were being literally fulfilled, thenceforth
eschewed corsets.
The chiefs occasionally give entertainments, which,
by the aid of the ladies of the mission, pass off very
well.  Some small display of plate is made, but
there is neither sufficient wealth nor taste to prepare
anything costly or refined. Great improvement in
the social circle has taken place, however, since
Stewart wrote in such raptures of the ladies' boudoirs,
and gentlemen's drawing-rooms, though at that time
an extraordinary effort was made to impress visitors favorably. The lady chiefs of the highest rank
had then determined upon giving Captain Finch and
his officers a somewhat recherche entertainment.
Their skill, industry, taste, and resources, were all to
be exhausted in having it "comme il faut."  The
tables were spread at their best habitation, and the
chiefesses, all arrayed in their most costly and civilized attire, prepared to receive the expected guests.
Some of the mission ladies, apprehensive that room
for improvement might still remain, notwithstanding
the degree of the hosts, shortly before the company
were to arrive, took a peep at the state of things.
Imagine their consternation upon entering the hall;
amid all the splendor of the preparations, to see




CHILDREN OF MISSIONARIES.


67


placed before each seat, to the number of thirty, or
so, a huge white (to ears polite) nameless something,
but precisely the same article that a certain Persian
ambassador, at London, once being short of crockery
at a party, made use of to serve up ices in. The
chiefesses, with great reluctance, were prevailed upon
to banish the obnoxious ornaments, though, from not
being sent expeditiously to a suitable distance, other
eyes caught glimpses of them during the evening.
A great draw-back upon the prosperity of the
American mission, heretofore, has been the want of
means for educating their children. When young,
they are exposed to the pernicious influence of native servants, the best of whom cannot be trusted;
not so much, in many cases, from a want of disposition to discharge their duties properly, but from igno.e
rance, and the effects of their early corrupt life. No
subject or act is too gross for them, accustomed, as
they have been from their infancy, without the faintest conception of impropriety, to sights and conversation which would shock the rudest civilized being.
So well aware are foreign parents of this fact, that
they leave no step untried to shield their offspring
from such baneful influences. By many the IHawaiian tongue is prohibited from being spoken in their
presence; but this is but a partial preventive, for the
quick ear of childhood, despite all restrictions, soon
learns to master a language so easy to acquire.
Others endeavor to give their whole attention to their
children, and allow no access whatever on the part
of the population about them. This is a policy of
doubtful good, and certainly renders the missionary




DEGRADATION AT TAHITI.


of little practical use to the people whom he has devoted his life to benefit. The generality receive the
best attention the circumstances of their parents afford, and are usually sent, at an early age, to the
United States, to live upon the bounty of friends, or
the public; and as they have but little hope of seeing
their parents again, to seek their way, under unfavorable circumstances, to independence. As the islands,
at present, offer but a limited field to the enterprise
of foreign youth, this becomes almost a necessity,
and thus it is that the good effects produced by mission labor upon heathen, are, to some extent, neutralized by the unfortunate position of their own children. Some may receive benefit by the change, but
others endure privations and disappointments which
cannot but affect their whole after life. At the Hawaiian islands, the missionaries, as yet, have not
been pained by any instance of youthful corruption.
Their children, for correctness of deportment and
general intelligence, may bear comparison with those
of the same age in the United States. But at the
Society islands, where moral and civilized advantages have been less, and the system of training dissimilar, the case has been widely different. Missionaries, there, have had to mourn, not only over
sons plunged into every species of vice, but daughters, even, in some instances, have lost their innocence, and become as corrupt as the native females
about them. Their conduct has given rise to the
well-known reproach on the part of the aborigines,
' What can you expect of us, when your own children are no better?' With the desire and labor of




BOARDING SCHOOL. -NATIVE SPORTS.


69


benefiting a people immersed in the grossest sensuality, they have seen their dearest hopes blighted, and
their cherished blessings changed to gall and bitterness.
To obviate the liability, even, of such evil consequences at the Hawaiian group, the mission, at their
annaal meeting at Honolulu in 1841, passed a resolution to establish a boarding-school, to be under the
charge of one family of their number, where all the
children could be accommodated, and enjoy the benefits of a good English education, entirely secluded
from native influence. The funds were raised by
contribution among themselves and their friends,
and a large building commenced at Punaho, a pretty
spot two miles from town. Should the circumstances of the islands hereafter so change as to afford a
field for the industry of this numerous class, (for
they now number upwards of 100,) their parents
may have the satisfaction of seeing them the stay of
their old age, and the occupants of new fields of usefulness.
The sports of the youth of Honolulu are quite
New-England like. 'Tag, quorum, bat and ball,'
all have their seasons, and are as heartily enjoyed as
if each urchin had just left a well-built brick house,
with clean face and hands, a snow-white collar turned over his new broadcloth jacket, and his mamma's
latest injunction, ' don't soil your clothes,' ringing in
his ear, as he slammed the door in her face. There
must be something sincere in the reform of a nation,
whenever national sports are abandoned, and rational ones substituted. It is so here. During the win



70


MUSICAL KITES. - PEARL RIVER.


ter months, the heavens are assailed with kites of
every shape, hue, and size, mostly the result of the
ingenuity of the Chinese portion of the inhabitants.
Some ingeniously imitate sharks, with their gaping
mouths, swimming through the air; others, birds of
prey darting upon their victims; the planets all have
their patterns, and each so naturally made and skilfully flown as to resemble life. But what is truly
curious, is the musical kite. A doleful noise is heard
in the air. At times it swells out loudly and mournfully, like the notes of an organ; again it subsides
into a low, monotonous hum; then it rises into a
prolonged shriek, varying its cadences according to
the force of the wind. Until the cause is ascertained, the effect is somewhat startling. It is produced
by some novel mechanism, attached to their kites, by
the ingenious sons of the celestial empire.
Leaving Honolulu on the west, a tolerable road
conducts the traveller to Ewa, or, as it is more commonly called, Pearl River, from the abundance of
inferior pearls found in its vicinity. Three miles
from town, a narrow valley, with almost precipitous
sides, intersects the road. This valley is remarkable
for the distorted growth of a number of cocoa-nut
trees, which present the singular appearance of
healthy, fruit-bearing trees, with trunks shooting from
the ground at an angle almost parallel with it, and
then, as it were, turning upon their own tracks, and
growing in the opposite direction; the upper half of
their trunks being nearly at right-angles with the
lower. The remaining trees of the grove are straight
and lofty. Ewa is one of those protestant mission



EWA. - CHURCH AND STATION.


71


ary stations, so numerous about this group, and
which, both morally and physically, can, with truth,
be likened to oases in a desert. Here a track of
blood-red and dry soil surrounds a small but verdant
spot, watered by a diminutive stream, on the banks
of which the native hamlet is mainly congregated.
The luxuriant display of the numerous cultivated
patches, contrasts favorably with the barren aspect of
the surrounding hills, on one of which is erected the
church. Environed as it is by a palisade fence, in
the distance, it resembles more a stockade fort. than a
temple of peace. Here, as at all the mission stations,
the domestic habits of the population, their houses,
and clothing, give evidence that the teachings of
their instructors are not exclusively confined to the
interests of the world to come, but that a due regard
for their welfare and decent appearance in the present life is inculcated. Indeed, each station of this
nature may be considered as a beacon of civilization;
the rays from which are diffused over an extensive
circle with diminishing brightness as they recede
from their source, until, in the gloom of the forest,
or the shores of the far-off sea-side, the Hawaiian
perpetuates his former social habits, if not his religion.
This district is the site of a large lagoon. Near its
mouth a bed of the common edible oyster is found,
elevated above the water, and in a partially fossilized
condition. This is the more remarkable, as no living specimen has yet been discovered anywhere in
the group. A few miles beyond, commences the
range of mountains which forms the boundary of
the district of Waianae. A cheerless and barren




72 WAIALUA. —SCHOOL.-TEMPLE.     CANNIBALS.
portion of the island, sparsely populated by an ignorant and restless people. Here the faction of Boki,
in former days, was strong; and at the present, Romanism reckons many converts, and a small chapel
amid its wild and almost inaccessible recesses.
Waialua, a mission station on the western portion
of the island, is a pretty and flourishing village. Beside the family of the pastor, a teacher of the name
of Locke, under the auspices of the American mission, has commenced a boarding.school for boys,
upon the manual-labor system. About twenty acres
are under a high state of cultivation, the produce of
which finds a ready sale at Honolulu, though thirty
miles distant, and aids in sustaining the establishment. The combination of labor with instruction is
judicious, and promises well.
Inland, ten miles from this village, is a beautiful
and retired rural spot. Tt lies between two deep ravines, and resembles, in shape, an ox-bow. The
only access to it is from towards the sea, over an
isthmus of but a few yards in width.   Its area
embraces several hundred acres, verdant and picturesque, but now regarded with superstitious
dread, from once having been the rendezvous of a
clan of cannibals.  The ruins of an extensive heiau
can still be traced, and the site of the house of the
chief, who was the terror of the island. Near it, is a
large flat stone, which goes by the name of ipu kai,
or meat platter. For on it, as runneth tradition, the
chief roasted and dissected the victims whom he had
enticed into his domains, or more boldly seized in
battle. Three thousand people, living in the imme



LOVE OF THE MARVELLOUS.


73


diate vicinity of the temple, acknowledged him as
their lord; of their descendants, but a few families
remain. Kaanokeewe, a sub-chief, was the principal procurer of human flesh for his master's unholy
orgies. Being a man of prodigious strength, he was
sure to come off conqueror in single combat, and
his taste so well agreed with his superior's, that he
finally destroyed and eat many of his own relatives.
However, one escaped, and having acquired experience in arms, attacked the monster, and killing him,
put an end to the custom.
The north side of Oahu affords much rich scenery.
The gorge of Kaliuaa, in particular< is worthy of
notice. It was a holy place in by gone days, and
numerous temples, and the remains of priestly edifices, partially overgrown with vegetation, attest its
former sanctity.  Here, also, chiefly resided the
famed Kamapuaa, the Centaur of Hawaii, half hog
and half man. Tomes might be compiled of the
wild traditions, horrible stories, and legendary mythological tales, which still exist among the people,
and whose influence they feel, and will continue to,
even after the present generation shall have ceased
to exist. Letters may be learned, and even sciences
acquired, bit room still continues to be found in the
mind, though yearly lessened, for the quaint, the
visionary, and the horrible, which their forefathers
believed, and trembled to repeat. The dark dell, the
fabled abode of some forest demon, or that misshapen rock, whose fancied resemblance to the brute,
or human form, has occasioned thousands to bow
down to them, have not entirely lost their spell. The
7




POETRY.


outward man spurns at the homage, but the inner
man confesses the fear. Ghosts and sprites are in
the day-dreams, as well as the night-visions, of the
people, and the Hawaiians continue a superstitious
and spirit-fearing race. In all their images of the
supernatural, nothing of the beautiful finds an origin.
The disgusting or dreadful alone obtains in their
darkened ideal.     There are exceptions among the
enlightened and better educated, for the preceding
remark, in its unqualified sense, applies only to the
lowest orders; the most numerous class of every
community.
A taste for poetical expression prevails to a very
considerable extent.*    The following composition
will serve to show its general character among those
converted to christianity. It was composed by a
graduate of the high school at Lahainaluna, while
watching the corpse of the son of a missionary to
whom    he was much attached.      The author was a
young man of moderate abilities, who died himself
shortly afterwards.    I give it in the original, as a
specimen of the Hawaiian language, and a literal
translation into English.
* In February, 1843, the comet which appeared so conspicuously
to the inhabitants of the United States, shone in equal size and
splendor in the Hawaiian heavens. Unlike the ignorant of our
country, the Hawaiians regarded it, not as an object of fear, but poetically called it the broad pennant of their beloved king, receding
from the skies, and taking leave of their race. This was just after
the seizure of the islands by Lord Paulet in behalf of Great Britain.
One of the tars of the English frigate Carysfort, borrowing the idea,
interpreted it to his ship-mates as the broad pennant of Captain
Cook, displayed by him in honor of the English flag waving over
the group, where he met his violent death.




EXAMPLE OF MODERN POETRY.


75


HE KANIKAU
NTo ka make ana o Gerita, ka makahiapo a Dauta luda ma; i make
ma Honolulu Nov. 13, 1839. 
NA HooHANO i haku.
Aloha wale ka pua nani,
0 ka Kauka kihapai,
Ua haule ia, ua nalo no,
O ka pua i opuu mua a mohala maikai ai,
A ikea kona nani, a ala no hoi,
Aka, hiki mai ka la wela a mae,
A haule no ua pua nani nei.
Haohao ka mea kihapai i ka haule ana o kehahi pua,
Imi ia aole loaa hou, ua nalo,
Ua palaho, ua huipu me ka lepo.
Auwe! aloha ino no na laau ohiohi,
1 kupu maikai ae a ua mae ka!
Kulou na pua a pau, me ka honi a ala no
Ku lakou a puni me ka mihi nui,
Auwe! auwe! kuu pua e, i haule iho nei!
Ninau ke konohiki i kona hakuaina,
Pehea la kou manao i keia puo no,
Au i kanu ai ma ko'u kuauna?'
Olelo mai ka haku,
'Ua lawe au i ke aka o kona nani a pau,
A haule kona opuu a huipu me ka lepo.'
Nani wale ka ulu ana o na laau.
Aloha ino ka hoaaina,
I ka una i ka imi me ka mihi nui no,
'Auhea oe e Gerita i hele iho nei,
Ahea oe, e hoi mai me ou hoahanau?
Hele hookahi oe ma ke ala mehameha,
Hele malihini ma ke ala ikea ole ia.
E Gerita, e Gerita, eia no makou a pau,
Na pua helelei a haule aku no.
Auhea oe, e hele oe i kamaaina aloha no makou nei a pau,
E Gerita e Gerita e hele no oe ma ka makemake o kou
Haku,
Aole no e hiki ke hoole i kou manao.
E hele oe, e hele oe a hele io no ma ke ala mehameha,
A pii ma ke ala hulili o ko ke Akua aupuni,
A komo i ka pa nani o Ierusalema,
A komo i ka malu o ko ke Akua aupuni;
E himeni ana oe me na anela maikai,
He hana hoomaha ole kau hana malaila.
E Gerita, e Gerita,
Aloha ino makou i ka ike ole ia oe;
O ka nalo ana no na, aole hoi hou mai.'




76       EXAMPLE OF MODERN POETRY.


[TRANSLATION.]
ELEGY
On the death of Gerrit P. Judd, Jr., at Honolulu, November 13, 1839;
aged ten years, eight months, and five days.
BY HOOHANO, a Sandwich Islander.
Farewell to the beautiful flower of the Doctor's garden!
It has fallen and vanished away;
The flower that budded first and blossomed fair,
Whose splendor and fragrance were known;
But the burning sun came, and it withered,
And that beautiful flower has fallen.
The occupant of the garden then wondered
That a single flower was gone from his sight.
He sought it, but found it not again,
It was gone, it was decayed,
It was mingled with the dust.
Alas! what a pity for the plants to be plucked!
They flourish well, but soon wither.
All the flowers bowed their heads, smelling the fragrance;
They stood around it in great sorrow.
Alas! alas! 0, my flower that has fallen!
The chief tenant Inquired of his Landlord:
'What thinkest thou concerning this flower,
Which thou didst plant in my border?'
The Lord replied: 'I have taken away
The image of all its glory;
Its bud has fallen, and is mingled with the dust.'
How beautifully the plants flourish!
Compassion for the tenant mourners, and searching with
grief:
' Whither, 0 Gerrit, hast thou gone.
When wilt thou return to thy birth-mates?
Thou hast gone alone in the way that is lonely;
Thou hast gone a stranger in an unknown path.
0 Gerrit, Gerrit  Behold, we all
Are falling fl*ers, and soon to fall.
Where art thou? Go on, a kind pioneer for us all.
0, Gerrit, Gerrit! thou goest at the pleasure of thy Lord,
And none can forbid thy design.
Go thou; travel on, till thou art wholly gone,
Along the lonely pathway,
And ascend the ladder of God,
And go within the glorious walls of Jerusalem,
And enter into the peace of God's kingdom.
Thou art singing hymns with good angels,
And endless employment is thy employment there.
0, Gerrit, Gerrit! how deeply we mourn,
Because we cannot now see thee;
Because thou hast gone from our sight,
And will not return to us more.'




SHIPWRECKED JAPANt5E.


77


Honolulu is quite a resort for Japanese, who have
either been wrecked on the shores of Oahu, or picked
up at sea by vessels of other nations, after having
been for months exposed to the casualties ohe
ocean, in their imperfect and rude barks. The  ost
interesting band of this nation, which misfortune
thus brought to these shores, arrived at Lahaina, in
the fall of 1839. They were- brought by the whaleship James Loper, Captain Cathcart. On the 6th of
June of that year, when in north latitude, thirty degrees, and east longitude, one hundred and seventyfour degrees, he fell in with the wreck of a junk.
Seven individuals were still alive upon it, who, with
all their movable property, were transferred to his
ship. The junk was then set on fire. Four of their
number were distributed among other ships, and all
finally were landed at Oahu. With a benevolence
which is characteristic of American whalers, their
wants were all gratuitously supplied, and, at the expiration of four months, when they were put ashore,
although they had a considerable amount of property
with them, together with a quantity of gold and silver, handsomely coined in the form of parallelograms, of various sizes and valuenone was retained
by way of compensation.
Among the number saved was Hesherro, a man
of fifty years of age, the owner of the junJl and, in
his own country, a person of wealth and consequenee.  He appeared to be well educated, and
pious; that is to say, devoted to the idolatry of his
native land, being most punctual in his devotion to a
little gilded idol, which, with a string of beads, was
7 




SHIPWRECKED JAPANESE.


enclosed in a wooden box. No consideration could
induce him to part with it. When urged to do so,
he would clasp his hands upon his breast, shake his
hea and, in his imperfect English, imploringly excl, 'By by, me die!' He had left five children to
deplore his loss; and his earnestness to be conveyed
to his home was painfully intense. All desired to
reach their native land; but his desire was especially
strong. When any vessel anchored in the roads, he
would come and bow down humbly before the missionary, with whom the party was staying, and, pointing to his children, exclaim, ' Kudomo!' (Japanese
for children,) and express their number by holding
up five fingers, while, with the other hand, he would
point to his eye, and say, ' Me no see.' The eloquence of his expression told of the deep parental
affection, which burned within the old man. He
was found dead, one morning, and buried at Honolulu.
From the others, much information, in regard to
their interesting country, was obtained. The name
of their vessel was Choajamur. They were bound,
from a town called Iko, to which they all belonged,
to Jeddo, and h4 on board a cargo of rice, dried
fish, and intoxicating spirits.  A violent gale from
the west overtaking them, drove them far to sea, and,
finally, cismasting the vessel, left her, a mere wreck,
to float aout at the sport of the waves. Owing to
a continuance of gales, although a jury-mast was
rigged, they were unable to regain their own coast,
and they continued to be driven farther to the eastward. They were dismasted about the first of Jan



SHIPWRECKED JAPANESE.


79


uary, 1839, and drifted about for five months, previously to meeting with the James Loper. Latterly,
their water failed, and six days passed wearily by, in
watching the heavens for signs of rain. TheirSgte,
also, was expended, and nothing edible remaied,
but the dried, salt fish. Their sufferings were intense. Silver coins were kept in their mouths, to
cool their parched throats. Three of their number
died.  Of the remainder, none could stand, or
scarcely crawl about the deck. At the end of the
sixth day, some rain fell. The relief this afforded
their miserable frames, none but those who have experienced the agonies of thirst, can tell. They caught
enough to supply them until they were taken from
the wreck.
Some effort was made to convert them to Christianity; but after any conversation upon the subject,
they would usually conclude their argument by observing: 'The God of the Americans is good for
Americans; and our gods are good for us.' They
had several books with them, which treated of their
religious rites. Judging from the plates with which
they were ornamented, a remnant of the ceremonies
of the Romish church still exists a:ong them. They
acknowledged five principal gods, and a multitude
of inferior ones. Izero, the clerk, and an intelligent
man, remarked, that he had read, in the literature of
his native land, 'that Christians are very bad men.)
Indeed, his opinion of them seemed to be analogous
to that of the poor aborigines of America, after millions of their race had perished by the fire and sword
of the militant missionaries of Spain. He was




SHIPWRECKED JAPANESE.


much astonished to learn that those who rescued him
from the wreck, and had supported him ever since,
called themselves Christians. 'It is impossible,' said
he` Christians no good; these men, very, very
good.' Of the attempts of the Jesuits to proselyte,
in Japan, in former times, he was aware. His account was, that a teacher of that faith, whom he
called ' padere,' came to reside at Ktusin, Amasaka.
He was at first poor, but finally, having made many
converts, obtained great possessions. The Emperor,
hearing of his success, became angered, and ordered
every vestige of the religion to be destroyed. The
people were compelled to trample upon a certain
sign they had, though he did not know its nature.
The priests, however, encouraged the neophytes to
retain it in their hearts.
From him a tariff of the retail prices of the principal exports and imports of his provinces was obtained, which, after much trouble, was reduced to the
American standard. It may prove of interest, particularly to the mercantile community, when the
prospects of trade with that quarter of the globe have
become so greatllenlarged. Samples of their own
manufactures, they had mostly with them.
Cottons, blue, brown, striped, &c., 14 in.
wide, by the piece of five fathoms,
acfording to quality, from 16 cts. to
56 cts.
White Grass Cloth, same width and length,
from 64 cts. to 80 cts.
White Cotton, same width and length, 16
to 48 ets.




SHIPWRECKED JAPANESE.


81


Silks, same width and length, 48 to 96 cts.
Best, one yard wide, heavy silk, per 5 fathoms,.....            $4 80
Figured Crape, 12 in. wide, 5 fathoms,.: 80
Dro, an article made of silk and linen, 5 
fathoms,......   1 12
do. 1 yard wide,...                 1 76
Velvet, silk, 14 in. wide, 5 fathoms,..  1 28
Calicoes, 5 fathoms, 48 to 64 cts.
Raw silk, per 100 lbs.,... 64 00
Foreign Broadcloth, imported from Chusin-Corea, fine, per fathom,..  25 60
Coarse do.....  19 48
Blankets, each,.....    32 00
The nation, according to his statement, is greatly
addicted to intemperance; business being done in
the forenoon, and the remainder of the day spent in
feasting and carousing.
Their system of numerals is curious and interesting. The following article, upon this subject, was
communicated to me, while editor of the Polynesian,
by Dr. Baldwin, of Lahaina, and, though somewhat
tedious to the general reader, as it has been suggested
to me to be worthy of a more permanent record than
the columns of a newspaper, I give it in connection
with the account of these strangers.
They were sent to Kamschatka, by a merchant of
Honolulu, to the care of the Governor of that province, who kindly promised to forward them to their
island homes. The Russians have, in several instances, endeavored to open an intercourse with
Japan, by returning her subjects, who have been cast




SYSTEM OF NUMERALS.


away; but, hitherto, have been repulsed.           These
men felt confident of regaining their country in
safety, notwithstanding the cruel laws of the empire;
an   even made arrangement for covertly opening a
trai, should any one be disposed to adventure a
vessel into their waters.     Their fate has not been
ascertained.
LAhTAINA, Sept. 23, 1840.
DEAR SIR,- It is now a long time since I promised to furnish
you the Japanese numerals for the paper; but an unusual variety
of engagements of late have left me scarce a leisure hour, at any time,
for such work. This is my apology for the delay. I will now, however, endeavor to comply with your request; or, at least, to furnish
you with such an abstract of these numerals, as will enable any
one to form a very good idea of their system. To give you the
whole, as I copied them from the lips of the Japanese, would furnish more matter than your paper would contain for several weeks.
In expressing the Japanese names of their numerals in our own
letters, I have given the vowels the sounds which they usually
have in the European languages, inasmuch as these letters have no
uniform sound in the English language.
It will be seen, by the least inspection, that this system of numerals is as simple as it can possibly be made; so simple and easy,
indeed, that, at my first sitting with a native Japanese, while indeed we knew only a few words of each other's language, it occupied me no more than fifteen minutes to learn to count a million.
And this will not seem strange to one who sees, that, after using
ten words to express the first ten cardinal numbers, only three additional new words are needed before we arrive at a million, and
even to many millions. The first ten cardinal numbers, combined,
express all the numbers up to one hundred, which is called hiakfu.
This again, combined with the same ten carries us on to one thousand (shen). Shen, combined with hiakfu and the first ten, reach
again to ten thousand (mon). Mon, combined again with the same
lower numbers, carries us up to ogf (100,000,000). Then Ko,Mureoko,
Shoajoko, and Muiingku are words used to express higher and still
higher combinations; making only eighteen words in all (including
the first ten) to express a number so great, that it will hardly find
a name in the English scholar's enumeration table.
So far as I have observed, the combinations of these numerals are
uniform, that is, are always formed in the same manner, till we
arrive at millions, and even higher. In numbers which are much
larger, there is some variety in the way of combining; the same
number being expressed, at one time, by the combination of one set
of numbers at another, by a different set, which may easily be
done; but always on precisely the same principle, which is, that
the higher number is formed from the lower numbers, simply by




SYSTEM OF NUMERALS.


placing the lower in juxtaposition; just as the letters of an algeraical expression are multiplied together. In this way. a Japanese
scholar may be able always to comprehend the amount of the highest number, by knowing the amount of each component part of
which the number is formed. A great advantage in this system is,
that the simple numbers are never changed in form, when they
enter into higher combinations. 
The following abstract will give the leading numbers, and show
the method of using the whole.
Iche, 1; Ne, 2; San, 3; She, 4; Go, 5; Rogf, 6; Shetz, 7; Hoch,
8; Kfu, 9; Zu, 10; Zu iche, 11; that is, ten, one; Zu ne, 12; Zu
san, 13; Zu she, 14; Zu go, 15; Zu rogf, 16; Zu Shetz, 17; Zu
hoch, 18; Zu kfu, 19; Ne zu, 20; that is, two tens; Nezu iche, 21;
Nezu ne, 22; and so on to San zu, 30; or three tens; Sanzu iche,
31, &c.; Shezu, 40; or four tens; Gozu, 50; Rogf zu, 60; Shetz zu,
70; Hoch zn, 80; Kfuzu, 90; Kfuzu kfu, 99; HIAKFU, 100. Hiakfu
iche, 101; Hiakfu ne, 102; Hiakfu san, 103; Hiakfu she, 104; Hiakfu
go, 105; Hiakfu rogf, 106; Hiakfu shetz, 107; Hiakfu hoch, 108;
Hiakfu kfu, 109; Hiakfu zu iche, 111; Hiakfu nezu, 120; and so on,
by the same process which is followed in counting one hundred,
until we come to Ne hiakfu, 200; San hiakfu, 300; She hiakfu, 400;
Go hiakfu, 500; Rogf hiakfu, 600; Shetz hiakfu, 700; Hoch hiakfu,
800; Kfu hiakfu, 900; Kfu hiakfu kfuzu kfu, 999; SHEN, 1000; Shen
iche, 1001; Shen ne, 1002, Shen san, 1003; Shen zu, 1010; Shen nezu,
1020; Shen sanzu, 1030; Shen hiakfu, 1100; Shen ne hiakfu, 1200;
Shen san hiakfu, 1300; and so on up to Ne shen, 2000; Ne shen iche,
2001, &c.; San shen, 3000; She shen, 4000; Go shen, Rogf Shen,
Shetz shen, Hoch shen, Kfu shen, 9000; ICHrE MON, 10,000; Iche
mon iche, 10,001, &c., always remembering, that a lesser number,
placed after a greater, is so much added to the greater; and a lesser
number placed before a greater, is a multiplier of a greater; as Ne
mon, 20,000; Ne mon iche, 20,001; Ne mon ne, 20,002; Ne mon
san, 20,003, &c.; San mon, 30,000; She mon, 40,000; Go mon, 50,000, &c,; Zu mon, 100,000; Zu iche mon, 110,000; Nezu mon, 200,000; Sanzu mon, 300,000; Shezu mon, 400,000; Kfuzu mon, 900,000; Hiakfu mon,l.,000,000; Ne hiakfu mon, 2,000,000; San hiakfu
mon, 3,000,000; Kfu hiakfu mon, 9,000,000; Shen mon, 10,000,000;
Shen hiakfu mon, 11,000,000; Shen ne hiakfu mon, 12,000,000;
Shen kfu hiakfu mon, 19,000,000; Nezu  iakfi mon, 2,0,000000;
(this last same as Ne shen mon, i. e. 20 X 100 X 10,000 = 2 X 1000 -X 10,000;) Sanzu hiakfa mon, 30,000,000; Kfuzu hiakfu mon, 90,000,000; ICHE OGF, 100,000,000.
In continuing this series of numerals, it will be sufficient only to
notice the principal numbers, as they rise one above another, by a
ratio of ten, a hundred, or a thousand; omitting the intermediate
numbers, inasmuch as they are always formed with perfect regularity, the same as in counting from one upwards to an hundred,
thousand, ten thousand, &c., e. g. Ne ogf, 200,000,000; San ogf,
300,000,000; She ogf, Go ogf, Rogf ogf, &c., &c., &c.
Zu ogf, 1,000,000,000; Hiakfu ogf, 10,000,000,000; Shen ogf, 100,000,000,000; Zu shen ogf, 100,000,000,000,000; Iche mon ogf, 10,000,000,000,000; Hiakfu mon ogf, 1,00,000,0000,000,000; Kfu hiakfu
mon ogf, 9,000.000,000,,o00,0, 




84              SYSTM      Or NUMERALS.
Icnro or Icutic o, 10,000,000,000,000,000.
Hiakfu ko, I,000,ooo,ooo,000,ooo 0oo.
Iche she'nko, 10,000,0001000,000p000,000.
Iche mon ko, l0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Iche ogf ko, 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Hiakfu ogf ko, 1,000,00O,000000,0OO,000,000,000,000,Oe
Sbhe ogf ko, 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.'
Hiakfu shen ogf ko, I,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0Oq.
ICHE MUREORKO, 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,(~)0,0OO0,0O000.
Zn mureoko,)
Hiakfu mureoklo,> Any one can fill out these numbers for himself.
Shen mureoko,)
Mon mureoko, 100,000,000,000,000,000,ooo,000,000,000o,000,00.
Zn mon mureoko,
lliakfu mon moreoko,
Iche ogf mureoko, 100-,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0oo.
Zu ogf mureoko,
Hiakfu ogf mureoko,
Shen ogf mureoko,
Zu s~hen ogf (or mon ogf) mureoko.
Kfu hiakfu shen ogf mureoko, 90,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,.
00000,000,000,OO 000,000.
lOIRE SUOAJoOO 100,000oo,000,000,00,00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Zu Shoajoko,
lliakfu Shoajoko,
Shen shoaj'oko,
Zn shen shoajoko,
Hiakfu shen shoajoko,
Iche mon shoajoko,
Zn mon shoajoko,
Hiakfu mon shoajoko,
Shen mon. shoajoko,
Kfn shen mon 'shoajoko, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0O00000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Iche ogf shoajoko, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Zn ogrfshoajoko,
Hiak'fu ogf shoajoko,
Kfu hiakfu ogf shoajoko,
lORE MUIINGRTY, 1.000,000,000,000,000,000 000-0(0000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Zn muiingku,
Hiakfu muiingku,
Shen mnuiingku,
Iche mon rnuiingku, 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,~000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Zn Mon muiing~ku,
Hiakfu mon muiingknL,
Shen mon muiingkn~,
I'ezu shen mon mulingku,
Hiak-fu shen. mon muiingku,
N~e hiakfti shen mon muiiniku,




SYSTEMI OF NUMERALS.


San hiakfu shen mon muiingku,
She hiakfu shen mon muiingkul,
Go hiakfu shen mon muiinigku,
Rogf hiakfu shen mon muiingku,
Shetz hiakfu shen mon muiingku,
Hoch hiakfu shen mon muiingku,
Kfu hiakfu shen mon muiingku,
Iche ogf muiingk-u (same as leche mon shen mon mnuiingku), ZOO,000,0oo,0oooooo~,0,000,041,00,000,00,0,000,O0~00,O,0001000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Zu ogf muiingku,
Sanzu o~gf muiingku,
Shezu ogf muiingku,
Gozu ogf muiingku,
Rogfzu ogf mnuiingku,
Shetzzu, ogf muiingku,
llochzu ogf muiingku7
Kfuzu ogf rnuiingku,
lliakfu ogf muiingku,
Ne hiakfu ogf muiingku,
San hiakfu ogf muiingku,
She hiakfu ogf mtiingku,
Go hiakfu ogf muiingku,
Shen ogf muiingku, 100,000,000,000,OO0,0'00,000,tlOOO00,000,000,000,000)0.00,)000,000,000,OOIOO,000,000,7000,)O0000.
Ne shen ogf muiingku.
San shen ogf muiingku,
She shen ogf muiingku,
Go shen ogf muiingku,
Rogf shen ogf muiingku,
Shetz shen ogf muiingku,
Iloch shen ogf muiingku,
Kfu shen ogf muiingku,
Iche ogyf ogf muiingku (same as MiAkf shen ogf muiingku), 10,000,600)0,000000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0001000,0001000,000,000,000 -Zu ogf ogf mnuiingku1
Hiakfu ogrf ogf muiingku,
Shen ogf ogf muiingku,
Iche mon ogf ogf muiingku,
Zu mon ogf ogf muiingku,
Hiakfu mon ogf ogf muiingku,
Shen mon ogf ogf muiingku,
Zu shen mon ogf ogf muiingku,
Kiakfu shen mon ogf ogf mnuiingku,
Shen shen mon ogf ogf muiingku, lOO,000,000,000,000,000,000,000oo,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0000100,00O0,000.
This number is as high as Izero, the Japanese of whom these
numerals were obtained, was able to reckon. He says, however,
that this is far from being the end of their enumeration-table, and
mentions a number he has often heard from the priests when har-,
manguing the people, viz:- Zu mon ogf bouts -bouts being a num-.
8




SYSTEM OF NUMERALS.


ber immensely larger than muiingku; but he does not know how
large a number bouts signifies, nor does he know how many numbers intervene between that and muiingku, nor what are the names
of those numbers. They are all, however, familiar to the learned
of Nipon.
One would suppose, that their concerns would not require any
higher numbers than those above given, for, besides having such a
vast number as muiingku alone, there seems to be, according to
their system, full liberty to combine with that, all the numbers that
are lower; and Hiakfu shan mon ogf ko mureoko shoajoko muiingku, would, by their rules, be such a number as we should express,
in our figures, by a 1 followed by 165 cyphers. If this would not
be large enough, the rules of combination equally allow us to say,
Hiakfu hiakfu shen shen mon mon ogf ogf ko ko, &c., &c., a number expressed by us by a I followed by 330 cyphers, a number large
enough, perhaps, to express the distance to some of the fixed stars,
in inches.
It ought, perhaps, to be observed here, that, while the above
sketch of Japanese numerals will show their system, yet, probably,
the higher numbers are not given accurately, according to that system. They were all obtained from the mouth of Izero, by commencing with the lowest, and proceeding, by small gradations, to
the highest number. Before we had finished the series, it was perceived, that, what seemed in one part to be established rules for
combining lesser numbers to make greater, were violated in another
part; for instance, mon, in one combination, avails 1000; in another 100,000; and in a third, 1,000,000; while it would seem that
it ought to avail just 10,000 in all places. Wherever this deviation
was perceived, Izero was questioned thoroughly, to ascertain how
many of each lower number made one of the next higher. But he
would not allow, that in any oT these cases, there was any error.
Probably, however, more learned Japanese would perceive the
errors. I think I have, in the list I copied, data enough to correct
the numbers which are wrong. Perhaps it might be done by the
abstract here given. But as Izero would not allow that there was
any mistake, I have preferred to set all down here according to his
diction, leaving to every one, who may please, to correct for himself.
I would only add, in conclusion, that if any one has curiosity
enough to look over these numerals, he should, by no means, begin
in the middle, but let him learn thoroughly the first ten cardinal
numbers, and he will then find he has the key to unlock the mystery of the whole.              Yours truly,
D. BALDWIN.




CHAPTER III.
Koloa Packet. - Voyage. - Companions. - Devotions of Hawaiian
Crew. — Appearance of Kauai.-Its Situation. — Harbors.Koloa Scenery. - Sugar Plantations. - History of. - Paper Money.- Counterfeit do. - Sugar-cane.- Quality of Soil.- Profits
of Sugar.- Probable Success in its Culture. -Effect of Foreign
Capital and Enterprise upon Natives.-Old System of Labor.
- Present. - A Novel Race. - Market Day. - Trading. - Culture of Silk.- Rapidity of Growth of the Mulberry. - Different
Species of Silk-worms.- Cross-breeds. - Loss of Capital invested
in Silk-business at Koloa.-Fatality of the Trees and Worms,
-Causes. —A    Beautiful, but Secluded Spot.-News from
'Home.'-A Covetous Governess.-A Singular Excursion.Mouna Kahili.- A Legend. -A Predatory Chieftain.- Reflections upon his Fate. - Valley of Hanapepe. - Surf-swimming. -
Remarkable Freaks of Nature. — A Cataract. — Great Mortality
at Hanapepe.- A Necessary though Sudden Marriage. — Good
Condition of Roads.- Who keeps them so. - Town of Waimea.
Capital of the Island.- Amelia, the Governess. - Mission Houses.
-Residences of the Rulers. -A Straw Palace. — A Fine Canoe.-Fort.-Niihau.-First Introduction of Fleas.    Soil of
Kauai. - Geological Features. - Mountains. - Uplands and
Lowlands.- Pali.- Remarkable    Caves. — Spouting Horn. —
Rivers. - Great Body of Arable Land. — Trades. — Climate.Storms.- Minerals, &c.
HONOLULU is a pleasant place, but it is not the only
spot worth visiting. During the summer months,
when the weather becomes a few degrees warmer,
and clouds of dust and strong winds, sweeping and
careering over the town, create a desire for a change
to the luxuriant fields and cooler breezes of Kauai,
which lies somewhat nearer a colder clime, numbers




KOLOA PACKET.


leave the dusty seaport for that island. Oahu has
hitherto borne the character of being the garden of
the group, but let the reader follow me in my wanderings over Kauai, and I think that he will agree with
me in asserting that to that island more properly
belongs the distinction. In voyaging from island to
island, there is but little choice in the means of conveyance; a canoe, or a miniature vessel of a few
tons burden, and but little better, being the common
resort, unless, luckily, a stray whaler in passing
should give the happy vagrant a 'lift' Necessity,
or the strongest curiosity alone, tempts any one to trust
himself to the craft, which usually does the honors
of that passage.  She is a frail thing, yclept the
Pilot, manufactured in the forests of Tahiti, and one
day, after buffeting the tropical waves for two months,
found herself in the harbor of Honolulu. In any
other port, she would have astonished the inhabitants almost as much as the barks of Columbus did
the simple natives of Guanahini. But Honoluluians
are accustomed to Sinbad feats of sailorship. The
virtues of the Pilot being so well tested, she was formally installed as a regular 'liner,' under the command of the experienced Captain Spunyarn. As
no opposition existed, a most exorbitant price was
charged for the satisfaction of making a fellow-being
as completely miserable for a day or week as might
be, as foul air, vermin, and sea-sickness could render
him. No discredit to the worthy captain, however,
for he was a clever fellow, having under his orders a
mate and cook. For several years had he commanded this stout schooner, and he knew every




VOYAGE.


89


wave by sight, and every change of wind and variation of current by instinct. If any one doubts his
seamanship, let him go no farther; as for his face, it
was the very picture of inward satisfaction. He
could not have been happier or prouder had he
commanded a dashing frigate. To be sure, he had
capsized her once in a squall, but being near land
she was towed ashore and righted. And as for
drowning a Polynesian, you might as well try to
drown a flying-fish. On another occasion, a whale
rising alongside created a surge that well-nigh en- -
gulfed her; but still she survived, and still continued
to sail crowded with passengers, each one on leaving
her most devoutly praying, that that might be the last
time their feet should cross her gangway. Visions
of stately ships, swift steam-boats, and every other
variety of decent conveyance flitted through my
mind, as, after having screwed up my courage to the
embarking point, (although the while I felt it an undertaking to be compared to nothing but crossing
the bridge of a single hair which leads to the Mussulman's paradise,) I wended my way towards the
wharf where the Pilot was tied up. Her sails were
hoisted; without further ado, I jumped aboard, and
bidding a reluctant farewell to Honolulu, soon found
myself out of the harbor, and running before a brisk
trade along the leeward side of Oahu. Now, as no
traveller visits Hawaii net, without encountering sorrows like mine, I shall give the reader, who may
have designed a similar excursion, a glance at what
he will have to encounter, by way of encouragement. Let him not imagine because he has crossed
8*




COMPANIONS.


the Atlantic, or doubled Cape Horn, and cheated old
father Neptune of his tribute, that he will defraud
him now. 0, no! Down upon your back upon the
deck, as straight as four feet by one will allow, with
the privilege of shifting your quarters every few
hours to go about. Hapless victim, the penalty is
upon you.
Talk about the horrors of the 'mid passage.'
No slave, pent in his vile hole, ever settled more
unwilling account with his brineship than I did
in the 'mid channel.' Just picture the comfort
to be enjoyed in a little-decked vessel, a sort of amphibious craft, not so large as a frigate's launch,
whirled and tossed in the froth of the ocean like a
mere feather, now under water, now out again, shaking the spray from itself, much like an old water-dog.
The few feet of deck is shared with some dozens of
natives, the near contact of whom allows you only
room to curl up as square as possible in. No abolitionist can have less antipathy to the various colored
cuticles that cover our race, than I have, but when
my next neighbor's shins are in close contact
with my cranium, and that neighbor is a swarthy,
naked Hawaiian, with a skin well furrowed with
a disease, a remedy for which quacks have been
exerting their advertising powers ever since the
days of Noe, I confess some little sensitiveness.
But in the effort to avoid Scylla I fell upon Charybdis, in the shape of one of the fairer sex, whose attire
is just sufficient to convince even the most sea-sick,
that woman unadorned is not always adorned the
most. Her hair, ah! that 's just the thing I am en



VOYAGE.


91


deavoring to avoid, for living reasons which none
can gainsay —so not another word on this topic. A
few stout hogs, the pot companions of their masters,
completed our mess. Let no one turn up his nose
at even a swinish fellow voyager. A friend of mine
and his family had the misfortune to be out ten days
in the least of all these cockle boats, in making the
passage from one island to another. Towards the
last of the time it began to be a serious affair, and
hunger stared them in the face. To such an extremity were they driven, that they held a consultation as
to what they should have to eat. The result was,
that one of their number, in order to save the lives
of the remainder, was doomed to cut the throat ---of a porker, whose layers of fat, the result of many
years high feeding, supplied them with fuel to cook
the lean withal — a Jack Sprat process which would
have shocked Epicurus, if he had not been as hungry as my worthy friend.
The wind not proving fair, our voyage was prolonged, with all the usual disagreeableness incidental
to such trips. At times the breeze would die away
entirely, and leave the vessel pitching, and rocking,
and twisting about in the vexed waves. much like a
spoiled child who attempts to show his sense of injured dignity, by throwing his puny form upon the
floor, and sprawls legs and arms into the air, while
he distorts his body into a thousand inexpressible
shapes, extremely consoling to himself, but not particularly edifying to any one else. Equally vain
would it be to make such an urchin stand without
his will, as it was for us to stand with the best of




92


VOYAGE.


wills. The frequent and rising sensations in the
epigastric region seem to have some sympathetic
connection with Hogarth's line of beauty; for all my
motions, at least, were in a curvilinear direction, until
having enlightened the scaly dwellers of the deep to
the utmost of my abilities, as to the nature of my
diet for the previous week, I curled myself up into
the smallest compass possible; and, under the protection of a mat, bid defiance to the scorching sun, and
the rain-squalls that occasionally discharged their
humid contents upon us. Reader, were you ever in
such a situation —did your nose ever acquire an
extra 'turn up ' as the reeking odors of poi in all its
sweet savor struck upon your nostrils? Have you
never envied the graceful nonchalance with which a
grinning Hawaiian slips the sticky food down his
throat, smacking his lips in the extent of his satisfaction, and with a benevolent smile, offering to share
his mess with your forlorn self? Did not the poi
smell particularly sour just then, and did you not
imagine that the calabash contained more than its
usual quantum of dirt, even to make it agreeable to
an Hawaiian stomach; and then has not the manner
with which a young porker, or snub-nosed little puppy intruded its snout into the owner's face, with a
glance so particularly expressive of 'give me some,'
struck you as singularly pastoral and affectionate?
When you have awaked from your sea-sick trance,
with a keen sense of a vacuity not far from the
region of the internal man, vulgarly yclept the stomach, and looked with greedy eyes into your basket,
which, when you came aboard had been well stored




DEVOTIONS OF HAWAIIAN CREW.


93


with luxuries, which now you could weep even to
think over, and found - nothing, have you not been
satisfied that kanakas are fond of something else
besides 'poi?' HIave not your ears dwelt in listening wonder upon the mystic sounds of 'bumegai,'
as they are shouted ever and anon by the skipper,
and echoed from stem to stern. If you have never
experienced all this, why you can, any day, by paying five dollars for the privilege of the softest plank
you can select upon the deck of the good packet
Pilot, Spunyarn master.
But, seriously, I know of few situations where a
man feels more dependent upon the care of Him,
who ruleth the storm, and can bid the wrathful waves
-' peace, be still,' than in one of the small and ill
provided craft that ply about these islands, with ignorant, careless crews, dozing over their pipes, and,
as is frequently the case, with no land in sight, and
nothing but the stars, or an imperfect compass, to
guide them. Blow as it may, their puny vessels are
ever to be found buffeting the waves; their crews,
regardless of time spent, and the Captain careful only
for his expected gains, pushing boldly out to sea, and
trusting, one would think, in Turkish fatality, rather
than in skill or weather. Yet they generally arrive
in safety at their destined ports. Like the Osmanlis,
the Captains are regular and consistent in their devotions, and whatever may be the condition of the
vessel, at sunrise or sunset the crew are assembled
aft, while he lifts his voice in thanksgiving for mercies past, and prays for protection to come. On
such occasions, in tones of humility and sincerity,




APPEARANCE OF KAUAI.


while all around were awed into silence, here I heard
the throne of heaven addressed by a simple, untutored islander. Not only were guidance and protection implored for themselves and their king, but England, France, the United States, and not to omit even
those nations of whom they knew not, ' all the world '
were remembered in these orisons. Callous must be
the heart that can witness these half-converted heathen, thus addressing the one true Jehovah, and not
feel the spirit of prayer warm within him. From
whatever motive it may arise, it is at once a grateful
and impressive custom.
After setting foot again upon terra firma, one feels
much as if he stood as good a chance of living out
his days, as other men, provided he tempt not Providence again by a similar venture, and shakes himself
well to discover whether he takes ashore all the limbs
he carried aboard. A day or two suffices for them
to recover their vertical position, and it is their owner's fault, if the cool breezes and verdant landscapes
of Kauai do not make the voyager in a short time
forget all his past troubles, and enter upon all the new
scenes with a freshness of spirit and keenness of
relish, enhanced by the difficulties experienced in
reaching them.
Both Oahu and Kauai present rather a dun appearance, as they are approached from the sea; but,
on nearer inspection, the loftier peaks, broader plains,
and more picturesque valleys, of Kauai, assume a
more verdant aspect. Kauai, having been far less
visited by travellers than the other islands of the
group, is the least known; yet, in charming variety




ITS SITUATION. —HARBORS.


95


of scenery, and general goodness of soil, it stands
unrivalled.  Its northernmost point lies in twentytwo degrees, seventeen minutes, north latitude; its
southern, in twenty-one degrees, fifty-six minutes.
It lies between one hundred and fifty-nine degrees,
forty-one minutes, and one hundred and sixty degrees, eight minutes, west longitude, and embraces
an area of about five hundred square miles, and is
seventy-five miles distant from Oahu. It is nearly
circular in shape, affording no good harbors, though
there are a few spots, inside of the reefs which line
the eastern shore, where the smallest class of vessels
can anchor in safety, but find it very difficult to get
out, should the trade-winds blow freshly. The principal roadsteads are at Waimea, and Koloa on the
south side, and Hanalei on the north. Waimea has
always been the principal resort for vessels, since the
discovery of the island; and it was here, that all the
early navigators anchored, it being then, as now, the
capital of the island. But more of this place, anon.
The direct communication between Oahu and Kauai
is kept up, from Koloa, on the southeastern point, by
means of small vessels, that ply to and fro, making
the passage down in from one to two days, and the
trip back, being against the trades, in from four to
seven days. It is an open roadstead; but ships can
lie in safety, through most of the year, and take in
cargoes. The landing is at a rough stone pier, built
at the mouth of a small stream, and just inside of a
projecting point of reef.
Koloa rises gradually from the sea, until it attains
a height of a few hundred feet, when it meets with




96    KOLOA SCENERY.-SUGAR PLANTATIONS.


a range of high hills, which separate it from an extensive plain on the north. These hills have a gradual rise, on the south side; but, on the opposite side,
they sweep up from the plain, in a precipitous curve,
steep and cragged, presenting, at their summits, the
appearance of a huge wave, suddenly consolidated,
just as it was about to topple over, and break upon
the shore. Koloa presents a variety of landscape,
that is seldom to be met with. Mountains and hills,
plains and valleys, cottage and hamlet, are sprinkled
in careless order; yet, from whatever point they are
viewed, they present a charming coup d'ceil.  Here
are to be seen the chief agricultural enterprises of the
islands; and at no other point are the good effects of
foreign capital, united with native industry, more perceptible than this. A few years since, Koloa was a
mere hamlet, seldom visited by even a missionary.
After it became a mission station, its fertility, and the
great size which sugar-cane attains, from which it
derives its name, (ko, cane -  oa, great,) attracted the
attention of some capitalists from Oahu, who, having obtained a grant of land from government, determined to make the experiment of raising sugar.
In 1836, for three hundred dollars per annum, they
secured, for fifty years, an extensive tract of the best
portion of Koloa. The jealousy of the petty chiefs,
in seeing their lands thus alienated, proved, for sometime, a great obstacle to their success. They carried
their opposition so far, as to forbid all sale of provisions, from their people to the agent, who repaired
here to commence operations; and he was wellnigh
starved into a retreat. This surmounted, a greater




PAPER MONEY. - COUNTERFEITED


97


obstacle lay in overcoming the repugnance of the natives to regular and protracted labor, and their utter
ignorance of tools. At one time, in lieu of cattle, he
was obliged to employ forty natives, to drag a plough.
Gradually, by a lavish expenditure of capital, all
difficulties were overcome, and the lands made to
yield good crops of sugar-cane.
From the want of a sufficient quantity of small
change, to keep a large number of laborers employed, a card currency was introduced, which
formed the first issue of paper money in Polynesia.
It was redeemable, in goods, at the stores only of the
proprietors of the plantations.  If any one doubts
the capacity of the victims of this paper currency,
for the most extended civilization, the following fact
is quite sufficient to remove it. It had not long been
in circulation, before some sharp-witted fellows
among them made a counterfeit, so strikingly like
the original, imitating the signatures with scrupulous
exactness, that it was some time before the fraud was
detected.  But, savage-like, they seemed to take
more pleasure in the deception, than in any gain accruing from it; for, to make a hapawalu, (twelve and
a half cents,) it would take them much longer, than
to have earned it by labor in the fields. The several
pieces varied, in value, from a hapaumi, six and a
quarter cents, to one dollar. One real (twelve and a
half cents) per day, is the nominal price of labor, in
the agricultural districts; but, at that price, it has
been found impossible to compete with the cheaper
labor of the East Indies, and the Philippine Islands.
As is common in all experiments, much money has
9




SUGAR-CANE. —QUALITY OF SOIL.


been fruitlessly expended, at Koloa. The price-of
sugar, on the plantations, has fallen, from five to two
cents per pound; a rate, which can afford no profit
to foreigners, who engage in it, but one which pays
the Hawaiian agriculturalist, on his petty farm, a better price than some other articles. The buildings,
erected at Koloa, for boiling houses, &c., are good;
but, for other purposes, they are mostly of thatch, and
will last but a few years. The water-power is ample, and turns a powerful iron-mill, erected two years
ago, at an expense of ten thousand dollars. It serves
to grind all the cane raised in the district.  From
four to six hundred acres are under cultivation, a
large proportion of which is planted by the natives.
The sugar manufactured is inferior only to the better
samples of the Havana and Louisiana. The clayed
sugars, of which but little has been made, are poor;
but the quality has been annually improving. No
better molasses is produced anywhere. It is worth
twelve and a half cents per gallon, at the mill.
The cane, to be in perfection, should be so planted,
that it will remain from twelve to sixteen months
upon the ground. In autumn, when it is all in blossom, the fields present a most beautiful appearance;
the long, golden-colored stalks, lifting up their heads
far above the regularly-planted rows, their silvery
tassels, floating gayly in the wind, or drooping gracefully from their half-burst sheaths, seem like a brilliant array of soldiery, with their lances glistening in
the bright sunlight, and pennons spread to the breeze.
The virgin soil commonly produces fifteen hundred pounds to the acre, being fifty per cent more




PROBABE RiCESS IN SUGAR CULTURE.    99
than the average in Liisiana. In one instance, five
thousand pounds were taken from one acre, which
had been previously cultivated, and the land mellow
and rich; two thousand pounds per acre have been
frequently taken off; but it is supposed, that the soil,
when properly taken care of, will settle down to the
first-mentioned amount. The varieties of the cane
are, the red, white, and striped, of which the last is
considered the best, as it does not lose much juice in
remaining on the ground after it is ripe.
By many, it is doubted, whether the production of
sugar can be made a profitable business, at this
group. Unless labor becomes cheaper, and laborers
more abundant, it will not greatly increase.  The
Hawaiians are annually finding more lucrative and
agreeable sources of support, than the severe labor
of hoeing and planting cane. Markets, also, are distant and uncertain; the nearest being New Holland
and Chili, both of which countries can be better supplied from Manila and Peru. The Oregon Territory, when it becomes settled, will prove the best;
and the shipping, particularly the whalers, take off a
large amount for stores.
But these islands possess some advantages over
other countries, where it is an important staple. The
soil is peculiarly adapted for its growth. In the East
Indies labor is cheaper; but in the West Indies and
Louisiana it is much higher, as can readily be shown
by comparing the expenditures of two plantations.
Slave labor is very much dearer than free labor; the
interest of the money alone, which a slave costs,
being sufficient to hire a workman here, without the




100    FOREION CAPITAL AND EXTERPRISE.


additional expense of family, risk of death, etc. In
addition to this, is an expensive steam-engine, with
a salaried engineer, attorney, and physician, which
'are all necessary on an extensive slave plantation,
but not required for one conducted in the usual
manner at these islands. Freedom from taxation is
also an important item.  The soil has, heretofore,
yielded as well as that of other countries; in many
instances, better. In no part of the world, can workmen be fed and housed, cheaper than here; a
thatched dwelling, sufficient for a family, costing
only five dollars. The expense of ploughing and
planting the cane, per acre, is, as I was informed, by
one who has had much experience in this matter, not
over five dollars. But the business has not, as yet,
been prosecuted to an extent sufficient to warrant
any extensive comparison; but, so far as a judgment can be formed, the chances of its ultimate success are as great, here, as in most other sugar countries.
Koloa is now a flourishing village. A number of
neat cottages, prettily situated amid shrubbery, have
sprung up, within two years past. The population
of the place, also, has been constantly increasing, by
emigration from other parts of the island. It numbers, now, about two thousand people, including
many foreigners, among whom are stationed a missionary preacher, and physician, with their families.
The good effects, resulting from the agricultural
enterprises, are not confined exclusively to mere pecuniary returns. They have had a high and noble
influence upon te natives; one that has operated, to




OLD AND PRESENT SYSTEMS OF LABOR.  101


a great extent, in bringing about the present favorable change in behalf of the people. They have
proved a death-blow to that species of domestic
slavery, which has so long been preying upon their
best energies and interests. The Kauaiians were, of
all others, the most oppressed by their chiefs, being
despised and contemned, as a conquered race. Their
degradation was beyond account; and when the
plantations were first established among them, their
stupidity and vicious habits threatened to prove insuperable obstacles to their success. The spirit of
commerce, once awakened, produced most favorable
changes in their character; and when they found
that their time and labor was worth something more
to them than hard words and little food, they were
not slow in letting their rulers know it. The result
has been, that they have, ever since, enjoyed more
personal freedom, and their condition has been grad->
ually improving. Even the King, who cultivates
the soil largely here, satisfied that free labor is the
most profitable, has, of late, abolished the working
days, and pays his workmen, who labor under the
superintendence of a white man, regular wages.
Under the old system, the natives were called out
early in the morning, and kept at work until three
o'clock, P. M., when they were dismissed. The
amount of work, which several hundred men would
perform, driven like cattle to the field, with but a
few to overlook them, can easily be imagined. To
them it was generally a day of noise and fun; the
one who could shirk the most was the best fellow;
and the hearty peals of laughter, which would fol9*




103


WORKMEN.


low the effusion of some wag of the company, would
delay the work, far more than all the blows or threats
of the overseers could speed it. After a year's trial,
the superintendent finding, that, if he were obliged
to depend upon the system of compulsory labor for
the cultivation of the sugar-cane, it would soon run
out, His Majesty authorized a change; and his lands
are now cultivated in the same manner as those of
the whites.
It has been the custom of the proprietors of the
plantations here, to bargain with the government for
the services of a certain number of families, for
whom they pay all taxes, and who, in return, are
called upon for no other work than what is essential
to their business as day-laborers. It is altogether
voluntary on the part of the families whether they
will go or not, but the inducement of regular wages,
good houses, and plenty of food, when compared
with their usual mode of living, is one that few
resist.
The surveillance of a gang of these workmen is,
however, no sinecure. Some are honest fellows,
and work with a will, but with many the object is
to work as little, and play as much, as they can. It
is really amusing to a disinterested individual, to
watch the shifts that they will make to deceive their
employers; and, as to cornering them in a story, it is
impossible. You may chase them from one lie to
another, but you cannot catch them. If the overseer leave for a moment, down they squat, out come
the pipes, and the longest-winded fellow commences
upon a yarn, a sort of improvisation, that keeps the




A NOVEL RACE.


103


others upon the broad grin. Their humor is indescribable, and, to ears polite, rather vulgar. Nothing
escapes their attention; they will mimic the haole,
(foreigner,) and then as soon as he comes in sight,
seize their spades, and commence laboring with an
assiduity that baffles description, and perhaps all
the while not strain a muscle. With them a joke
is a joke; they love it as well at their own expense,
as at another's; but let him look out who gets the
whole laugh turned upon himself. They are perfect adepts in blackguardism, and would stand professors to the denizens of St. Giles's themselves. In
many points they are like the genuine man-of-war's
men — they laugh and sing while they have enough
to eat, careless of the morrow; spending all they
raise upon their friends. Thus, many a fellow
earns from forty to fifty dollars per annum, and yet
cannot boast a shirt to his back; his friends and
relatives having cozened all his wages from him.
When the plantations were first started, an attempt
was made to keep the workmen clothed, but it
proed futile.  A  Hawaiian will work in the
suit that nature gave him, which being of dirt color,
is, perhaps, after all, the best adapted for that purpose, and does not wear out in washing. As to
clothes, they are only for special occasions, kept for
Sundays, or to lend. I have known a cast-off pair
of pants serve the turn of half a dozen families.
Some years since, when calico was a more valuable
article than at present, I saw two young damsels
who had become the fortunate possessors of a frock
each, and were displaying their rare acquirements with




MARKET DAY.- TRADING.


much self-complacency to their envious and less
fortunate sisters, when a shower came up. Off
went the garments, which were rolled up and put
under the arms, and off started the fair ones in all
their pristine beauty, on a race for shelter.
Saturday is the general market and shopping day,
and the time allotted by the chiefs, to the natives, to
prepare their food for the ensuing week. At sunrise
the little shops on the plantations are opened, to
redeem the paper money, and purchase such articles
as the natives bring for sale. Crowds of them in
the rudest attire, or in no attire at all, early throng
the house. One brings vegetables, another fish, fine
tapas, mats, curiosities, in short, any thing and every
thing which they suppose the haole, (foreigner,) to
want. Women leading fat pigs, which ever and
anon they take in their arms, and press to their
bosoms, to still their deafening and prolonged
lamentations, or to give the last fond embrace, join
the throng; while dog and fowl add their voices to
the dulcet strain. Then commences the barter:knives, needles, flints, calicoes, and all the numerous
etcetera of a trading establishment are spread in
tempting array before their wistful eyes, and a scene
of cheapening, undervaluing, and petty deception
ensues, which would do credit to a Seminarian belle,
or require the pencil of a Cruikshank to depict.
The rigidity of the facial muscle, which so peculiarly characterizes an American trader, rendering
the features stiff and uninviting, forcibly contrasts
with the varied expression, the shrug of the shoulder,
and gesture of the limb, which so strongly imply




CULTURE OF SILK.


105


what words are weak in conveying, and which no
Hawaiian fails to use in the greatest profusion,
accompanied with certain suspicious grunts, (which
I strongly suspect are imitated from their favorite
pets and mess companions,) in conversing upon any
subject in the least exciting. In fact, more meaning
is conveyed in a look, wink of the eye, or twitch of
a muscle, as their manner of trading bears ample
testimony, than volumes of the king's English can
express. Of all the arts of civilized life, that of
close trading is the first acquired by savages, because
it is the first taught.
Considerable interest has been felt among those
who are interested in the prosperity of these islands,
in the experiment which was made at Koloa, on an
extensive scale, in the raising of raw silk, as one,
which, if successful, would not only afford a valuable export, but prove an important branch of
domestic industry, giving suitable and profitable
employment to women and children. Some years
since, several gentlemen, attracted by the even temperature of the climate, and the rapidity and vigor
with which the mulberry plants grew, conceived the
idea of establishing a silk plantation.  Further
experiments having confirmed their design, a spot
of land embracing about three hundred acres, was
selected and leased for that purpose. It is most
delightfully situated, about three miles from the
beach, on gently undulating ground, bounded on
the southern and western sides by a fine brook,
affording valuable mill privileges, and on the opposite, by an abrupt range of well-wooded hills,




CULTURE OF SILK.


attaining an elevation of two thousand feet. The
prospect from these is lovely in the extreme; the
eye glances down upon several plantations situated
at their feet, with rich, waving fields of sugar-cane
or mulberry trees, planted in squares, and intersected
at regular distances with broad avenues, bordered
by banana plants or ornamental trees. Prettily embosomed amid shrubbery or neat gardens, like birds'
nests cradled amid bright flowers and green leaves,
are the cottages of the superintendents; and near by
the thatched houses of the laborers, disposed in regular rows, fronting the roads. Farther off, the white
walls of a large church shine conspicuously in the
bright sun, a striking contrast to the dingy sides and
distillery-like look of the boiling-house and sugarmill. Around these the natives have clustered their
rude hamlets, and little patches of cultivated ground;
the whole affording a gratifying picture of incipient
civilization. The busy passing to and fro of long
lines of carts loaded with the sweets of the soil, and
the swarms of laborers wielding their hoes amid the
fields, animate the scene. The hoary crest of an
old crater rises abruptly from the plain near the
sea, amid a field of indurated lava, a monument of
nature's wrath in former days. A rugged and towering peak, conspicuous above all its brethren, affording an excellent landmark, shoots up in solitary
grandeur to the east, while not far from its base, the
ocean dashes on the shore in a long line of breakers.
The beauty of this scene, even as it tempts the eye
to dwell in unceasing admiration upon its fair features, keeps the pen still employed in tracing its




CULTURE OF SILK.


107


outline, fearful lest a single spot of all that rich
mixture of grand and beautiful, civilized and savage,
should escape its notice.
But to the silk plantation again. After the land
was secured, a large portion of it was immediately
planted with the native or black mulberry, which
bears but a small leaf, and was the only variety on
the islands, (excepting the morus papyfera, and a
few of the morus alba,) at that time. It flourished
beautifully, and bore a great quantity of leaves.
One, taken from the field at random, of eight months'
growth, afforded three and a half pounds of leaves, and
in six weeks after it was wholly stripped, it leaved
out again, so as not to be distinguished from the
rest. So much were the proprietors encouraged thus
far, that they imported another variety of the mulberry from China, known as the Canton, which thrived
well, and afforded much more food in proportion to
its size, some of the leaves measuring eight and ten
inches broad, by twelve inches long. They were all
planted in hedge-rows, from six to ten feet apart,
and two feet apart in the rows, and were allowed to
attain a height of from six to eight feet. The ground
was kept entirely free from weeds. The Chinese
worm was also imported at this time, but fed only
in sufficient quantities to preserve a sufficient number of eggs for stock. One of the proprietors embarked for the United States, where he spent eight
months in acquiring information in regard to the
business, purchasing machinery for reeling, which
was intended to be done by steam, and in securing
the best varieties of trees and eggs, with a family of




CULTURE o0 SILK.


three persons to superintend cocooneries, and to teach
the natives to reel. So highly was this enterprise
thought of then (1838) in the United States, that the
proprietors could have realized an advance of two
hundred per cent. on their investment thus far. Even
the most skeptical, in regard to the business there,
could see no obstacle to its success in a climate
where the trees gave heavy crops the year round, and
the temperature was such as to require but little artificial protection for the worms. Labor and buildings were also exceedingly cheap, it being found that
common thatched buildings, such as could be erected at the expense of a few dollars each, would serve
both to feed and reel in, thus obviating the heavy
expenses required for cocooneries and reeling-houses
in less favorable climates. The agent arrived from
the United States in the spring of 1839, and found
the plantation in a flourishing condition, and well
stocked with trees. He brought with him the best
varieties of the American worms, including the
mammoth white, and yellow, and the pea-hut, also a
fine lot of the morus multicaulis. These were planted immediately, throve well, and were so highly esteemed, that cuttings of but two buds each, were
sold to others about engaging in the same enterprise,
for from one to two dollars the slip. The leaf grew
beautifully, thick and heavy, and to a great length,
sometimes measuring fourteen inches. Its only advantage, by way of food, appeared to be its size and
rapidity of growth. The wormsfed with equal avidity upon all the other varieties. It was then coneluded to let the black mulberry run out, and to plant




CULTURE OF SILK.


109


the latter in its place. After the first year it was discovered, that if the mulberry was allowed to grow
beyond a certain size it withered, and became valueless as food. This was remedied by cutting it down
yearly, (the month of January, when vegetation had
mostly ceased growing, being the best time.) Young
and vigorous shoots then shot up, in two or three
months, suitable for food. A sufficient quantity of
trees being now planted and doing well, it was determined to commence feeding the worms in numbers.
The Canton, white and yellow varieties, were first
tried, but they formed but small cocoons, of exceedingly fine fibre, which made a beautiful silk, but a
large proportion of it was wasted in floss; so much
so, that it required many thousands more to form a
pound of silk, than the American variety, and it was
found impossible to make them profitable. The
American eggs were then exposed. No one had
doubted but they would hatch with the greatest
readiness; though in good order, they hatched but a
few at a time, from four or five to as many hundred
a day, and none on some days. It was thought that
the eggs from these would become acclimated, and
this irregularity cease; but it proved worse than before. Some of the eggs hatched in ten days from
the time they were laid, while others would not in
as many months. Every experiment, by way of artificial heat, freezing, wearing them next to the person, and other methods were tried, but all in vain.
It was discovered that they needed a winter, and
many were packed up in bottles, and sent upon the
neighboring mountains to remain several months.
10




CULTURE OF SILK.


Their height being but four or five thousand feet, did
not produce the requisite temperature, and from their
being imperfectly packed, most of them decayed.
Those that hatched formed beautiful fine cocoons,
with but little floss, averaging about four thousand
to the pound of raw silk. The experiment was now
tried, of crossing the American breed with the
Chinese, and with the greatest success. Two varieties of cocoons were produced, inclining more to
the American than the Chinese, one of a deep
orange color, the other of a delicate straw color.
These answered admirably, requiring from five to
seven thousand to the pound of raw silk. They
reeled with the greatest ease, so much so that native women, with but few days' instruction, could
turn off from one half to three fourths of a pound
daily. Their eggs hatched again in from fifteen to
twenty days, and came to maturity in twenty-four,
and continued to do so for upwards of a year,
without degenerating in quality. It was attempted
to cross this breed again with the pure American,
but the worms resulting therefrom were found to
have so many of the characteristics of the American,
as to be of little use.
It was now thought, (the spring of 1840,) that
every difficulty was overcome, and a profitable business would soon make amends for previous delays
and losses. But the proprietors, after expending most
of their funds in thus getting under way, were doomed to disappointment. A drought set in, such as
had not been known before since the missionaries
first resided upon the islands, twenty years since. The




CULTURE OF SILK.


11l


trees which had been so flourishing withered under
its influence, and, at the same time, a species of
aphides, or wood louse, much like the chiton shell in
appearance, attached itself to them, speedily covering every limb and leaf upon them. What juices
were left by the drought were soon exhausted by
those parasites, and the trees became lifeless and
leafless. The crops of worms which had commenced feeding, by hundreds of thousands, were obliged
to be thrown away, and thus a season's labor was
lost, while a heavy expense was incurred. In addition to this, a species of spider, of a plump, manycolored body, of the size of a chestnut, added their
ravages to the other destroyers, by attaching themselves, by millions, to the young trees, by means of
a firm, hard web, through which it was quite diflicult to make one's way. How far these latter are
the result of the drought, it is impossible to say, but
it is not at all improbable, if a favorable season
should set in, that they will be destroyed.  The
strong trade-winds also did damage, by whipping
the leaves, and, during the winter season, when a
'kona,' or southerly gale blew, the fields, and vegetation generally, were as much affected as if they
had been touched with frost. Leaves, flowers, and
blossoms wilted and fell from their parent stalks,
crusted, apparently, with a coating of salt. 1However, these casualties, which affected mulberry trees
to so disastrous an extent, extended their ravages to
most other plants, and though the lice or spiders did
not affect the sugar-cane, yet the drought diminished the crop at least one half.




112        A BEAUTIFUL SECLUSION.
In 1841, the proprietors, unable to bear any further expenses in prosecuting a business against so
many obstacles, relinquished the undertaking. The
land has since been planted with sugar-cane.
Of the many beautiful and healthy spots which
God has provided on the face of the earth for the
residence of his creatures, perhaps few, if any, excel
some situations in Kauai. If seclusion from society
be the misanthrope's heaven, a paradise would await
him here. Nature is all smiles and loveliness. The
breeze bears health and vigor on its wings. No
keen, racking wind penetrates to the bones, or
sweltering heat enervates the system. The air is
genial and balmy. The fields are verdant, and
though St. Patrick never visited its pastures, no
noxious vermin inhabit them. But to the generality
of men, no charms of the natural kingdom will compensate for the want of companionship. Society
has ties and claims stronger even than sympathising
Nature, though she proclaims, in a thousand eloquent tones, the goodness and all-mightiness of
her Creator. If any one doubts the strength of the
heart-yearnings for old homes, and news from a far
country, let him make, as I have made, such a place
as Koloa his home, for nine long weary months.
The weekly packet that bears all despatches to
this place, is looked for with an eagerness that few
but those who have experienced the pang of mingled
hope and disappointment can realize. Perhaps a
rumor of an arrival at Honolulu, from the United
States - with letters, bundles, and many a kind token
of love and remembrance, from absent dear ones,




NEWS FROM HOME.


113


has reached here. Twenty thousand long miles
have they come, and months, may be years, have
intervened, since the last were received. Expectation is on tiptoe. Sharp eyes are turned to the windward —days slip by, and still they are not weary
with watching. The mind seeks relief for hope
deferred in supposing that some accident has changed
the common course of nature; the vessel, as if it had
a will of its own, won't come; or some, less charitable,
imagine that a malicious pleasure on the part of those
in charge aggravates the case. Conjectures are multiplied. At last, Sail, ho! is shouted — former feelings subside as speedily as they were raised ---on
comes the tiny craft, more like a sea-bird than a work
of man -impatient of its contents, its swelling canvass filled by a favorable gale. Horses are mounted,
and the excited expectants ride en masse to the
beach. How long the minutes are —how slowly
they work! the boat is at last lowered, and Captain
Spankerboom steps ashore with all the importance
of an ambassador extraordinary, and delivers the
packet. Now a revulsion of feeling takes place.
Expectation is succeeded by possession; possession
arouses reflection, and reflection gives place to hope
and fears. A mother, father, sister, brother, wife,
child, to be heard from; are they well?  Death,
disease, and misfortune, have preyed upon others in
the mean while; why should they have been exempted? Has business prospered, or will this crush
all those dear-earned hopes. Each palpitating heart
confines its queries to its own recesses, and trembling fingers slowly unseal the dreaded yet welcome
10*




NEWS FROM HOME.


intelligence. A long-drawn breath, and in silence
each devours the precious contents —and here I
leave them; this is a common experience to exiles,
and all can appreciate its truth. After a storm comes
sunshine, and after letters come boxes; off fly the
covers, and the contents are tumbled out with an
eagerness of curiosity, that untold treasures could
not have drawn forth. The box is from home-the
contents from earth's dearest relations. Each article,
though thousands similar lie unnoticed on the shelves
of many a shop, is praised, criticised, and praised
again, and a blessing breathed for the bestower.
That one word, home, the centre of all that constitutes happiness in our mother-land, is the spell that
thus melts the spirit, and revives long dormant affections. Thus it is here. Joy is dearly bought and
dearly prized. Apart from the world, though in a
paradise of natural beauty, the foreign inhabitants
form a community sui generis. A Protocol of the
allied powers of Europe brings no fears to them;
whether Metternich regulates his vineyards, or rules
empires, it matters not. The Grand Porte may
perish despite his sublimity, and the Celestial Potentate get knocked on the pate by an English marine;
still, grass will grow, water will run, and none the
less sugar be made in Koloa. Its denizens will retire
to rest at eight o'clock, P. M., and rise before the
sun. Not but what there are exciting topics here,
for there are enough of them. The whole wisdom
of the place is called upon to devise measures for
repairing a bridge, or counteracting a sudden strike
for higher wages, on the part of the tawny laborers.




A SINGULAR EXCURSION.


115


If any man wants occupation, and plenty of it, let
him undertake the surveillance of a dozen Kauaians
— old Hays himself would be mystified. The kanakas cheat and abuse their employers, and their rulers
do their best to cheat both white and copper skins.
The old lady who now holds the reins of government keeps a shrewd eye to the personal profits.
According to custom, when His Majesty was to visit
this island, new houses must be erected for him and
his suite. Amelia selected a site, very convenient
to her own lands, but by no means so for the purpose of the King. His men were obliged to build
them; after the arrival, they, as Amelia doubtless
anticipated, did not suit him, and he slept elsewhere.
As soon as he was gone, the wily governess appropriated them to her own use, and thus secured two
good houses at no expense to herself.
A few miles to the west of Koloa is a mountain,
called by the natives Kahili, or 'fly-brush;' why
this name I know not, as the most imaginative fancy
could not detect a resemblance in any particular
between the two. In fact, it differs so little from its
neighbors, that it would attract but a partial glance,
or be noted only as an interesting feature in the
general landscape. Then why all these words about
it, one will be inclined to ask. I will tell. Simply
because it was my fortune one day to ascend it, in
campany with some friends: and being much gratified with the excursion, I wish to take the reader up
with me, as well as pen and ink will allow.
There are others not far distant, that are higher
and larger, and even more picturesque; and many




116


A SINGULAR EXCURSION,


more grand in their outline; but as my legs did not
carry me to their summits, I shall not venture to say
much about them, particularly as it would be infringing upon a right which some tourists seem to
have appropriated to themselves - that of describing
things they have not seen, — though it cannot be
said of them any more than of myself, that they
leave unwritten what they have seen. But the horses
are now saddled; mount and follow. The morning is fine, and our steeds gallop well; the plain is
rich in verdure, and after a few gulches are crossed,
we shall be there. These gulches are an abomination to man and beast; their beds are very apt to be
laid in a soft, adhesive mud, overgrown with a
treacherous carpet of heavy grass, into which the
inexperienced traveller plunges, and is somewhat
surprised to find his horse disappearing rapidly from
under him, flouncing and thrashing like a struck
whale, and covering both with a coating of greasy
earth, which, if they were destined to become taro
patches, would be well enough -but is apt to make
one sigh over the beauty of his ci devant milk-white
inexpressibles. Frequently it is no small labor to
extricate the horse from these quagmires; but after
a few experiences of this nature, it is quite as difficult to get the wary animal into one. Once I saw
one, in his efforts to avoid a suspicious place, throw
off his rider, and get thrown himself down a steep
bank, turning a half somerset in his course, until he
landed on his feet in a brook at the base of the hill.
However, if it were not for these incidents, and some
others of an equally agreeable nature, of which more
anon, travelling would not be worth a fig on Kauai.




MOUNA KAHILIL


117


Mouna Kakili, which we shortly reached, we
ascended on foot, following up the back-bone of the
spur which leads to the very summit. As it was
steep and slippery, owing to the smooth grass, our
progress at first was slow, and our knees soon began
to tremble, and no doubt, as far as they were concerned, wished they had not come. Ascending higher, the
mountain gradually becomes more densely wooded,
and the spur narrower, until its breadth is scarcely
two feet, presenting a sharp ridge, bordered on either
side by precipices of several hundred to some thousand feet in depth. These precipices are overgrown
with vegetation, sparse towards the top, where the
banks are too steep for soil to accumulate, but gradually growing denser until it reaches the bottom,
where they terminate in dells crowded with groves of
dark-leaved hau, the silvery-leaved kukui, and the
stately ohia, with its beautiful red flowers, contrasting finely to the various shades of surrounding green.
So thick is the foliage in these sylvan retreats, that
a tropical sun cannot penetrate their recesses. The
feathered tribes fully appreciate their grateful shades,
and in the heat of the day resort thither to practice
their sweet tunes, and to retort the mocking notes of
the surrounding echoes. Were it not for the brushwood, with which the ridge is covered, the ascent
would be at this point somewhat dangerous, as few
eyes could gaze steadily down the dark glens on
either side; but the foliage of the trees partially
breaks the view, and their limbs afford a sufficient
support.  When near the summit, vegetation becomes dense in the extreme, consisting of tangled




118


MOUNA KAYI4


masses of shrubs, and small trees, so thickly interlocked as to form a complete net work; a chevaux
de fris, through which it requires great caution and
labor to work one's way. Overhead, the leaves
form an impenetrable barrier to the sun, while beneath, the trunks, limbs, and vines, form an equal
one for the earth. In fact, one here makes his way
by crawling, jumping, and swinging from branch to
branch, for many hundred feet, without once touching his feet to the soil, or, for part of the way, even
seeing a trace of it. As this part of the mountain
is nine tenths of the year buried in clouds and rain,
the dampness is great, and the mosses which encircle
every limb, like the shaggy coat of the Greenland
bear, are saturated with water. The young tree is
here to be seen in all its vigor, maintaining an unequal contest with a legion of parasitical vines, and
numerous families of ferns, which like leeches are
exhausting its life-blood. Though yielding inch by
inch to its foes, it still sends out fresh shoots, which
seek an unguarded opening through the drapery of
vines, to reach the outer air. These trees may be
compared to a profligate roue, whose graceful and
athletic figure is fast being destroyed by the vices
which it has nourished, while the old and decayed
trunks which every where lay about them, strangled
by hugh vines, and rotting in the dampness, portray
in bold relief the fate which awaits those that struggle on to old age. While my mind was indulging in fancies sad or humersome, my body was
equally alive to surrounding objects; for the path
had now become so intricate and narrow, that the




A LEGEND.


vision could reach but a few feet distant on any side,
and those in the rear got many a thump by following
too close to the heels of those in advance. The
moss which encircled the branches, proved a treacherous guide to their size, and many a foot or fist
hold was lost by the seemingly stout limb, as the
mass was grasped, degenerating into a little twig,
which broke upon touching, and precipitated the
careless climber backwards into beds of their slimy
and chilly covering, which discharged their oozy
contents upon us at every step. After groping our
way in this fashion for an hour or more, we reached
the summit. It consisted of a small plot of earth
about a rod square, bare in the centre, but overgrown
with stout trees upon its sides. Upon it were several large timbers, of a foot in diameter, standing perpendicular, and about twelve feet high, with notches
for foot-hold cut in them. These, as runs the legend,
have stood from time immemorial, that is to say,
some half century or more, and are the remains of
a fortification which a chief erected, who lived on
bad terms with his less elevated neighbors. As the
approaches to its site are a succession of narrow
ridges, a few warriors were able to set a host of
enemies at defiance, and make the place impregnable. During the night his followers sallied down
and levied black mail, in the shape of pigs, fowls,
taro, and potatoes, for their lord's table. What was
his end, the legion tells not; but if his enemies did
not eventually take him off, an influenza must, for
no mortal could have lived there long, not even if
possessed of a hide such as Nebuchadnezzar boasted,




A LEGENB


when he chewed the cud of sweet and bitter reflec.
tion, and of clover, in the fields with the brutes
whose understandings were just double his. Grecian mythology would have turned the whole posse
of them into moss-clad trees, while the whistling
winds would be but echoes of their groans, and the
never-ending showers, the tears of their victims,
in which they were doomed to lay soaked until
some greater scoundrels could be found to take their
place. However, as I am neither poet nor Greek,
they must await some more illustrious visitor to immortalize their manes. If their wan spirits still
wander about the scenes of their fleshly iniquities,
my best wish is, that they are bountifully supplied
with water-proof garments, for it is a damp place
for the living.
The view from thence is extensive. It embraces
a large portion of the island, which lay spread out
beneath us like a map. A dense fog soon set in,
and cut short all our extasies, and shrouded all
around and beneath us as completely from our view,
as if we had been taken to another planet, or
another flood had arisen, and left us sole denizens
of this. An ocean of vapor lay at our feet, rapidly
rising higher, and the little spot we stood on was
our world; one peak only of another mountain,
many miles distant, remained above the clouds, a
companion to us in our cheerless solitude. It was
a time for many beautiful thoughts and fine comparisons, but the dampness was exceedingly disagreeable, and altogether too chilly for loafers at that
atmospherical elevation; our bowels also yearned




VALLEY OF HANAPEPE.


121


strongly for the dinner we had left at the foot of the
mountain; so, after resolving that as it was our first
view it likewise should be our last, we beat a retreat.
The fog was thick, and our stomachs were emptyswinging ourselves from branch to branch, we soon
found ourselves on a level with our dinner, which
was devoured with a celerity which must have been
astounding to any whose appetites had not been
sharpened by a similar excursion to the land of fogs.
Half way between Koloa and Waimea is the
Valley of Hanapepe, which affords some of the most
remarkable views there are to be found upon the
island.  After passing the battle-plain of Wahiawa, a fertile tract of country, partially overgrown
with wild sugar-cane, the visitor comes suddenly
upon the brink of this valley, which on both sides
present steep and precipitous banks, of many hundred to some thousand feet in height, and accessible
only at a few points. As they approach the sea, the
valley widens, and they decrease in height, exhibiting perpendicular masses of red columns of cavernous lava. A fine stream runs through the valley,
on either side of which are situated the little plantations, and numerous patches of kalo, which afford
sustenance to the inhabitants of this quiet retreat.
Their principal hamlet is clustered under the shade
of the cocoa-nut trees at its mouth. The natives of
all the islands seem very generally to prefer the hot
and barren sea-side, to the cooler and more verdant
situations farther up the valley. This is probably for
the sake of the fisheries, and the sport of sea-bathing,
to which they are passionately addicted; and a
11




SURF-SWIMMING.


pretty sight it is, to see the youth of both sexes on
their surf-boards, sporting as freely amid the heavy
rollers, as if they knew no other element. At one
time pushing their boards before them as they advance seaward, diving beneath each curling wave,
until they have reached the outer extremity of the
breakers, then throwing themselves flat upon their
support, like a boy upon his snow-sled, they dart
inshore with the rapidity of lightning, upon the
crest of the waves, merrily shouting all the while,
dashing and splashing along, till within a few feet
of the rocks, on which, your breath half held from
fear, you have been momentarily expecting them to
strike, to the risk of life or limb; but which, by a
dexterous movement of their limbs, they avoid, and
pull out to sea again, or throw themselves from their
board, which is thrown up by the spent wave, almost
at your feet. Formerly, old and young engaged in
this sport, but now it is a rare sight.
Hanapepe valley, like most of the others, extends
inland until it reaches near to the centre of the island.
As it recedes from the sea-side, the mountains become higher and more precipitous, varying their
form and appearance at almost every turn: at times
presenting darkened and narrow gorges, through
which the river rushes with great violence; then
expanding into vales of moderate width, affording
sufficient room for a few houses, with the cultivated
plats about them. At the head of the valley the
scenery is sublime in the extreme. The rush and
flow of boiling lava while dame Nature was engaged
in piling up the mountains which form the back



RtMARKAI3LE FREAKS OF NATURE. A 123


ground must have been terrible.  Some appear
to have been cast up at one convulsive throe, presenting bold and gigantic fronts; others seem now
to be struggling for existence among rivals which
crowd and press them down. In some places they
push boldly out, then, as if wearied by the effort,
they rest. At others, they were overwhelmed by
some more powerful torrent of lava, or have cast
back its streams in burning billows, which broke,
and cooled into many singular shapes. They are
to be seen in all the fantastic forms which the fiery
liquid assumes when turned from its course by intervening obstacles; or else dashed aside and scattered
far and wide by the shocks of earthquakes. The
rocky sides of the mountains show, by their irregular
piling and distorted veins, the several directions
which the liquid lava took after it found a vent from
its original bed. At some points, the mountains
appear to have been rent violently asunder, leaving
sides of uniform appearance. At others, the lava
in its downward course seems to have suddenly
cooled on either side of the stream, while the interior flowed on, until it discharged itself into the sea,
where it formed shoals, which are now overgrown
with coral. Such is the fact with this valley, and
Waimea, Wailua, and others. In all of these a rich
soil has formed, which is now covered with a heavy
growth of timber, and dense beds of mosses and
ferns.
As these passes of the valley alter their course, the
temperature of the air changes. Some, being exposed to a powerful sun, are hot, while others are




A  CATARACT.;,:,  i: 


chilly and damp, with strong breezes blowing through
them.
Native art has diverged the river's channel in several places, for the purpose of catching fishes, by damming it, and leading the water over a frame of
wicker-work. As the fishes come down the stream,
they fall upon this frame, while the water passes
through the interstices, leaving them prisoners. The
depth of the water varies from a few inches to eighteen feet.
Following this valley up for several miles, and
passing a number of lofty cascades, a water-fall
comes partly in view; but it is again lost to the
sight, until, after turning a sharp angle in the glen, it
reappears, and the visitor finds himself, a few rods
from the fall, upon a narrow ledge of rocks. In that
direction nature's fiat proclaims, ' Thus far shalt thou
come and no farther.' A perpendicular wall, between three and four hundred feet in height, and
forming so complete a circle, that no outlet, except
that which the stream makes, is seen; and it is only
by following up its bed, through dense thickets, that
this spot can be reached. The circle is small, and
the rocks above partly project over the outlet, so that
it appears like a tunnel, and the sun can reach its
bottom only when vertical. Nothing can be seen
except a few scattering shrubs which border the top.
Fleecy clouds drive rapidly past, before the strong
gusts of these mountain regions. The air here is exceedingly cold and chilly, and the rocks wet and
slippery with spray. If the visitor is heated by his
excursion, it would be dangerous for him to approach




GREAT MORTALITY AT HANAPEPE.


125


the fall, before he is cooled, as the perspiration is
liable to be suddenly checked. Opposite, and far
above him, is the fall; there, about ten feet in width
and several in depth, but varying in volume according to the rains, springing from between two narrow and overhanging masses of basaltic columns, it
leaps nearly thirty feet, strikes a ledge of rocks, and
gradually spreading and lessening in thickness, falls
many more, and strikes another ledge; from thence
falling again an equal distance, into the deep and
circumscribed gulf below, whitening with its foam
the whole surface of the rock from the height above.
Although the rich scenery so well repays one for
the fatigue of the excursion, yet few whites have
ever reached this spot, and it still remains secluded
and almost unknown; a gem to reward the tourist.
This valley was once peopled by a bold and warlike
tribe, whose deeds were the honor and admiration of
the other portions of the island. Death, of late, has
been busy among their ranks, and they have dwindled to a few hundreds, living in more than ordinary
wretched hovels, but with abundance of food about
them.; Returning from the excursion which has
drawn forth this description, the missionary who resides at Waimea was with me. Upon reaching the
outer line of huts, near the beach, a number of natives rushed out and arrested our progress. After
they had exchanged a few words with my clerical
friend, he turned and begged me to excuse him for a
few minutes, as he was desired to join a couple in
the bonds of matrimony. He entered the house, and
in a few minutes the ceremony was over. As we
11*




126 A NECESSARY THOUGH           M   IAGS.


were leaving, the bride,' all tattered and torn,' issued
from the door and went about her customary labors,
as coolly, and unconcernedly as if wedlock had been
a thing of long standing with her, and instead of her
first, she had married her seventh husband. Her lord,
a mere boy, looked the picture of sheepishness. A
glance at her situation showed us at once that the
missionary's visit was opportune, and that she would
have been obliged soon to have served the state, by
working on the public ways, had she not, instead,
wisely concluded to serve a husband.
The roads over this island are mostly the work of
the luckless wights of both sexes, who have been detected in their amours. As both they and the bridges are in excellent repair, and the number of those
whose sins are discovered it is presumed bears but a
small proportion to those whose sins are not, it shows
that the crime of licentiousness is still very prevalent.
In fact it far outnumbers all others, and while the
grosser and more open violations of the laws can
easily be detected and checked, these will only vanish when well regulated households and domestic
virtues, take the place of the filthy huts and disorderly habits of the peasantry. Of the existing generation, whose early days were nurtured among the
orgies of heathenism, or the corruptions of the court
of Liholiho, not much can be expected. But better
things are predicted of the young, to whom schools
and moral teachings have become familiar.
Seven miles beyond Hanapepe, to the west, lies
the village of Waimea, the capital of the island, and
residence of the present Governess, Amelia, formerly




~Tis lv.b i.-.W. oNw HOUSES. 127


wife of Kamehameha's veteran general, Kaikoewa,
ruler of Kauai. She is now married to a common
native. Waimea is a dusty village, situated on the
beach and west bank of the river of the same name.
Its population has dwindled to a third of its former
number, when ships made it a recruiting place, and
it is still rapidly decreasing. A sail is now rarely
seen in its roadstead, and its barren soil, which is of
a dark-red hue, and excessive heat, make it one of
the least desirable residences on the islands. One or
two foreigners reside there, beside a mission family,
(Mr. & Mrs. Whitney,) who are stationed there, and
have occupied the ground with great zeal and faithfulness for twenty years. Another family was connected with them, but a few years since it was
deemed desirable that they should remove to Koloa.
The house which they occupied, which was a good
two story wooden building, and erected at considerable expense, is now left a prey to the elements, and
of no use to any one. It might be made useful as a
school-house, but, for some reason, has never been
occupied, since the family, for whom it was built, removed from it.
The Governess has also a very good wooden
dwelling-house, prettily situated, upon a hill, which
was built for her late husband, by foreign mechanics; but it is kept in very poor repair, and is seldom occupied. However good houses the chiefs
may have, they prefer to sleep in thatched huts, after
the good old custom of their ancestors, while their
finer dwellings are kept only as matters of state, and
to gratify their pride in the eyes of foreigners  To




128 RESIDENCE OF RULERS. - STRAW PALACE.


use them, is quite as inconvenient as it is to a common native to mount a pair of tight pants; a penance which he will endure for an hour or two of a
Sunday or holyday, but which he is very glad to lay
aside for the malo.
Amelia, however, prides herself upon possessing
the finest thatched house, after the Hawaiian style,
upon the islands. It was a work of gallantry on the
part of her late lord, and one of his last works of any
nature. Not long before he died, which was in
1839, she expressed a wish to have such a building
erected. Governor Kaikoewa, who, by the way,
was a severe taskmaster, and, Napoleon-like, had a
most aristocratic, or rather despotic contempt for the
word impossible, issued his orders, and the work
was commenced. Amelia, with an equal disregard
to any obstacles which nature might present, or
moved by that spirit which enhances the value of an
object by the effort to obtain it, selected, not just the
site which was the most eligible, and of which there
was abundance, to wit, dry ground, but the miry
beds of some fish ponds and taro patches. Many
months' labor were spent in filling these up, notwithstanding the high dignitaries of the land set a most
edifying example of labor, by occasionally exerting
themselves to deposit a few handfuls of earth therein,
by way of encouragement to their vassals. Portly
dames and lusty kanakas might have then been seen
wending their way to the pit, in full, living suits of
dame Nature, puffing and panting, under the efforts
to move their unwieldy limbs, while boys and girls,
men and women, all that could go beyond a creep,




A NOBLE CANOE. —FORT.


129


vied with them in -laziness. Iowever, the work
advanced, under the eyes of the old governor, and a
foundation was at last made. The building erected
was one hundred and ten feet in length, thirty-four
in breadth, and thirty to the ridge pole. It is a neat
and pretty house, with an air of savage grandeur
about it, which is pleasing. The interior was one
fine hall, but has since been divided into two rooms,
and from the fineness of the cinet, and the neatness
with which it is laid on, the whiteness of tie rafters,
regularity and size of the posls, smoothness of tle
thatch, and good proportions of the whole, presents
quite a regal appearance, and is well worlh tie attention of a traveller, particularly, as such governors
as Kaikoewa are becoming scarce, and the chance
of there being more such buildings erected somewhat dubious. In it is deposited a canoe, of most
beautiful workmanship, belonging to Moses, the governor apparent. It is made of a Koa log, and is fortyfour and a half feet long, three feet deep, and twentyone inches wide, xwith high prow and stern, neatly
attached to the main body, by fine cord. 'The whole
is finely polished, and from the care with which it is
preserved, can be but seldom used.
On the east bank of the river is the stone fort, now
almost in ruins, which was built by the Russians in
1815, for Kaumualii. It still mounts a considerable
number of small guns, and is of sufficient strength
to resist any attacks from the islanders, should they
be inclined again to rebel.
In full view from Waimea is the island of Niihau.
Its greatest length is eighteen miles, its breadth eight;




130


INTRODUCTION OF FLEAS.


though the average is not more than five. Its elevation is about two thousand feet, much broken up
by deep ravines, and with a barren soil, which produces nothing but a few stunted shrubs, onions,
yams, and potatoes. The inhabitants suffer much
from want of water; their sole dependence being
upon rain, which is collected and preserved in reservoirs. This island is noted for the manufacture of
mats, some of which are of high finish and very
costly.
Waimea, according to native tradition, claims the
honor of being the first landing-place of —fleas.
Their introduction was after the following manner.
A woman, as was customary then, having gone off
to a vessel at anchor in the roads, received from her
lover, upon her return, a bottle tightly corked, which
he told her contained valuable waiwai, (property,)
and that she must not open it until she reached the
shore. She obeyed his instructions, and overjoyed
with her acquisition, hastened to show it to her
friends. Having assembled them all, the bottle was
uncorked with the greatest care, and looking in, they
beheld nothing. The nimble prisoners had all hopped
out, and soon gave being to a countless progeny,
that have gone on ever since, hopping and biting
with undiminished zeal. The man should have
been flayed alive for his mischief, or tied, Mazeppa
like, to the back of one of his own fleas.
Kauai contains a greater portion of arable land,
and more rich, loamy earth, in proportion to its size,
than the others of the group; and geologically speaking, this island appears to be older than its more




GEOLOGICAL FEATURES.


131


eastern sisters, or has been for a much longer period
free from any volcanic action, which has given time
for soil to be made, by the action of the weather upon
the friable and porous rocks, which commonly form
the crust of volcanic countries. Age after age has
accumulated its successive deposits of mineral and
vegetable decay, until all the more recent and violent
traces of the action of subterranean fires have gradually disappeared, and left in their places, fine prairielike meadows, or thickly wooded uplands, some of
which betray their origin by their crater-form shapes.
Koloa alone, at this day, boasts of a bona fide crater,
which, however, is extinct. It is conical shaped,
and its rough and jagged sides are the abode of numbers of wild goats. Its situation is at the southeastern extremity, a short distance from the shore, which
in that immediate region, partakes of its craggy and
precipitous nature. The lava, in flowing from it,
formed on all sides a rocky field, the surface of
which, in its close vicinity, is broken up into thousands of piles of small but sharp-pointed rocks,
particularly gratifying to goats, but not equally so to
their owners, when in chase of them. The earth
here is pierced in every direction, by labyrinthine
caves extending long distances under ground, some
of them containing ponds of water, and having several outlets, which appear through the superincumbent soil, like wells. They resemble the winding
subterranean galleries of ant-hills, and were probably
formed by the sudden cooling of the lava on its surface, when in a state of thorough fusion; the upper
crust being the first to acquire consistency while the
under stream flowed as long as it found an outlet.




UPLANDS AND LOWLANDS.


But Kauai, like the remainder of the group, cannot
be called a rich island. Indeed, when considered
as a whole, they are barren; still Kauai, from the
causes above stated, and from its being the best
watered, presents by far the most verdant appearance. The island may be divided into two distinct
and nearly equal parts-the uplands and the lowlands. The former embraces the whole western
portion, commencing at Waimea on the south, and
gradually rising inland, until it attains an average
height of four thousand feet, bordered on the east by
that chain of mountains which bisects the island from
north to south, commencing at Hanapepe, and extending to Hanalei, of which Mauna Waialeale,
which throws up its precipitous sides from nearly
the centre, to the height of six thousand feet, is the
chief. This upland, for twenty miles on the coast
to the northwest, forms a precipice, or in the Hawaiian
tongue, pali, of its full height, four thousand feet,
and which presents one of the. grandest spectacles
of nature. In most places it is perpendicular, and
accessible from the sea at one spot only, where the
natives have, with much labor, constructed a sort of
ladder, by which they ascend to the heights above.
Its surface runs at times into the most fanciful and
fantastic shapes; sometimes beetling with crags, or
steepened sides, which appear like the walls of a
mountain fort, or broken into rugged masses and
sharpened peaks, resembling the castellated ruins of a
feudal age. Masses hang tottering overhead, fearful
to gaze upon, and which annually are precipitated
into the foaming surge beneath. These frequently




REMARKABLE CAVES.


133


leave points so singular and so hunman in shape, that
the natives in former times looked upon them as the
locale of supernatural beings, and rendered them
worship. At one spot can be traced the giant figure
of a head, projecting in bold relief from the clear
sky; and imaginations less superstitious than those
of heathen, could easily infuse a spirit of life and
undefined fear into these singular and formidable
freaks of nature. At the base of this huge pile, the
ocean has worn many caves, into which the sea
rushes with a stunning roar and startling reverberations. The passage from one extremity of this precipice to the other, is frequently made in calm weather
in canoes; but should the wind arise, so great is the
swell, there would be small chance of saving life,
and many have perished in the attempt.
At Haena, its northern extremity, are found caves
of considerable extent, one of which runs four hundred feet into the solid rock, forming spacious but
low chambers, of almost equal breadth. In it is
shown a lurking-place, formed by an indentation in
the rock, so well concealed that in former times, a
chief, when pursued by his foes, took refuge there:
and though they came near enough for him to touch
them, he remained undiscovered, and saved his life.
According to the natives, this cave is gradually sinking from above, and diminishing its limits. Near it
are two others, of less extent, containing ponds of
fresh water, fifty feet in depth, their roofs being of
the same height. One of these is encrusted with a
coat of lime, which also covers the surface of the
water, giving it a singular appearance; so much so,
12




134


SPOUTING-HORN.


that the natives are afraid to venture into it, conceiving it to be the abode of evil spirits. However, my
experience proved that a few gun-flints had more
charms for them than the ghosts had fears, though I
doubt much if a bribe could have induced them to
venture in, if a haole had not been present.
A remarkable natural curiosity exists at the waterside at Koloa. It is called the Whale, or SpoutingHorn, and is formed by a ledge of rocks, which
extends to a short distance into the ocean; and
which, by the action of the waves, has become
pierced with caverns and a labyrinth of galleries.
The sea has worked through one of them an outlet
to the surface of the rock above. It is now three
feet in diameter, and communicates with the largest
of the caves. During a strong wind, at every swell
of the sea the water is driven into the cave, and
passes out at this opening with great velocity, forming a large column, rising to the height of from
thirty to sixty feet into the air, from which elevation
it spreads itself in sheets of spray and foam. The
noise accompanying this discharge is tremendous;
much like that produced by the escape of steam
from a high-pressure engine. The warm air is also
forced through numerous crevices in the surrounding
rock, with a shrill and piercing scream. The force
of the jet of water through this opening is so great
as to cast out stones of considerable size and weight
into the air, when thrown into the orifice, as the sea
approaches. The native name of the place is puhi,
to blow or puff.
The upland or table region, as it rises from the




GREAT BODY OF ARABLE LAND.


135


south, is parched and barren, presenting nothing but
a light soil of a reddish hue, until it attains its greatest elevation, where a region of heavy woodland
commences, from which the trees for canoes, and for
large timber, are obtained. As it approaches the
north, showers become more abundant, and the farthest portion is most of the time enveloped in clouds
and drenched in rain. The land is cold and cheerless, and broken up into deep morasses and inaccessible ravines. None of the productions of the
lower region will thrive here, though it is not at all
improbable but that some of the vegetables of the
temperate climates would do well. Its damp and
chilly atmosphere drives man to the more genial
weather of the valleys, and it is never visited except
by parties for timber, or a traveller, from curiosity.
The cold is great during the summer, and in the
winter hail and snow are not unfrequent.
The lower region, which embraces all the eastern
portion of the island, is much broken up by valleys
and small ranges of mountains, with fine rolling
upland between them.   Towards the interior it
becomes well wooded, and all of it is watered by
numerous streams, which come tumbling from the
mountains in cascades, some of which are of great
height and beauty. These uniting at their base, and
forcing their way through dark gorges, and over
shelving rocks, gradually receiving additions in their
rapid course, form at last the rivers with which this
island abounds, and which characterize it from all
the others of the group. The principal of these are
Hanalei, Waialua, Hanapepe, and Waimea. All




CLIMATE.


of these, with their tributary streams, afford an inexhaustible supply of water power, much of which
will doubtless be turned to valuable account for the
plantations, which the numerous facilities and good
soil will finally concentrate here.
The great body of this lowland region (as I
have termed it, to distinguish it from the more elevated country) extends from 1Hanapepe valley on the
south, to that of Waioli on the north, a distance of
fifty miles in length, averaging from three to four
miles in breadth, in some places extending back ten
or tnore. Almost all of this tract is suitable for the
culture of sugar-cane, or indigo; the Bengal variety
of which grows luxuriantly, even without any care
bestowed upon it. The valleys, which are well protected from the wind, will do well for coffee. Cotton
of a fine silky staple does well, and produces abundantly, but is subject to the ravages of a worm which
destroys the pod just as it arrives at maturity; consequently as yet the natives have not attended to its
culture. Tobacco grows well, and is cultivated to a
considerable extent. The best soil is to be found
in the valleys watered by the larger streams, which
annually enrich their banks by their alluvial depositsIt is on only such sites that the orange, fig, and lime
trees flourish.
Kauai is so near the temperate zone, that a perpetual struggle seems to exist between the habits of
the colder climes and the perennial green of the
tropical. Some trees shed their leaves to a great
extent in autumn, and await the showers of spring
to clothe them anew, while others retain their old




STORMS.


137


dress and vigor, without any apparent change. The
grasses ripen and cast their seed in fall: orange trees
blossom in February, and bear fruit from March to
September. Figs, and some other fruits, bear two
or more crops annually. The climate is delightful,
being of that happy medium between the extremes
of heat and cold, which is the most agreeable to the
constitution. The trades, which so greatly mitigate
the tropical heats, prevail very generally for ten
months during the year, frequently blowing a gale
of wind, or more often, as they reach the land, varied
by heavy squalls. They range from North to East,
but usually N. E., bringing with them on the windward side much rain, which gradually decreases in
quantity as it recedes from the summits of the higher
mountains that first attract and break the heavy
clouds of vapor; so that at the southernmost points,
except during winter, very little falls, and sometimes
droughts destructive to the sugar crops ensue. At
Hanalei, on the windward side, it has been known to
hail. From December to March the trades are liable
to be interrupted; the wind commonly prevailing
from the S. E, to the N. W., and much of the time
calm. The atmosphere then is dry, and remarkably
pellucid; the heavens free from clouds, the watercourses low, and the weather cool and bracing.
The evenings are most lovely, and the sunsets array
themselves in their choicest tropical rays, presenting
scenes of the most enchanting beauty.
These islands are not subject to the hurricanes
common to other tropical climates, though occasionally it blows sufficiently strong during the winter
12*




138


MINERALS.


months, to prostrate the frail habitations of the natives,
and do damage to the trees. Thunder and lightning
are of very rare occurrence. The average temperature of the inhabited parts of the island, is not far
from eighty degrees F. at noon; mornings and evenings are much cooler. At Koloa, the thermometer
has been as low as forty-eight degrees F., once during five years; and frequently at fifty-two, fifty-five,
and fifty-eight degrees, and as high as ninety-three
degrees.
The minerals of Kauai are few, and of little
variety, embracing the usual kinds of porous or compact lava; in some places basaltic columns make
their appearance. The soil is very generally free
from stones, except in the neighborhood of Koloa.
Pumice-stone is occasionally found, and some traces
of iron. To the west of Waioli a beautiful compact
sandstone occurs, suitable for building.




CHAPTER IV.
Travelling in Kauai. -Horse and Equipments. -Crazy Guide. —
Stuttering Jim. - Cruelty of a Chief. - Narrow Escape of a Missionary. - Gov. Kaikoewa's Embryo City. - His Harbor. - Brig
in trouble. —Desire of Natives to display their Knowledge of
English.-Wailua River and Village. —An Ex-queen.-Her
History.- Hospitality.- Large Cattle. - A Disappointed Sportsman.- Celebrated Falls of Wailua.- Singular Freak of a Chief.Two Hawaiian Sam Patches. - Inland Scenery. - Mauna Waialeale.- Wild Swine.- Dogs. - Degradation of Kauaian Women.
- Obtain some Crania, and a New Title in consequence. — Hospitality of Common People. - Offices and Titles. - Anahola. -
A Veteran of Kamehameha.- Prince of Laziness. -Lomi-lomi.A Temple of God's own building. -A Dangerous Ford. - Roads
to Waioli.-A Labor of Love.-Valley of Kalihiwai.-Hala
Forest.- Waioli.- River and Mountains.- Residents.- Agricultural Operations.- Silk Plantation.- A Chronological Wood
Pile.
FOR journeys in lands where a carriage would be
almost as much of a novelty as a steam-engine, and
where the roads are mere paths, many and confused,
leading here there and every where, a good horse
and a good guide are indispensable. It is not
amiss to have good company. All of these requisites fell to my lot upon leaving Koloa, for a trip
along the eastern and northern portions of the
island. An old resident views the animal which is
to bear him through dangerous passes, over hill and
plain, across rivers and gulches, for as many days as
it pleases him to prolong his journey, with the indif



CRAZY GUIDE.


ference of a veteran campaigner. Not so the novice,
fresh from the lands of rail-roads, steamboats, clean
sheets, soft bedding, and luxurious feeding. The
horse with his rude Spanish equipments, a highbacked wooden saddle, with a logger-head in front,
an uneasy article if judged from its appearance, but
a most serviceable one when in use, and the heavy,
jaw-breaking bit, all seem strange, and set his previous notions of equestrianship at defiance. However, he soon finds himself seated with a nonchalance that surprises him, if his practice has heretofore
been confined to the riding-school, and paved streets.
The blood quickens with the lively motion of the
generous beast, whose gait is no stiff, break-neck,
ungainly trot, destructive alike of grace and comfort.
His action is as free and easy as that of the wild
horse of the prairie, and as the refreshing breeze
sweeps down from   among the picturesque hills
which surround him, his rider's spirit is awakened,
and he enters upon the tour with a zest and an
enthusiasm which no other mode of conveyance is
capable of exciting. So much for my own first
impressions. My guide merits particular description.
Imagine, if possible, a middle-sized, athletic native, with long, jet black hair, no two curls of which
lay in the same direction, and eyes, quick, fiery, and
wandering. His head fancifully decorated with a
wreath of forest leaves and flowers, while a necklace
of vegetable stalks encircles his neck. His pantaloons, made of tapa, once whole, but now hanging
in tatters above his knees, a red-flannel shirt cornm



CRAZY GUIDE.


141


pletintg Iis wardrobe. This he calls tapa maikai,
(good cloth,) in distinction to the frail material which
graces his nether members, which was aolc mrilcai,
(no good.) A few miles through a bushy road,
aided by his eccentric deviations, soon lessened the
difference between them, and both pants and shirt
would have answered for signal pennants to the
Flying Dutchman. An iron ramrod, the sole relic
of his former profession, dangled, en miilitaire, in his
right hand. He had formerly belonged to the army,
but for some mad caper, his chief had discharged
him. Such is an outline of the being who presented himself as a guide. Entirely fearless of danger,
quick in his movements, careless of fatigue, and an
excellent caterer, he proved himself a valuable servant. In addition to all these qualifications, he was
at intervals crazy, and his whole conduct was a
complete exemplification of savage eccentricity.
He was mounted, sans saddle, upon a small, wellbuilt horse, between which and his master, a constant state of warfare existed. As often as the huge
iron spur, which was bound to the foot of the guide,
came in contact with the horse's ribs, his heels
described a semi-circle in the air, while with his
head he made desperate attempts to bite the rider's
naked limbs. Four times did the obstinate brute
cause his rider to perform as many flying somersets,
'high in mid air,' before he was mastered.
It was laughable to witness the contest which
took place between the wild horse, and his yet
wilder rider, as he rode furiously over the plain,
with his gay-colored garments waving in streamers




142


CRAZY GUIDE.


from his back. In horsemanship he was equal to a
Bedouin Arab, or a circus-rider. While crossing a
stream, he would throw  himself flat upon the
horse's back, at right angles with his head, and
drink, without delaying his progress. His nights
were mostly spent in singing and praying; his
enemies always coming in for a large share of the
latter.
Two of his freaks were related to us, which are
worth recording. His master having sent him to
catch a young horse, he pursued the animal, and,
being fleet of foot, soon came up with it; not being
able to seize its head, he grasped the tail, by the aid
of which he soon seated himself upon its back.
His blood now being up, and seeing a large bull
quietly feeding, he forsook the former, and, by a
similar process, mounted the latter; and, notwithstanding the angry demonstrations of the bull, who
was raving at the indignity, rode him in triumph
round the field. His only complaint was, ' that he
did not go fast enough.'
The fellow faithfully served me, and despite his
eccentricities, he was clever enough in his own way,
and withal most excellent company, if for no other
reason than to create merriment. His vagaries were
so many and varied, and performed, too, with such
ludicrous gravity, that it was impossible to avoid
indulging in shouts of laughter, which he would
greet with a contorted, mystified smile, as if wondering why the haole should be so merry, and, servant
like, considering it his bounden duty to sympathize
therein. Ragged as he was when he left me, the




STUTTERING JIM.


143


next time I fell in with him, he had joined the
church and turned gentleman. He was dressed in
a suit of black broadcloth, dress coat, and all to
match. Upon inquiry I learned, lest his time should
hang heavy upon his hands, and to raise funds to
keep his wardrobe in repair, he had consented to fill
the situation of cook. In justice to him it should be
stated, that he left his eccentricities outside the
kitchen, and his cooking was excellent.
Others to do the needful were with us. Boys,
fleet of foot, to carry luggage, and to see that during
the night no evil disposed persons besides themselves
rode their masters' horses. A feat for which, along
this route, many volunteers are always to be found;
and the traveller not unfrequently sees the faithful
beast which he left the evening before quietly
munching his food, the succeeding morning looking as haggard and trembling as if sprites had ridden
him hard all night. Two of my boys, yclept Nobody and Sunshine, were precious rogues, but the
jewel of the gang was a man known as stuttering
Jim. According to his own account he had learned
to stutter in America. He certainly did credit to his
name. I had secured somewhat of an oddity for a
guide, but this fellow was even more ragged and
dirty. He first attracted my attention when chaffering for some poultry. To my utter astonishment, I
heard a voice in very good, but very stuttering
English beside me, proceeding from as genuine a
Hawaiian loafer as one need wish to meet with,
address me as follows.    V-v-v-ver-ver-ver-y -
g-g-oo-o-d hens, S-s-s-sir - b-b-b-b-tt-ter b-b-buy




014


STUTTERING JIM.


them S-s-sir -it taking him at least five minutes to
accomplish the sentence. I bought the hens, and
inquired his history. He had spent several years in
the United States, and had been a cook in a family
in Boston. By his own story he was an honest fellow, with whom the world had gone hard - others
somewhat maliciously whispered that the world had
only given him his deserts. However, as I thought
my cortege would be incomplete without such an
addition, I forthwith installed him as cook and interpreter, and it is no libel upon his merits to say,
that for the life of me, I never could decide in which
department he gave most trouble. As soon as he
opened his mouth, his brethren, although they stood
somewhat in awe of his temper, which was none of
the mildest, began to giggle, and before he could
complete even the simplest sentence, their giggle
had increased to a laugh, and then unfortunate Jim,
mortified and confused, having forgotten what he
commenced with, was obliged to renew his attempt
at distinct articulation. And the more he tried, the
worse it became. Indeed, of all the inveterate stutterers I ever met with, no two equalled him.
Once I saw him carried completely around a goodsized field which he was ploughing, arriving at precisely the same place he had commenced the sentence 'hold on,' as he brought out the final word.
I tried to cure him, according to the principles laid
down in Arnott's Physics for that infirmity, but
failed, from want of perseverance on his part, and
the inveterateness of the habit with him. During
the time he remained with me, he worked willingly




CRUELTY OF A CHIEF.


145


and faithfully, and a year afterwards it grieved me
much to see him mending the public ways, in consequence of not having in season mended his own.
The ride from  Koloa, along the east coast, to
Waioli on the north, is well worth the time bestowed upon it. The distance is forty-five miles. Leaving Koloa, the traveller follows, for three miles or so,
the base of the low range of mountains which border it on the north; he then descends a long hill,
and finds himself upon the broad belt of lower
table-land, which, being in general well watered,
affords fine grazing ground. The hill is still held in
bitter remembrance, as being one of the many spots
where acts of wanton cruelty were perpetrated on
the prisoners taken in the last rebellion. One of
them was ordered to carry a portly chief upon his
back to the summit of this hill; if he failed, he was
to be bayoneted. He made the attempts and slowly
bore up under his load. He had nearly reached the
boundary which was to insure him life, when, the
perspiration, and almost the blood, starting from
every pore, by the intensity of his efforts, his knees
failed, his limbs trembled, and he sank exhausted to
the ground. His rider, true to his word, stabbed
him, and left him to perish of the wound. Near
this spot, also, one of the missionaries, on his first
residence in the island, was attacked by two robbers,
who, rushing from their ambush, discharged their
spears at him, but the fleetness of his horse soon
carried him beyond pursuit. This is the only instance of violence offered to a missionary, since
their arrival in 1820.
13




146


KAIKOEWA'S EMBRYO CITY.


Half way to Wailua there is a fine tract of land
which the late go rnor selected as a site for a sugar
plantation, many acres of which he caused to be
planted with cane, and also built a large church, and
a house for himself. But death soon terminated his
scheme, and his city that was to be, still retains its
original diminutiveness, while all his improvements,
like his own body, are wasting away to mother
earth again. Since his demise, the situation has
been used for camp-meetings, at which a large concourse of natives assembled, who behaved quite as
rationally as whiter field-gatherings in other climes.
They erected a large number of little huts around
the church for their temporary quarters; in appearance and size they resemble dog-kennels, being not
over four feet high, and allowing only of a sitting
posture. The little cove at Hanamaulu was selected
by the governor as a harbor for his new emporium,
entirely overlooking the fact that it opened directly
to the windward. By his orders, the government
brig Becket was anchored there; the trades blowing
completely in, prevented egress, as there was not
sufficient room to beat out, and the vessel was in
danger of being blown upon the rocks. Kaikoewa
immediately ordered out the population, en masse,
to make cordage, and the brig soon resembled a
spider entangled in its own web, in which it was
obliged to remain many weeks.
One of the most amusing traits of the natives,
particularly to strangers, is their fondness for displaying their knowledge, or more correctly speaking, their
i'norance, of other languages. Little urchins, with




KNOWLEDGE, DISPLAY OF.


147


scarce years enough over tlteir heads to allow them
to speak their mother tohgue,,'ump from behind
walls, or start from their lurking-places, where they
have been patiently awaiting the approaching traveller,
and with a most expressive grin, salute him in shrill,
soprano notes, with a ' dood lornin,' or 'dood nite,'
a 'bon jour,' or 'b on soir,' and then run aNway withl
as much happiness expressed in their juvenile countenances, especially if the salutation is returned, as
if they had received a Spanish real for their pains.
No matter what is the hour of he dlay - the ' dood
mornin' is as frequently the salutation at sunset as
at any other hour, and perhaps lhe first sound one
hears in the morning, is ' dood ni(te.' On ascending
the north side of the valley of Hanamaulla, we noticed
a person far ahead who seemed to be awaiting our
approach. As we drew nearer, we made him out a
tall, elderly man, of a venerable aspect, unclothed,
and maintaining the attitude of a marine upon duly.
His appearance and position excitecd our ueriosity
much, and we determined to tilnd some exllanation
to the phenomenon. The statue of Memnon could
not-have been more fixed and silent thian ihe -was
the fellow mad, or had he exp)eriencedl the frte of
Lot's wife, and, for manifesting too nuch curiosity in
matters beyond his lien, been doomed to remain a
curiosity to his fellow-sinners, till sunshine or storm
should, in compassion, waste him away. There he
stood.  Not a muscle noved - eves fixed, and
bright, but still immovable.  At length we came
opposite the apparition -a hollow sound fell upon
our ears-( Good morning, si  Goodood morning to




148


WAILUA RIVER AND VILLAGE.


you, my venerable,' and he turned upon his heel with
a stately motion, Wad walked away with as much
satisfaction as if he had relieved his mind from an
awful weight of responsibility.
Wailua river is the deepest on the island, having,
it is said, not far from its mouth, upwards of twenty
fathoms of water. A shallow bar separates it from
the ocean, and the surf breaks heavily upon it, and
causes the sands frequently to shift, forming quicksands dangerous to horse and rider, when the ford is
attempted in that direction. During the late war
between the United States and England, an American schooner was unladen and hauled over it, where,
concealed by the high banks of the river, she remained in safety from the cruiser in pursuit. The
banks are exceedingly picturesque. The river may,
with propriety, be considered a miniature Hudson,
and no one should pass it by, without first ascending
it in a canoe, and feasting his eyes upon its varied
beauties.
The village of Wailua is the property of Kapuli,
better known by her baptismal name, Deborah. She
was formerly the favorite wife of Kaumualii, the last
king of the island. Her history has been a singular
one, and, for a widowed queen, rather destructive of
sentiment. After the cession of Kauai to Kamehameha I, by her husband, her influence over him
excited the jealousy of the government, and he was
admonished to put her away. This order he had
sufficient firmness, or fondness, to resist. The conqueror dying soon after, left his favorite spouse, Kaahumanu, at once supreme in authority, and incon



AN EX-QUEEN.


149


solable for her loss. Belhinking herself of Kaumualii, who was a well-favored man, and withal
a fine specimen of the gentleman savage, possessing
a sufficiency of physical greatness, so necessary to a
Hawaiian ruler, she at once, to gratify her love, and
strengthen her policy, ordered him to her bed and
board. The twain were married October 9, 1821.
Kaumualii's son, Kealiiahonui, the handsomest
chief in the kingdom, was likewise compelled to
participate in this compulsory matrimony, and father
and son, conjointly, were firmly fixed in her marital
bonds. These relationships were commnon in those
days, but happily became extinct a few years afterward. Deborah, however, was provided with another
liege lord, who disappeared one day and left her a
two-fold widow. She has always been a friend to
foreigners, and entertained them with much hospitality in the days of her prosperity; though of late,
in accordance with the spirit of the times, and her
reduced circumstances, she expects a handsome remuneration for a bowl of milk, and a mat-bed well
stocked with fleas, whose nimbleness is sure to relieve
the traveller from any fear of stiff limbs by morning.
Deborah's lot has been a checkered one. Once a
petted queen, whose will was law, then humbled and
degraded. A warm friend both to strangers and
missionaries, kind and hospitable, yet excommunicated from the church for the same transgression
which stole from her arms a fond and royal husband,
she was spoiled of her possessions, and tyrannized
over. by a government which is indebted to her for
the preservation of the island. For, to her exertions
1.3




HISTORY OF DEBORAH.


and influence it was owing, that, during the rebellion,
the inhabitants generally remained faithful to the
powers at Oahu. Notwithstanding this invaluable
service, Kaikoewa, jealous of her popularity, upon
a slight provocation, a few years since, confiscated
her property, and caused her to be clandestinely
seized&and conveyed on board a vessel, which sailed
immediately for Honolulu. There she remained for
some time in poverty and disgrace, supported by one
of her faithful adherents, until Mr. Richards, interesting himself in her case, procured from the king a
reversal of the unjust sentence of the governor of
Kauai, and restored to her what remained of her
property.
Deborah's houses are near the river's side, and are
a collection of very respectable thatched buildings,
enclosed by a stake fence. If the visitor has the
good fortune to ingratriate himself in her favor, the
pleasure of his visit here will be much enhanced.
To us she was particularly gracious, and claimed me
for her ' son ' at once, with a promise to present her
love to my mother, in America, when I returned.
If any choice had been allowed me in this claim
upon my filial respect, I should have transferred the
honor to her sister-in-law, a lady of less years and
more comeliness. But, although Deborah was a
buxom widow of forty years and upwards, six feet
in height, of three hundred pounds' weight, and ugly
to gaze upon, once she had been slender and beautiful. Besides, the substantial tokens of her regard
which she bestowed upon us, threw a veil over any
personal defects, and I should be an ingrate to speak




A DISAPPOINTED SPORTSMAN.


151


of her in other than favorable terms. Her corpulency had of late so increased, that she found it difficult
to move about. While we remained she furnished
us with excellent fruit, vegetables, and fish, served on
plates, and a knife and fork apiece. In fact, our entertainment was quite after a civilized manner, which
was the more to her praise, as it was what she seldom indulged in herself, unless, as on the present occasion, she was tempted to make a show. Good
milk and butter were in abundance. A finer herd of
cattle than she owns I never saw; they would have
done credit to a Brighton cattle-show. Some were
beautiful creatures, of great size, and apparently of
the better English breeds, having short horns, heavy
and long bodies, and altogether different from the
smaller and leaner kind that run wild in the mountains. In the rear of her house are some extensive
taro patches and fish ponds, the resort of wild fowl.
Two species of wild ducks are plentiful, both of exquisite flavor, without a particle of the fishy taste
common to their species where their food is gathered
solely upon the borders of the ocean. One of them
is small, with gray plumage; the other is a superb
bird, and very large, with wings and breast of varied
green and white. Strolling about their haunts with
my gun, one of the smaller kind attracted my attenlion. It was quietly feeding amongst a number of
small birds.  Nearer, was a flock of the other,
close together, to the number of thirty or more.
They were the first that I had seen, and they appeared so regardless of my presence, that I concluded
they were tame, and belonged to my worthy hostess.




152


CELEBRATED FALL OF WAILUA.


Not wishing to damage her live stock, I crept by
them within a rod, without their manifesting alarm.
My hostile intentionA being devoted exclusively to
the destruction of the solitary bird that had first
caught my eye, I blazed away; the poor duck
turned upwards and kicked its last. Up rose the
large flock from my feet, astonished at the noise and
smell of gunpowder, and whizzed away with a rapidily which convinced me, alas, that they were
wild, and that that would be their last appearance on
those premises for that day. A sportsman and a
duck-loving stomach, alone, can fully sympathize
with my disappointment. As it was the first, so it
proved the last time, their beauty and. tameness deceived me.
Five miles from Deborah's residence, and up the
river, is the celebrated fall, which no scenery-explorer fails to visit, and to bestow the praise which
it richly merits. A large double-canoe was provided for our party, and the kind old queen accompanied us on our excursion. The paddlers shot the
canoe rapidly forward, chanting the while to a tune
of olden time, and at every chorus slapping the flat
part of their paddles in unison against the sides of
the light bark, while, ever and anon, all, at a signal
from the helmsman, shifted their paddles to the opposite side. The echoes, from both blow and voice,
were powerful, and the effect of the whole not unmusical. After proceeding in this manner for several miles, following the numerous turnings of the
river, which expanded, in places, to a large and limpid, but deep stream, and at others flowed rapidly




FALL OF WAILUA.


153


through mountain gorges, we landed on a cultivated
spot, at the foot of a steep hill. A little hamlet was
here embowered in a grove of orange and other trees.
As the labor of ascending the hill was one to which
Deborah was inadequate, she excused herself from
accompanying us farther. The day was hot, and
the place sheltered from the breeze. The hill looked
formidable, but we did not like to return without accomplishing the chief object of the excursion, so we
puffed and panted, climbed and slipped and climbed
again, assisting one another, until the summit was
gained.
A few minutes' walk brings one to the fall. As
we approached, the noise of the falling water became
louder, yet without indicating, very clearly, its situation. The plain is here covered so high with grass,
and the river so narrowed and concealed by its overhanging and precipitous banks, that nothing of the
fall is seen, until one is close upon it. Seeing the
guide stop, a little in advance, I sprang forward, and
found myself upon the brink of an immense chasm,
over one side of which leaps the fall.  The eye
sought, in vain, the bottom of the basin, which is
half hid by the spray, arched by a deeply-colored
rainbow. The precipice over which the water flows,
and immediately around it, forms rather more than
a half circle, and is gradually wearing away by the
action of the water.  As the distance from it increases, the banks become more sloping, and admit
of descent, but not without much care and labor.
Their sides are clothed with trees and vines, without
Which it would be impossible to succeed. They




FALL OF WAILUA.


also serve to hide the fall from the sight, until the
bottom is reached, when it bursts upon the view
again in all its loftiness. A few moments before,
the beautiful charmed the mind, now the grand overawed it. Advancing a few rods, though with much
difficulty, over fallen masses of basaltic rocks, the
explorer finds himself enveloped in the spray. The
water foams and curls in eddies at his feet, while the
half-averted eye scarcely dares look at the threatening height above. The rocks overhang the basin to
a considerable extent. On one side the excavation
is as smooth as if art had lent its aid to the work,
while, on the other, the loose stones, and deep crevices, betoken an insecure foundation.  The fall
tumbles one hundred and eighty feet. The precipices on either side are much higher. The depth of
the water below, and the narrowness of the gulf, into
which the sun can send his rays but for a short time,
daily, heighten the beauty of the spectacle.
After heavy rains the sheet of water is much increased, and the volume of the fall acquires a depth
of five feet, and a breadth of fifty. During the dry
season it dwindles into a number of diminutive
streams, which follow the irregular surfaces of til
projecting rock, through channels of their own wearing, but finally unite, and form one body before
reaching the basin beneath. With care, the visitor
can venture under the sheet, and he will there find a
rare and beautiful neritina to reward him for his
labor.
Half a mile above the fall is a whirlpool, which is
remarkable for a singular freak of a former chieftain




INLAND SCENERY.


155


of the island. Desirous of immortalizing himself by
some rude triumph over nature, he caused the course
of the river to be turned, and laid the channel bare;
then seating himself, with his followers, upon the
rocks in its bed, they drank deeply of awa, until hill
and dell echoed to the mirth of his drunken carousal.
After securing his immortal self from danger, and
his awa from dilution, he returned the river to its
legitimate channel.  It is said, that two natives,
many years since, leaped from the rocks overhanging
the fall; one reached the water alive and sound, the
other was killed.
The landscape, through all this region, is of the
most pleasing description, such as the eye never tires
of lingering upon.  Far overtowering all other
heights rises Mauna Waialeale, from the centre of
the island; its sides precipitous in the extreme, yet
covered with dense forests, through which can be
seen the occasional glancing of a silvery cascade, as
it takes its leap some thousands of feet into deep
gulfs below.  Other mountains, of somewhat less
altitude, but equally verdant appearance, with long
and sharp spurs running into the plains beneath, or
peaks, broken, craggy, and tottering, bound the horizon on all side{. Gently-rising and slightly-wooded
hills diversify the broad expanse of the plain, which
is without other inhabitants than scattering herds of
untamed bullocks. The long grass is blown to and
fro over it, by the wind, rising and sinking like the
waves of the ocean.
The inhabitants of the island annually make pilgrimages, during the dry season, to the summit of




156


DEGRADATION OF WOMEN.


Mauna Waialeale, in order to catch a glimpse of
Oahu. They report, that almost on its top a spring
exists, which casts up beach sand, and that coral
and sea-shells are also found about it. Wild hogs
are numerous in the neighboring forests, and they
grow to a great size. Of late years, since the natives have been allowed to keep dogs, many have
escaped, and now roam wild in packs like wolves.
Neither goats, cattle, or even men, are safe from
their ravages; and several natives, in crossing the
region where they abound, have been obliged to take
refuge in trees. Yet, such is their attachment to
these brutes, they will not allow them to be killed,
except for food, and mourn over the loss of one as
they would for a child. Indeed, it is not uncommon
to see women of the common class suckling puppies,
and neglecting their own offspring, and that without
the slightest shame. They feed them from their own
mouths, sleep with them, pick and eat vermin from
them, in fact, show as much devotion to the whims
of a filthy cur, as the most ardent lover to the smiles
of his mistress. In no point does human nature
here seem more degraded, than in the brutal attachment of the sex for their dogs. Their own children
are made to suffer from want of the food which is
freely bestowed upon these animals.
A few miles beyond Wailua, on the sea-side, is a
field of battle and an ancient burial-ground.  By
bribing some adventurous fellows, I succeeded in
procuring several perfect crania, which were sent to
Boston. The strangeness of my taste in wishing to
procure the old bones of their ancestors, about which




HOSPITALITY.


157


they cared but little, and knew less, occasioned much
conjecture among the population, and from that circumstance I received the title of ' po kanaka,' or skull
man, a name by which I was ever afterwards known,
even on other islands. These relic-procurers were
bold enough in offering for sale, during the day, the
fruits of their sacrilegious searchings, but not one
could have been induced to have approached them
after sunset. No inconsiderable fear of the dead
still prevails among them, especially by night, and it
is a difficult matter to get a native to go out by himself after dark.
After leaving the regal residence of Deborah, nothing of particular interest is to be met with on the
road, until arriving at Anahola. A number of small
hamlets line the beach, with their usual quantum of
snarling, barking quadrupeds, which are always on
the qui vive to welcome a stranger by their deafening
noise, while troops of naked children crowd around,
to gaze their fill upon the pale face. It is in these
by-villages that some faint trace of the primitive hospitality of Hawaii is yet to be met with, and the
traveller is still occasionally greeted with the inquiry,
'Is your belly empty?' Perhaps this laudable custom has not diminished as much as expectation of
an ample remuneration has been raised, and in a
few years as regular a tariff of prices will be found
in the grass hovels on this scarce-trodden road, as in
the most celebrated caf6s of Paris.
Out upon him who turns up his fastidious nose at
such delicious fare as pigs, fowls, or dog, nicely
baked with vegetables, in taro leaves, and spread
14




OFFICES AND TITLES.


upon the ground a la kanaka, and to be ate a la
Turk. What if a pet pig, or fowl, provokingly insists upon sharing dishes with you? You are all
upon a level; then why complain? Delicious melons, and a huge calabash of poi, into which the natives' fingers take two or three turns, and then, with
a back-handed flourish, are conveyed to the mouth
with a rapidity and dexterity that defies description,
complete the repast. If I were called upon to picture true comfort and contentment, it would be a
kanaka eating poi. It is done with so much real
gusto, such an upturning of the eye, smile of the
features, and epicurean smack of the lips, that heart
and soul appear to participate in the enjoyment.
The partial adaptation of New England titles and
institutions to the wants of the natives, by their religious and secular teachers, strikes one, at first,
somewhat ludicrously. Judges, school-teachers, and
other professional characters, are constantly met,
clothed in little better than nature's costume, their
diplomas and offices contrasting strangely with their
personal appearance. But improvement is observable, even here on the very outskirts of civilization,
and the dress, deportment, and education of these
dignitaries are annually becoming more consonant
with their stations; while, amongst their inferiors,
clothes are not looked upon as such objects of curiosity as formerly, and kept to be used only on Sundays.
No one, who has visited Anahola, will forget an
old, white-headed chief, who resides there. lie is a
veteran of the former wars, and a favorite of the king,




A VETERAN OF KAMEHAMEHA.


sent to this retired valley, to sponge a subsistence out
of its wretched tenants.  Upon his old stock of
heathenism, he has engrafted all the outward traits of
christianity, and is as regular, and as sincere, in his
daily devotions, as a Mussulman, while avarice and
cunning still twinkle in his eyes. Notwithstanding
this, he is a fine old fellow, and exceedingly kind to
travellers, particularly if he can make any thing out
of them. Now this fine old fellow, who, by the way,
always dresses well, is as studious of his ease, as a
gouty alderman.  Few can boast of ever having
seen him but in two situations; one, sitting in an
arm-chair, grown venerable in the service, in front
of his house, in the most profound absence of all
thought, with a menial, shading by anl umbrella his
grey locks from the rays of the sun; this position he
retains for hours, or more properly for months, with
all the perseverance of a Hindoo devotee; for he
varies it only by retiring to his house, where, reclining upon mats, he either sleeps, or submits his body
to the manipulation of two aged women, who, from
long experience, are as skilful at 'lomi-lomi' as any
to be found in the group. Occasionally, he directs
their attention to his visitors; and if the traveller, who
consigns himself to their hands, is not fain to cry
out, 'blessed be he that invented the " lomi-lomi",' his
body must be formed of sterner stuff than mere
bones and muscles. However wearied he may be,
fatigue soon leaves him; each muscle is kneaded,
each joint cracked, and the whole corporation
thumped, pounded, and squeezed, until every old
ache and chafe is fairly driven out of it. A series




A DANGEROUS FORD.


of less violent kneadings succeeds this, and sleep,
most delicious sleep, succeeds all; and, in an hour's
time, he is ready to cry out, 'to horse again.'
Bidding 'aloha' to this Prince of Laziness, two
hours' ride brings us to the Kukui grove, a noble collection of trees, extending for some miles into the
interior; a fit temple for Druidical rites, but now occupied for christian worship. In fine weather, the
inhabitants assemble under the shade of the stateliest
of these forest monarchs, the branches of one of
which, by some curious freak of nature, have twisted
themselves into a very respectable kind of pulpit,
about ten feet high, from whence the missionary, in
this church of God's own building, discourses of his
love, mercy, and justice.
The roads, from this place to Waioli, are much
broken up by deep ravines, and rugged, though fertile valleys, through which rapid streams find their
way to the ocean. These, when swollen by rains,
are difficult to cross, especially when the bridges are
carried away, or made impassable. The night previous to the arrival of our party at the banks of the
most formidable,. a heavy rain had fallen, and the
stream was very deep. At the ordinary ford, the
large rocks formed dangerous rapids, and, immediately beneath them, the river precipitated itself over
a fall of twenty feet, into a rocky basin beneath.
Thence, the rapids became more furious, rushing and
foaming on, until they leaped another and higher
rock, and bound a deeper and more quiet course, below. The noise of the water, rushing with great
velocity through the rapids, joined with the roar of




ROADS TO WAIOLI.


161


the two cataracts, startled both horse and rider. Not
wishing to retrace our steps, we set our wits at work,
to devise means of crossing. The horses were taken
up some way above the rapids, where the river was
deep, and flowed more smoothly. By dint of blows
and coaxing, they were forced to plunge from the
bank; and, at the first leap, they disappeared under
the water; but, ropes being attached to them, they
swam safely across. The males of our party followed their example, after overcoming the chief difficulty, which was, to get a lady and her infant over.
No canoe was to be had. Finally, the natives, by
advancing, with the greatest caution, to the edge of
the rapids, and, planting themselves firmly in the
most shallow places, sometimes three on one spot, to
balance each other,-for a single misstep would
have plunged them where even the skill of a Hawaiian in the water might have failed him,-were
able to form a line across; and the infant was passed
from one to another, until he arrived in safety on the
opposite shore. The agonized countenance, and but
half-suppressed shriek of the mother, in watching its
progress, told, plainly, her sense of the danger. The
child over, and all fear for herself vanished. A hollow log was found, in which she placed herself, her
feet in the water; and, by the assistance of five natives, in part by wading, and part by swimming, she
was borne across. In fording the rivers, near their
mouths, it is not uncommon for a horse to get entangled in a quicksand, and leave his rider no other
alternative than a plunge into the stream, while his
horse must either flounder through, or be pried out.
14*




162     A LABOR OF LOVE.-KALIHIWAI.


The most direct road to Waioli, the inland route,
is the fruit of the labors of people residing at the Kukui grove. The missionary, under whose pastoral
charge they are placed, is in the habit of visiting
them, once a week, for the purposes of religious instruction and services. Sundays, he is confined to
the more populous village of Waioli, where he resides.  The ride thence is twelve miles, and by the
old road difficult and wearisome, and in wet weather
dangerous. Notwithstanding these visits were on
their working-days, the inhabitants cheerfully assembled, before the hour of his arrival, dressed in their
best attire, and awaited his coming. But the difficulties attending this hard ride, and the regular performance of the duty, proved too much for his health,
and he was compelled to notify his congregation
that, unless the road was improved, he should be
obliged to relinquish his visits. At this news, the
whole people turned out, spade and hatchet in hand,
and, in a short time, made a new and shorter road,
by which the chief difficulties of the old were avoided.
This is but one instance of the regard generally entertained,by the natives, for their religious instructors.
Kalihiwai, six miles from Waioli, is famed for the
beauty of its banks, and the number of cascades
which adorn them. It is commonly known as 'the
valley of cascades.' The country between the two,
is a fine, rolling upland, covered with a forest of hala
trees, which afford an inexhaustible supply of leaves
for thatching houses, and for making mats. This
tree is one of the most useful the island affords. Its
tough wood furnishes strong handles for garden tools;




HALA FORESTS.-WAIOLI.


163


its leaves shingle houses, supply carpets, and beds;
and its yellow fruit, notwithstanding its peculiarly
unpleasant flavor, is good for food, when nothing
better can be found, and also for what the natives
value far more, necklaces, with which, from the poorest to the richest, they all adorn themselves. rTlhe
trees are somewhat similar to the banian; for, when
they find their tops too heavy for their roots, they
send out supports from the lower branches, which,
reaching the ground, answer the purpose of an additional brace.
The valley of Waioli, or, as it is usually called,
Hanalei, from the river that runs through it, is one of
the finest, as well as most picturesque, on the islands.
It is small, at its mouth being but a mile in breadth,
gradually narrowing, until, at the distance of five
miles inland, its width is measured by that of the
stream, which is there bordered on either side by
lofty mountains. The river is a fine, wide stream,
navigable for boats for several miles. The soil, on
either side, is of excellent quality, though mostly low
and wet, except in the immediate vicinity of its
banks. The debris, washed by the frequent rains
from the neighboring hills, preserves its richness,
which, with its sheltered situation from winds, and
its even and pleasant temperature, render it one of
the most valuable agricultural districts in the group.
The bay, which faces to the northwest, and is exposed to that quarter, is sufficiently sheltered by a
projecting reef, for vessels to ride at their anchors in
safety, during most months of the year, while the
river affords a cheap and safe mode of transportation




164 RESIDENTS. - AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS.


for goods, to those who reside on its banks. The
mountains on the west rise to the height of five thousand feet, and are covered with dense forests of trees,
which afford valuable timber.
A clergyman and teacher of the American mission, with their families, reside here, and several foreigners, one of whom has an extensive dairy, and
manufactures, yearly, a large quantity of butter for
the Honolulu market. But that which promises to
be of most interest here, and to afford a valuable
branch of industry for the native population, is a silk
plantation, now in a most flourishing condition.
Four years since, Mr. C. Titcomb, a citizen of the
United States, procured a lease of land from the
king, about a mile from the mouth of the river, and
extending for some distance along its banks, and
running back to the mountains, embracing a variety
of soil, from moist, swampy land, to that which was
comparatively dry. The whole of it is covered with
a rich vegetable mould, about a foot deep, near the
river, and on a sand foundation, while, inland, it is
more boggy, and suitable for taro, though it can be
easily drained, and adapted to any other purpose.
At the foot of the hills which form its western boundary, is a most admirable situation for coffee, which
the proprietor has turned to good account. But his
principal attention has been devoted to silk. Thus
far, he has been successful in producing it of excellent quality. The quantity will soon be sufficient to
make it a valuable export. His trees are of several
varieties, the white, black, Canton, and Morus Multicaulis, all of which thrive well, and appear to be




SILK PLANTATION.


165


equally good for the worms. He has but twenty-five
acres planted, which afford more food, already, than
he requires for his present operations. This is owing
to the peculiar richness of the soil, which produces
in the greatest luxuriance and rapidity. Indeed,
without witnessing, for one's self, the rapid development of vegetation here, it would almost stagger belief. By repeated measurements, it has been found,
that the mulberry shoots grow upwards of an inch
per day, and thousands at the rate of four feet a
month. The first in a row, and which was by no
means the largest, I had the curiosity to have cut
down and weighed. This was three months, lacking a day, after a previous cutting. Its height then
exceeded twelve feet; its leaves weighed eight pounds
and three quarters; and the new wood, eleven and
three quarters. This tree was but a common specimen, and many might have been selected, of superior height and weight. They are planted very close
in rows, so as to form thick-set hedges about six feet
apart. Simply plucking the leaves, was found to
injure the trees; and the plan was adopted, of cutting them down to the ground by rows, and carrying
the branches into the cocooncry, where they could
be stripped by whipping them through the hand; a
process which saves much labor, and affects the trees
favorably. In two or three months, the old roots
throw out shoots of sufficient height to undergo the
same operation. It has been found best, in order to
preserve the leaves green and tender, to cut down the
trees once in three or four months. If they are allowed to remain longer, their growth is clecked, and




166


SILK PLANTATION.


the leaves become hard and dry, and less suitable for
the worm. This rapid growth may be thought to
exhaust the soil. No doubt it will, eventually, although as yet no signs of diminishing productiveness have occurred, though some trees have been cut
down for the tenth time. These are now in as flourishing state as any of the others. Besides, the cocooneries afford supplies of manure, from their litter,
of which a great quantity is collected monthly. The
adjacent swamps, also, will furnish vast supplies of
the necessary article, when it is required; and even
should these fail, so little land is needed for the raising of the mulberry, the proprietor would have but
to turn up fresh sods with the hoe, for no plough is
required, and plant new slips, which, in nine months'
time, would afford the requisite supply, while the
exhausted land could remain idle, and be recovering
from its depletion. Other trees and vegetables grow
with like rapidity here. Orange trees are weighed
down to the ground by the abundance of their fruit,
and the coffee-shrub has commenced bearing the
second year. The climate is damp, and much rain
falls during the year. This, it was thought, would
prove detrimental to the worms; but one crop has
been fed through a particularly wet month, and has
done as well as any of the others. The leaves are
plucked, the day before they are required, and deposited in a drying house.  By the succeeding
morning, they are fit to feed with.
The variety of worm raised is the cross-breed,
between the American variety and the small Chinese
white and yellow. They form a fine, firm cocoon.




SILK PLANTATION.


167


which averages between five and six thousand to
the pound of reeled silk. A singular fact connected
with them is this. The cross between the Chinese
and the American, produce cocoons of a pale straw
color, and others of a dark orange, both of a beautiful lustre. But the eggs of one color is as likely
to produce cocoons of the other variety as its own,
so that no dependence can be placed upon securing
either color, by preserving cocoons of the desired
hue for seed. The silk reeled is particularly fine
and valuable, and of an even, delicate thread. That
which is reeled before the worms are stifled, has the
best lustre. Those which cannot be reeled in season
for this purpose, are stifled by steam. Thatched
houses, erected at a small expense, with mat hurdles,
are found to be all that is necessary to preserve
the worms healthy, while the tops of broom corn
answer every purpose for them to form their cocoons
upon; thus saving much expense for machinery and
lumber, which is used in colder climates. The proprietor has land sufficient to feed millions monthly,
but at present he can accommodate but from three
to five hundred thousand at a time. When his
present arrangements are completed, he will have a
Constant succession of heavy crops; eggs hatching,
and worms winding up, the same day, and thus be
able to keep his reelers in constant practice. During
the months of January, February, and March, but
little feeding will be done. The trees then undergo
a kind of winter. This time, however, is made
profitable on the plantation in other ways.
This business requires great care and perseverance,




SILK PLANTATION.


and constant attention, night and day. Yet it is of
a simple nature, and the requisite experience is easily
acquired. The greatest economy must be used,
especially in avoiding waste of material in reeling.
Mr. Titcomb entered upon the business a few years
since, an entire stranger to its details, but has now
acquired sufficient information and experience to
conduct an extensive plantation, simply by strict
attention to his business, and by letting no fact,
however apparently trivial and unimportant, in regard to the trees or worms, escape him.
His reelers were instructed by himself; he first
learning to reel from instructions gathered from a
book. They now, for fineness of work, can successfully compete with foreign reelers; and the best of
them will turn out, when watched, nearly a pound
each per day. When left to themselves they are
not so active, yet still average a very respectable
quantity.  Both those who turn the wheels and
those who attend the pans are instructed, and made
responsible for the goodness of the silk; a much
better plan, and more likely to produce a good article, than when the wheel, for the sake of economy,
is left to a boy. The men are found to reel equally
as well as the women. Before they are instructed
they are bound to remain in the employ of the proprietor two years, receiving regular wages during
that time. His Majesty, during a visit to this place,
professed himself much interested in the success of
this business; and twice, in public addresses to his
officers, charged them to see that no obstacle was
thrown into the way of Mr. Titcomb, as had hereto



A CHRONOLOGICAL WOOD PILE.


169


fore been done; and that, as it was necessary for
work to be done on the Sabbath, in feeding worms,
the judges must not trouble those who were so employed; he also advised his people to seek employment in this business, and by way of setting example, turned a reel himself for a short time. Since
that period, the desire of the natives to work on the
plantation is great, and Mr. Titcomb already gives
employment to fifty people of both sexes, which
number will be increased as his operations are enlarged. The good effects of this industry is already
obvious, in the better appearance of the natives. A
short time since, scarcely any could boast of clothing: now there are few but have some, and many
dress very respectably.
An intelligent Frenchman has more recently established a sugar plantation at this place. The sugar
manufactured is of excellent quality. Along the beach
are the remains of an enormous pile of fire-wood,
gathered by the strength of the whole island, in the
days of despotic taxation. It now serves as a kind
of calendar to the juvenile inhabitants, to calculate
their ages by; dating from the time of its gathering.
It is difficult to ascertain the age of a common native. The only judgment he can form about it, is,
that he was so large when such a building was
erected, or such a chief died.
15


t




CHAPTER V.
Island of Maui. - Its Capital. - Seat of Government. - Palace. -
His Majesty, Kamehameha III.-His Spouse.-Products of
Maui.-' House of the Sun.'- Female Seminary at Wailuku. -
High School at Lahainaluna. -Native Historical Society. - Reflective and Perceptive Powers of the Hawaiians. - Influence of
the American Missionaries over the Common People.-Discrepant Statements of Travellers. -Causes of.- State of Religion,
as compared with the United States. - Statistics.- Actual Condition. -Death Scenes.- Comparison of the Relative Influence
of Spanish Padres and American Missionaries, over their Converts. -Different Phases of National Character.- Admitting to
the Church.-Moral Sentiments.-Actual Recognition of.Truth and Falsehood.-Criminal Statistics.-Style of Living
among American Missionaries.-Their Houses, Cost, &c.Their Advantages and Disadvantages.- Enemies and Friends.Objectionable Biography.- Privations of the Earlier Missionaries.- Qualifications for a Missionary. ---Examples.-Their
Hospitalities. - Labors for the Literary and Commercial World.
-Faults.-Hostility to Roman Catholics.- Extent.- Anecdotes. -Discontinuing Connection with the American Board. —
Independent Missionaries.- Tendency of the Present Times. -
Ill Health of Females.- Causes and Remedy.
MAUI, which, next to Oahu, is the second         island
in commercial importance, has a superficial area of
six hundred and twenty miles. Its shape is singular,
resembling the head and bust of a human figure;
the outline of the face being quite accurately defined.
Lahaina is the capital of the island and the kingdom,
having been selected by the present monarch for his
seat of government. For whalemen it is a most


It




SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.


171


desirable haven; and on account of the goodness of
the anchorage, abundance and cheapness of supplies,
and good order ashore, it is more frequented by
American shipping than any other island port in the
Pacific. From thirty to sixty whale ships annually
touch here. On the Sabbath their crews have the
privilege of attending divine worship. A tolerable
reading-room is also at their disposal.
His Majesty, it is said, selected this town for his
residence, that he might be more apart from the
influence of foreigners, and more among his own
chiefs: a laudable motive, the good effects of which
have already been made apparent, in a more wholesome legislation, and the shaking off of a certain
degree of familiar intercourse, forced upon him by
demoralized whites. Lahaina contains a population of three thousand. Its situation is bad, being
at the foot of a lofty range of dusty and barren hills,
which pour down upon the town clouds of fine red
dust, which colors and penetrates every thing. However, the sources of water are abundant, and the
redness of the mud-built houses and dusty streets is
greatly relieved by numerous taro patches and little
gardens, interspersed through the town. A noble
grove of cocoa-nut trees lines the beach. A fort
similar to that of Honolulu faces the harbor, and
also commands the town. The church is one of the
earliest as well as best buildings erected for divine
worship in the group. The chiefs generally have
very comfortable and well-furnished houses. The
palace of the king is a large two story stone building, with a piazza running completely round it.




KAMEHAMEHA III.


When completed according to the original plan, it
will be a handsome edifice. The rooms are large,
though yet unfurnished. Portraits of Liholiho and
Kamamalu, taken in England, and of Marshall
Blutcher, and Frederick William,of Prussia, presented by that sovereign, adorn the walls. But King Kauikeouli seldom makes use of this building, except for
state purposes; such as the assembling of his council, parliament, reception of foreign officers, &c. He
prefers to sleep in a small but neatly thatched house,
retired from the street. He usually lives in very
good style; sentinels are stationed about the grounds
and yards, and yearly more etiquette is exacted, both
from foreigners and his own subjects. Some of his
favorite young chiefs are always in attendance; they
are well dressed, gentlemanly men. John Young and
Haalilio, his intimates, are of fine figures. He lives
well; his table being served by foreign cooks as well
as native. Of late, he has given up the use of both
wines and liquors, and become a perfectly temperate
man; an example which has been followed by
nearly all his court, which is now as remarkable for
its sobriety as it once was for its drunken banquetings. This is the more to the credit of his Majesty,
for his taste for strong drink, into which he was
seduced when a mere boy by vicious whites, is
tantamount to a passion. In boxing, bowling, billiard-playing, horsemanship, and other manly exercises, he is an adept; though greater attention to the
duties of his situation than formerly prevents him
from the frequent indulgence that was his wont,
when in the heyday of youthful dissipation. He is




KAMEHAMEHA III.


173


now twenty-seven years of age, and is becoming,
like all his race, portly; his complexion is dark, and
face full, but intelligent, without the expression of
savage hauteur and determination, which characterizes many other chiefs. He is amiable to a fault,
but unfortunately possesses neither the firmness nor
knowledge to contend successfully with the wiles
and violence of unprincipled foreign officials. Still,
his acquaintance with the history of the world, and
its general conditionis very respectable; and his
improvement has been rapid. To his subjects, he is
a kind and patriotic sovereign, and is much beloved.
To foreigners, he is hospitable, and disposed to be
confiding. He is a good man, without being a
remarkable one; and wise, without being great.
Entirely adequate to the management of the domestic relations of his kingdom, but failing in dignity
and self-possession, when subjected to the lawless
attacks of foreign wvar-ships. He can converse in
English fluently, though reluctant to do so. By
foreigners he is familiarly addressed as ' king.' Of
a vessel, he is passionately fond; and a few years
since, his navy was quite respectable, consisting of
a fine bark of fourteen guns, a brig, and several
schooners. Hle possesses now but a few small
schooners, the brig being wrecked, and the bark
proving too expensive for his exhausted treasury.
His observation is keen, and memory retentive.
When but a young lad, he visited the Potomac frigate,
Commodore Downes, then lying off Honolulu. Seven years later, in 1839, he went on board the Columbia frigate, Commodore Reed. While walking be15*




174


PRODUCTS OF MAUI.


tween decks, he observed, 'this vessel has greater
height here than the Potomac.' 'How much do
they differ?' asked his companion. Upon reflecting
a moment, he replied, 'two inches,' which was the
exact difference.
His Majesty is married to a woman of minor rank,
Koloma by name. She also rejoices in the euphonious appellation of Hazelelponi, a scriptural name,
selected by herself, at her baptism. Her children, if
they had lived, would not have enjoyed a higher
rank than her own, as the blood of the mother always
determines the degree of the offspring. The court
still maintains its reputation for the size and weight
of its individual members. Two exceed three hundred pounds each. Paki is six feet, six inches tall,
well formed, and of Herculean strength and proportions. Hoapiliwahine, a female chief recently deceased, was nearly his equal in height and general
bulk.
The agricultural products of Maui are already
considerable. Several sugar mills, two of them iron,
are in operation at Wailuku, turning out from one
to two hundred tons of sugar and molasses yearly.
The best of these mills is owned by the king, and
leased upon shares, to some Chinese, who manufacture excellent loaf sugar, and the best of syrup. The
natives here own many small plantations, and find
a ready market for all their products, during the shipping seasons at Lahaina. Maui possesses much
elevated tableland, suitable for the productions of
the temperate zone. Wheat grows wild and in
abundance; and nowhere can Irish potatoes be




FEMALE SEMINARY.


175


raised cheaper, and of better quality. The highest
land in Maui is Mauna Haleakala, 'house of the sun,'
a gigantic terminal crater, rising from the centre of
East Maui. The ascent to its summit, ten thousand
feet above the sea, is gradual and easy. During the
winter, considerable snow falls on and about it.
There exists at Wailuku a female Boarding School
or Seminary, under the charge of a mission family,
and native assistants. It is a most excellent institution. The school-rooms are in a stone building, two
stories high, fifty-six feet long by twenty-four broad;
erected at a cost of two thousand dollars. The pupils
are lodged in a row of small adobie buildings, each
constituting but one apartment. The pupils are
secluded as much as possible, from the corrupting
influences of the neighboring inhabitants, and trained
to a civilized life. They are taught all the common
branches of education, embracing history and vocal
music, and are also studiously initiated into the several
departments of domestic industry; such as braiding,
sewing, washing, ironing, knitting, spinning cotton,
&c. Their clothing is a uniform of blue and white
cotton. The chief object of the school is to train a
class of females, who shall make suitable wives for
the graduates of the High School, who too often, by
marrying their ignorant and vicious country-women,
have relapsed into their former barbarous habits.
Thus far, this institution has proved eminently successful, and through its instrumentality a new order
of the daughters of Hawaii is growing up. The
annual expense incurred for the support of each pupil,
is about twenty dollars.




HIGH SCHOOL AT LAHAINALUNA.


The High School, for boys, is situated at Lahainaluna, a village two miles back of Lahaina, at an
elevation of one thousand feet above the sea. It is
a healthy, though warm and barren spot, not furnishing sufficient food even for the scholars. From the
buildings, an extensive view of the town and shipping of Lahaina, and the islands of Lanai and
Molokai is obtained. The school first went into
operation in 1831, under the charge of the Rev.
Lorrin Andrews. In 1837, a large stone two story
edifice was erected, consisting of a central building,
forty feet square, two and a half stories high, and
surmounted by a cupola. The lower story affords
two school rooms, the second a chapel, and the third,
forty feet by eighteen, an apartment for the library,
museum, and philosophical apparatus. A wing,
fifty feet by twenty-six, extends from each side of
the main building. Attached to the establishment,
and within the enclosed grounds, are a dining-hall,
cook-house, store-house, and from thirty to forty small
thatched buildings, neatly furnished, - the sleeping
apartments and rooms of the pupils. The whole
erected at an expense of about fourteen thousand
dollars, by the American mission. The government
affords important aid to the institution, by gifts of
land for the support of the pupils, and otherwise
takes a deep interest in its success. A printing office
is connected with it, and four good dwelling-houses
have been erected, for the accommodation of the
teachers, who receive their support from the American Board. The number of pupils varies from fifty
to one hundred; their course of instruction is for




HIGH SCHOOL AT LAHAINALUNA.


177


four years; a portion of their time they are required
to spend in manual labor, in order to raise something
for their own subsistence, and to form habits of systematic industry; also to acquire a knowledge of
agricultural and mechanical implements. Some, in
consequence, have become very good artisans, and
earn high wages, much to the chagrin of foreign
workmen. The food of the scholars is chiefly fish
and poi, with meat occasionally, eaten at tables,
where they are furnished with bowls, spoons, knives,
&c. They are required to be neatly and uniformly
clothed.  The expense of each pupil, including
books and stationery, is about the same as at the
Female Seminary at Wailuku. In addition to the
elementary branches, they study Scripture, geography, history, and chronology; also, church history,
elements of geometry, astronomy, trigonometry, algebra, mensuration, surveying, navigalion, anatomy,
&c. For mathematical studies they manifest considerable aptness; and in all departments, their
memories are very tenacious, and their progress good.
Weekly exercises in composition are required, and
English is taught to some extent. To test their capacities, the dead languages were tried, and they soon
acquired some degree of proficiency in them. This
institution has already supplied abundance of teachers, well qualified for the common schools; and it is
designed eventually to educate the most promising
youth to form a native clergy, and as far as possible
to give them a knowledge of medicine, suflicient to
counteract the quackery of their own empirics. Many
young men who have been educated here, have




178


NATIVE HISTOltAL -9ttV A ".


already attained important and responsible posts
under government, solely from their acquirements,
for their birth was against them. In every point of
view, has the nation experienced much benefit from
the system of education here pursued.
Some of the most intelligent of the graduates
have formed a historical society, for the preservation
of all facts, meles, traditions, and other matter, both
ancient and modern, connected with the history of
their native land. At several of their meetings, a
number of interesting, and to the student of Polynesian archeology, valuable communications have
been read; one embraced the history of Umi, a king
of Maui, who reigned nearly two centuries since.
The Rev. Shelden Dibble is now engaged in putting
to press, at Lahainaluna, a history of the group,
gathered chiefly from original sources among the
inhabitants, which will be both curious and valuable,
as giving their views of affairs, both previously and
subsequently to the visit of Cook. It is not often
that the lion sculptures himself.
Although the Hawaiians manifest fair reasoning
powers, yet, like all the branches of the Malay family,
their perceptive and imitative are much more prominent. Hence, their ready acquirement of the mechanical arts, their fondness for mathematics, and
the study of facts, without reference to abstract investigation. Their proficiency in copper engraving at
the High School is really remarkable.. Good maps,
charts, and pictures are engraved every year, and
with a considerable degree of improvement upon
the last.




STATEMENTS OF TRAVELLERS.


179


The influence which has been acquired by the
American missionaries over the whole people, has
by some been made a subject of complaint; such
people desire the seed to be planted and the tree to
grow, but would prevent its branches from leaning
towards the source of its life and light. The missionaries do possess a great and important hold in
the hearts of the people, and control to a great extent
the public mind. But it has been honestly and
openly acquired; it is" what they were sent for. If
any one doubts the love and reverence with which
these men are viewed, by the great majority of the
inhabitants, let him visit their households, and join
with the missionary in his pastoral labors and excursions. Smiling faces and genuine hospitality will
everywhere greet him; but more particularly within
the range of their parochial districts, where years of
faithful and disinterested service have endeared the
populace to them. The kind greeting extended to
the missionary, is as freely extended to the missionary's friend. Often in my wanderings have I had
plentiful reason to be thankful, that the missionary
had preceded me; for it is but simple justice to
acknowledge, that the hospitality I enjoyed, was
more owing to respect for him, than from a welcome
vouchsafed to a stranger, or a desire for gain. To
be known as a friend's friend, is a passport to the
good graces of a Hawaiian, whether a convert to
Christianity or a worshipper of the flesh. With both
the reception will be cordial, but dissimilar. The
different auspices under which the traveller visits the
cottages of the wayside, will, when compared, faith



1S


STATEMENTS OF TRAVA16 i3B. 


fully account for the many discordant statements
which have been given so often to the world. The
quarrels of these authors, and those who uphold their
respective views, remind one of the famous contest
between two knights, who coming by opposite roads,
met each other face to face, under a metallic shield.
The one looking at the side towards himself, exclaimed, ' What a beautiful shield, and how rich the
gold is.' ' Gold,' replied the other, 'it is silver.'
' Silver, indeed; I say it is gold,' was the rejoinder;
from angry words they soon came to blows; and in
a short time, so furious was their combat, they both
lay wounded and fainting upon the road. A comnpassionate monk happening by, bound up their
wounds; as soon as they were able to speak, they
mutually appealed to him to confirm the truth of
their respective assertions. ' Friends,' said he, ' you
both are right and both wrong; had you looked on
each side of the shield, you would have seen that
one was silver and the other gold.' Much the same
has it been with writers in regard to this part of the
world. On either position there is some favorite
theory to support. It is published, and correctly
enough, as far as it goes, that things and people
were after this manner, or that. They limit their
vision while they generalize their deductions. The
other side of the shield remains unexamined, and
they content themselves with reiterating their statements, or contradicting those whose views differ
from their own. In consequence of their partial
investigations, a war of words has been engendered)
and missionary and resident are mutually accused




MISSIONARIES.


181


of exaggeration. I shall offer no apology for the
remarks I am about to introduce, upon the subject
of missionary labor, and its effect upon the people.
On no other topic, since my return, have I been so
frequently and critically questioned. Much that is
partisan has already been given to the public; and
that it is partisan is the occasion of the great mixture
of truth and error which prevails, on these points.
It is natural and proper that a deep interest should
be felt, in so important a cause. The mission enterprise is one of the most prominent and noblest features of the nineteenth century. The attention of
the learned and powerful, as well as the mass of the
christian community, is strongly attracted towards it.
Whether it is for good or evil; whether its present
system can be improved or not; whether the laborers
are faithful or faulty; whether there are adequate
returns for the sacrifice of life, of health, and domestic
ties, and expenditure of treasure; all of these are
fair subjects of investigation. The sincere friend of
the cause wishes a faithful exposition of the truth,
conscious that its real success will be parallel with
the enlightenment of the public mind. I have no sect
to sustain, or sectarian views to gratify.  My sincere
desire is to state facts and present views, which are
valuable only so far as they can be sustained by the
former. In my history of these islands, I traced the
operation of the religious revolution which attended
the introduction of christianity upon their civil and
political institutions; its silent or active workings in
regenerating the nation; now I have to do with its
action and consequences, by their family altars, their
16




182


STATE OF RELIGION.


social gatherings, the manners of the cottage, and
the habits of the day; with the people, as they actually
exist in 1843. Much that has been related in the
previous chapters is intended to picture the condition
of civilization and christianity as it now is, among
them, and the reader will not fail frequently to draw
his own deductions.
The query has been put to me, 'How does the
state of religion among Hawaiians compare with
our own.' In one sense the question can be answered most favorably. Numerically, church members
bear a larger proportion throughout Hawaii to noncommunicants, than in the United States; a greater
outward attention is exhibited towards the observance of its ceremonies than here; but it would be
as incorrect, from these facts, to place their moral
and religious standard upon a level with that of
the American people, as from the number of common schools, the pupils that attend them, and the
studies nominally pursued among the same people, to
estimate their elementary knowledge, and their system of education as highly as our own. Yet statistics
by themselves would give that result, were the actual
conditions and physiological differences between the
two races kept from view. What were the Hawaiians originally, and what were the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons? The one a branch of the Malay family
of the human race, the third in point of intelligence;
their chief characteristics a love of maritime adventure, with a brutal courage which looked upon death
with an icy apathy, because they had but little to enjoy below, and less to hope for in the future; sensual




STATE OF RELIGION.


183


beyond description; lying and treacherous to friend
and foe; a warm, excitable imagination, and docile
to instruction; by turns a child or adult in pleasures
and passions -weeping the one moment, the other
revelling with boisterous mirth; in short, a creature
of base sentiments, more like a man who, under the
influence of. intoxicating gas, acts out that which
is uppermost in his nature, than a human being
endowed with moral feelings. Added to this, a
superstition skilfully concocted and strongly sustained by the few for the degradation and subservience of the many. Our forefathers, off-shoots of
the noblest race, the Caucasian; cruel heathens,
but bold, free, and intelligent; sacrificing human
victims in obedience to their priests, but, in domestic
relations, chaste and affectionate.  If their animal
passions were strong and conspicuous, their virtues
also shone out brightly, and they proved themselves
a thinking race. Christianity introduced into soils
so widely different, must, humanly speaking, flourish
in accordance with the relative fitness of either for
its support and increase. And it has been so. In
England and America, rooting itself in the superior
sentiments and intelligence of the people, it now
exhibits itself in its fairest and purest light; transported to the Hawaiian islands by Anglo-Saxon
minds, it is there sustained by the strength it brought
with it. There the institutions, plans, and improvements are all borrowed from their instructors; by
them and their ancestors they were originated and
perfected. The Anglo-Saxon race are capable of
teaching; the Malay of being taught; the one by




STATE OF RELIGION.


its own native energies can conquer and rule the
world; the very existence and advancement of the
latter is dependent upon the forbearance and benevolence of the former. Such are the natural differences between the two, and these must be borne
in mind, if a just opinion of the capacity of the
Hawaiians for civilization and christianity is to be
formed. They should be judged by the standard
applicable to their position in the human family, and
not by our own.
There is one point which cannot be estimated by
finite intelligence. Omnipotence alone can count
the souls that have here soared from their beds of
disease and death to a blissful hereafter. The words
of life dropped in season and out of season, their
final consequences none can tell. The poor, untutored heathen, whose mind would fail to grasp the
boundless glories which eternity is ready to open to
his view, would find no difficulty in turning from all
idol of sense, the image of despairing cruelty, to
I Our Father who art in Heaven;' the God whose
chiefest attribute is love. The death-bed scenes of
a Kaahumanu, a Kapioiani, and a Kinau, were such
as to have confirmed the faith and brightened the
experience of the most intellectual of other lands;
and who shall tell how many of humbler origin have
gone to their last account, unhonored and unknown
on earth, but registered as high in heaven. Only on
that day that discloses all secrets will they be revealed.
There are few persons of any class at these
islands but now appreciate, in their full force, the
causes of the discrepant statements before alluded




STATE OF RELIGION.


to, though, unfortunately, they are not always ready
to acknowledge them. The influence acquired by
the padres in Spanish American countries over their
Indian neophytes, with their hospitality, have been
much praised by travellers. But that which is exercised by the American missionaries here, seems to
me to be of a superior order. The Indians bow
submissively to the authority of the church; the
Hawaiians yield voluntary homage to a friend; the
one submits to arbitrary requirements, as from a
power from which he can appeal no more than from
Heaven itself; the other in his deeds of kindness
exercises his own judgment and inclination. Often
have I journeyed with our missionaries, and wherever
we went, the regard manifested for them personally,
and the high respect paid to their holy offices, unclaimed and unsought on their part, have been to
me the strongest testimonials of a favorable public
sentiment towards them. Houses were cleaned and
put in their tidiest array, the best mats and tapas
brought out for their beds, and the choicest productions of their little plantations reserved for their
meals, and all this done without expectation of recompense. From the good will and activity manifested, it would be unfair to judge it otherwise than
the result of genuine affection. Church-members,
of course, take the lead in doing honor to their
teachers, but an outward decorum prevails even
among the lowest orders. Crowds assemble for a
meeting for prayer, or the expounding of the gospel.
To a casual observer, the impression would be conveyed, that he was among a highly moral and
16*




STATE OF RELIGION.


religious community. For the time being, it is so.
With some this deportment is sincere and permanent, but with the mass it is different; and it is no
disparagement to the labors of the missionary to
state, that a vast deal of hypocrisy exists among the
people. Let the visitor go'over the same road again,
but under different circumstances. If he is desirous
of witnessing the varied phases of their national
character, let it be known that he is no missionary
for all strangers are divided into two classes, 'missionary, and no missionary;' the one being supposed to be favorable to the former, the other hostile.
The disguise will then be stripped from off many
who were on the previous occasion playing the missionary. Indeed, the lower orders have a phrase in
respect to their external decorum and inward desires,
which has become proverbial, and which will not
bear repeating, but is singularly expressive of their
actual feelings. It will be perceived that virtue is
more valued for its good name than as a reality;
that the dispositions of the mass are still sensual,
and that much of the orderly and decorous conduct
exhibited before, was the result of a temporary restraint, and a desire to possess the good will of their
superiors. The terrors of the law are also much in
dread. The temptation to enter the church is equally
great. All the chief rulers are professedly christians;
the high places are filled by such; it is one step
towards preferment; to the native it has the value of
a caste; it fixes him in the eyes of his fellows; consequently there is no self-denial an interested individual will not temporarily subject himself to, to




STATE OF RELIGION.


187


attain the object of his ambition. I have known
one, who having failed by all the customary arts, in
convincing his pastor of his fitness to join in the
communion, devise a most ingenious story to accolnplish his purpose. He went to the missionary
to confess a crime which he had meditated, the recollection of which hung heavily upon him. He
said that some time before he had determined to
murder him, and had actually approached his house
by night with a cutlass, and had been deterred only
by an unexpected interruption, which caused him to
retreat. The story as he related it, with all the
attending circumstances, was so exceedingly plausible, and his manner so sincere and contrite, that
for a while the missionary was staggered. But the
falsehood was soon discovered, and he did not come
again. Some missionaries rival the Roman Catholic priesthood in their zeal for adding to their church,
baptizing by hundreds, and even by thousands.
There is but little doubt that, although a majority
of the admitted natives do not conform strictly to
their vows, yet in consequence of them they are a
better people. They furnish a restraint which nothing else could supply. The conduct which would
bring censure upon an American christian, should
not upon a Hawaiian; their temperaments, knowledge, and circumstances are widely different, and
they are not to be balanced in the same scale. Of
him to whom much is given, much will be required.
Other missionaries go to the other extreme, and
maintain so severe a discipline that it is seldom a
candidate is found qualified in their view. I am




18\6


STATE OF RELIGION.


religious community. For the time being, it is so.
With some this deportment is sincere and permanent, but with the mass it is different; and it is no
disparagement to the labors of the missionary to
state, that a vast deal of hypocrisy exists among the
people. Let the visitor go over the same road again,
but under different circumstances. If he is desirous
of witnessing the varied phases of their national
character, let it be known that he is no missionaryfor all strangers are divided into two classes, 'missionary, and no missionary;' the one being supposed to be favorable to the former, the other hostile.
The disguise will then be stripped from off many
who were on the previous occasion playing the missionary. Indeed, the lower orders have a phrase in
respect to their external decorum and inward desires,
which has become proverbial, and which will trot
bear repeating, but is singularly expressive of their
actual feelings. It will be perceived that virtue is
more valued for its good name than as a reality;
that the dispositions of the mass are still sensual,
and that much of the orderly and decorous conduct
exhibited before, was the result of a temporary restraint, and a desire to possess the good will of their
superiors. The terrors of the law are also much in
dread. Tie temptation to enter the church is equally
great. All the chief rulers are professedly Christians;
the high places are filled by such; it is one step
towards preferment; to the native it has the value of
a caste; it fixes him in the eyes of his fellows; consequently there is no self-denial an interested individual will not temporarily subject himself to, to




STATE OF RELIGION.


187


attain the object of his ambition. I have known
one, who having failed by all the customary arts, in
convincing his pastor of his fitness to join in the
communion, devise a most ingenious story to accolnplish his purpose. He went to the missionary
to confess a crime which he had meditated, the recollection of which hung heavily upon him. He
said that some time before he had determined to
murder him, and had actually approached his house
by night with a cutlass, and had been deterred only
by an unexpected interruption, which caused him to
retreat. The story as he related it, with all the
attending circumstances, was so exceedingly plausible, and his manner so sincere and contrite, that
for a while the missionary was staggered. But the
falsehood was soon discovered, and he did not come
again. Some missionaries rival the Roman Catholie priesthood in their zeal for adding to their church,
baptizing by hundreds, and even by thousands.
There is but little doubt that, although a majority
of the admitted natives do not conform strictly to
their vows, yet in consequence of them they are a
better people. They furnish a restraint which nothing else could supply. The conduct which would
bring censure upon an American christian, should
not upon a Hawaiian; their temperaments, knowledge, and circumstances are widely different, and
they are not to be balanced in the same scale. Of
him to whom much is given, much will be required.
Other missionaries go to the other extreme, and
maintain so severe a discipline that it is seldom a
candidate is found qualified in their view. I am




188


STATE OF RELIGION.


acquainted with one who, in the course of six years'
preaching has admitted but a single individual into
the church. His sense of the duties of a Christian
is exceedingly rigid; but he lives in daily exemplification of it, and perhaps approaches as near to the
purity, holiness, zeal, and meekness of the apostles,
as man is capable of.
A moral sentiment, founded more upon a classification of certain actions either as evil or as good,
and their attendant punishments or rewards, than
upon any definite ideas of sin and virtue considered
in their relations to moral purity, and the love of the
Father, pervades the nation. With the more enlightened, a superior sentiment prevails to some
degree.  Consequently, as in older christianized
communities, a man enjoys respect in proportion to
his moral qualifications. Many, of course, are to be
found more fond of a good name, than of the means
necessary for its attainment. Publicly they are one
being, privately another. The very fact of the necessity of the deception, shows a great advancement
in moral sentiment sin'ce the days of Liholiho, and
instead of being considered a reproach to the missionaries, should be hailed as a favorable symptom
of their labors; the dawn of further improvement.
In humanity, care for the sick and aged, their domestic relations, honesty, temperance, industry, and
politeness, there has been great advancement. From
a warlike, treacherous, and cruel people, they have
become mild, tractable, and desirous of knowledge.
The intelligent observer will find much in their present character to gratify him, and more to surprise,




STATE OF RELIGION.


189


when he contrasts them with what they were but
a score of years since. But he who goes among
them, his imagination picturing a nation changed
from brutal savages, by the Spirit of God, to guileless christians, worshipping Jehovah in all the innocency and strength of a first love, their family altars
emblems of purity and happiness, their congregations simple and sincere, and their dispositions and
deportment refined to the high standard of christian
excellence in our own beloved country, will be disappointed. Yet there are writers who would fain
make the world believe that it is nearly so. None
have been more pained and surprised than the missionaries themselves, at the high-wrought sketches
which have gone forth, an injury to their cause and
themselves.
It is still difficult to make the natives understand
the nature of truth. They have been so accustomed,
from their earliest years, to habits of deception, that
with very many, perhaps the majority, it may be
doubted whether any other sensation arises from the
detection of a falsehood than mortification at being
discovered. In no other point are they more obtuse,
but this moral bluntness is gradually wearing away.
Licentiousness is the chief vice of the nation; not
that they are much worse in this respect than nations
generally residing within the tropics, but it continues to be their most prominent trait. A few years
ago, in its Protean forms, it was common to all, and
as undisguised as the light of day. Now it hides
its head, and seeks a new garment to conceal its foul
markings. The following table of crime for Oahu,
will serve to show the proportion of other offences




STATISTICS.


to those of sensuality. It is taken from the Kumu
Hawaii, of January 16, 1839, a native paper, but the
period embraced in the report is not given. And it
should be recollected that but a small proportion of
the latter offences are ever detected or exposed. A
number of foreigners are embraced in the list, chiefly
for riot, mutiny, and desertion.
Oifences.
Manslaughter,  4      Seduction,      18
Theft,        48      Lewdness,       81
Riot,          32      Adultery,     246
False witness,  48
Desertion,    30                     345
Mutiny,       15
177
The fact appears incontrovertible that there yet
exists in the nation a large body of people who are
equally disposed to religious rites, or to acts of a
different character, as may be most accordant to the
taste of.those wbom they wish to gratify. Another
generation must arise, with better homes and more
civil and religious advantages, before the habits of
the old are sufficiently undermined. While evidence
for the most favorable view of missionary labor, to
a partial investigator appears conclusive, ample
grounds for the opposite opinion exist. The truth
lies in neither extreme. The friends of humanity
have just cause to be grateful that so much has been
accomplished, and should labor in earnestness that
the remaining dark spots may be washed white.
Something now remains to be said of the mission



MISSIONARY LIFE.


aries themselves. The reader will bear in mind that
my remarks are confined exclusively to those of the
Hawaiian islands; whether they may be applicable
to those on other stations, I have had no opportunity
personally to know. And first, how do they live? In
good, comfortable, and capacious houses of wood,
adobie, or stone; generally of two stories, and possessing all the conveniences and much resembling
the better class of farm-houses in New England.
With few exceptions they are the best on the islands,
costing from one to three thousand dollars each.
Their patrons, with a wise liberality, provide for
their living in about the same style as country clergymen at home.   Owing to the mildness of the
climate the expenses are much less. They are provided with plain furniture, and from four hundred to
six or seven hundred dollars per annum is allowed to
each family in proportion to the number of its mernbers. The property of the mission, in herds and
cattle, is now considerable, for the use df which land
is leased from the government. They afford abundance of milk and butter; the latter being sold in
considerable quantities to foreign residents, the proceeds going into the general fund. The government
has liberally granted most of the families good tracts
of land, suitable for small farms, and many, by cultivation are enabled to eke out a subsistence almost
independently of the Board. By their little plantations
they are enabled to instruct the natives in husbandry
to some extent, and to set them an example of ipdustry; also to introduce among them exotic grains,
fruits, and vegetables. They also afford to the males
a healthful avocation and a pleasant change from




ADVANTAGES.


their more confined duties. A New England taste
is perceptible every where about their dwellings.
Many are embowered in shrubbery and are surrounded with pretty gardens. In fact, to judge from
their habitations, and the docile, mild race about
them, looking up to their teachers with respect and
gratitude, as to beings of a superior order, missionaries here lead a pleasant life. Away, it is true, from
the social and literary privileges of the United States,
and away also from its inhospitable climate, its religious and political excitements and dissensions. Here
they are a kind of magnates in the land; an influence and importance is attached to their calling,
which they would be less than man if they did not
appreciate. Some families are much isolated; others
see a greater variety of society and of different
nations, than if they had remained in their native
land, confined, as it too often happens, within a circle
circumscribed by sectarianism. In any case, independently of the pure motives which impel them to
this work, their self-denial will not exceed that of
their countrymen whose pursuit is wealth. MWith the
former, are their wives, their children, and their
homes. They are or should be denizens of the
soil for life.  The latter too often are without one
friendly tie or charm, to relieve their minds, troubled
for gain.  Abiding places have they none, longer
than the glittering ignis fatui remains in view.
Theirs is a passion which recks but little of pain,
privation, or disease, and fears not death, so that their
objects be accomplished. For the one there is a
holy sympathy, which lightens their sufferings and




MISSIONARY LABORS.


enhances their success; their lives, tinged by a
romance, from the comparative novelty of their disinterested labors, and the fewness of the subjects, are
upon an eminence; they are seen and known of men;
conspicuous guides pointing onward and upward to
the abiding place of man's highest destiny. Outwardly the labors of the others are selfish; competition spreads her net about them, and deadens the
feeling of man for his brother man; in one continuous stream, as a river pours forward to an ocean,
over shoals or cataracts, circling and eddying by
sunken rocks, dashing furiously, rapid upon rapid,
through some gorge, or peacefully gliding in a broad
and limpid stream, so men press on in their race for
wealth. And yet in that throng, toiling and patient,
enduring much, yet working on until perhaps life, attenuated to a thread, snaps asunder and consigns the
young ia years, but old and worn in body, to dust
again, are many priceless souls. They work for
food and raiment, but not all for themselves; a
relative sick or maimed, a motherless infant or fatherless child, God's gifts to cheer them in their
wearisome pilgrimage, were their care. And they
labor with a faith as bright and a reliance as true
upon their heavenly Father, as if a world had bade
them ' good speed.'
I would not detract one jot from the resources of
that love and benevolence which sustains missionaries in their labors. Rather would I increase it, and
swell their ranks until their name is legion. But let
it be on just grounds; no fictitious sentiment should
be raised in such a cause. Yet too often has it thus
17




194        OBJECTIONABLE BIOGRAPHY.
been. It is doubtful whether the missionaries have
suffered most from the bitterly hostile, who have
dragged them before the public, and assailed them
with foul-mouthed charges, or more poisonous insinuations, and heaped upon them continued and unrelenting hostility, or those ill-judged friends who have
bespattered them with fulsome praises, or eulogies
scarcely less injurious and disgusting. In consequence, with some, every missionary is viewed as an
individual, who, too indolentto earn a living at home,
goes abroad, the recipient of misplaced benevolence,
and a bigoted agent to spread a fanatical despotism.
Others view him in a light scarcely less exalted than
inspiration itself, and that is expected and believed of
him, which humanity cannot perform. There is also
unfortunately a false curiosity abroad, which seeks to
strip the missionary and expose his inmost thoughts.
In many instances they have themselves pandered to
this vitiated desire, and the reading world has been
flooded to a nausea with works recording the thoughts,
sentiments, speeches, feelings, and experiences of
men, women, and even children, whose lives were all
good and useful in their appropriate spheres, but
whose biographies, even as prepared by admiring
friends, are at the best but an epitome of the life of
every man, woman, or child with moderate pretensions to intelligence and religious hopes. The graveyards of our land contain myriads of such, and the
stones that record their departure tell as briefly but
appropriately their worth. Then let them rest. Generation upon generation of pious fathers, mothers,
brothers and sisters succeed each other beneath the




~OBJECTIONABLE BIOGRAPHY.       196
sod, and their simple but adamantine obituaries are
all-sufficient to speak the tale to the living. Let that
which is private remain so; the memories of the
humble departed are best enshrined in the hearts that
loved them. Otherwise it is to be feared, that, independently of the exposure and display of thoughts,
expressions, and actions, which should be as sacred
as the grave itself, desires foreign to unpretending
worth, will arise. The prized speech of the loved
one (I have known such an instance) may become
the laugh or comment of a criticising public, and
ideas of present notoriety or posthumous fame be
mingled with pious aspirations. Truth is benefited
by the temperate discussion of general principles, or
a critical examination of measures and results; but
a frivolous curiosity alone is recompensed by the
perusal of much of modern biography.
In justice to the missionaries it should be remarked that the comforts by which they are surrounded
are mainly the result of their individual exertions.
The privations of the first comers, particularly the
ladies, for a number of years, were many. Their
residences were the common straw huts of the country; damp and cold in the winter season, hot and
accessible to dust and winds during the summer; at
all times unhealthy and trying to a northern constitution. Much suffering and disease can be traced
to these habitations. The first band, by some strange
neglect, were landed without a provision of the
commonest cooking utensils; women, accustomed to
all the paraphernalia of a yankee kitchen, were suddenly reduced to little better than the calabash and




QUALIFICATIONS FOR A MISSIONARY.


wooden bowl, the taro and pork of the savage.
Their supplies from the United States for a long time
were poor and inefficient, and to their labors of charity was added the absolute necessity of providing the
ways and means for the sustenance of their families.
At that time, also, if their lives were not actually endangered, their fears were constantly excited by the
threats and outrages of a lawless white population.
The worst savages they encountered were among
their own race. Their friends were few and powerless. But most of their number have lived to witness
and enjoy an entire change. It is the transformation of
a wilderness to a blooming oasis. Public sentiment
among all classes sustains them on the scene of their
labors. They are valued and appreciated according
to their real worth, as men, and as christians. Their
families are welcomed within the circle of foreign
residents, and a community of feeling now exists, of
the most social and refined character, greatly to the
advantage of all. The vile charges so freely circulated against them in former years, such as of being
intemperate, licentious, and avaricious, have died a
natural death, or are confined to a class whose appearance and reputation are of themselves sufficient
expositors of their designing falsehoods.
It has been objected to many, that they are not
men of sufficient intellectual calibre for such a situation. Some appear to regard it as necessary that
all missionaries should be of great mental power,
the master-spirits of their time. Such have ampler
fields for their abilities or benevolence at home.
They are best suited to operate upon a thinking, in



QUALIFICATIONS FOR A MISSIONARY.


197


telligent people. But for a race of semi-barbarians,
children in knowledge and capacity, another class of
mind is better adapted. And it is emphatically such
as we find among the American missionaries. Not
that they are all equally qualified, for several, after
having fully tried the experiment, have both satisfied
themselves and their friends that they had mistaken
their pursuit, and have retired. But generally they
are shrewd, intelligent, hard-working men, true sons
of a republic, and possessing, in its full vigor, the
chiefest of yankee qualifications, 'gumption.' Men
of powerful intellects, who deal in theories, abstractions, or generalities, calculated to lead, enlighten, or
confound the mass, would be ill adapted for this
people. Their teachers must be men who can penetrate to the very alphabet of civilization, and that
practically. Teach a native how to handle a hoe, a
broomstick, a plough, or needle, as well as to spell
ab and ba, measure the revolution of the planets,
and draw forth instruction from the well of living
waters. Work and read with them, visit the cottage
as well as the palace, please the children as well as
the adult, administer aid to the afflicted, medicine to
the sick, and consolation to the thirsty soul. He
who says they are not all this, and more, does not
know them. I have seen the same individual perform skilful surgical operations, practice medicine
extensively, plough, and direct natives in the culture
of their farms, build the stone-walls, and raise the
massive roof of a church, a tinker and carpenter at
home, a music-teacher, and a school-master, an interpreter for government, a translator for foreigners
17*




198    EXAMPLES. —THEIR HOSPITALITY.


in drawing up deeds, in fact, an adept in every good
and useful work, whether mental or manual. Beloved by all classes, he is constantly laboring for all.
With all this multifarious labor, he, with his spouse,
a lady well worthy of such a husband, finds time to
educate six children; and a better regulated, and
more happy family, I have never seen. As a man
and christian, his life is above reproach. Though so
distinguished a specimen, he is but a type of a class.
Some are preachers, some school-teachers, some
printers, book-binders, or secular agents; and a better united, constantly laboring body, it would be
difficult to find. Differing in opinion at times, but
always united in purpose. Full of that zeal which
seeks to make men happier, wiser, better. These
remarks will, by many, be thought extravagant; and
perhaps not a few of those who have spent more
years than I have in the group, will deny their correctness. But they have not, as I have, seen them
under all circumstances, at their homes and abroad,
eaten of their bread, slept beneath their roofs, journeyed with them, lived with them. Gladly do I
acknowledge the unaffected, genuine hospitality I
have constantly met, even when I went with no other
claim than that of a stranger. The names of the
frank-hearted gentlemen whose society have so often
given additional zest to the pleasures of my wanderings, and their ladies, whose mild but cordial welcome at once makes the traveller feel that he has
found a home, would grace any work. The voyager's thoughts wander from his neat and well furnished room, to a mother, or wife, in his native land,




LITERARY AND COMMERCIAL LABORS.  199


and he involuntarily ejaculates, ' My country-women
the same everywhere — God bless them,' as he contrasts the snow-white counterpane, the comfortable
mattrass, and drawn musquito-net, with the suspicious mat, the stone pillow, and the agonies of fleas
which he endured in some wild hut the night previous. With these families, the delight of doing good
is a delicate thing, and the sanctity of the domestic
circle is as highly prized as among the most fastidious
circles of a civilized land.
The literary and commercial world, as well as the
religious, are under obligations to mission labor.
The best sources of Hawaiian history, through their
care, have been developed; and, throughout Polynesia, the most faithful and accurate reports of the past
and present, with valuable contributions to science
generally, are drawn from their pens.  Philology
and ethnography, in particular, have grown in interest and importance by their exertions. The name
of the Rev. Lorrin Andrews, in connection with the
former branch of knowledge, has already become
well known, and he needs but a little leisure to become as thorough a scholar as he is close a student.
Commerce has gained in proportion as civilization
has advanced. It may be fairly estimated that the
consumption of foreign fabrics is now at least double
to what it would have been under their old system of
government.
Although the American missionaries have labored
as successfully as any other body of men would
have done under similar circumstances, yet there are
errors and faults among them which deserve mention.




FAULTS.


They are such as are peculiar to sectarianism, in
whatever form it may show itself; from the nature
of man unavoidable, but which, by being candidly
pointed out, may be tempered, and prevented from
degenerating into fanatical hatred. The most rancorous contests are those which arise from polemical
disputes. Before the Romanists had entered to any
extent upon the same field, an illiberal spirit was too
often exhibited towards those whose views differed
from their own. They fell into the natural but erroneous habit of greatly exaggerating their own labors, and attributing to their neighbors the evils
under which the nation groaned. Thus, at that time,
one of their prominent individuals asserted, that
'commerce was digging the grave of the nation;'
an opinion in which it is to be hoped few coincided.
But the feeling most deadening to charity, and most
subversive of the spirit which the Prince of Peace
enjoined upon his followers, is the bitter enmity to
the Roman priesthood. It is the duty of all Protestants, particularly republicans, to oppose a system
which they believe to be destructive of the principles of liberty and the gospel. But it is one thing
to oppose a system, and another to think ill of a
brother. The fault lies in education. TherAmerican missionaries go forth with judgments matured
among the opposers of Popery. From their earliest
years they are accustomed to look upon it as a great
evil, and firmly determine to fight against it. Once
in the combat, their imaginations too often become
heated, and their passions aroused. That which had
a tangible shape, and could be shaken by well-aimed
blows, becomes a monstrous phantom at which they




HOSTILITY TO ROMAN CATIOLICS.


201


strike right and left, beating as it were the very air.
Books which favor their views only are read;
they write themselves into a fever of excitement.
One would think from the perusal of some of their
lucubrations, that they arrogated to themselves the
monopoly of using hard names; the more foolish,
as they mean nothing, and often excite only pity, or
contempt. They call upon the Romanists to peruse
their arguments, while they refuse to examine those
hostile to their cause. In short, whatever opinion
may be entertained of the Papists, fierce, injudicious
zeal and illiberal conclusions are not altogether peculiar to them. In a land of many religious parties
this feeling is diffused; all sects, whether Protestant
or Romanist, are more or less hostile to each other;
the members of all come daily in contact; the civilities of life are interchanged; the acerbities of the
pulpit wear off. Man sees that man, despite an arbitrary church government, or it may be a false
creed, is still man; a human being; with hopes and
fears, loves and sympathies, like his own. lie proscribes his opinions, but takes him by the hand, and
all come to the conclusion, that a man may be a
thorough Calvinist in faith, or a believer in the
infallibility of the Pope, and yet he a good citizen,
and a clever fellow. God be praised, that this redeeming quality exists, and growrs spontaneously
among men. Without it, the earth would become
one aceldama. At these islands the parties come
not in contact, except under the hostile banners of
their churches. The Protestant is loth to believe
that men honestly can be Papists. All the corruptions,
cruelties, and vices, which belonged to a past age,




202


EXTENT.


he appropriates to the present; and, while he discards the crimes of his own sect as the result of barbarou~s times, he affects to believe that every Roman
priest he sees is a grand inquisitor, and every neophyte a poor deluded victim. He hears that France
is an infidel country, Spain a land of crimes, Italy
of licentiousness. He believes all the bad, as a matter of conscience; but the good, the virtuous, the noble, that are among them, are too frequently lost
upon him. This language may appear harsh, but it
is practically thus; though I fear it would be difficult to convince those, whose sight has ever been at
one focus, to vary it in any degree. All do not
think alike on this point, but the general sentiment
is the same. One of the oldest and most intelligent
ladies of the mission said to me, that she had rather
reside among the cannibals and licentious savages
of the Marquesas, than in a community of Roman
Catholics; she actually thought herself safer among
the former than the latter. Another was afraid to
send her children to the United States, for fear they
would become Papists. When such sentiments find
room in refined and cultivated minds, can we wonder that there is something repulsive and terrible to
a genuine and ignorant Roman Catholic in the name
of ' heretic.' Recrimination neither enlightens nor
converts the world; and however it may disagree
with my private feelings to perceive errors among
those with whom there is so much excellence, yet I
should fail in truth were I not to state it, as my conviction, that there is too much of intemperate zeal in
the contest now going on between the American and
French missionaries.




AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.


203


Within a few years past, several individuals have
severed their connection with the American Board,
and have either returned to the United States, or remained at the group, supporting themselves, and
laboring independently of any authority. Of these,
two have entered into the service of the government;
the Rev. W. Richards having been invited to fill the
situation of counsellor and interpreter; Dr. G. P.
Judd, that of recorder and treasurer. In their respective offices they both have given much satisfaction,
and have been of far more benefit to the nation,
than if they had remained missionaries. In the infancy of his government, the king is obliged to employ many foreigners; many of the minor offices,
such as port-collectors, harbor-masters, high-sheriff,
&c., have been filled from the residents; but the more
responsible situations require those whose knowledge
of their language, customs, and policy is perfect, and
who are independent of all business relations.
Twenty years residence by the missionaries have
acquired for them the absolute confidence of the
nation, and its welfare required their services in
these new departments. To do this, they were
obliged to discontinue their relations with the society from which they drew their support, for its policy
allows of no direct interference in the affairs of government. Their salaries are barely sufficient for their
support.  Others, in consequence of differences of
opinions growing out of local affairs, or their relative
duties to each other, have left the Board. One
cogent motive for this dissolution is, to provide for
their growing families. The nation also is rapidly
advancing to that point when, by its own internal




ILL HEALTH OF FEMALES.


resources, it will be enabled to sustain its domestic
institutions. It will require, however, the aid of foreigners, who may be said to be naturalized within
its borders. And for its real interests no better class
can be found, than those who have been so instrumental in nurturing and sustaining them in their
progress towards civilization. Most of these men
are now ill-adapted for any other life than that which
they now lead, and many would sink under a change
of climate. As the interests of the people and their
personal necessities require it, they will gradually
dissolve their connection with the society at home,
and become independent workers in the field. Supported by the people as pastors, teachers, or physicians, and by the government as agents in various
important departments, they will lead lives of greater
usefulness to those they are among, and enable the
Board to extend its operations elsewhere. In pursuing this policy, they and their children will become
identified with the nation. Whether it is the best
that can be adopted is to be determined, but circumstances at the present time tend strongly towards it.
I cannot close this chapter without referring to the
poor health of the wives of the missionaries, and I
trust the plainness of my remarks will be attributed
to the honest and friendly motives which dictate
them. The mortality among them is greatly disproportioned to that of the other sex; three having died
recently, and the remainder generally being feeble, or
great invalids. The causes are obvious. They work
too hard, and eat too little; their minds have not a
sufficiency of recreation, or variety of occupation, to
preserve a healthy tone. Those isolated from the




CAUSES AND REMEDY.


society of Honolulu, and the chief ports, are the
greatest sufferers. Erroneous opinions in regard to
diet prevail, and temperance-or more properly
speaking, abstinence, both in quantity and quality of
food, from economical motives, and other causes, is
carried to such an extent as to weaken and derange
the system. Morbid fancies are thus created.
Their families, also, are large, and cares arduous
in the extreme, but were their tables as comfortably provided as their houses, they would
be far better able to sustain them. The men suffer,
but not in the same ratio. Their duties are more
varied, and excitements greater. A nutritious, and
to some degree a stimulating diet, is absolutely
necessary for the general preservation of vigor in
northern constitutions in this climate. If proof were
needed on this point, contrast the healthful, ruddy
frames of the foreign lady residents, generally, who
live well, though not luxuriously, with the slender
figures, wan visages, and, premature decay of too
many of the ladies of the mission. It is not labor
altogether, that produces effects so lamentable, for
there are others who labor as hard as they. A day's
illness is extremely rare among the lady-residents;
in truth, with a due regard to the wants of the body
and mind, no more healthful climate can be named.
That economy mistakes its own proper end, which,
for a temporary purpose, neglects the means necessary
to keep the wheels of human mechanism in running
order.
18




CHAPTER VI.
Embark for Hawaii. — Companions.- A Roman Catholic Priest
and Protestant Missionary. - A Disputation. - Coast of Hawaii.
- Port of Kailua. - Billy Pitt the Younger.- Landing.- Strife
among Porters. -Many Call, Few are Paid. - Gov. Adams.
- His Bulk and Character.- Palace.- Church.-' Blue Laws '
revived. - Cotton Factory. -' House of Gods.' -' House of Audience.'- Manufacture of Idols. - Battery. - Cave of Laniakea.
- Mullet for Supper. - Kapiolani. - Cook's Monument. - Embark for Kawaihae. - Parting Respects and Wail. - Mauna Hulalai.- Eruption from.- Roadstead of Kawaihae.- Heiau or
Temple.-Walk to Waimea. —Fire.- Weather. — Productions of
Waimea. -Men Procured. - Start for Mauna Kea.-Camp among
Fleas.-Remarkable Crater.-Minerals.-Wild Cattle.- Horses
give out. — Men also. —Reach the Summit. —Wonderful View
- A Rocky Lodging-Place. - Descend. - Height of the Mountain.- A Snow-Balling in July.- Reach the Base of the Mountain.- A Bullock Catcher's Hut.-' Clinkers.'- Rebellion among
Men.- A Bed in the Rain, and a Smoky Cave. — A Cold Morning. -Mammoth Raspberries. -Effects of a Tornado or Earthquake. — Volcano of Kilauea.- A Dangerous Lodging-Place.Storm and Eruption at Night.- Steam Fissures. - Sulphur Beds
and Bath. - Extent of Crater. - Shape. - Age. - Elevation. -
Interior.- Descent.- Black Ledge; Walk around.-Burning
Lakes and Cones.- Gases. —Beautiful Appearance of Lava. —
Great Heat. - A Perilous Climb.- Dangers of Exploration. -
Appearance of Crater at Different Times. —Volcanic Action
throughout the Group.-Hawaii a Crust of Lava, with Fire
beneath. - Another Mutiny. - Provisions gone. - Mauna Loa,
the Great Mountain. - Douglas's Description of. — Its Errors
and Inconsistencies.-Leave for Hilo.- An over-sharp Landlord.-Leave in a Pet.- A Guide's Trick.- Arrival at Hilo. -
Situation and Natural Beauties. -Its Resources, Climate, Population, Exports, &c. - Mission House. - Schools. - A New Jaunt.




EMBARK FOR HAWAII.


207


- The Late Eruption.- Immense Stream of Lava.- Its Devastations. - Burning Forests, Smoke, Fires, Gases, &c. - Appearance at the Sea. — Three Hills and New Coast formed.-Salts.
- Steam.-An Account of its First Outbreak, and Subsequent
History. — A Sublime Spectacle. — The Ocean and Volcano in
Strife.- Eccentric Course of the Stream. - Effects.- Return to
Hilo. - Primitive State of the Inhabitants. — Sunday. — A New
Way of Preaching. - Feats in Swimming. - A Shipwreck and
Wonderful Escape.
IN the latter part of June, 1840, intelligence of a
terrific eruption of the great crater of Kilauea on
Hawaii, reached Honolulu. No other particulars
arrived than that it was of great magnitude, and destroying all living things in its course. Having been
long desirous of visiting Hawaii, as the largest and
most interesting island, both from historical associations and its stupendous natural phenomena, I immediately determined to proceed to the scene of fire.
Mr.J. P. Couthouy, a gentleman attached to the scientific corps of the United States Exploring Expedition,
and another friend, joined me. A brig was just
ready to sail for the leeward side of the island. Accordingly, on the afternoon of the 23d of June, we
repaired on board. The distance to Kailua, the first
port at which we were to touch, is only one hundred
and fifty miles. Ordinarily, a vessel in leaving Oahu,
by keeping close-hauled, can reach it without tacking;
but by approaching too near Lanai and Maui is
liable to be becalmed, and that too on as uneasy a
swell as ever made the bowels of a voyager yearn
for land. Our craft was scarcely in ballast, and she
lay for upwards of a day, rolling, pitching, twisting,
and dodging, with all the intricacy of motion of an




A DISPUTATION.


eel on terra firma; and for the time being, a more
miserable set of wretches never wished they had
stayed at home. A breeze sprung up, and with it an
argument between a Roman Catholic priest and the
lady of one of the American missionaries, who was
upon the point of making a visit to the United States.
Her station was at Kailua, and she was now on her
way thither, to procure her children. For twenty
years she had toiled faithfully in the cause, and a
family had grown up about her. Her husband was
to remain at his post, while she accompanied her
offspring to their native land, where they were to be
left to complete their education. She was a woman
of great energy of character, shrewd, a violent antiCatholic, and versed in all the lore of Protestantism.
Her opponent was an Irishman, but educated in
Paris; with all the humor and roughness of his
countrymen, and the logical subtilties of his profession; the traditions, rules, and history of his church
being at his tongue's end. With him was another
priest, a polished and intelligent Frenchman; quiet
and unassuming, and who, from his ignorance of
English, took no part in the disputation. It was
conducted good humoredly, though with zeal; the
lady showed that she had not been a missionary for
twenty years for nothing, and quoted torrents of
Scripture and common sense, to oppose the assumptions and declarations of the priest. But it was of
no use; driven from one cover, he rallied at another,
and, as it was evident at the commencement, both
might have argued till the last sun rose and set, and
each been firmer than ever, in his original opinion.




PORT OF KAILUA.


The lady was earnest for truth, the Irishman loved a
dispute for its own sake. At the conclusion, he
jocosely observed, that the Roman Catholics would
soon acquire the ascendancy, and then they would
drive every Protestant missionary from the islands.
They parted, however, better friends than before they
had commenced. Their doctrines were unchanged,
but each unconsciously had made a favorable impression upon the other; and instead of cruel zealots,
they discovered a mutual common humanity. This
incident would not be worth mentioning, except that
it may incite a like feeling in others, and convince
them that the most hostile parties need but know
each other, if they would lessen their bitterness.
In approaching Hawaii, the influence of the land
and sea breezes became perceptible. The land near
the coast was so lofty as to hide the more elevated
peaks of the interior. It appeared like an immense
black wall, tipped with a green; the base being volcanic rock, and the summit skirted by a belt of dense
forests. Approaching nearer, its inequalities became
more perceptible; and valley and hill were found to
rise with a gradual swell, until they attained the
height of five thousand feet. On the evening of the
26th, we dropped anchor in Kailua roadstead. From
the distance we were, the town looked prettily enough.
In fact, it much resembled a flourishing fishing village
at home,-that is, as far as its two story wooden
houses, a stone church, and regular stone walls combined to form the picture; but the rugged mountains,
numerous little white-washed mausoleums or tombs,
greensward reaching the sea, and cocoa-nut groves
18*




STRIFE AMONG PORTERS.


were ill adapted to maintain the illusion. However,
there was 'not a doubt the universal yankee had
been at work here. To remark these trivial resemblances, doubtless seems common-place to a stay-athome body; but he that is as restless in his course
as the winds, with joy hails the faintest similitude
that reminds him of mother land. Before we landed,
Lilihoku, son and heir of the late Prime Minister,
Kalaimoku, came off. Anglicised, his name is the
' Shooting Star,' and his life has been quite as erratic.
He is a fine looking young chief, somewhat rakish
in his habits, and arbitrary in his disposition, but
kept in tolerable subjection by his guardian, John
Adams, otherwise Governor Kuakini, who holds the
island for him. Lilihoku's business was to superintend the landing of a horse which had been brought
for him. He shook hands with the priests with much
cordiality. It is said that his desires are somewhat
towards them, through from restraint or policy he
has not openly avowed his preference.
It was sunset when we landed. The beach was
crowded with natives, to witness our debarkation.
They rushed en masse, to volunteer their services to
carry our luggage. Several seized at once on the
same article. We divided them about, as we best
could. The green ones of our party were delighted
with this instance of disinterested kindness; but
upon arriving at a friend's house, where we intended
to stop, their demands were found to be such as
might have shaken even the imperturbable assurance
of New-York hack-men. All wanted something,
whether they helped or not. After paying the Simon




GOVERNOR ADAMS.


211


Pures, a decided 'no,' and a 'hali pele,' a term
about as expressive as 'go to grass,' or even a worse
place, drove off the remainder; their disappointment
creating only a laugh among their friends.
In the evening we called upon John Adams, and
found him stretched out, a la Hawaii, on a mat divan,
in a grass house. However, he did us the honor to
rise and approach, which labor we willingly would
have dispensed with. He was afflicted with a palsy
in his legs, which made locomotion quite painful.
At any time for the past twenty years, it has been to
him difficult, on account of his prodigious bulk, and
he has got about mostly by aid of a hand-cart. His
gait was as much like that of an elephant treading
upon sharp ice, or a bear, taking his first dancingsteps, on hot iron, as any thing else. He weighed
formerly three hundred and fifty pounds, so it was
said, but of late had lost some flesh. He is now
about fifty years of age, and a shrewd, intelligent
man; withal a wit, and converses fluently in English,
and with much naivette. As a tradesman, he is
exceedingly keen, and has the reputation of being
the wealthiest chief of the court. Our reception was
cordial and unceremonious. On learning we wished
to visit the volcano, he offered to provide canoes for
a portion of the way, at a price which we afterwards
were assured was four times more than it was worth.
He then took us into his civilized house, a fine, large
two story building, situated on the water-side, and
which would make a very respectable country tavern
in the United States. It has a neat portico in front,
but in the rear it is disfigured by one of those tem



PALACE. - CHURCH.


porary reed ranais or sheds, which Hawaiians invariably attach to their dwellings, as a screen from the
sun, when they lounge in the open air. The rooms
are beautifully pannelled with the Koa wood; they
are spacious, and contain some elegant furniture,
made from the Ko. He showed us over the whole
house, with not a little apparent self-satisfaction.
June 27th was spent in lionizing, of which, for so
inconsiderable a town, -its population not exceeding two thousand -there was considerable to do.
The stone church, which is one hundred and twenty
feet long by forty-two in width, furnished with a
steeple and vane, is capable of accommodating two
thousand people. Externally, it has a factory-like
look. The interior is good, with lofty galleries, supported by marble-painted pillars, and a pulpit of
beautiful finish, made from the dark striped Koa,
than which wood there is none finer for cabinet
work. The edifice is a monument of the liberality
of the governor, having been erected mostly at his
expense, and I believe it shares his pride equally
with his house. The governor's piety, for he has
long been a church-member, is rather of the utilitarian order. No native has a more correct knowledge
of the truth, and of the world generally. He has a
keen insight into character, and is at the same time
avaricious and ostentatious. Fond of power himself, he is jealous of it in others; and the mission
have never acquired any controlling influence over
him, although he has been a firm and useful friend.
After the completion of his church, he enacted several laws to regulate divine worship, which one




GOVERNOR ADAMS.


213


would think were borrowed from the Blue Laws of the
colony of New Haven. No woman was allowed to
enter it without a bonnet; dogs also were excluded.
Very good regulations these; but a hard one for sleepers was, that any one caught napping was rapped on
the forehead with a long cane. He had police
stationed about it to enforce their execution. The
laws relating to his own premises were more severe.
Any woman entering them bonnetless, was liable to
have her hair shaved off close to her head.
In strolling about, we could not but notice the
prince-like care with which the Governor had provided for himself, and the great contrast between his
comforts and the miserable habitations of his people.
Two good dwelling-houses by turns, sheltered him;
the canoes, in short, every thing that was really worth
having, belonged to him. In no other place is the
distinction between chief and people more painfully
apparent. Adams is, however, the last surviving
high chief of the olden regime, and it is not to be
expected that the habits of a half century will yield
entirely to novel views, however praiseworthy. Hence
he has been the last to give his sanction to the new
constitution, and its effect within his jurisdiction is
still circumscribed. But draw the reins tight as he
will, the people are now slipping away from them.
He is a Mehemet Ali on a small scale. He has
made good roads, but the people sweated for them,
and not he, either in body or purse. The public
improvements which he has undertaken are almost
as numerous as those of one of our repudiating
States; with this advantage, however, that no bor



(HOUSE OF GODS.'


rowed money has been spent. The blood and
sinews of those who were to reap the benefit, have
toiled unceasingly upon them. By such works,
Adams has acquired among foreigners the reputation
of being a public-spirited ruler. To keep his coffers
filled, he peddles merchandise, contracts for building
a church for the papists, or buys and sells a cargo.
Formerly, every chicken or potato sold, paid about
half their value to him as a tax. Three years since
he undertook to manufacture coarse cottons. The
neighboring soil is excellent for growing the raw
material. He provided a thatched building, and dignified it with the title of factory. When I saw it, it
contained two native-made looms, and several dozen
spinning jennies. It had been in operation for one
year, and proper machinery had been sent for to the
United States. Thirty girls were employed, who
received one third of the quantity manufactured, as
wages. The first cloth produced was of a coarse
twilled warp, exceedingly strong and durable. Since
that, much improvement has been made, and at
present, the quality is finer, and promises well for
the future. Several pieces have been dyed in stripes,
with logwood. The whole establishment being managed by natives, is additional proof of their capacity
for the arts of civilized life and their mechanical skill.
One of Kamehameha's temples, 'a house of gods,'
a small grass building, still exists. It is built upon
a stone mole, jutting into the sea. Near it remains
but one of the many wooden images of colossal
size, sphinx-like head, and hideous, gaping mouth -
a horrible burlesque upon the ' human form divine,'




CAVE OF LANIAKEA.


215


which formerly were ranged about the exterior.
These pagan symbols have vanished from the land.
More, I suppose, can now be found in some museums in Europe or America, than in the whole length
and breadth of the group. Some years since, the
demand for them was so great, that an ingenious
native derived a rich profit by their manufacture; his
skill, and exposure to the atmosphere, gave them the
semblance of true antiques, veritable gods. Near
by the temple, is the ancient house of audience of
the old warrior-king — in which, after his decease, his
body was dissected. The final resting-place of his
bones, like that of Moses, none can tell: the secret
having perished with the faithful follower whose
province it was to inter them. The mole upon
which these buildings are situated, also answers for
a fort. Along it, and on the beach, are strewn from
thirty to forty heavy cannons, most of them, however,
dismantled and unserviceable.
In the rear of the town there are many caves, some
of which extend for miles inland. They were formed during eruptions of lava, by its suddenly cooling
on the surface, and running underneath, until the
stream discharged itself at some outlet. We explored the one called Laniakea, the mouth of which
is but a few rods from the residence of the Rev. A.
Thurston. Its course is towards the sea; narrow
and low near its entrance, so that we were obliged
to creep occasionally; farther on, expanding suddenly
into chambers twenty-five feet in height and of proportionate lateral dimensions. The floor was strewn
in great confusion with vast fragments of lava, long




216     KAPIOLANI.- COOKS MONUMENT.


branches of which, encrusted with calcareous matter,
like icicles formed by the dripping of water from
above, were pendant from the roof. Following it
up through its irregular windings, and gradual descent, at the distance of twelve hundred feet from
its mouth, we reached a pool of water. Both in
odor and taste it was sulphureous. Although almost
stifled by the smoke and heat of the candle-nut
torches which our attendants bore, we stripped and
plunged in. The water was cold, and produced a
prickly sensation to the skin. The hall here was
lofty, and covered through its whole extent with
a fret of lava-knobs, columns, drops, and branches,
jagged and fantastic in shape and hue. Our lights
were too nearly exhausted to admit of further explor.
ation, and we crawled back to daylight.
Governor Adams sent us for supper some of the
delicious mullet reared by himself. These, properly
cooked, are the chef d'uvre of Hawaiian epicurianism, and richly do they merit the gastronomic reputation they have acquired. Here they were more
than commonly fine, and I doubt not fat John himself owes a good share of his own obesity to their
nutritious qualities. In return for their feeding him
so well, he sees that they are well fed.
It was our intention to have paid our respects to
Kapiolani, the pattern female chief of Hawaii, who,
to genuine christian attainments, and the habits of
civilization, added a refinement of manner which
gained for her an enviable reputation. She resided at Kaawaloa, near the death-spot of Captain
Cook, whose humble monument, erected by Lord




EMBARK FOR KAWAIHAE.


217


Byron, attracts all visitors.  It is emphatically a
seaman's shrine, and yearly, from all quarters of the
globe, do they go up to gaze upon the spot where he
fell faceward into the water, and to gather from the
rock upon which his footsteps slipped, a memento
of a great, though erring man. But the vessel was
to leave that night for Kawaihae, a port thirty
miles to the north, and directly on our route. By
going in her we should lose Kaawaloa, but avoid
delay, and an exceedingly bad road. At dark we
hurried to the beach to embark. Our lady passenger with her children were there before us, and the
whole village in her train. They had come to testify their affection for their teacher. Many brought
fruits, vegetables, and numberless little gifts to be
used on her voyage. Their demeanor was sincere
and sorrowful. As the boat pushed off, numbers
rushed into the water, following their departing
friends as far as they were able. A smothered, but
prolonged wail broke from the group, and they
watched the boat as long as she was visible.
It was midnight before the land-breeze set down
with sufficient strength for the brig to get under way.
As it was, she passed within her length of a ledge
of rocks, towards which the swell was momentarily
casting her nearer; a favorable flaw, however, enabled her to claw off just as she was expected to
strike. The wind continued light, so that by morning our progress had been inconsiderable. A more
dreary, cheerless coast never presented itself. It was
one uniform ruin of extinct craters, from whose
summits, long wastes of lava, black, rugged, and
1.9




218


KAWAIHAE.


verdureless, spread themselves out in every direction.
Mauna Hualalai rose in the background to the height
of eight thousand feet, a huge, repulsive monument
of desolation, its sides furrowed with dark and precipitous ravines, and its summit surmounted by a
series of volcanic pits of greater magnitude than
those which rest upon its base. This mountain
was ascended for the first time by a party from Vancouver's vessels, in 1794. Smoke was then visible
at its greatest elevation. A few years later, it poured
out a volume of liquefied rock, which overran a
wide extent of country, destroying several villages,
fish-ponds, and plantations, finally expending itself
in the ocean, where it filled up an extensive bay,
twenty miles in length, and formed a new headland
several miles beyond the old termination of the
coast. The mountain yet looks gloomily, as if
brooding some new disaster. The scene was relieved by occasional glimpses of the snowy tops of
Mauna Kea, as they gleamed out from the dense
masses of clouds which clung about them.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon before anchor
was dropped at Kawaihae. Though barren and
almost destitute of inhabitants, it is a place of some
note in the history of the country. Here Keoua, the
rival of Kamehameha, and his followers, were assassinated as they were stepping ashore from their
canoes, and their bodies sacrificed at the heathen
temple, which stands so conspicuously in the foreground, the largest and most perfect of the remains
of paganism in existence. This was the favored
shrine of the stern yet pious old warior, and blood




WEATHER.


219


flowed freely eon its altars at his command. A wellbuilt store and a few houses constituted the only
appearance of a town. There was no vegetation to
be seen. From the heights above, the winds called
'mumuku' sweep down with tremendous, but shortlived fury, driving vessels from their anchors, and
making the ocean white with rage. Yet to this place
Kalaimoku, the warrior and statesman, when at the
summit of his power, regent of the kingdom, and
the crown of Kauai offered him, wished to retire, prefering rest, and a good fishing-ground, to the cares and
luxuries of royal prerogatives. Kawaihae is merely
a depot for goods for the interior. A good coast-road
leads to Waimea, fourteen miles distant. It was excessively hot, but we started on foot, and sweating and
panting we toiled up the gradual ascent. The country rises about two hundred and fifty feet to the mile.
As we advanced, it became more rolling and verdant,
with a ridge of wooded mountains on our left.
When half way, the temperature suddenly changed. A stormy, cold breeze sprung up, accompanied
with a driving rain, which fell directly in our faces.
The water streamed from our clothing, and walking
was difficult. However, it was better than sweltering beneath a fierce sun. Night came on pitchy
dark We kept the road tolerably well, because it
Was difficult to walk out of it. Suddenly we found
ourselves on the brink of a stream, the extent or
depth of which it was impossible to discover. Our
shouts aroused a native from his slumbers near by.
It was Sabbath eve. We wished him to take us
across. He demurred on account of the sacredness




220


WEATHER.


of the day. We urged him. He asked me if I
were a 'missionary,' and whether it was 'pono,' a
good thing, for him to carry us over. I assured him
it was, and moreover he should be well paid for it.
The latter argument was irresistible, and he backed
us across without further delay, and prompt and
early the next morning came for his reward. On
proceeding, the road became more confused, the
storm waxed fiercer, and we lost our way. After
wandering at random for some time, until confusion
was literally becoming 'worse confounded,' the only
alternative seemed to be to select the softest rock for
our bed, and the thickest bush for our shelter. Fortunately a light was discovered, and we made directly
for it. It issued from a native hut, into which, without ceremony, we entered.  At our disconsolate
appearance, all dripping with wet, and shivering with
cold, the women uttered their mournful 'au-ue,'
and pitied us all they could. What was better, they
procured a guide to conduct us to the house of the
missionary at Waimea, which was soon reached.
We were hungry, and he fed us; wet, and he
clothed us; our own baggage not arriving until the
ensuing day. Woollen clothes and a fire for the
first time at these islands I found very comfortable,
and our attention to the stove until retiring was most
exemplary. A fire in midsummer is no rarity here.
Waimea is situated on an extensive plain, with
Mauna Kea on the one side, and a range of less elevated mountains on the other. The trades sweeping
over them, chilled by the constant rains on their
summit, pour over the plain as through a tunnel,




WAIMEA2


221


whistling and shrieking in all the fury of a gulfstream gale. During their violence the plain is
either drenched with showers, or alive with driving
sand and gravel, which is borne along with the
force of hail, cutting the features exposed, and driving the luckless traveller to a shelter. The thermometer for one season averaged but sixty-four degrees,
varying but little either way from that temperature.
Thin ice is formed during the winter. This degree
of cold makes it an excellent site to recruit a system
debilitated by the heat of the coast. In good weather
the air is remarkably pure and bracing; the plain
abounds in strawberries, and affords a fine field for
hunting wild cattle, which here are very numerous.
The population is sparse, amounting to but few
thousands. Their food is mostly brought from a
valley twelve miles distant.
There are some good houses and stores; the foreigners, mostly mechanics and bullock-hunters, number sixty. Very good beef and pork is here salted,
and exported; also, a considerable quantity of lard.
Sugar has been raised, but of inferior quality. Shoes
and saddlery are also manufactured to some extent.
As an anomaly in the culinary art, tolerable bread is
made, by the housewives, from poi and arrow-root.
A few miles distant, are the sepulchral caves of the
ancient inhabitants, which have so often been disturbed by the craniological propensities of travellers,
that the natives have taken away the remains of their
ancestors, and bestowed them in a more secure situation.
We had great difficulty in procuring men for our
19*




222


MEN PROCURED.


jaunt, which was to ascend Mauna Kea, and reach
the volcano through the central part of the island.
The natives have no passion for high mountains, or
cold weather. Good men were not to be procured
at any rate; but to go we were determined, and,
finally, by negotiating with the 'head man,' we procured twelve, and a guide, named Honoa, who professed to be acquainted with every path and route on
the whole island. These fellows were all of the
chain-gang' criminals, who had the choice of going
with us, or continuing their labors on the public
works. Their wages, I suppose, were to go towards
the payment of fines. It was evident that to them
it was but a choice of evils; for they manifested no
enthusiasm in the cause. When they were all mustered, a more cut-throat looking set never made their
appearance out of Newgate. The countenances of
some were perfectly hideous, combining all of evil
human features are capable of expressing.  One
would have set to advantage for the original of Michael Angelo's Satan. So strong was the impression, that with us he always was known by that
diabolical cognomen. Another bore no faint resemblance to David's Cain. In sober truth, they looked
ugly enough for any wicked deed; and had they
been of any race but the Hawaiian, and had we
aught about us that was valuable, we should have
voted, unanimously, to dispense with their services.
Our baggage, consisting of a calabash of clothing,
another of hard bread and cold pork, and several
blankets apiece, was divided among them. por their
wants, we provided thick tapas, to screen them from




START FOR MAUNA KEA.


223


the cold and rain, seven hundred pounds of poi, one
hundred of fish and dried beef, and as much water
as they could carry in addition; stores sufficient for
several weeks. They started in advance.
By twelve o'clock, the thirtieth of June, we were
mounted, and on our way; for we had taken horses,
to ascend the mountain as far as it was practicable
to go with them. The plain remained quite level for
twelve miles, broken occasionally into crater-like
hills; our course, at first, was east-southeast, then
diverged to southeast by east, until we reached the
mountain. The first portion of ascent was gradual,
through a scanty forest. At sunset, we stopped at a
cave, about seven thousand feet up, where we were
to pass the night. It is a common caution, to beware
of these places; and never was the caution more
needed, than in this instance. Scarcely had we set
foot within its precincts, before we were literally
fleaed alive. Our clothing was immediately lined
with them; and such stout ones! their very kick was
painful. After grinning, twisting, and scratching, for
some minutes, we came to the unanimous decision,
that this was a species of martyrdom altogether inconsistent with the objects of our journey, and we
bolted. An hour's stripping and search, by twilight,
freed us of the most implacable of our enemies, and
then we sought a new resting-place, with the cool
prospect of sleeping blanketless and supperless, as
our men had not arrived. Having prepared a bed of
dried ferns, we turned in, brimful of wrath at our
lazy kanakas. However, before nine o'clock, they
came straggling along, made us a fire, and we passed




224


WILD CATTLE.


a comfortable night. Thermometer, forty-six degrees
at sunrise.
July 1st. This morning, we were up and off, as
early as the somniferent propensities of our men
would permit. Our course was directly for the summit, the shortest, though steepest way. Some fine
white raspberries were discovered, and greedily
plucked. A few strawberries were now and then
seen; but a few hours of toilsome ascent and slow
progress carried us beyond the line of vegetation, except one species of fern, and a few stunted grasses.
We then entered upon a bed of scoria and rough
lava. This led to a large crater, apparently the great
terminal one of Mauna Kea. The side towards the
northwest, through which we entered, was torn away,
and here the lava, apparently, had dischaged itself.
Including the numerous sand and scoria conicalshaped chimneys, which have an elevation of from
five hundred to one thousand feet each, and appear
to have been, as it were, blown up, by the expansive
force beneath, its circumference was not less than
six miles. The basin was broken up into lakes,
crested waves, cones, and all the distorted shapes of
an active crater, rendering travelling exceedingly
rough. Our men gave out, every few rods. On
these chimneys were herds of bullocks, which scampered off at our approach, and plunged down their
rugged sides, with a rapidity which defied pursuit.
Their only object in frequenting this region, where
there is no trace of vegetation, is to avoid the pursuit
of the hardy hunters, or to lick the snow.
After pushing our way until within two thousand




HORSES GIVE OUT: MEN ALSO.


225


feet of the summit, our horses sank exhausted to the
ground, and we sent them back. This was at the
bed of a large lava lake, at the southeastern extremity of the crater. Here we found a series of minerals, such as we had not noticed before. They were
augite, hornblende, olivine, etc. Leaving the lava,
we struck upon volcanic gravel, loose and slippery to
the footing. At this height, my respiration was sensibly affected, lips cracked, eye-balls inflamed, and a
dizzy, swimming sensation in my head. Some of
the natives were similarly attacked. By the time we
had reached the foot of a sand hill, about three hundred feet above us, which the guide insisted was the
highest peak of the mountain, these symptoms had
increased to such a degree, accompanied by faintness, that  could not walk without assistance, and
but a few rods at a time. Some peppermint and
brandy, mixed with water, relieved me a little. My
companions were less troubled. It was now sunset,
and we were on the highest visible point but one,
surrounded by a scene of infinite grandeur. To the
south lay Mauna Loa, with its dome summit, on
which could distinctly be traced the great crater of
Douglas, now at rest, for no smoke was visible.
Mauna Hualalai rose precipitously on our right; and
such was the clearness of the atmosphere, that they
both appeared close upon us, though thirty miles distant. On this side, we had an adequate conception
of our elevation, thirteen thousand, six hundred feet.
The great plain, between the two mountains, which
is two days' journey across, appeared but a mere
valley, while immediately beneath us, Mauna Kea




226


WONDERFUL VIEW.


descended so precipitously, that its base could not be
seen. The sky was cloudless, and of the most perfect transparency. Looking back, from whence we
had ascended, our gaze rested upon an ocean of
clouds, piled in gorgeous and dense masses, or lying
like drifts of the whitest snow. The last rays of the
sun played upon this airy sea, with the most dazzling brilliancy, giving it those ethereal shades, which
are beyond description, and no artist can catch.
This belt of clouds shrouded all beneath from our
view; but in the background, sixty-five miles distant, rose, in bold relief, like some ethereal island, the
dark blue peaks of Maul; for they had that tinge.
Their appearance at once drew from all, one sympathizing burst of delight and astonishment. Thugh
they were nearly four thousan4 feet belo, with
more than two thirds of their height envoped in
vapor, there they stood, seemingly rising for iles in
perpendicular height above, and with a proximity
that appeared fearful. In our ascent, on looking
back occasionally, we had noticed that these peaks
appeared above us, which we attributed to our being
still far from the summit of Mauna Kea. But when
our present position was gained, and we turned our
heads to take a last view in that direction, their elevation appeared miraculous; for they towered apparently as far above us, as we above the plain. It was
a spectacle that would have repaid the greatest toil;
and was, doubtless, one of those rare combinations
in the natural world, of the serenely grand and beautiful, shadowing forth the mysteries and sublimities of
the all-creating power, which ever awaken a holy sen



A ROCKY LODGING-PLACE.


227


timent even in the coldest heart. The effect was overwhelming, and we gazed, spell-bound, in silent praise
and admiration. The soul felt its influence, and reason was awed. Sufficient for us was it thus to behold that wondrous phenomenon. In the still closet,
the outward perceptions confined to its walls, calculating philosophy might lay bare the secret of its
birth. But we were resting on one of the sublimest
monuments of God's creative fiat, far beyond the
works of man. Around us, above and beneath, rose
the mighty pinnacles of nature's glorious temple;
the lovely and stupendous, the pleasing and terrible,
cornmingling in most perfect harmony. It was as if
all spirits, pure and great, fair and base, had involuntarily unitedin an anthem to the Almighty. His
attribt   love, merc, and justice, were here typified in  l their fulness. Night, at that elevation, was
sow in creeping up the mountain; and the parting
rays of the sun loitered upon its peaks, long after
twilight had settled into darkness at its base. Before
it reached us, we took the hint, and on the south side
descended about eight hundred feet.  We there
found an overhanging rock, which afforded some degree of shelter from the keen mountain air. It did
not blow, but the thermometer stood at forty degrees.
The leaves of some giant ferns, which lay scattered
about, lifeless and dried, made a very tolerable bed.
Their trunks afforded fuel for a fire. Our natives
huddled together like sheep; and we all made ourselves as comfortable, as a rocky couch, and that none
of the smoothest, would allow.
We found it impossible to sleep, the rarefication of




228


HEIGHT OF THE MOUNTAINS


the atmosphere still causing faintness, until we drew
our blankets over our heads. All were up at sunrise, the thermometer stood at thirty degrees, and a
fine bracing morning it was. My companions, not
having seen the snow, disbelieved the guide's statement the evening previous, and started themselves to
seek the summit. Having ascended the hill which
the guide had pointed out, they found another arising
two hundred or more feet above that, which, after
great labor, they scaled. These hills are composed
of loose sand, into which one slips knee deep at
every step. The second one was frozen hard. This
they found to be the highest point; it was covered
with slag, lava, and gravel. The snow, or rather ice,
lay in chasms, in a few spots, in masses ten feet deep,
fourteen wide, and three hundred long.: had gone
but recently from where we were the evening before,
traces of it still remaining on the ground. Snow falls
during storms throughout the summer, but rarely remains long. Some, doubtless, in sheltering situations, survives the season. About five hundred feet
down, in a southerly direction, lay the pond of water,
the existence of which has been often doubted. It
lies in the basin of a small crater, and, at that distance, appeared green and slimy. Having piled a
cairn, as a memorial of their success, they returned in
all haste to the camp.
Travellers have differed greatly in their estimates
of the elevation of Mauna Kea; some raising it even
to eighteen thousand feet, while others reduce it to
thirteen thousand six hundred and forty-five. Capt.
Wendt, in 1831, makes it fourteen thousand and




HEIGHT OF THE MOUNTAINS.


229


fifty-five feet. Considerable discrepancy seems to
exist in regard to Mr. Douglas's measurements. In
a letter to a friend in London, dated May 6, 1834,
and published with his journal, he gives Mauna Kea
an altitude of thirteen thousand eight hundred and
fifty-one feet.  Mauna Loa, thirteen thousand five
hundred and seventeen feet. The editors of the
Hawaiian Spectator, Volume I, No. 2, page 98,
quote Douglas at thirteen thousand seven'hundred
and sixty-four feet for Mauna Kea, thirteen thousand
four hundred and seventy feet for Mauna Loa.
'The Prussian Chart,' published at Potsdam, 1839,
citing Douglas as authority, makes Mauna Kea
thirteen thousand six hundred and forty-five feet,
Mauna Loa thirteen thousand two hundred and thirty.
Being unexpectedly disappointed in obtaining a
barometer, we were not able to add any scientific
measurements to the list given, and here, as at other
places on our route, were obliged to depend upon
the dicta of others, or upon such calculations as
could be obtained from simple computations, pacings,
lines, &c., which was a source of great vexation to
us, after having, as we flattered ourselves, obtained
the necessary instruments for ascertaining heights,
(one of the principal objects of our trip,) and not
learning of our disappointment, until it was too late
to remedy it.
Since our visit a geological and topographical sur.
vev of the chief features of the island has been made
by the scientific gentlemen of the U. S. Exploring Expedition; the results of which will soon be made
public.
20




230


A SSOW-BALLING IN JULY.


Douglas speaks of the 'apparent non-diminution
of sound,' as being a matter of astonishment to him.
The ease and distinctness with which we heard
voices, and even conversation at long distances, was
frequently noticed by us; also, the rapidity with which
other sounds were transmitted.
Before my friends reached the camp, I had started
with our men, to descend the mountain, zigzagging
in a southerly direction. They were quite benumibed
with cold, and it was not until the sun had been up
some hours, that they became sufficiently thawed, to
proceed with any vigor. The descent was exceedingly steep and wearisome. This side of the mountain was nothing but a vast pile of compact volcanic
rocks, of all sizes, broken into every variety of shape,
all presenting sharp sides, and jagged points, and
thrown at random into a loose, sliding bed of gravel,
which, slipping from under our feet at every step, endangered our limbs by the avalanches of stones it
carried with it. After a few miles of such slope, the
men discovered a spring of clear, cold water, gushing out of the mountain, to which we all hastened,
having been upon an allowance of that article for
the last twenty-four hours. Here the missing ones
rejoined our party. Mr. C. brought with him a
handkerchief filled with snow, with which we turned to and had a fine snow-balling, while it lasted,
pelting each other right merrily.  Our Honolulu
friends, puffing and panting with heat and dust,
no doubt would have envied us the occupation.
The declivity proved equally steep the whole way
down, with soil sufficient only to bear a few grasses,




REACH THE BASE 6F THE MOUNTAIN,  231


and a small species of cassia with a yellow blossom.
Herds of bullocks were frequently seen, some of
which were quite tame, and did not run until we approached within pistol shot. Before reaching the
plain we were exceedingly annoyed by a strong
wind suddenly springing up, which drove the sand
in dense clouds before it, cutting our faces and blinding our eyes by its violence. The plain, bounded by
Mauna Kea on the north, Mauna Loa on the south,
and Mauna Hualalai on the west, and embracing
nearly a third of the superficial extent of the whole
island, appears to have been to most persons a terra
incognita. On some of the earlier charts a swamp,
or morass, is delineated as occupying much of this
area, and even to this day it is but seldom visited,
except by bullock-catchers. It is mostly a table-land,
gradually swelling from both sides of the island, until it attains an elevation of four thousand feet. On
the south and east it is cut up by streams of lava,
apparently of not very ancient date, which have
flowed from the adjacent mountains. Numerous
small conical craters, of exceedingly regular shape,
and composed of slag and sand, dot these streams.
As they approach Mauna Kea, vegetation commences, on a soil composed of sand and ashes, through
which the volcanic layers occasionally show themselves, but not frequently enough to prevent a tolerable cart-road from running along by the base of the
mountain. On this side, the plain, hills, and small
craters, for many miles, are beautifully diversified
with groves of an elegant laurel, which we had noticed nowhere else on the island, or indeed, on any




'CLINKERS.'


other of the group. It grew in clusters of from
thirty to forty feet in height, with small dark
green leaves, delicate white blossoms, and branches
that nearly swept the ground. Their foliage formed
a graceful dome, impervious to the sun; while beneath was a greensward, free from all underbrush.
Upon the whole, they were decidedly the prettiest
trees that we met on the island. The plain is too
dry ever to become fertile, or of any value to the agriculturist, being like a sponge, so porous that water
cannot remain u; on it.
After leaving the mountain we travelled at a rapid
rate for nine miles, the latter part through a driving
rain, until we reached a bullock-catcher's hut. It
was a mere temporary shelter, thrown up by them
while in their hunting excursions, but it proved a
welcome haven to us. Having built a fire, dried our
clothes, and supped on pork, which by this time had
become quite lively, we laid down upon a bed of
leaves, and enjoyed a sound night's rest.
July 3. -Rose at five o'clock. Thermometer forty-eight degrees. Started our natives immediately.
A mile more travelling S. S. E., carried us clear of
the laurel trees, and we found ourselves upon one of
those McAdamized tracts of Hawaii, yclept ' clinkers,' or, in other words, volcanic streams, which in
cooling, have split, cracked, tumbled, and burst into
every jagged and irregular shape of which nature is
capable. Here came the tug of war for our shoes,
which soon gave out, but having four pair apiece in
our baggage, we re-shod ourselves, and hastened on.
The natives wore sandals made of raw-hides, which,
requiring frequent renewal, greatly delayed our




c CLINKERS.'


233


march. The ugliness of their looks had got into
their manners, and they gave us increasing trouble,
the farther we advanced. If we wished to push
on, they lagged. If we rested, they hastened on.
We had grown sufficiently wise from past experience not to trust them alone with the baggage;
this they knew and availed themselves of, to the utmost. If we scolded, they scowled; if we coaxed,
they laughed; in their impudence they forgot, that, if
they outnumbered us, we held the purse-strings, and
we consoled ourselves with the thought of what we
would do at the termination of the jaunt. The
rascals had already consumed and wasted, to lighten
their loads, seven days' provision in two, besides devouring most of our own. Poor fellows, their grub,
in the prison allowance, had been short; but their
capacity of stomach baffled all our calculation, and
at every halt we found the deficiency of our provisions becoming more alarming. Eat, or rather stuff,
they would now, although assured they would soon
be obliged to labor without food.
The clinkers were interspersed with some tracts
of smoother lava, which at any other time we should
have thought bad enough, but now they proved a
most agreeable change from their rougher neighbors.
We occasionally came upon wild geese, which were
very tame, and found abundance of rain-water
in the hollows of the rocks. At one o'clock we
reached a fresh tract of clinkers two miles across,
which was the very 'blackness of desolation' itself.
Just imagine the slag from all the forges and glass
factorie which have been in existence since the
20,




234   A BED IN THE RAIN. —SMOKY CAVE.


commencement of time, dropped in masses, from the
size of a small house to that of a marble, upon a
plain like this; every mass being all points, every
point sharp and cragged, and all uppermost, and a
faint idea of this highway can be formed.
A portion of the way was like crawling over piles
of broken junk bottles, each bottle varying from the
size of a demijohn to a hogshead. After pitching,
twisting, and tumbling over it, for two hours, to the
imminent danger of our necks, dislocation of our
ancles, and destruction of our clothing, we came to
better footing. We were now crossing the eastern
spur of Mauna Loa, through a forest of dwarf ohia
trees. The rain, which had been lowering all the
morning, now began to pour, and soon thoroughly
drenched us. At four o'clock we passed, on our left,
quite a lake of water, a curiosity for this island, but
owing to the storm could not stop to examine it. At
five, having found a cave, we concluded to encamp
for the night, having been on foot twelve hours,
though, owing to the badness of the road, our progress was not more than fifteen miles. The cave
was but three feet high, and a couple of rods in depth.
The rain was leaking through the roof, leaving us
the choice only between wet or wetter ground.
However, having crawled in, we soon disposed of
ourselves for the night, with the consoling prospect
of having a cold or rheumatism to accompany us the
remainder of the trip. Scarcely had we got asleep,
when we were awakened, all but suffocated with
smoke; jumping up, we found our natives had made
a fire of wet wood at the mouth ofthe cave, and were




MAMMOTH RASPBERRIB8.


'235


coolly sitting at the windward and seeing us gasping
for breath. The way natives and fire-brands went
out of the cave, will prove a caution to them not to
attempt to convert any future travellers into bacon.
The former sought a new fire-place. Lying down
again, we passed a tolerable night, and awoke in the
morning with merely a soreness in our limbs, which
exercise soon wore off. At this height, five thousand
feet, the thermometer was thirty-eight degrees, indicating a low average temperature for this region;
such being the cold of a July morning.
The day was the fourth, and was ushered in by a
bright sun and hearty cheers. The travelling improved greatly, and, having reached the summit of
an intervening spur, we had a distinct, though distant,
view of the volcano. Steam and smoke were issuing
from it, and, from our point of view, its vast depth
and circumference were conspicuous. It looked an
epitome of that pit, whose smoke ascendeth for ever.
Strong breezes drove its murky gases and vapors
round and round its sides, until they circled high
into the air, and disappeared before fresher blasts.
A little farther on, we discovered large beds of delicious strawberries, and tall raspberry bushes; indeed, with propriety, when compared with our own,
they might be called trees. They were loaded with
fruit, of a size which equally astonished and gratified
us. Incredible as it may appear, some were actually five inches in circumference, and all enormously
large. They were exceedingly juicy, and to us their
flavor, in the first moment of devouring them, seemed
luscious; but after our appetites were satiated, and we




236 EFFECTS OF A TORNADO) OR EARTHQUAKE.


began to be captious in our selections, a slightly
bitter or pungent flavor was detected, caused, perhaps, by the nature of the soil, which was thin, and
wholly volcanic. Their quality, and even dimensions, would doubtless be much improved by cultivation.
The country was open, with a gentle declivity towards the crater, until within five miles of it, when
we entered a dense forest of very large timber, covered with arborescent ferns. Either a whirlwind or
earthquake had occurred recently, for the ground was
strewed with overgrown trees, some of which were
four to five feet in diameter. All were torn up by
their roots, and they lay, with their trunks, roots, and
branches, so entangled, as to form a rude chevaux
de frise, both tedious and difficult to penetrate.
Crawling over their limbs, slimy and snarled as they
were with ferns, mosses, and parasitical vines, was
far preferable, however, to stumbling over the horrible clinkers, when, at every step, one's knees are
trembling beneath him, and he dares not use his
hands to aid his course for fear of gashing them upon
the vitrified edges of the broken rocks.
Emerging from the forest, we skirted the woods in
an easterly direction for a mile or so, and then struck
off at a right angle for a few rods, when we arrived
upon the brink of an old crater of great size. Twenty
feet descent carried us into its basin, where we crossed
two great rents in the earth, of which no termination
could be seen. Their sides were covered with ferns,
and they were five feet in width. An eighth of a
mile offthere was another declivity which formed




VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


237


the outer edge of Lua Pele. Descending this, a short
run brought us breathless to the brink of the volcano.
We were prepared to feel disappointment at first
sight, but I must confess, that this view came far beneath our expectations. ' Can this be the mighty
crater of which we have read and heard so much?
There must be some mistake.' And we inquired
of our guide again and again if there were no other.
Where were the flames, the boiling cauldrons, the
fiery foam, the booming waves, the bubbling lava,
the deep, unearthly bellowings, the awful and sublime; where were they?   Our eyes rested upon a
mere mass of smouldering ruins.
The expectations of those who have formed their
ideas of volcanoes from the stereotyped representations of Vesuvius and iEtna, with their conical sides
and narrowed top, lava red and liquid running like
rivers down its sides, stones and rocks soaring like
feathers in the air, and volumes of steam and smoke,
larger than the mountains themselves, ascending yet
higher, will not be realized. Lua Pele, or Kilauea,
is unlike anything of the kind, and stands by itself,
an anomaly in nature; the mightiest and most wonderful of earth's safety-valves. As we gazed, its
immensity grew upon us. More and more we realized its vastness; the stupendous area of the whole
became more apparent by analyzing its parts. Vesuvius might easily have lost ilself in that pit. All
was black, with occasional gleamings of red, like the
forkings of lightning in a dense thunder-cloud. It
looked like the ruins of some mighty conllagration,
from which the smoke and flame still rose, and at




2388


A DANGEROUS LODGING-PLACE.


any moment liable to break out again, fiercer than
before. At the farther extremity, a bright light
showed itself, like the flickering flame of half extinguished embers, and all was silent except the occasional hissing of gases and steam. I thought of
Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain.
They must have appeared like this, before the waters
flowed in and buried them for ever. After gazing
until nightfall, we hastened to the hut, where we were
to sleep, a mere shelter of roots and grass thrown
upon a few sticks, and covered on the windward side
only. It was but three feet from the brink of a perpendicular precipice of four hundred feet, a portion
of which had lately slid down part way, and hung
threateningly over the remainder. Back of it was a
crack in the earth, through which the steam constantly escaped. So occupied were we with the
scene before us, that the danger to which we were
exposed in sleeping here did not occur to us until
we were ready to leave the crater, and the excitement
was over. A slight shock of earthquake, and we
should have known nothing more. However, having
supped, we spread our blankets, with our heads
towards the abyss, to be prepared for any display
which might occur during the night, which closed in
with a cold, drizzling rain. The wind blew in furious squalls, threatening, at every gust, to drive our
frail shelter into the pit below. In the chasm, along
its walls, and through the numberless rents and galleries of the superincumbent rock, the blast howled
dismally; at times, dying away like the moan of
some wounded animal; and then again^ giving a




STORM AND ERUPTION AT NIGHT.


fitful shriek, as it whirled through some narrow pass,
and echoed itself from a hundred others. The stormspirit was abroad, and triumphantly careered over
the habitation of the fierce goddess, daring her to the
contest. Her response was sullen and ominous.
The hitherto quiet crater at intervals threw up columns of hot steam, stones, and ashes, accompanied
with loud reports, resembling the discharges of heavy
artillery in a confined place. Occasionally, the fires
at the farther extremity would gleam up with considerable brilliancy; excepting this, nothing was to
be seen, through the darkness, but the outlines of the
chasm before us, and the whirling mist and smoke,
reflecting the glare of the fires.
What with the rain and cold, it was an uncomfortable night; the scene itself was too novel and
exciting to allow either the body or imagination to
slumber. Occasionally I fell into a doze, from which
a gleam from some new fire, or a violent explosion,
aroused me. On such occasions, straining my eyes
to pierce the turmoil beneath, I ceased to wonder
that native intellect had peopled a place like this
with strange and fearful beings. It was a fit habitation for their malignant deities. If the Christian, in
this scene, pictures to himself hell and its torments,
and how often has it been thus likened, is the savage
to be blamed, who sees in it strange shapes, and fiery
halls, the lakes, the palaces, and dwelling-places of his
devils? Pele, the consuming goddess, insatiable as
her element, the fire itself,'the rain of night,' the
king of vapor,' the thundering god,' 'heaven dwelling cloU4d-older,' fiery-eyed canoe-breaker,' these,




.240


STEAM FISSURES.


and many others, with names alike expressive of the
varied actions of the crater, here, according to Hawaiian mythology, hold their court. Ty have
gone from the minds of men, but their abode remains unchanged.   Their requiem  was borne to
our ears in the driving storm, the whistling wind,
the fire and smoke, and all that was furious and destructive. The morning of the fifth broke as the
previous evening had commenced, but the sun soon
dispelled much of the mist, and left us a pleasant
day for our researches. Thermometer, 58 degrees.
The plain on the north is much split up by fissures,
from which steam continually issues, hot enough to
cook meat or vegetables. In a few places it condenses and forms excellent drinking water. Four
species of very palatable berries grew here abundantly, commonly called 'huckleberries,' though
they have but little resemblance in flavor, and none in
color, to that fruit. To the northeast of this plain,
we find sulphur banks several hundred yards in extent, and about twenty feet high. The gases were
not powerful, and by digging into the earth, which
was hot, soft, and greasy, we obtained some beautiful specimens of sulphur, in all its different forms,
the best of which, however, soon lost their beauty by
exposure to the air. The efflorescences at the mouth
of the crevices were exceedingly delicate and beautiful. These banks appear to be volcanic rock, decomposed by sulphuric acids, for it is to be seen in
all its stages, from the hard rock to the soft paste.
An hour's steaming here dissipated all the pain and
soreness which we felt from our exposure to the
weather.




SULPHUR BEDS AND BATH.


241


We estimated the circumference of the whole
crater atfve miles, the western side of which was
the highet; but in no place did the depth to the
black ledge exceed five hundred feet. It is more
oval than circular, its greatest breadth being from
northeast to southwest, and is aptly termed by the
natives Lua Pele, (Pele's Pit,) for it is nothing but
an immense hole, which the fire has eaten in the
ground. The natives have no other tradition of its
origin, than that it has been burning from the time
'of chaos ' until now, gradually extending itself laterally and perpendicularly. Formerly, it overflowed
its banks, and the reign of each of their kings has
witnessed destructive eruptions.
Count Strzelecki makes the north-northeast cliff
four thousand one hundred and one feet above the
level of the sea; Douglas, three thousand eight hundred and seventy-four. In descending to the black
ledge, at the northeast extremity, the path winds
round an old crater, small and steep on all sides;
its bottom is covered with masses of large rocks,
shaken down by earthquakes, and large trees are also
growing in it, indicating a long repose.
Following this path, we soon arrived on the ledge,
which appeared like a field of ice breaking up in the
spring. It varied from five hundred to two thousand
feet in width, and then abruptly terminated in craggy
and overhanging precipices, which had split and
burst in every direction, from the action of the fire
beneath. The main body of the crater had settled
down from the black ledge, in some places gradualy, Uttil its own weight burst it violently from the
21




EXTENT OF CRATER.


edge, leaving gaping chasms, the sides of which were
intensely heated; at others, it appeared Wtive sunk
instantaneously, tearing away and undeiining the
ledge, and leaving precipices of two hundred feet in
height The greatest depth was about two hundred
and fifty feet. The lakes, cones, and forges remained, but were emptied of lava, and quiet, emitting
nothing but smoke, excepting a lake at the southwestern extremity, of which a bend in the ledge hid
from our view all but the rising flames. Evidently,
a short time before, the ledge had been overflowed,
as the lava was piled in masses twenty feet high or
more, on its outer edge, gradually decreasing in
height as it rolled in immense waves from it; and,
without doubt, the whole mass had been raised, as
we could now stand upon it and pluck ferns from
the bank. We walked around the crater on the
black ledge, endeavoring to find a place where it
would be practicable to descend, but the banks were
everywhere too much broken up to admit of it. Independently of that, they were so heated, that the
brink could only be approached in a few places, and
these only at great risk. It was cracked into great
chasms, from a few feet to a rod in width, to which
no bottom could be seen, and in places large masses
had swollen up, and then tumbled in, like the bursting of an air bubble, or the falling in of a vast dome.
The hollow, echoing sound beneath our feet, showed
the insecurity of where we trod, and liability to give
way, and precipitate us at any moment to instantaneous death; and I must confess, that it was with
fear that I walked along this path of destruction




DANGERS OF EXPLORATION.


243


On the surface of the ledge the rock was black and
very vesicular, but as it descended it grew more
compact, and became of a white or leadish color.
From all these pits and chasms a white flickering
flame ascended, so hot in one place that we attempted to cross as to singe the hair from our hands, and
scorch our clothing. Nothing but a precipitate retreat saved us from being enveloped in flames. The
hot air would frequently flash up from the fissures
without warning, and it required much caution and
agility to escape from it. The thermometer, over one
fissure, rose to one hundred and sixty-two degrees;
on the ledge, five hundred feet from the brink, three
feet above the ground, ninety-seven degrees; on the
lava at the same place, one hundred and twenty-three
degrees; two feet above a fissure, one hundred and
forty-eight degrees; eighteen inches below the surface, it rose instantly to one hundred and sixty-six
degrees. Continual heavy explosions were occurring
on the sides, sounding like muffled artillery, throwing
up stones, ashes, and hot steam two hundred feet or
more into the air, and rending away the banks, tumbled large masses of rock into the crater beneath.
Indeed, the whole black ledge appeared like a mere
crust, the igneous action beneath having eaten away
its support, and which the slightest shock would
precipitate into the gulf beneath, and thus restore the
crater to its ancient limits.
Small cones and diminutive piles of lava were
scattered over its whole surface, where they had suddenly rose and as quickly cooled. They had assumed many fantastic, and even beautiful shapes;




APPEARANCE OF THE CRATER.


and their hues were singularly brilliant a  varied.
On the southeast and south sides, lava had ilshed
laterally from the bank, and flowed do  ifm  the
ledge. Near here are the sulphur hills, fot:which
the finest specimens are obtained. They were prettily coated with fine white, blue, and green salts, but
owing to the intense heat and suffocating fumes of
the gases, we were unable to secure many. A little
farther on, we found the lava fissures incrusted with
the most beautiful crystals and efflorescences, which
had condensed into every variety of form and figure,
but too delicate to bear exposure to the atmosphere.
Having reached the southern extremity, we obtained
our first view of the lake, the light of which had attracted our attention the previous night. It was several hundred yards in circumference, and in the most
sunken prt of the cauldron. The lava was twenty
feet below its banks, a liquid body, boiling, bubbling,
and thrashing in great fury. Occasionally, it would
become incrusted over, and then red streaks would
shoot rapidly across its surface, leaving a momentary
glimmer like that of meteors. In the centre, the
lava was tossed high into the air, with a puffing, spluttering noise, like the blast of a heavy bellows, mingled with the roar of surf. Its color was livid, much
resembling clotted blood, of which the whole might
be taken for an immense hell-brewed cauldron, and
the unearthly noises for the moans of agonized
spirits, and the fiendish cries of their tormentors.
The effect upon the imagination was powerful, and
the reality horrible and hellish, beyond description.
To the leeward, the gases were strong, requiring




A PERILOUS SITUATION.


245


much caution to avoid the stifling currents of heated
air. On the northwest side, filamentose lava, commonly clle   Pele's hair, was thickly strewed for
many acres, like a field of mown grass.
Mr. C. and myself, having performed the circuit
until we were underneath where our hut stood, where
the bank, having given way to a considerable height,
formed a steep hill, which appeared quite practicable
of ascent, we proposed to shorten the distance by
climbing up at this spot. No sooner thought of, than
we made the attempt, and reached the first two hundred feet without any difficulty. Here, the summit
being hid from us, we held a consultation whether
to proceed or not. Upon looking down, we saw our
natives gazing in astonishment at us, and urging us
to return, saying that it was impossible for us to
reach the top, and nothing but a bird could. However, like all obstinate personages, we did not like to
retrace our steps, so we pushed ahead. A few rods
more climbing brought us to the perpendicular face
of the rock, or rather rocks, which were loosely imbedded in earth, and relieved only by some jutting
points, and a few roots, on which but little dependence could be placed. We were now so high, that
it was impossible to descend, as we could not see
where to place our feet beneath us, and the slightest
look downwards might make us loosen our hold
and be dashed to pieces. Not the least danger was,
that one of us might loosen a stone, which starting
would draw down an avalanche of others, and ourselves with them. By looking up, zigzagging along
the edges of the rocks, and bearing our weight equal21*




246


AN EARTHQUAKE. *


ly as possible on all parts of our bodi, ewe drew
ourselves slowly up, until we were within twefeet of
the top. Here we met with the '-uki  et cut of
all.' The rock was the smoothest, and. juSt at the
rising of the brink, hot steam issued from it, making
the earth scalding and slippery. Mr. C., being ahead,
and blessed with the longest legs, managed, by bearing his whole weight upon a projecting point of rock,
not three inches in diameter, to make a spring, and
at the same time clawing into the soft earth, he
reached the summit with only burnt fingers. He
then laid down upon his back, with his arms over
his head, clinging to roots, and dangled his legs over
the precipice to assist me. Following his steps, I
hitched myself up, and making a grab at his toes,
was safely toed to the bank. It was not until we
were in  fect safety, that we realized the full extent
of our dager, and our consummate folly in rushing into it. The slightest misstep, or want of presence of mind, would have hurried us to immediate
death; and, while we felt grateful for our escape,
we vowed another time,' to look before we climbed.'
In the excitement of visiting this wonderful phenomenon, its real dangers are overlooked, and many
unnecessary risks undergone. No accident has as
yet happened, but some escapes have been little short
of miraculous. Two gentlemen, a number of years
since, were in the heart of the crater, examining the
burning cauldron, when a rumbling noise was heard,
and an earthquake felt  The rocks began to rattle
down the sides of the chasm, and the ground beneath them was so unsteady, that they could not




AN ESCAPE.


247


leave the  pot where they were. Providentially, it
was s   tight:ndsoon over, and no eruption followed.
In J     y, 1841, Dr. G. P. Judd descended the
crater,  the purpose of procuring some of the liquid
lava. Not being able to reach it at the Great Lake,
he ventured into a smaller one, at the bottom of
which there was a small stream. It appeared very
quiet, the banks were steep, and he found some
difficulty in reaching it. Having obtained a frying-pan
full, he had returned to within a few feet of its brink,
the steepest part, when a roar and a hissing noise
alarmed him; a stream of lava in a narrow column
was forced up into the air, far above his head, and
descended in a shower all around. Much alarmed,
he shouted for help. All of the natives near by ran
away, except one, who threw himself upon his
stomach, and, grasping the Doctor's hand, assisted
him out. But, before this was accomplished, the
lava rose so rapidly, that the heat from it burned his
clothes, and blistered the face and hands of the native. They were no sooner on their feet, than the
lava overflowed, and they were obliged to run with
all speed, to avoid being overtaken by the torrent.
A narrower escape from a more horrible death, it is
difficult to conceive.
It is a common remark, that travellers visiting the
volcano, even at short intervals, never see it under
simil'r circumstances, and consequently are apt to
discredit previous statements. A moment's reflection should convince them, that with such a mighty
engine of nature, exercising in their highest degree
the combined powers of fire, heated air, and steam,




248 DIFFERENT APPEARANCES OF THE CRATER.


and continually in action, great changes are momentarily liable to occur; and that they do, hese very
discrepances bear ample testimony. It would be an
interesting point gained in geological science, if
some observing man could reside in the neighborhood and note the various changes, at the periods of
their occurrence.
I have endeavored to present a faithful picture of
it as it appeared at our visit, and it evidently
differs much from all preceding descriptions. Douglas makes the depth of the crater, in 1834, one thousand one hundred and fifty-seven feet.  At the
present time it had filled up one half, and the black
ledge which had been gradually rising, was in some
places, within three hundred feet of the top, while
former accounts state it at eight hundred. A few
years siee, the basin was much in its present state,
like the inside of a bowl. A foreigner who visited
it a week only before the late eruption, described it
as resembling a dome, there being a gradual ascent
from the sides to the centre; the lava having overflowed the whole of the black ledge, the limits of
which could not be traced. The whole surface was
in violent action, thickly indented with fiery lakes,
and crowned with puffing cones, and forges, whose
bases were lashed by burning waves, and the whole
accompanied with dreadful noises. Had not the
liquid lava found a vent by pushing its way through
subterranean galleries until it met with a weak spot,
which its gravity soon forced through, and running
out until the fiery mass in the crater subsided to a
level with the outlet, it might have risen to the top,




VOLCANIC ACTION.


249


and overflowing, destroyed all that portion of the
island.  he imm ense lateral pressure which must
exist, increasing as the crater fills up, will probably
prevent any great and sudden disaster of this kind,
by forcing an outlet toward the sea, as it did in this
instance. Though so much has drained out, an immense body still remains in the volcano. On the
second night of our stay, the fires were much more
brilliant, and the reports more frequent.
It is a remarkable fact, that on all the islands the
general course of volcanic action is southeasterly,
or rather, the craters form a chain from the northwest to the southeast. On Hawaii, Mauna Kea appears to have been extinguished first, then Hualalai.
Mauna Loa has probably fire still beneath, though it
has gradually cooled down by forming a series of
lateral craters, extending from the great one on its
summit to Kilauea, which is now the great fountain
head.  Kilauea is pushing itself easterly, as the
late eruption bears witness, and the whole earth in
that direction is doubtless pierced with galleries,
which carry off the superabundant lava; and when
the ground becomes too weak to bear the pressure,
it forces its way to the surface, and flows until it
creates a common level at Kilauea. The several
eruptions can easily be traced towards the sea; and
a series of lateral craters also, some of considerable
extent, which no doubt have been fed from Kilauea.
One, six miles to the east, is a mile in diameter, and
emits smoke and sulphurous gases.
It is a common remark, that Kauai is the oldest
island, and that the others have been successively




250


STRUCTURE OF HAWAII.


thrown up from the ocean. In confirmation of this,
we meet on that island a greater depth of bol, more
vegetation, and far more arable land in proportion to
its extent, than on the others, while at its soulheastern extremity only, exist two small craters. Age
has reduced others (if such there were) to the level
of the surrounding soil, or clothed them with forests,
so that their limits are undistinguishable. On Oahu,
the traces of volcanic action become more numerous,
and the craters larger, while on Maui the principal
one forms a mountain of ten thousand feet elevation.
But it is not until we reach Hawaii, that this terrible
agency assumes its grandest and most sublime forms.
Of the age of this island we can only conjecture;
it may have been coeval with the flood, or have been
formed, since the christian era. Certainly no one
can view the mighty ruins of nature, and the process
of creation and destruction, as it were in perpetual
contest, without realizing the truth of the transitory
existence of this earth, and that the day may be not
far distant when indeed 'the elements shall melt
with fervent heat.' Hawaii is fearful ground to tread
upon. We are amazed at beholding the visible
fires of Kilauea and their terrific action, but what
are they, but a mere speck, in comparison with the
immensity and power of the force required to raise
up mountains of three miles perpendicular elevation,
with bases of one thousand five hundred square
leagues. Hawaii was formed by continual and repeated eruptions, depositing layer of rock upon
layer, until it attained its present elevation; and for
aught we know the same action is still going on, at




HAWAII A VAST GLOBE OF FIRE.


251


present quietly, but ready at any moment to burst
out and overwhelm its unsuspecting inhabitants.
There cannot be a doubt that to a great extent the
interior of Hawaii is a vast globe of fire, against
the sides of which the liquefied rocks dash their fiery
spray, and roll with unceasing noise; and were it
not for the number and magnitude of its vents, it
would be shaken to pieces by successive earthquakes.
Those who live amid these scenes scarce bestow a
thought upon the dangers which environ them. But
Vesuvius after having been dormant for one thousand years, revived, and buried several cities in its
devastating streams; and the inhabitants of Catania,
in Sicily, regarded as fables the historical accounts
of previous eruptions of IEtna, until they were
themselves overwhelmed in a sudden and instantaneous destruction. In many places where volcanoes
have become overgrown with wood, and covered
even with elegant villas, they have with scarce a
warning burst forth and laid waste whole districts,
as in 1812, at St. Vincents, West Indies, where
nearly all the plantations on that island were destroyed, the lava flowing so rapidly as to reach the
sea in four hours. When this eruption took place,
the earthquakes at Caracas, four hundred miles distant, ceased, evidently showing that there was a connection between the two places. With such precedents it would certainly not be astonishing, if any
of these craters, which are at present quiescent,
should at any moment burst forth, and renew similar scenes of desolation; and even Kauai may give
vent by some submarine communication to the fires
of Hawaii.




THE GREAT MOUNTAIN.


Jkly 6.   Although it was now        midsummer, the
weather continued cold and stormy. Upon assembling our men, we found them in a state of mutiny,
refusing to go further, and threatening to leave us
instanter.   The day befor, we had been too much
occupied in exploring to have a care for them, and
they had availed themselves of the opportunity to
devour the remainder of the food. For five days
they had averaged eleven pounds' weight of fish and
poi to each man; a consumption which as many
Esquimaux could not exceed.          We had not anficipated vile ingratitude from kanakas on such a diet;
but so it proved, and we were obliged to forego the
ascent of Mauna Loa, and proceed at once to Hilo.
The ascent of Mauna Loa was to us an object of
great interest, in order to satisfy ourselves by actual
observation of the accuracy of Douglas's account. In
his journal he differs much from the statements made
by himself in a letter to a friend in London.        We
give the extract as published in his Memoir:
'The red-faced man, who cut off the limbs of men and gathered grass,
is still known here; and the people say thai he climbed Mauna Loa.
No one, however, has since done so, until I went tUp a short while
ago.*  The journey took me seventeen days. On the summit of
his extraordinary mountain is a volcano, nearly twenty-four miles
in circumference, and at present in terrific activity. You must not
confound this Mwith the one situated on the flanks of Mauna Loa,
and spoken of by the missionaries and Lord Byron, and which I
visited also. It is difficult to attempt describing such an immense
place  The spectator is lost in terror and admiration et beholding
an enormous sunken pit, (for it differs from all our notions of volantoes, as possessing cone shaped summits with terminal openings,)
five miles square of which is a lake of liquid fire, in a state of
ebullition, sometimes tranquil, at other times rolling its blazing
waves with furious agitation, and casting them upwards in columns
of from thirty to one hundred and seventy feet high. In places, the
hardened lava assumes the form of gothic arches in a colossal
*Mr. Goodrich, an Amtrican missionary. asoended it previoly to the.




DOUGLAS'S DESCRIPTION.                253
building, piled one above another in terrific magnificence, through
and among which the fiery fluid forces its way in a current that
proceeds three miles and a quarter per hour, or loses itself in fathomless chasms at the bottom of the cauldron. This volcano is one
thousand two hundred and seventy-two feet deep; I mean down to
the surface of the fire; its chasms and caverns can never be measured. Mauna Loa appears, indeed, more like an elevited table-land
than a mountain. It is a high, brad dome, formed by an infinitude
of layers of volcanic matter, thrown out from the many mouths of
its craters. Vegetation does not exist higher than eleven thousand
feet; there is no soil whatever, and no water. The lava is so porous that when the snow melts it disappears a few feet from the
verge, the ground drinking it up like a sponge. On the higher
parts grow some RubuLs, f'raseria, Varciniunm. and some Ilunci.
'I visited, also, the volcano of Kilauea, the literal volcano of
Mauna Loa; it is nearly nine miles round, one thousand one hundred feet deep, and is likewise in a state of terrific activity.'-Hawaiian Spectator, Vol. II, No. 4, pp. 397, 39S.
' The summit of this extraordinary mountain is so flat, that fiom
this point no part of the island can be seen, not even the high peaks
of Mauna Kea, nor the distant horizon of the sea, though the sky
was remarkably clear. It is a horizon of itself; and about seven
miles in diameter. Leaving these three behind, and accompanied
only by Calipio, I went on about two miles and a half, when the
Great Terminal Volcano, or Cone of Mauna Loa, burst on my view.
All my attempts to scale the black ledge were here ineffectual, as
the fissures in the lava were so much concealed. though not protected by the snow, that the undertaking was accompanied with
great danger. Most reluctantly was I obliged to return, without
being able to measure accurately its extraordinary depth. From
this point I walked along upon the brink of the high ledge along
the east side to the hump, so to speak, of the mountain; the point,
as seen fiom Mauna Kea, appears the highest. As I stood on the
brink of the ledge, the wind whirled up from the cavity with such
furious violence that I could hardly keep my footing within twenty
paces of it. The circumference of the black ledge of the nearly
circular crater, described as nearly as my circumstances would
allow me to ascertain, is six miles and a quarter. The ancient crater
has an extent of about twenty-four miles. The depth of the ledge
from the highest part, (perpendicular station on the east,) by an
accurate admeasurement with a line and plummet, is twelve hundred and seventy feet. It appears to have filled up considerably all
round; that part to the north of the circle seeming to have at no
very remote period undergone the most violent activity, not by
boiling and overflowing, not by discharging under ground, but by
throwing ouT stones of immense size to the distance of miles
around its opening, together with ashes and sand. Terrible chasms
exist at the bottom, appearing in some places as if the mountain
had been rent to its very roots; no termination can be seen to their
depth, even when the eye is aided with a good alass, and the sky is
clear of smoke, and the sun shining brightly. Fearful indeed must
the spectacle have been when this volcano was in a state of activity. The part to the south of the circle, where the outlet of the
22




254


ITS ERRORS AND INCONSISTENCIES.


lava has evidently been, must have enjoyed a long period of repose.
Were it not for the dykes on the west end, which show the extent
of the ancient cauldron, and the direction of the lava, together with
its proximity to the existing volcano, there is little to arrest the
eye of the naturalist over the greater portion of this huge dome,
which is a gigantic mass of slag and scoriae and ashes.'-Hawaiian
Spectator, Vol. II, No. 4, pp. 423,424.
In Vol. I, No. 2, page 99, of the Hawaiian Spectator, we find a similar account, extracted from his
'correspondence,' with this addition: 'There is no
smoke.'  Yet, on page 108, in the same volume, he
says, in a letter to a lady in Oahu: ' You may pledge
my name for saying, that the Great Crater is on the
very summit of Mauna Kea, (he probably means
Mauna Loa,) at present in an ACTIVE state. It is
twenty-seven miles round, and one thousand two
hundred and seventy feet deep.' Singular enough,
that a crater of this extent, and active, should emit
no smoke.   He also adds here three miles to the circumference, which, one would think, was already
sufficiently large at twenty-four miles.  He appears
also to be singularly unhappy in his mathematical
estimates.  After giving the summit of this mountain a diameter of seven miles, and calling it a horizon by itself, he walks two and a half miles farther,
and discovers a Great Terminal Volcano, of twentyseven miles circumference, or nine in diameter; thus
exceeding his previous assertion, by four and a half
miles. It is rather difficult to conceive how he could
measure, accurately, with a line and plumb, the depth
of the ledge, when the wind whirled up from its
brink with such    furious violence, that he could
hardly stand, 'twenty paces from   it.'  Even at Kilauea, with half the depth, and to the eye a perpen



ITS ERRORS AND INCONSISTENCIES.


255


dicular pali, one cannot throw a stone so as to reach
the black ledge; and this must certainly have been
perfectly perpendicular, to have allowed a person,
setting aside the wind, to have dropped a lead one
thousand two hundred and seventy feet, and to distinguish it, when it reached the bottom. In the letter to his London friend, he makes the depth to the
surface of the fire, one thousand two hundred and
seventy-two feet. The heat arising from a lake of
liquid fire, five miles square, 'in a state of ebullition,
lolling its blazing waves,' &c., would, with most lead
and twine, have operated as a serious impediment to
their arriving at the surface in their original state,
though their component parts might reach it with
the greatest facility; but physical difficulties, or even
impossibilities, seem to have been surmounted by
him, with rather more ease than by most mortals.
We found the heat exceedingly uncomfortable from
the lake at Kilauea, two hundred and fifty feet above,
and at least seven hundred feet in a direct line from
it. Even admitting the truth of these statements,
and that he saw and performed all this, how can the
fact, of twenty-five square miles of 'liquid fire,' in
'furious agitation, and casting upwards columns of
from thirty to one hundred and seventy feet high,'
with a 'fiery fluid forcing its way in a current that
proceeds three miles and a quarter per hour,' and the
remainder of this description, be reconciled with the
passage in his journal, where he says, ' Were it not
for the dykes on the west end, which show the extent
of the ancient cauldron, and the direction of the lava,
together with its proximity to the existing volcano,




ITS ERRORS AND INCOSISTENCIES.


there is but little to attract the eye of the naturalist,
over the greater portion of this huge dome, which is
a gigantic mass of slag, scorin, and ashes.' By the
'existing volcano,' he evidently means Kilauea, as he
everywhere speaks of Mauna Loa as a ' huge dome;'
and certainly a crater of twenty-seven miles in circumference would be any thing but a small portion
of its surface, and in so active a state, it would not
only attract naturalists, but the whole world.  The
inhabitants of Hawaii, at least, would find reason to
be particularly interested in it, and yet it is totally
unknown to them. Did such exist, its light could be
seen at the farthest extremity of the group; its fires
would shake the island to its centre; while its noises
would appall the stoutest heart. Kilauea is considered the largest volcano in the world;* yet, in its
most active state, it has never shown a tenth part of
the superficial extent of liquid fire ascribed to Mauna
Loa. Vesuvius, of scarcely a sixth the size of Kilauea, in 472, ejected ashes, (so Procopius states,)
that reached Constantinople, a distance of upwards
of seven hundred miles. These examples serve to
give a faint idea of what would be the effects of a
volcano so prodigiously surpassing all others, and in
a slate of 'terrific activity.'
The preceding extracts show the great inconsistencies Douglas was guilty of; and if we give credence to his journal, as the most probable, one is
*' I say unparalleled,because, having visited most of the European
and American volcanoes, I find the greatest of them inferior to the
Kilauea crater, in intensity, grandeur, and extent or area.'- Haw.
Spec., Vol. I, p. 435. COUNT STRZELECKI..  -....




MAUNA LOA.               267
tempted to inquire, what could induce a man of his
scientific attainments, to risk his reputation on such
a fabulous account to his friend? When he says,
p. 424, ' Fearful indeed must the spectacle have been,
when this volcano was in a state of activity,' his
description might have referred to that period; and
if we view it as a mere sketch di-awn from his imagination, it is truly graphic, though improbable; but
the explicitness and minuteness of detail in the letter, leave no room for such a supposition. His words
are, ' at present in terrific activity.'
The guide, who accompanied him to the summit,
resides at Hilo, and has since conducted twvo other
travellers, at distinct periods, to the very spot where
these observations are said to have been made. He
states, that at both of these visits, it appeared the
same as when Douglas was there, merely a little
smoke issuing from some of the fissures. The rest
was a great pit, probably much the same as Kilauea
would appear, if it were emptied of lava. It has
been in action as late as July, 1832, when it shot up
a light for several nights, of sufficient brightness to
be distinguished one hundred and ten miles; and it
may burst forth again, at no distant period; but
whatever may be its real state, it certainly possesses
interest enough to induce some scientific individual
to give it a thorough investigation.
It may be considered as uncharitable to thus criticise the dead; but it is certainly due to truth and
science to rectify error.  Those who read Douglas's
Memoir abroad, and are wholly unacquainted with
the localities mentioned therein, and the nature of
22 *




268


LEAVE FOR HILO.


volcanic action, would scarcely notice these discrepances, but regard him as a traveller of great research, and one whose labors should justly immortalize him. This opinion would doubtless be confirmed by finding it republished in the Hawaiian
Spectator, almost upon the very spot of his researches,
without note or comment of any kind.
Douglas unfortunately did not live to publish his
journal himself, and perhaps much of its ambiguity
is owing to this circumstance. He was killed by a
wild-bullock, on the north side of the island, in July
of 1834.
On Monday morning, at seven o'clock, we gazed
our farewell to Pele's domains, and, amid a smart
shower, started for Hilo. The path was to the eastnortheast, a good road, and through, or rather mostly
skirting, a very pretty forest, with a greater depth of
soil than we had previously met with. The descent
was so gradual as to be hardly perceptible; and
after a brisk walk of eleven miles, we came in sight
of the smoke and flames arising from the new streams
of lava. They were about twelve miles east of us.
At noon we arrived at Olaa, a neat little hamlet upon
the border of the wood, with considerable cultivation
about it. The population ran out to greet us, proffering every hospitality, and urging us to pass the
night at the head-man's house, where we had stopped.
Being anxious to arrive at Hilo, we declined this invitation, but consented to the application of the lomilotir, and soon were stretched out upon the mats,
with a dozen little urchins zealously fisting, pinching, squeezing, and kneading, our travel-worn limbs.




AN OVER-SHARP LANDLORD.


259


Here let me whisper in the ear of any traveller, who
may find himself, at the end of a day's journey, with
stiff and wearied nether members, to select a couple
of youngsters with very sharp elbows, with which,
for the consideration of a jewsharp or so, they will
most effectually furrow his outer man, while he is
replenishing the inner. I speak feelingly; it is the
very acme of a pedestrian's happiness; and it had
such a wonderful effect upon us, that after a short
debate it was unanimously moved and carried that
we should pass the night here, provided the necessaries for a feast could be obtained. At this the eyes
of the natives sparkled with delight; and so did ours
at the list of eatables which they were ready to provide instantly. But we were too old campaigners
not to inquire the price of all this kindness, especially
as some suspicions that all this zeal was not pure
disinterestedness began to arise. I will not record
the answer of our host, for fear of being charged with
a conspiracy to destroy his credit as keeper of the
'half-way house;' but it caused the lame to jump,
and the bellies of the hungry to be filled, not with
luaued pig, in visions of which we had just been luxuriating, but brimful of wrath, minus the cabbage.
Two hours had been spent here, and after giving our
Boniface some valuable advice in regard to his future charges, should any others ever be so unfortunate as to partake of his hospitality, we left. The
dudgeon which filled our indignant selves was as
good as so much high-pressure steam, and carried us
along with rather more speed than we should have
been able to accomplish, had we been filled with
any thing more substantial.




260   GUIDE'S TRICK. -ARRIVAL AT HILO.


The path led to the north, with the ocean in sight,
and the country more open. At night we saw a neat
but small house at a short distance, and proposed
stopping there; but our natives said there was a large
one, where plenty of provisions could be obtained, a
short distance farther on. It was quite dark when
we arrived, and their description was true to life. It
was nearly if not quite as large as 'all-out-doors,'
the distinction between the interior and exterior not
being remarkably well defined; and for provisions,
there were abundance of pigs, dogs, and poultry, on
terms of most perfect intimacy with their owners.
It was a filthy hovel, and its inmates, amounting to
twenty or so nearly naked natives of both sexes, the
shabbiest I had ever seen. However, it being too
late to retrace our steps, we devoured a young pig,
begged a mat, and fatigue (having walked twentyfive miles) soon wrapped us in a slumber, which
neither the furious attacks of fleas, or swinish noises
around us, could break. In the morning we learned
that our honest guides had slept at the former house,
where they had been feasted with the fat of the land,
after having had the cool impudence to recommend
our pushing on to the next. Our lodging-place was
on the outskirts of a dense forest, four miles in width,
through which passed a road made of the trunks of
ferns, after the corduroy fashion.  Three miles farther walk brought us to Hilo village, where we were
*4ost hospitably received and entertained by the missionaries, and an old friend settled there; that is, as
soon as we could be identified — no easy job, through
the grime of such a jaunt, much of the time in rain
and mud, and with a fortnight's unshaven chin.




SITUATION AND NATURAL BAUTIES.


Hilo, or Byron Bay, merits all that has been said
in praise of its beauty and situation. The bay faces
the north, and, on two sides, is lined by a fine sandbeach, prettily bordered by cocoa-nut, bread-fruit,
and other trees. The coast swells gradually inland,
at times presenting hills of considerable magnitude,
three of which, a mile from the shore, are particular
objects of attraction. They are ancient craters, very
uniform and regular in size and shape, truncated,
and covered with a fine greensward.  The view
from the sea is more beautifully picturesque than
sublime. Of clear day, the snowy peaks of Mauna
Kea, with its brown sides, are to be seen rising abruptly from the plain, and, in the background, the
dome of Mauna Loa, and the smoke of Kilauea, are
distinctly visible. All the back-country is well wooded and watered, while towards the sea, houses and
gardens, trees and small streams, dell and grove,
are grouped in pleasing confusion.  The soil is
luxuriantly verdant, and its depth and richness favorable to all tropical productions. The bay forms an
excellent harbor, protected from the surf by a reef
and bar, which makes nearly a6ross, and it has good
holding ground.  Ships can lay close in, without
danger, and, with proper encouragement from government, Hilo might become a rich and populous
district. The best of water is obtained, with the
greatest facility, at the Wailuku, or river of destruction, a romantic stream, which empties itself into the
bay near the anchorage, and derives its name from
the number of persons who have perished in its
rapids. A short distance from its mouth there is a




262


PRODUCTIONS OF HILO.


fine cataract, tumbling over a precipice sixty feet in
height, into a deep and craggy basin beneath, which
was formerly the interior of a crater, through the rent
side of which the stream now forces its way. It is
called the 'cascade of the rainbow.'
The population of the district of Hilo is nearly
eight thousand. A store has been recently established at the village, much to the benefit of the natives,
in affording them a market for their produce, and
foreign goods in return. A spirit of enterprise has
been developing, which, no doubt, will soon make
this place the garden of Hawaii; ltt it is here as
elsewhere, through the influence of foreigners, that a
better day appears to be dawning upon these islands.
In 1840 the exports from Hilo amounted to two
hundred thousand shingles, a considerable quantity
of Koa lumber, forty or fifty tons of sugar, and one
hundred and fifty tons of arrow root. Seven miles
inland there is a saw-mill, which, when water is
abundant, can saw from six to eight hundred feet of
boards per day. Two sugar mills, by water power,
capable of grinding from four hundred to six hundred pounds each, per day, have been recently
erected, and are expected to turn out two hundred
tons of sugar annually. That which has been made
the past year, at the Chinaman's mills, has a disagreeable flavor, and lacks grain.
The climate of Hilo is particularly favorable to
agricultural operations. Regular land and sea breezes
prevail, which give a very delightful temperature,
tempering the noon-day heat, and rendering the
nights cool and bracing. It has formerly been con



PRODUCTIONS OF HILO.


263


sidered as obnoxious to continual rains, but the residents state, that within the last four years a great
change has taken place in that respect, and that now
much less falls; indeed, no more than is necessary
to preserve its fruitfulness.  Orange trees do not
flourish, but the mango, chirimoya, fig, strawberry,
and many other fruits, grow thriftily.  Corn, mulberry, and sugar-cane do excellently well, but the
plant which seems to thrive the best, and is destined
to become the principal export; is coffee. The expense of raising it is trifling, compared with silk, or
sugar. It gro s most luxuriantly, and the branches
of the trees, then in fruit, were bent to the earth by
its weight. Mature trees have produced ten pounds
apiece, which is an enormous product, compared
with most coffee countries. In Brazil, and the West
Indies, three to four pounds to the tree is considered
as a great crop. There are now several plantations
of the berry, which have commenced bearing. The
shrubs are planted in rows, and shaded by banana
plants. The strong trade-wind, which almost everywhere else on the islands operates as a serious impediment to the growth of plants, is here neutralized
by the land breezes, and the neighboring mountains.
A pleasant wine has been made from the wild
raspberries of the mountains.
The mission-houses, three in number, are pleasantly situated near each other, a quarter of a mile
from the beach. That built by Mr. Goodrich is of
two stories, painted red, and an exact model of one
of our yankee' farm-houses in New England. Indeed, it looked as if it had been transplanted to its




BOARDING-SCHOOL.


present situation, from the country of frost and snow,
and forms quite a singular object, half hid by the
deep foliage of the oriental lilach, mango, and breadfruit trees. Rev. Mr. Lyman has a boarding-school,
of from fifty to sixty boys, the brightest of whom are
sent, annually, to the high-school at Maui. They
partly support themselves by their labor; all are
neatly clothed, and their whole appearance reflects
great credit upon their instructors. They are lodged
in a large, thatched, two-story building. The lower
part is the school-room, and the upper is divided, by
mat partitions, into numerous chambes, for sleeping
apartments. Besides this, there is another house, of
the same size, where they eat, after a civilized manner. They are allowed meats as often as they can
be procured. For the sick there is a separate building, where they can be retired from the noise of the
school, and have such attention as their wants require. Mrs. Coan supports a smaller school, for
girls, upon much the same plan.
Wednesday, 8th of July. Having engaged a new
set of men, we left Hilo, at noon, in company with
Rev. Mr. Lyman, to explore the site of the recent
eruption. This company were hired with the stipulation that they should find their own food - a practice we recommend to all who wish to travel expeditiously, and without annoyance. The distinction
between meum and tuum was never more palpably
manifested than in this instance. The whole amount
of food which our three men took with them, for as
many days, would not have sufficed one of our former gang more than one day; and throughout the




ERUPTION OF THE CRATER.


265


excursion we had as much reason to be satisfied
with these men, as we had to be dissatisfied with the
others. Higher praise than this could not be awarded them.
After retracing our steps on the road to the volcano for ten miles, we diverged to the southeast, upon
what is called the middle Puna road. After travelling a few miles we reached a small hamlet. The
best hut was given us for our sleeping-apartment, to
which we soon retired, while our clerical friend held
a religious meeting in a neighboring house. Early
next morning we continued our route over a country much broken up by lava streams, smooth at their
surface, and partially covered with a light soil, supporting a scanty forest of stunted ohias, of a species
which bore no fruit. At twelve o'clock, when about
twenty-five miles from Hilo, we came upon the first
traces of the devastations of the burning torrent.
The grass was killed, and vegetation all blasted.
Continuing our walk, for a mile, through a wood
filled with smoke, and smelling strongly of sulphur,
and in which all signs of life were destroyed, the
trees crisped and blackened by heat, while some
had fallen, like mown grass, we struck suddenly
upon the great stream of lava which had caused all
this destruction. Its course was to the northeast,
having forced its way through a dense body of timber, burning and destroying all before it. On its
outer edges it had cooled so suddenly, upon its surface, as to leave the charred limbs-of many trees unconsumed, though smoking freely.   They were
thickly strewed, for many miles, and formed an al
23




266


ERUPTION,


most impenetrable chevaux de frise. They lay mostly around the smooth holes which their trunks had
formed, when the liquid mass consolidated about
them; all beneath the surface, of course, being entirely consumed, and leaving no traces, except a few
ashes. The lava was swollen up in cones, and
forges, split into deep chasms, and twisted and cracked into every variety of shape, resulting, probably,
from its suddenly cooling and contracting.  The
crevices were lined with the most beautiful and delicate forms of salt and sulphur, of all the hues of the
rainbow. Fresh specimens were continually consolidating, from the strong gases which everywhere
jetted out. They effloresced, upon exposure to the
atmosphere. From every aperture, steam, smoke,
and sulphurous vapors issued, so dense and strong,
that, while it required the greatest caution to avoid
their suffocating currents, they prevented us from
distinctly seeing any distance. The surface was
still so hot as to be painful to the feet, while, in many
places beneath us, the gurgling, crackling sound of
flowing lava, gave warning that the treacherous fluid
was still moving underneath.  The crust being
puffed up by bubbles of air, and extremely brittle,
frequently gave way, without the slightest warning
precipitating us several feet before we found solid
footing.
We had supposed that we should reach the stream
somewhere about its source, but we found ourselves
at most, not more than mid-way from the shore.
Mile upon mile of the same dismal prospect of jagged lava, flame, and smoke, could be traced inland,




ERUPTION.


267


and after an hour's exploring, over the hot clinkers
where we were, we found ourselves too much exhausted by the intense heat and fatiguing clambering, to attempt to follow the stream further up; besides, it was far from being prudent, in its present
state. The thermometer, three feet above the lava,
rose to one hundred and fifty-two degrees, and in the
clefts it was too hot to try it.  We estimated its
width, where we first struck upon it, at upwards of a
mile. The lava everywhere appeared to be of uniform character, and presented the same appearance,
being full of glittering crystals of pyroxine and
olivine.
Turning back, we gained the edge of the woods,
and then followed the stream towards the ocean in a
northerly direction, where it gradually widened until
it acquired a width of six miles, forming a sea of
huge, black, solidified waves. On its sides, it frequently forced its way under ground, by galleries,
throwing up the soil in rugged hills, from ten to
fifteen feet high, then issuing to the surface again at
a considerable distance from its ingress. As we
approached the sea, volcanic sand showed itself in
greater quantities, covering the soil and trees to the
distance of half a mile from the stream. The spiral
branches of the Pandanus were loaded with it; and
near the ocean it formed beds of several feet in thickness, making smooth walking where formerly it was
rough in the extreme. This sand is of the same
substance as the lava, and was probably formed
when the stream reached the water, by the great concussion and reaction of the two opposite forces.




268


SULPHUROUS GASES.


The lava cooling suddenly, shivered like glass, into
-millions of small particles, which the strong trade
wind drove back upon the country.
After skirting the stream for several miles, we
turned to the left, and at five o'clock, P. M., arrived
at the sea, at a very romantic spot, called Waiakakuila. A chief's house, then deserted, situated in a
fine grove of cocoa-nut, hala, and hau trees, afforded
us good accommodations for the night. The surf
broke upon a precipice but a few rods distant, and
near by was a spring, which, flowing into a rocky
basin, formed an excellent bathing-place.
A mile to the east of us, at Nanawale, the lava
had entered the sea, and was throwing up steam and
smoke so furiously, that it had every appearance of
a new crater. Hastening to it, we found it presented
the same appearance as above, except that it had
overflowed the old line of coast, and pushed itself
fifteen hundred feet or more into the sea, forming
three bold promontories, or crater-shaped hills, parallel
to each other, and a few hundred feet apart. Between
these the lava flowed a short distance beyond. These
hills were formed of scorine, sand, and ashes, precipitous towards the sea, and sloping gradually inland.
Fumes of steam were issuing from their summits,
which were from two hundred to three hundred feet
high. Towards the sea, their sides were still so hot
as to form vapor at every wash of the waves. Between them, the sulphurous gases were dense and
choking, occasioning immediate nausea and giddiness, on approaching them, unless to the windward.
In a few places the old rock, whitened and split by




BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE OF TIlE LAVA. 269


heat, appeared through the new. A solitary Pandanus, scorched and burnt, still stood upright, overlooking the scene of desolation. Two beaches of volcanic
sand, forming excellent landing-places, were thrown
up, where previously there was nothing but the bold
rock. The largest is on the north of the hills, and
about one hundred yards in length; the other lies at
the farther extremity of the lava, and is but a few
rods long. Neither will probably be permanent.
The width of the stream here is two thousand feet.
From the loftiest of the hills, an excellent view of
the course of the stream was obtained. Its widenings and windings can be traced inland for a great
distance. At sunset, with its dark surface, and broad
descending stream, covered with wood and smoke,
and broken or turned aside at times, leaving small
spots of land untouched and overgrown with now
lifeless trees, it forcibly recalled to my mind the Mississippi at its rising in spring. It resembled a vast
river, which had overflowed its banks, flowing sluggishly onward, and bearing on its bosom the wrecks
of vegetation. The smoke was not at all dissimilar
to fog. As the sun went down, it threw a dim glare
over the whole, which added much to the effect.
Night surprised us while still engaged amid the thousand and one wonders around, and we were coinpelled to hasten to our lodging-place; but not until
we had secured specimens of all the varieties of lava,
which, however, did not differ from those observed
elsewhere on the stream. The tints and forms of
some of the salts, incrusting the hollows of the rocks,
were exceedingly minute and beautiful, closely resem23*




270


FIRST OUTBREAK.


bling the flowers of some of the most delicate species
of moss. It was impossible to preserve them, for
upon exposure to the air, they dissolved like snow,
leaving a yellow, red, or green precipitate.
Such was the appearance of this stream of lava,
six weeks after it commenced flowing. On the 30th
of May previous, the inhabitants of the district detected a smoke and some fire rising, in the direction
of the volcano. As it proceeded from an uninhabited and desolate region, they gave themselves no
further concern about it, attributing it to the burning
of brush-wood. The next day, being Sunday, the
several congregations at Hilo and its vicinity, were
alarmed by the prodigious increase of the flames, in
that quarter. They increased so rapidly as to leave
no doubt that the volcano was in motion; but in
what manner it was discharging itself, was as yet
conjecture. The fiery column, sending forth heavy
masses of smoke and cinders, gave indication that it
was no ordinary outbreak. Fear began to seize upon
some. The burning torrent was four thousand feet
above them; and if it turned in the direction of Hilo,
the devastation would be dreadful. But on the 1st
of June it began to move in a northeasterly direction;
and in little short of four days reached the sea, having flowed forty miles from its source. Owing to
the inequalities of the country, the rapidity of its
movement was not uniform. In some places it was
stayed for a considerable time, until a valley had
been filled up, or precipice overthrown. In such
spots it spread itself into lakes many miles wide.
On level ground it moved slowly and sluggishly, but




PROGRESS OF THE STREAM.


271


when it met with a descent, it acquired a velocity of
even five miles the hour, consuming every thing
before it. Its- depth varied according to the nature
of the soil, and is from twelve to two hundred feet
and upwards. The average descent of the country
in the direction it took, is about one hundred feet to
the mile. Its general movement, owing to its great
consistency, was in immense semi-circular masses or
waves. These would roll on, gradually accumulating,
until the mass had become too heavy to hold itself
together, while the exterior was partially cooled and
solidified; then bursting, the liquefied interior flowing
out would join a new stream, and by its momentum
cleave that asunder. By these accelerated progressive movements, the wave-like ridges were formed,
which are everywhere observable on the older
dykes. At times, it forced its way under the soil, presenting the singular appearance of earth, rocks, and
trees in motion, like the swell of the ocean. It found its
way into crevices and subterranean galleries, flowing
on until it had filled them up, or met with some impediment, then bursting up the superincumbent soil,
it bore off upon its livid surface, like rafts on a river,
hillocks with trees still standing upon them; and so
great was its viscidity, heavy rocks floated down with
the- stream. A white man, who was standing upon
a small lime hill, near the main stream, absorbed by
the spectacle, felt the ground beneath him in motion,
and, before he could retire, it had been raised ten to
fifteen feet above its former height. He had barely
left the spot before it burst open like a shell, and a
torrent of fire issued rapidly forth. On the third day




an2


DBESTRUCTION.


of the eruption, three new hills of a mile in length,
and from six hundred to eight hundred feet high,
were formed in the direction where the fire first
appeared. In two days they had entirely disappeared.
To the windward, the running lava could be approached, near enough for those who visited it to
thrust long poles into the liquefied rock, and draw
forth specimens. On the leeward side, owing to the
intensity of the heat, the noxious and deadly vapors
and gases, with which the air was impregnated, and
the showers of hot ashes, sand, and cinders, which
were constantly descending, all vegetation for many
miles was destroyed, and the inhabitants obliged to
flee with the greatest expedition. Fortunately, the
stream flowed through two 'lands' only, according
to the Hawaiian division of territory, those of Nanawale and Kanahikio; both sparsely populated, and
quite barren. Consequently, the warning being
ample, although a number of small hamlets were
overwhelmed, and a multitude of swine and poultry
perished, no lives were lost among the people. The
body of an old woman, who had just died, was consumed. The color of the viscid mass was, while
flowing sluggishly, of the deepest crimson; when
more active, it resembled gore and fresh blood violently stirred together. At Hilo, and places forty
miles distant, such was the brilliancy of the light,
that the finest print could be easily read at midnight.
This noon-tide brightness, converting night into day,
prevailed over all East-Hawaii, for two weeks, and
is represented, by eye-witnesses, to have been a spectacle of unsurpmad sublimity. It was like the glare




THE OCEAN AND VOLCANO IN STRIFE.  273


of a blazing firmament, and was seen for upwards of
a hundred miles at sea. It also rose and spread itself
above the lofty mountain peaks, so as to be distinctly
visible on the leeward side of the island, where the
wind drove the smoke in dense and massy clouds.
When the torrent of fire precipitated itself into the
ocean, the scene assumed a character of terrific and
indescribable grandeur. The magnificence of destruction was never more perceptibly displayed, than
when these antagonistic elements met in deadly
strife. The mightiest of earth's magazines of fire
poured forth its burning billows to meet the
mightiest of ocean's. For two-score miles it came,
rolling, tumbling, swelling forward, an awful agent
of death. Rocks melted like wax in its path; forests
crackled and blazed before its fervent heat; the very
hills were lifted from their primeval beds, and sank beneath its tide, or were borne onward by its waves; the
works of man were to it but as a scroll in the flames;
nature shrivelled and trembled before the irresistible
flow. Imagine Niagara's stream, above the brink of
the falls, with its dashing, whirling, tossing, and
eddying rapids, madly raging and hurrying on to
their plunge, instantaneously converted into fire, a
gory-hued river of fused minerals; the wrecks of
creative matter blazing and disappearing beneath its
surface; volumes of hissing steam arising; smokes
curling upwards from ten thousand vents, which give
utterance to as many deep-toned mutterings, and
sullen, confined, and ominous clamorings, as if the
spirits of fallen demons were struggling against their
final doom; gases detonating and shrieking as they




A SUBLIME SPECTACLE.


burst from their hot prison-house; the heavens lurid
with flame; the atmosphere dark, turgid, and oppressive; the horizon murky with vapors, and gleaming with the reflected contest; while cave and hollow,
as the hot air swept along their heated walls, threw
back the unearthly sounds, in a myriad of prolonged
echoes. Such was the scene, as the fiery cataract,
leaping a precipice of fifty feet, poured its flood upon
the ocean. The old line of coast, a mass of compact,
indurated lava, whitened, cracked, and fell. The
waters recoiled, and sent forth a tempest of spray;
they foamed and lashed around and over the melted
rock; they boiled with the heat, and the roar of the
conflicting agencies grew fiercer and louder. The
reports of the exploding gases were distinctly heard
twenty-five miles distant. They were likened to discharges of whole broadsides of heavy artillery.
Streaks of the intensest light glanced like lightning
in all directions; the outskirts of the burning lava as
it fell, cooled by the shock, was shivered into millions
of fragments, and, borne aloft by strong breezes blowing towards the land, were scattered in scintillant
showers far into the country. For three successive
weeks, the volcano disgorged an uninterrupted burning tide, with scarcely any diminution, into the ocean.
On either side, for twenty miles, the sea became
heated, and with such rapidity, that on the second
day of the junction fishes came ashore dead in great
numbers at Keaau, fifteen miles distant. Six weeks
later, at the base of the hills, the water continued
scalding hot, and sent forth steam at every wash of
the waves.




ECCENTRIC COURSE OF THE STREAM.  27


The general direction of the stream is northeast,
varying from north to east. Lava, upon exposure to
the atmosphere, cools with the rapidity of glass; but
when confined, and in large masses, retains its heat
for years.
Mr. Coan, a missionary at Hilo, was the first to
explore the stream to its source. In an exceedingly
interesting letter to the American Board, he states,
that he discovered it 'in a forest, and in the bottom of
an ancient wooded crater, about four hundred feet
deep, and probably eight miles east of Kilauea. The
region, being uninhabited, and covered with a thicket, it was some time before the place was discovered,
and up to this time, though several foreigners have
attempted it, no one, except myself, has reached the
spot. From Kilauea to the place, the lava flows in
a subterranean gallery, probably at the depth of a
thousand feet; but its course can be distinctly traced
all the way, by the rending of the crust of the earth
into innumerable fissures, and by the emission of
smoke, steam, and gases. The eruption in this old
crater is small, and from this place the stream disappears again for the distance of a mile or two, when
the lava again gushed up, and spread over an area
of about fifty acres. Again it passes under ground
for two or three miles, when it reappears in another
old wooded crater, consuming the forest, and partly
filling up the basin. Once more it disappears, and,
flowing in a subterranean channel, cracks and breaks
the earth, opening fissures from six inches to ten and
twelve feet in width, and sometimes uplifting the
trunk of a tree so exactly, that its legs stand astride




276                EFFECTS.
at the fissure. At some places it is impossible to
trace the subterranean stream, on account of the impenetrable thickets under which it passes. After
flowing under ground several miles, perhaps six or
eight, it again breaks out like an overwhelming
flood.' 'In some places,' he states, 'the molten
stream parted and flowed in separate channels, for a
considerable distance, and then reuniting, formed
islands of various sizes, from one to fifty acres, with
trees still standing, but seared and blighted with the
intense heat.'
This eruption, in point of magnitude, has seldom
been surpassed. The most extensive on record is
that of Mount Hecla, in 1783, which formed a current
twenty leagues in length by four in breadth, an extent which, however, is, I think, exceeded in several
places on this island. The largest current which has
ever issued from  Vesuvius is about eleven miles
long; one from,Etna, in 1778, was somewhat
greater. Three years before this last eruption, smoke
and steam were seen issuing from near where it first
burst forth, and a year later a huge rent was made in
the ground, and all the springs in the vicinity dried up.
It is remarkable, that during this eruption, with the
exception of some trivial shocks near the immediate
scene of action, no earthquakes occurred; from which
it would appear to have been the effect of no sudden
and violent commotion, but one of long and gradual
preparation. Kilauea was drained to the depth of
several hundred feet.
The effect upon the natives was somewhat various.
With some, it revived their superstitious fears, and




RETURN TO HILO.


277


perhaps adoration was again, though covertly, paid
to Pele. Some considered her as enraged at the
neglect of her worship, and desired to propitiate the
offended goddess. Others attributed it to the agency
of the spirit of some powerful, departed chief. Many
spent much time in prayer to Jehovah, and in religious meetings; a few fled in consternation, while the
majority manifested a leaden apathy. Neitherfear, nor
curiosity, nor any sentient faculty, seemed to arouse
them. They either gazed listlessly upon the devouring
flood, wandering along its margin, and coolly noting
its progress from day to day, or stoically pursued
their usual avocations, within sight and hearing of
the phenomenon, regardless of the burning showers,
and its near approach. Apparently, they were as
callous to all sentiment as the melting rock itself.
Indeed, a great number of the population are equally
as indifferent to death, come in what form it may;
and the dreadful pictures which have so often been
drawn in missionary sermons in the United States,
of the horrors and remorse attending the death-bed
scenes of a heathen or half-converted Polynesian, are
as fictitious as the travels of Gulliver. They hlave no
place in reality.
On the 10th of July, having received notice that
the vessel, in which we were to embark for Oahu was
awaiting our arrival at Hilo, we once more directed
our steps towards that place. Our course was along
the shore, which is here formed by a wall from thirty
to forty feet high, on which the surf beats loudly and
heavily. The country bordering it is picturesque,
and tolerably fertile; small hamlets are frequent,
24 




278  PRIMITIVE STATE OF THE INHABITANTS.


situated in the midst of shady groves. They were
built after the primitive fashion of the country, and
the inhabitants generally appeared poor and destitute. Civilization, whatever it had done elsewhere,
had evidently made but small progress here, and the
whole scene, probably, differed but little from what it
appeared in the days of Cook, excepting that we saw
no other signs of heathenism than numerous ruined
temples. The people were civil and hospitable, but
of darker complexions and more repulsive countenances than those we had been accustomed to seeing
on the other islands. But the whole landscape had
an air of quiet repose and happiness, which was the
more gratifying, from contrast with the dreary spectacle we had just left. The males were mostly employed in fishing, which labor, to judge from the
rocky landing-places, and the rough sea, was no
sinecure. They assembled, however, very readily, at
the summons of a conch, to attend the meetings
which the missionary held at every village we
passed through. From the traces of cultivation, the
numerous stone pavements, and terraces partially
overgrown with vines and trees, and the care bestowed
in the erection of their habitations, now old and out
of repair, this evidently was once a populous and
flourishing district.  The wars of Kamehameha
drained it of its able-bodied men, and a series of oppressive governors have consummated its desolation.
In the afternoon we reached Hilo, and remained
the two succeeding days. On Sunday, Mr. Coan
preached to a congregation of two thousand persons.
They were tolerably well clothed, and made a respect



SUNDAY.-A NEW WAY OF PREACHING. 279


able as well as a devout appearance. The sermon
was attentively responded to; for the method of Mr.
Coan is to engage their attention by sententious
sentences in familiar language, intermingled with
exhortations and advice; he also occasionally addressed them in colloquy, obtaining their assent or
dissent, as might be, to his statements and opinions.
The answers were mostly monopolized by a bold
fellow, who in a conspicuous position freely uttered
his thoughts, much to his own satisfaction, and the
edification of the remainder of the congregation. An
air of intelligence pervaded the whole assembly, as
if they not only heard but understood the sayings of
their pastor. Indeed, Mr. Coan has met with wonderful success,.and much of it is, perhaps, to be
attributed to his style of preaching-at once simple, energetic, and truthful.
On our return passage we passed through the
channel between Maui and Hawaii, notorious for
its heavy squalls, rapid currents, and short, toppling
seas. The beautiful appearance of the lofty mountains on either side is some alleviation, however, for
this complication of disagreeables, but my purpose
in alluding to it in this place is to record a feat in
swimming, which, if it were not perfectly well authenticated, would seem to be incredible. At Honolulu it was a common affair for men and boys to
plunge from the top-gallant yards of large ships, pass
under their bottoms, and reappear on the other side.
I have known them bring up small articles lost overboard in ninety feet of water, and it is asserted of a
woman, who was capsized in a canoe when two




280


FEATS IN SWIMMING.


miles from shore, that she swam the whole distance
to land with a shark in full pursuit, seeking an
opportunity to make a meal of her; but the activity
and coolness she displayed proved too much for the
rapacious and cowardly fish. These feats sink into
insignificance compared with the following, which
also serves to show how much at home the natives
are upon the waves, and that there is considerable
truth in the statement often made in regard to them,
namely, that a native may perish from hunger and
exhaustion upon the water, but he will not drown.
The schooner Kiola, a small vessel of thirty-five tons,
left Lahaina for Kawaihae on the ninth of May, 1840.
She was in an unseaworthy condition, having been
ashore, but, with the characteristic -recklessness of
Hawaiians, was sent to sea again without being
repaired. From thirty to forty people were on board.
On the afternoon of the subsequent day, they had
arrived to within ten miles of Kahola point, Hawaii;
Maui was but just visible in the distance. The wind
breezed up strong, and the vessel careened much to
the leeward; the stone ballast rolled over in that
direction, and part of her cargo immediately followed.
Her bows were suddenly thrown under, and, before
she could recover herself, the water rushed into her
hatches, and she filled and went down, carrying
with her a number who were unable to extricate
themselves from her hold. The remainder, at the
summons of Mauae, a pious native, who, during the
morning, (it was Sunday,) had conducted divine
service, assembled as near each other as it was possible, while he implored succor from above. Although




A 8HIPWRECK AND WONDERFUL ESCAPE.  281


Hawaii was comparatively but a short distance (ten
or twelve miles) from them, the current and sea were
both adverse to their swimming thither. Accordingly, the party made for Maui and Kahoolawe. Thompson, a naturalized Hawaiian, the commander of the
schooner, was unable to swim. His wife placed him
on an oar, and together they pushed for the shore.
On Monday morning he died; in the afternoon she
landed on Kahoolawe. An active young man secured a hatchway for himself and younger brother;
the latter died before daylight, Monday, but the elder
reached the island by eight o'clock; a boy, who was
both feeble and sickly, unaided by any support, swam
the entire distance, (twenty-five to thirty miles,) and
arrived before any of the others. Mauae and his wife
had each a covered bucket; they undressed, tied their
clothes about them, and swam for land. Three young
men accompanied them, all of whom successively
disappeared during the night, either by going in
another direction, or becoming exhausted. As sharks
are here very abundant, perhaps some lost their lives
from them. On Monday morning, with the exception of the two who had already landed, none others,
except Mauae, and Kaluawahinenui his wife, survived. Some may have been swept by the current
to the leeward of the island, and in this manner prevented from reaching land. Kaluawahinenui's bucket
came to pieces during the morning, and she swam
without anything until afternoon, when Mauae became too weak to proceed. They rested awhile, and
she lomid (shampooed) him, by which he was much
refreshed. They started once more, and swam on,
24*




282   A SHIPWRECK AND WONDERFUL ESCAPE.


until Kahoolawe was in full view; but Mauae grew
weak rapidly, and was unable to retain his hold on
his bucket. She took it from him, while he grasped
the hair of her head, by which she dragged him some
distance further. His hands, however, unable to retain their hold, slipped. She endeavored to arouse
him to further effort, but in vain. She then told him
to pray, but he was only able to ejaculate a sentence
or two. Putting his arms around her neck, she then
held them fast, and swam with the unincumbered
hand. It was near night, when she arrived within
a quarter of a mile of the shore, her husband still
hanging to her. They had then been in the water
nearly thirty hours, and he was now quite dead.
Perceiving this, she cast off the body, and shortly after
reached land. It was a barren spot; the inhabitants
resided on the opposite side of the island. The long
exposure to the salt water had blinded her eyes, and
it was some hours before her sight was restored.
Too fatigued to go far, she sought for food and
water; the latter only, a little rain, which had
recently fallen, she found in the hollows of the
rocks, and that was her sole sustenance. Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday went by, and no one
came to relieve her. She was fast failing, when, on
Friday morning, she discovered some watermelons,
and ate one. Soon after, some fishermen appeared,
and they conducted her to their village, and the day
after transported her to Lahaina. When the young
men reached Lahaina, they were as well and lively
as before the accident; the women were not so strong,
but otherwise perfectly well.




CHAPTER VII.
CENTRAL AMERICA.
Different Routes. — Difficulties. — Embarkation for Panama.Fellow Passengers. - Acapulco. - Trouble. - Imprisonment
and Release.- Admiral Du Petit Thouars - Mexican Hospitality. - Gulf of Tecuantepec. - Phosphorescence. - Volcanoes of Guatimala.- Arrival at Acajutla.-Brigantine at Anchor. - Shore.- Roadstead of Acajutla. - Surf.- Boats Capsized.
- Custom   House.- A   Hospitable Lady. -Leave the Brig.
- Road to Zonzonate. - Sugar and Indigo Plantations. -
Ruins.- Age of Zonzonate. — Population.- A Kind Hostess.
- Carnival.- Man Killed. - A     Benefit from  a Thespian
Corps. — Country Cousins.- News from Guatimala.-Wars in
the Interior. - A Dilemma. - Conclude to Go-ahead. - Preparations.- An Auxiliary. - Leave Zonzonate. — Cordilleras. -
Volcano of Itzalco. —Dry and Wet Seasons. —An Indian Village. - A Meditated Attack. - Change of Route. - An Indian
Hamlet.- A Submerged Town.- An Escape. - A Fresh Alarm.
- Village of St. Helena. - Bad News. - A Council. - A Night
March.- Pass through Chiquimula. -Efforts to capture us.A Hard Road, and a Thirsty Party. - Pass Zacapa.- A Dilemma.- San Pablo. - A Halt. — Slumbers interrupted.- Captured.
- An unexpected Friend. - Release. — Gualan.- A surly Landlady. — Mico Mountain. - Isabel. - Trade. - Scenery of the Gulf
of Dulce. — Boat Navigation. - Chills and Fever. - Balize. -
Arrive Home.
IT has always been, and seems likely ever to be, a
problem of considerable importance to the sojourner
at the Hawaiian Islands, when his thoughts and de



284


EMBARKATION FOR PANAMA.


sires are homeward turned, how he shall reach that
home. Be he of the United States, or England, or
France, the question is one of equal interest to each
of them, and whatever may have been their differences of opinions while residing on the sea-girt
group, a unison of sentiment is sure, on such an occasion, to manifest itself. All are equally desirous
of reaching home the safest, speediest, and most
agreeable way, and of a multiplicity of bad and
dangerous routes it is no easy matter to fix the choice
upon any one.
It was in the fall of 1837, that I found myself at
Honolulu, one day, in company with a half a dozen
others, all of whom were speculating as to how they
should reach the United States. The arguments,
pro and con, the several ways that presented themselves, it is now useless to repeat. Panama was to
be the first port we should make, and the Isthmus of
Darien the crossing-place, thus combiningas little land
and water in our jaunt as it were possible. A diminutive brigantine was found, the far-famed and notorious Clementine, of Hawaiian annals, the agent
of which engaged to land us at the port we sought.
A little scouring and furbishing prepared her for our
reception, and that of a numerous colony of poultry
and other live stock, destined, however. to keep us
company no longer than our appetites should consent.
On the 5th of December, under a succession of
cheers from the crowd assembled to witness our departure, and a couple of guns from a friendly brig,
hands were shaken, anchor weighed, top-sail sheeted




EMBARKATION FOR PANAMA.        285
home, and in ten minutes the Clementine had cleared
the last point of the reef, and was rolling before a
fresh trade along the leeward side of the island. In
eighteen days, the coast of California was descried,
along whose rocky and barren shore we sailed, keeping within a few miles.
Passing Cape St. Lucas, the forest-clad islands
of Tres Marias and the Mexican coast soon appeared
in view. I have spent much time on the water, but
never so agreeably as on the present occasion. The
usual monotony of sea-life could not have been more
delightfully varied. So smooth was the ocean, that
it could be compared to nothing but a vast river.
The breezes were off-land by night, cool and balmy,
and on-shore by day, mitigating the heat which otherwise would have been almost insupportable. Our
course brought us from within a quarter of a mile to
a league of the coast, which presented a mingled
landscape of valley and mountain, plain and dell,
all, as it was the pleasant season, clothed in luxuriant verdure. Numerous Indian hamlets dotted the
shore, their smokes ascending and curling from the
tops of the trees, while by night as we passed along,
their flames resembled so many fire-flies dancing over
the scene.  The atmosphere was perfectly translucent; of that purity and clearness of which the inhabitants of the temperate zones have no conception,
and which, seemingly, brings the most distant objects
to within touching distance. The scenery formed a
perfect panorama, or picture, in just the light and
distance to bring out all its beauties, and heighten its
natural colors, without disclosing a single defect.




ACAPULCO.


In the background rose the abrupt and lofty outline of the Cordilleras, prominent in which, and rising
high above, its base concealed by mountains nearer the
shore, the snowy peak of Colira, like a suspended pearl in the atmosphere, was visible in solitary,
yet beautiful grandeur. The region abounded in
volcanoes. Occasionally, the lurid flames of an
active crater would shoot up high above its edge, and
its light, reflected upon the overhanging clouds, was
a beacon to our progress by night, as its smoke
proved by day. Colirna has an elevation of nine
thousand feet; the neighboring country is so uneasy,
that in common parlance the inhabitants are said to
sleep with one leg out of bed, to be on the qui vive,
in case an earthquake should interrupt their slumbers.
Beside such rich and diversified scenery, we floated along, seldom exceeding seventy-five miles per
day, until day-break of the morning of the 10th of
January, 1838, when finding ourselves becalmed off
the port of Acapulco, the Captain determined upon
sending a boat ashore to procure supplies of fresh
provisions, of which we were greatly in need. I
say we found ourselves off Acapulco; I should have
said that our course and chronometer observations
put us there. But no appearance of a port could be
seen, particularly such a port as it was natural to expect the best harbor of Mexico should be, which for
centuries had poured forth argosies freighted with
the gold, silver, and precious stones of the richest
country in metals on the globe. The coast, here,
appeared as sparsely inhabited as any portion of that
we had passed. It was equally as verdant and




TROUBLE.


287


mountainous, and to our eyes presented nothing that
resembled a harbor. A cove made someway inland,
and a few huts occupied the beach.. For sometime
we speculated upon whether this could be the port
in question. Before we had settled it, however, the
roll of a drum and the notes of a bugle reached our
ears. Turning our eyes in the direction from whence
the sound proceeded, the stern of a large frigate,
with the tri-colored flag of France at the spanker-gaft,
was discernible, though the remainder of her seemed as if it were buried in the bold promontory which
had heretofore concealed her from our notice. She
lay close in to the shore, blended with and overhung
by a lofty wooded cliff. The entrance to the harbor
being discovered, a boat with two of our passengers
was despatched ashore, while the brigantine lay off
and on. The passengers promised a speedy return.
Rowing round under the stern of the frigate, they
were soon lost to our view, while our imaginations
were regaling us with the idea of the delicious fruits
the gentlemen were to bring off. The morning
passed, and noon came and went, and yet they made
not their appearance. We began to be a little vexed,
that they should be having all the fun and fruit to
themselves. The sun set, and still no news of the
wanderers.
In the course of the evening, a boat from the
frigate, which proved to be the Venus, Admiral Du
Petit Thouars, came alongside, and brought intelligence of the fugitives.
It appeared, that upon landing, they had proceeded directly to the custom-house, and reported the na



288


IMPRISONMENT AND RELEASE.


ture and object of their visit. Imagine their surprise,
when, instead of the welcome buenas dias senores,
I wish you a good morning, gentlemen -they were
suddenly seized, placed under arrest, and informed
that they must pay each a fine of three hundred dollars, before they could either be released, or hold any
communication with their vessel. As some excuse
was to be invented for this robbery, they hunted up
an old Spanish law, by which a heavy fine was to
be inflicted upon any one that landed from a vessel
after her arrival at Acapulco, before she had been
boarded and examined by the port authorities. They
turned a deaf ear to the representation that the brigantine was not bound to any Mexican port, and had
merely sent a boat ashore to the proper authorities to
beg the permission to purchase necessary supplies.
Every entreaty or threat was in vain, without los
pesos. It seems that two whaling captains, not long
before, had been decoyed ashore and spunged after
the same plan, and they, finding the business profitable, were very determined in this instance. But for
once they were mistaken. An American in the
Mexican service managed to hold intercourse with
his countrymen, and, though closely watched, contrived to smuggle a letter to the French Admiral.
Upon its receipt, he immediately waited upon the
governor, an ignorant half-caste, who could neither
read nor write, and promptly demanded their release.
After sundry hems and has, and more excuses, and
endeavoring to shift the responsibility to the officers
of the port, he finally ordered them to be set at liberty, with a special edict that they should leave the




GULF OF TECUANTEPEC.


289


place instanter; this latter injunction required no
physical enforcement, for the prisoners by this time
had had their fill of Mexican hospitality, and felt not
the slightest inclination to trespass upon it longer.
They soon made their appearance, hungry as sharks,
but well satisfied that their pockets had not been bled,
and will, no doubt, ever retain towards the gallant
Admiral a proportionate amount of gratitude.
The town of Acapulco, or what remained of its
former grandeur, was in great confusion; a recent
earthquake having jostled everything out of its place,
and added new piles to the former masses of ruin.
The harbor is entirely land-locked, safe, blow the
wind as it may, easy of access, and capacious.
From the statements of our unfortunate friends,
we were not anxious to remain longer in this vicinity, and accordingly all sail was made, and by morning we were forty miles to the south of Acapulco.
The water about us was now alive with fishes of
many varieties, many of which, from day to day,
smoked upon our table. The dolphins here are of
the largest and most beautiful kind; their dying
colors can only be compared to the evanescent tints
of a tropical sunset. We were continually passing
turtles asleep on the water, and once, by a little management, we were enabled to drive a harpoon through
one, and got him in on deck. However, his flesh
did not equal the anticipations of our appetites.
As we advanced, the coast, though fertile, became
rougher and less picturesque, presenting numerous
appearances of recent and powerful volcanic action.
Every breeze from its shore wafted to us a perfume




290


VOLCANOES OF GUATEMALA.


which would not have discredited ' Araby the blest.'
During the day, the weather became very hot, but
continued comfortable at night.  Tedious calms
greatly interrupted our progress across the Gulf of
Tecuantepec. At this season of the year they appear to usurp the place of the violent gales, which
prevail here during other months, rivalling, in violence, the typhoons of Japan. At any rate, it was all
quiet and pleasant with us. At night, as far as the
eye could reach, the ocean was covered with innumerable and brilliant specks of light, shedding their
lustre upon our sails and rigging, and dancing about
over the water like myriads of fire-flies, giving out a
sparkling radiance that shone like the light of stars
upon a, clear winter's night in the frozen north.
The phosphorescent appearance of the sea is very
common. But this peculiarly beautiful exhibition is
seldom seen. Off the coast of Chili, a few years
afterward, when on board of a fast-sailing sloop-ofwar that was dashing along before a spanking breeze,
we came into a field of these animalcule. The
whole ship was lighted by the intenseness of their
illumination, and as they were stirred up and whirled
about in the wake, and thrown in foam over the
bows and forward guns, the appearance was most
sublime. It was like sailing through an ocean of
gems; the splendor of each receiving additional lustre from its neighbor.
On the 20th of January, so slow had been our
progress, from twenty-five to forty miles per day, we
had only come in sight of the famous volcanoes of
Agua and Fuego. From their great altitude, fifteen




ARRIVAL AT ACAJUTLA.


291


thousand feet, they remained in view for several days.
At early dawn their summits were remarkably distinct and bold, presenting a giant outline, springing,
as it were, from out the very horizon. But at sunset,
nothing could exceed the beautiful hues with which
their tops were enshrouded. Long after the sun had
sank beneath the ocean to the west, his rays hovered
and played about their snowy heights, reflecting a
flood of light of various colors, sometimes dazzling,
then mellow, and gradually disappearing, until the
blackness of night shrouded the whole landscape.
On the 24th we dropped anchor in the roadstead
of Acajutla. It was our intention merely to replenish our stores, and then make all despatch for Panama, which was still six hundred miles distant.
So prevalent had been the calms, that for the past
fortnight we had made but four hundred miles.
After so long a confinement on board our small craft,
the shore looked more than ordinarily tempting; it
was verdant to the beach, which was lined with a
formidable row of breakers. It was late in the evening before the brigantine was made snug and riding
at her anchor, the first time it had been dropped for
sixty days. At night several volcanoes were visible,
emitting either smoke or flames. That of Izalco,
which was nearest us, glowed like a Brobdignag
lighthouse; showing a steady and immense ball of
fire. Some of our party fancied, before the light had
wholly gone, they felt the shock of an earthquake.
It was not improbable, though it must have been
very faint, for, novices as we were to such freaks of
nature, we could not agree upon a unanimous verdict
as to its genuineness or not.




ROADSTEAD OF ACAJUTLA.


The roadstead of Acajutla is open and exposed to
the surges of the Pacific at its greatest width. Consequently, landing through its surf is not altogether
fun, as some of our number soon learned, to their cost.
The first boat sent ashore was knocked end over end,
and thrown high upon the beach, broken and useless
for the future. Several of the crew were injured,
though fortunately, not seriously. The launch was
then tried, and it met with a similar somerset, though
owing to its stronger materials it was not stove.
The passengers who had ventured in her were rolled
up the beach, choking with salt and sand, and most
thoroughly soused. After these mishaps, we used
the country launches or bungos. An English manof-war brig, but a few days previous to our arrival,
lost two men in the surf, and her boat was detained
ashore for one week.
Acajutla lies in thirteen degrees north. It is the
port of Zonzonate, and under the government of
Spain was a place of considerable trade. It is still
visited by vessels of different nations, and under an
enlightened government would soon rival its former
importance. It is on the shores of San Salvador,
the ' Cuscatlan,' or land of riches of the aborigines;
and rightly is it named, as far as nature has bestowed
her gifts.
A battery of heavy guns surmounts a steep hill,
fronting the landing-place. Ascending the hill by a
stone causeway, we reached the custom-house and a
range of extensive warehouses, which at a distance
made a very imposing appearance, but upon nearer
inspection were found to be mostly in ruins. They




CUSTOM-HOUSE.


293


were formerly occupied as store-houses for merchandise, under the Spanish regime, when trade and industry were in a more prosperous condition than at
present. A captain of the port, a few soldiers, and
a few other characters, who were neither too lazy
nor too proud to bestir themselves, provided they
were well paid, constituted the military force. All
were very civil and obliging, and gave us not the
slightest trouble in bringing our baggage ashore.
With all the signs oft decay about us, the spot was a
cheerful looking one. In the rear of the customhouse was the town. It consisted of about two
dozen cane huts, through the interstices of whose
sides the weather had free access. Their style of
building argued much for the salubrity of the place,
and evenness of its temperature. Grass hammocks,
a wooden stool or two, a few shelves, and some nondescript articles of earthen-ware, constituted the sum
total of their household effects. The climate required
but little clothing, and as for the inhabitants, they
were of all hues, the copper color greatly predominating. Their occupations seemed to be limited; those
we saw were either idly swinging in their hammocks,
washing clothes, or else dancing most vigorously to
the notes of an instrument resembling the guitar.
Leaving them to the fill enjoyment of their pursuits, I wandered again with two of my fellowpassengers towards the custom-house. Upon reaching it, a lady, whose personal appearance and the
deference paid her showed her to be of a higher rank
than the other females whom we had met, accosted
25*




2,4


A2 HOSPITAB3LE LADY.


us in a courteous manner, and invited us to enter her
dwelling. She ushered us into a large room, which
formed a wing of the custom-house. The walls,
which were several feet thick, were black with age
and dirt. The floor was of rough stone. One unglazed window, secured by iron bars and massive
shutters, let light into the apartment. The furniture
consisted of several trunks made of ox-hide, a bench,
a table, a chair, and a stool, all of the rudest construction; the latter of which were allotted to us,
while the good lady, par necessitate, seated herself
on the bed, a diminutive species of couch, decorated with lace curtains, ornamented with silver clasps.
Our hostess evidently was young, but appeared to
be afflicted with some painful disorder. She soon
informed us of its nature, and to verify her assertions, brought forward vials of horrid looking mixtures, the very sight of which was sufficient to make
a well man feel qualmish. She seemed to feel all
the interest in their several virtues, that a fond mother does in her children.
An invitation to dine had been extended to us,
and hungry as our ramble had made us, we were
quite curious, with the glance we had already. had
of her domestic arrangement, to discover how so
important a ceremony was to be accomplished. A
few weeks more experience in the country, and we
looked back upon our entertainment of this day, in
much the same light that the Israelites of yore did
to the flesh-pots of Egypt. However, it was evident
that the lady's hospitality somewhat exceeded her




A HOSPITABLE LADY.


295


resources, but she knew well that if we left her roof
our chance for going dinnerless that day was by no
means problematical. There was no going on ship.
board, and as for a meal in Acajutla sufficient for three
ravenous yankees, you might as well look for an
orange-grove in Greenland. It was no fault of hers
that we did not fare sumptuously. Two servant
women, on whom it would have been difficult to
have decided whether filth or rags predominated,
made their appearance, and from one of the aforementioned trunks dislodged two perfect knives and
forks, two imperfect ditto, and a few plates. These
materials, with a couple of tumblers, completed the
table gear. Several stews liberally saturated with
garlics, and some capital white bread, to which we
did abundant justice, I fear to the serious detriment
of her store, furnished us a much better repast than
we had anticipated. It was our first dinner in Central America, eaten with the more zest from being
provided in the spirit of genuine hospitality. The
lady's kindness extended even to loaning her pethorse, a beautiful animal. Her rank was not inconsiderable. She was a niece of General Morazan,
then President of the Republic, with whose romantic
career, and melancholy end, the public have since
been made acquainted. God grant, that his kind
niece, if she survived her medicines, did not share
his misfortunes. The heart clings to him, or her,
who first welcomes the stranger in a strange land;
and the courteous greeting with which this invalid
invited us freely to partake of the best that she had
the ability to bestow, was the more pleasing as it
was unexpected.




LODGING-PLACE.


Although she was enabled, by extra exertions, to
provide us a dinner, it needed no second glance to
assure us that beds were out of the question, and a
night's lodging must depend upon our own exertions.
Towards dark we strolled back again towards the
miserable huts which we had visited in the morning.
All appearances of labor and even laziness had
ceased, and, excited by the fumes of aguadiente, the
motley population had assembled in and about one
of the huts, and were engaged in a high frolic. They
sang and danced to the thrumming of those monotonous-toned instruments, whose notes resembled more
the noise of some vile insect than anything musical.
They were a ragged-looking set, and unaccustomed
as we were then to the lowering mestizo countenance, and nervous manner in which they handled
their knives, their glances towards us seemed somewhat suspicious. At any rate, we felt no inclination
to share their lodgings. Our last resort was to throw
ourselves upon the hospitality of the friendly portcaptain. We found him in one of the apartments
of the huge custom-house, and he rejoiced our weary
limbs by the information that a room in the same
building was at our disposal. As it was late, we
accepted his offer at once. He led us to the farther
end of the massive range, and, entering a deserted
rom, bade us follow him up a tortuous stair-case.
This brought us into a spacious apartment with a
stone floor. By the light of the moon which shone
through a large door-way, leading to an ample corridor, from which the bay, with the vessels quietly
riding at their anchors in the offing were distinctly




CENTRAL AMERICAN FLEAS.


297


visible, a hammock and two bedsteads were discovered. Other furniture, neither they nor the room could
claim, except a dense layer of dust and venerable
festoons of cobwebs. We were too tired to bestow
a thought upon the probable chances of treading
upon a centipede or snake, or of finding our intended
resting-places previously engaged by a scorpion or
tarantula. Without a moment's hesitation, each of
us yankees threw himself upon the nearest couch.
The Peruvian Colonel, upon first entering, had
secured the hammock to himself. As we took the
only choice left us, I thought I could distinguish an
involuntary chuckle proceeding from him. In a
minute, his sagacity in selecting the hammock, which
hung several feet above the floor, was manifest. I
don 't know why, but the idea of fleas had never
occurred to me. Fleas! I thought that a Valparaiso
flea was keen at his trade; but I discovered fleas in
Peru that were sharper and nimbler still. Since this
eventful night, I have been flea-victimrized on the
cold mountains of Hawaii, and the scorched plains
of Kauai, but never in all the course of my ramblings
have I met the equal of the Central American fleas.
We had lain down upon the hard boards, in the vain
hope that our fatigue would soon render us impervious to all external sensations; but, oh! the misery
of that night. In an instant a legion of the insatiable
foe were upon and over as; in our pantaloons and
under our shirts, thrusting themselves through our
stockings, and seeking lodgings for themselves in the
folds of our neck-cloths. There were the innumerable multitude in each and all of these places at




298


LEAVE THE BRIGANTINE.


once, kicking, scratching, fighting, hopping, and biting; now gently tickling, then thrusting their probosces into us with an energy that made us yell for
mercy. If my reader has ever watched the motions
of a hooked eel, when he is first landed, or an impaled worm, he can form some faint conception of
our contortions during that night. It was no use
struggling, they were neither to be frightened nor
scratched off. We kicked and we screamed; the
colonel chuckled a little louder; we laughed, as it
was no use to cry; the hammock actually shook
under the merriment of the old soldier, as he listened
to our plight, for it was too dark to see it. It was
no relief to vent our ire upon him; either of us would
gladly have followed his example. Finally, he grinned himself to sleep; we arose and walked the room;
but the fleas had prospered in that untenanted building, and such a feast bad probably never fallen to
their lot, for a half-century before, and I most devoutly
hope, for the sake of all future travellers, will never
again. They seemed to be fearful themselves of a
failure in that quarter, and most industriously made
use of their teeth and time. I went out upon the
corridor; tried to be sentimental over the moon-lit
sea, the surf-beaten shore, and volcanoes, disgorging
flames and smoke in the distance. But it was of no
use; the fleas followed me there, and not one moment's
rest during that night, which seemed as long as a
polar day at the summer solstice, did I obtain.
Such discouraging accounts were told us of the
calms between this port and Panama, and the long
delay that we should probably be subjected to, in




ZONZONATE.


299


endeavoring to reach that place, that we held a grand
council, and came to the unanimous decision to
leave the brigantine here, and make the best of our
way over land, to the port of Isabel on the Gulf of
Dulce, a jaunt which we were informed would
occupy us eight days.
Zonzonate lies fifteen miles inland. The road
thither is through a forest, dotted at intervals with
small Indian hamlets. Upon our arrival there, our
first care was a lodging-place. A posada was first
tried, but the gambling, fighting, and carousing, after
one night's experience within its precincts, drove us
to seek fresh quarters. Fortunately, these were found
in a private family, whose attention and kindness to
us were unremitted. Upon taking possession of our
new quarters, we learned news that was by no means
agreeable. Without being made acquainted with
the particulars, we heard that a civil war was raging
in the interior, on the very line of our intended route,
and that the inhabitants were particularly exasperated
against foreigners.
Zonzonate is situated amid an exceedingly rich
country, and is one of the chief towns of the State
of San Salvador. It is about half-way between the
capital of the State, and the city of Guatimala. The
surrounding country abounds in springs; indeed,
Zonzonate takes its name from this circumstance; it
signifying in the Indian tongue, 'four hundred
springs.' These, meandering in all directions around
the country, water the numerous plantations, and
keep vegetation in perennial green; indeed, a more
luxuriant growth of the vegetable kingdom it is im



WOMEN BATHING.


possible to conceive of. The forests are impenetrable,
except as they yield to the axe of the pioneer. The
cougar, tapir, and tiger make their lairs in their
recesses, and not unfrequently commit depredations
upon the flocks and herds of the farmers. Myriads
of venomous insects and serpents infest their borders, and we often met them in the paths; as for
roads, there are none. The trees and vines overhang
the public ways so closely, as barely to allow loaded
mules to pass each other. Fruits are abundant, and
of most delicious flavor. The numerous rivulets
afford fine bathing-places, so necessary in this hot
though healthy climate. The province is termed the
'tierra caliente,' and at noon we found the sun
altogether insupportable. A considerable stream,
called the Rio Grande, crossed by a very good stone
bridge, runs by one extremity of the town. Its
banks are exceedingly picturesque; at one place its
waters are diverted into a narrow canal, of about
two feet in depth. Passing along its borders, I noticed some twenty negro women, entirely naked,
seated in the stream, with the water flowing by them
to their waists, while they were unconcernedly laving
the remainder of their bodies. As spectators did not
at all disturb them, I conceived it to be a custom as
common as it was refreshing, and from what I then
saw, judged that not unfrequently, hours were occupied in this natural bath. At any rate, they were in
most excellent spirits, and passing their jokes from
one to another, they shook their fat sides with laughter. Numbers of their sex and color were filling
water-jars beside them.
The vicinity of the town is hilly. Near it are a




AGE OF ZONZONATE.


301


number of valuable plantations, belonging to foreigners, of which the principal, a sugar and indigo
hacienda, is owned by Dr. Drivin, a French gentleman. The vats used for the indigo, on his estate,
are the same that were built of brick and stuccoed,
by the Jesuits, more than two centuries ago; they
then owned extensive landed possessions in this
neighborhood. Dr. Drivin discovered them quite
accidentally on his lands, and after they were cleaned
out, found them quite as serviceable as if new.
Zonzonate was once a city of considerable magnitude and importance. Ruins of houses and other
buildings, are to be discovered at the extremities of
several of the streets. Farther on, the foundations
only of others, and the pavements of the city are
to be traced even beyond. Vegetation, which here
is so rapid and destructive in its growth, has nearly
covered these remains from the eye; and by viewing
them in their silent shades, the mind naturally goes
back to the monuments of aboriginal architecture, so
many of which lie hid in the same manner, in the
forests of this country. The sudden disappearance
of the vast cities, fortresses, and temples, so frequently
spoken of by the Spanish conquerors; the description of which, until within a few years, served only
to draw a smile of incredulity from the modern historian, is now readily accounted for. Man, to live
in this region, must maintain a constant struggle
with his vegetable foes, A town once depopulated,
soon becomes overgrown with vines and trees, and
wild animals and hissing snakes make their homes
in its deserted chambers,
26




302


THE CARNIVAL.


Zonzonate still contains a population of several
thousand. It is regularly laid out; the streets are
wide and clean, though much overgrown with grass,
and well paved. Many of the houses are even
elegant. They are mostly of one story, built of
stone, with thick and massive walls, and erected
around a hollow square. The interior forms a pretty
courtyard. Externally, they are whitewashed, and
have large unglazed windows, ornamented with
green lattice-work. A rural and quiet air pervades
the whole place. Some of the churches and convents date nearly three centuries back, and are venerable looking piles. Their walls, in many places,
though several feet in thickness, are rent widely
asunder-the effects of the frequent earthquakes
with which the place has been visited.
The carnival season came on before our departure,
and what the town lacked in enterprise for business,
it made up in zeal for fun and deviltry. Our hostess
underwent a visitation from numerous country cousins, who came in to witness the show. All were
hospitably received, and, with her former boarders,
made a large household. Now we lived in clover.
Cakes and confectionary were showered upon us by
the good people, who seemed determined that if our 
religious sympathies refused to participate in the
general jollification, there should be nothing to complain of, on the part of our alimentive.
The town which but a day before was as quiet as
a Sabbath in New England, now became a scene of
joyful confusion. The churches were open for worshippers, and for holy pageantries; theatrical exhibi



THESPIAN CORPS.


303


tions were performed, and the plaza crowded Fwith
eating, drinking, and frolicking thousands. Still,
little or none of brutal intoxication was to be seen,
though aguadiente was as abundant as water. Every
inhabitant bore arns- the universal custom in this
province. Their favorite weapon is the long twoedged sword: a dangerous tool, in the use of which
they are greatly skilled. Those whose means did
not allow them this article, carried a knife; useful
for clearing the roads through the forests, and in a
fighting bout capable of being put to good account.
It could not be expected, amid the drinking and
gambling such a scene gives rise to, that all would
pass off quietly. A brawl ensued, and one death
was the consequence. The church, however, honored
the corpse with a gorgeous burial, and the occurrence
was soon forgotten.
On the last day of the fete, we were surprised by
a benefit from the Thespian corps; though why we
were thus distinguished, we were not able lo divine.
W'e were eating our breakfast, when suddenly a
grand flourish of trumpets and other martial clangor
caused us to start from our seats. Our landlady ran
in and bade us keep a good watch over our goods
and chattels. It seems she had no good opinion of
the honesty of her countrymen. Scarcely were the
necessary precautions taken, when the door was
thrown open, and the causes of all this outcry made
their appearance, and without even saying, 'by yoor
permission, sirs,' fairly took possession of our room,
vi et armis. We were very far in the minority, and
therefore came to the conclusion that discretion was




304


THESPIAN CORPS.


the better part of valor, and smiled and welcomed
them. Judging from the size of their arms, the
spirits of their forefathers would have found scant
room in the bodies of their diminutive descendants.
Clothed in armor cap-a-pie, partly tinsel and partly
real, some of which bore the marks of many a hardfought field, and for aught I know protected Alvarado and his hardy band of warriors, when, three
centuries previous, they overran this province, they
marshalled themselves in single file. A young girl,
who would have been pretty, had her neck not
been deformed by an enormous goitre, a disease
almost universal here, and which renders the fairest
in features, the most disgusting in appearance, was
tricked out as Isabella of Castile. Placing her in
the centre of their group, they filed around in quick
step, clashing their swords, and looking as fierce and
warlike as possible. Anon, they broke out in a wild
and not inharmonious pmean, interspersed with theatrical declamation. This sort of exercise warmed
their blood amazingly, and quicker went their feet,
as they marched and counter-marched in a variety
of intricate evolutions, and louder swelled their
voices. HIad these feats been performed elsewhere,
they would have appeared admirably, but with such
a wild looking set of fellows inside, and half the cutthroat rabble of the town outside, gaping in at the
doors and windows, they were not much to our satisfaction. Whether it would terminate in a forced
loan on our purses, or a general rush upon our baggage, we could not determine. Our fears did them
injustice. After shouting until they were hoarse,




COUNTRY COUSINS.


305


and masquerading until they were exhausted, they
marched out as they came in, with a tremendous
din of wind instruments and drums, and forthwith
proceeded to wet their whistles for a fresh exhibition
in some new quarter. This harlequin-pageant, as
we were afterwards informed, was intended to commemorate the victories of Ferdinand the Catholic,
over Boabdil the Moor; though to all appearances,
there was at this time as much of Moorish blood as
of the Castilian running in their veins, and perhaps
more of the Quichen than either.
The festival being over, our country cousins prepared to return. Judging from their accoutrements,
travelling had not much improved in this country
since the conquest; and probably the wildest imaginations had never conceived of a coach, much less
of a railroad or steamboat. Instead of a peaceful
farmer's family, one would have mistaken them for
a party of brigands, bearing off children and fair
maidens to await a ransom. From all that we had
heard of the interior, thus far, their precautions were
by no means unnecessary; a man's good sword
being a much stronger barrier between himself and
wrong, than any love or respect for law. Over the
heavy triangular wooden frame, which here answers
for the foundation of a saddle, stuffed cushions and
sheep-skins were strapped in sufficient quantity to
form a comfortable seat, and, with a high loggerhead
in front and back, and large wooden stirrups, garnished with leather leggins, a safe one. The reins
and bridle were of braided strips of hide, heavily
ornamented with silver mountings; spurs thickly
26*




306


WAR IN THE INTERIOR.


plaited with the same metal, and whose rowels were
several inches in length, formed no inconsiderable
load, according to our northern ideas, for their owner's
heels. But, with the little pieces of metal attached
to them, they were intended more to jingle than to
goad. All ready, the party mounted; the children
were placed in the arms of the grown persons, their
little hands well filled with 'dulces' and bonbons,
by their entertainers. The father, carrying sword
and pistols, headed the cortege; servants similarly
armed followed in the rear; and in this manner they
started for their forest home.
Scarcely had the town subsided to its usual degree
of quiet, when news from Guatimala threw it into a
complete ferment, and proved to us that if we would
cross the country we must do it quickly. In peaceful times it was no pleasant matter, and now a sanguinary civil war was raging the prospect was any
thing but cheering. Carrera, at the head of three
thousand ferocious Indians, after some severe fighting, had just captured the city of Guatimala, killed
the Vice President of the Republic, and committed
many excesses. His ill-will was particularly directed
against foreigners, as they were supposed to favor the
administration of Morazan. Indeed, it was by stirring up the dormant prejudices of the lowest and
most ignorant classes, that he had been able to attach
to himself so large a party. Hatred and revenge
mingled with his ambitious views, for his young and
beautiful wife had been ravished by some troops of
Galvas, the Governor of the State of Guatimala.
The religious sentiments of the mass had been




INDIAN OUTRAGES.           307
enlisted in his cause, and the bigoted portion of the
priesthood won, by the assurances of reestablishing
the convents and monasteries, which had been broken
up by the liberal party. All heretics were to be ban.
ished. Added to this fanaticism, was an infatuation
which promised to be more deadly still. The Asiatic
cholera, the year before, had swept over the country,
destroying thousands, and in some instances proving
fatal to almost entire districts of Indians. Their
filthy habits aggravated its destructive tendencies.
But Carrera or his partisans, for he was then scarcely
more than a wild, ignorant, and savage Indian, artfully spread abroad the calumny, that the epidemic
was caused by foreigners, who had poisoned the
springs, with the intention of exterminating the native
population. This tale, notwithstanding its improbability, was greedily swallowed by the blinded multilude, who are ever more desirous of seeking the
causes of their misfortunes in the faults of others
than in themselves. Many of the foreign residents
were wealthy men; a crime in the eyes of the envious
brigands, which could only be expiated by their
property passing into their hands. Duped by their
leaders, the Indians had already begun to commit
acts of violence. One foreigner had been murdered,
and the Consul of England, while out riding, but a
short distance from  San Salvador, was seized, and
compelled by the suspicious natives to drink of the
water of twelve different streams, in such a quantity
that the poor man wellnigh burst.
A traveller of the same nation was also waylaid,
robbed, and obliged to drink at one draught a bottle




830-8


PREPARATIONS FOR JOURNEY.


of milk, wvhich hung at his saddle-bow. A small
quantity of arsenic, which he had about him to prepare bird-skins with, fortunately escaped their observation. Had the Indians detected it, they would
have sent it in pursuit of the milk. In fact, foreigners of any nation had little to expect, besides robbery
and a cruel death, from the roving bands of either
party, should they fall in with them. Morazan, at
the head of a strong force, was then encamped at
Santa Anna, a town eighteen miles from Zonzonate.
The roads were infested with ladrones, and travelling
was considered unsafe in any quarter. We. held a
council of war, as to what course it was advisable
to pursue. Upon the whole, taking into consideration the revolutionary spirit which had already begun
to manifest itself in Zonzonate, we came to the conclusion that we should not add to our dangers, by
being on the road, and concluded to start forthwith.
It was necessary to be as quiet as possible in our
preparations, for fear some of the marauders who
were on the watch should learn our plans and destination and intercept us.  A valuable auxiliary
presented himself at this time in the person of a
Mexicanized Englishman, who, thoroughly acquainted with the language and manners of the people,
was intending to cross the continent to embark
for England. Through his friends, he obtained a
letter to the chief of Chiquimula, a large town which
had just declared in favor of Carrera. Our road lay
directly through it; arid, in case of trouble, the letter
might be serviceable. The government officers residing at Zonzonate, gave us passports which would be




THE DEPARTURE.            309
equally useful, in case we met with any of the troops
of Morazan, though it was a question whether they
would not have proved a passport to greater ill-treatment, were they found upon us by the revolutionists.
A trusty muleteer and two arrieros were engaged
as far as Gualan, a town on the borders of the State
of Honduras.
Three weeks had been passed quite pleasantly
in Zonzonate. Our worthy landlady, kind to the last,
loaded our alforcas with bread and fowls, knowing
that we should meet with none half so good after
leaving her threshold. The smallness of her bill was
a matter of universal surprise, expecting, as we did,
that in that particular we should experience the usual
fate of travellers. Light as were the charges, I hope,
for her sake, that they were double the usual fares;
her bill would not have been disputed had we known
them to be so. The reception we experienced on
entering the country was so different from  the
treatment we received before we were able to bid it
farewell, that it left a strong impression on our minds.
We had been cautioned' against taking medicines
with us, or any thing, the nature of whose composition we should have any decided objections to making a forced meal upon. Accordingly, our baggage
was ransacked for all suspicious articles; pills and
powders, salves and ointments, lotions, and a host of
quackery, were brought from their lurking-places, and
speedily consigned to destruction. Some hungry
fowls seized upon some pills which I threw away,
and devoured them. Not being without some doubts
as to their salutary effect upon chicken-nature, I was
glad when the word was given to be off.




31S0


LEAVE ZONZONATE.


The lady followed us to the door; and, as she bade
us adios caballeros, uttered many good wishes for a
safe journey. We thanked her, and sallied from the
court-yard, a group, of which no adequate description
can be given. Some women's faces are said to insure their protection the world over. Upon the same
principle, our tout ensemble would have been as sure
a safeguard; though, if we had fallen in with any of
the 'free brotherhood,' we should have been loth,
notwithstanding any external simrnilitude, to have
claimed a relationship. The town had been searched
for arms. Such as they were, they answvererl xvell
enough for show. We were ten in number, including the muleteers and our beasts, fourteen, the extra
number carrying the 'cargoes,' as our baggage was
termed. Our order of march was single file, the only
one the nature of the roads permitted. A little black
mule had fallen to my lot. He was the least of all
mules, but tough and active. The saddle with which
he was surmounted left little of him visible, except
his head and legs. Two blankets were thrown over
it, and a hammock strapped to its back; in front
hung several pouches, containing the necessary variety of a traveller's stores, and an umbrella. In addition to these were an extemporaneous cup and spoon,
of our own manufacture, from gourds. Seated above
all this gear, with legs dangling to the ground, and
saved only by the immensity of the wooden stirrups
and leather leggins from many a hard knock against
rock and stump, rode myself. My costume was such
as neither sun, rain, nor wind, could spoil. A pair
of pistols in my belt, and a sword at my side, com



CORDILLERAS.             311
pleted my equipments. My companions were certainly no better accoutred; some of them might,
without attaching vanity to myself, be set down as
something worse; and certainly, a party of more ladrone looking travellers never gave spur to horse.
After leaving town, our path lay, for some time,
through a richly cultivated country, gradually ascending until it reached the foot of the Cordilleras, where
it became more abrupt. We were travelling towards
the volcano of Itzalco. Every night, for several
weeks, had vwe witnessed its fiery eruptions, and
heard its bellowings. As we drew nearer its roar
became more distinct, and the earth trembled beneath
its heavy blasts. The path became steep and rocky,
but the mules, accustomed to such labor, easily bore
us up the precipitous defiles. We were now advancing through a thick forest, whose giant trees and
dense foliage were a subject of constant admiration.
Every hour the scenery became more varied and interesting. The groves were alive with birds of the
richest plumage, and resounded with the delightful
notes of the mocking-bird, or the shrill screech of ihe
paroquet. I was at the head of the party. In ascending one of the steep defiles, amid a thick growth
of trees and brush-wood, I was startled by the appearance of a man with a pistol presented at me. I
saw him but for an instant, for hearing the footsteps
of the others approaching he disappeared so suddenly,
that the headmost alone obtained a glimpse of him.
But he was soon forgotten in the general admiration
of the novel and beautiful scenes that were constantly
appearing. All that is delightful and dangerous in a




CORDILLERAS.


tropical climate was around us. Venomous serpents,
disturbed at our approach, glided away into thickets.
At times, a deer would bound before us. The gorgeous wild turkey was seen perched over-head, and
flocks of turtle-doves cooed their loves, regardless of
our presence. It would have been fine sporting, had
we possessed anything more destructive than a pistol.
As it was, we could only gratify them with a smell
of gunpowder, for the trees were too lofty for a ball
to reach their retreats. The paroquets replied with
a scream of defiance; the others darted away in
silence.
The mountain became even more difficult of ascent. In places, the path winding around peaks was
so narrow, with a wall of stone on either side, that
we were barely able to brush through. Our trunks
had been well covered with matting, which saved
them from being cut to pieces against the jagged
points of projecting rocks. At intervals, we were
able to catch a glimpse of the blue ocean. Zonzonate, though several leagues distant, seemingly lay at
our feet, as it appeared and disappeared amid the
cluster of trees about us. Shortly, we were above
the region of clouds, which formed beneath us an
ocean of snowy vapor, overlaying all those pleasant
scenes. The sun was near setting, and it was d(lamp
and cold. By the time we reached the rancho, where
we were to pass the night, the chilliness had quite
overcome us. A few hours before, we were among
orange groves and sugar plantations; here, the apple,
peach, and strawberry were in full blossom, and the
climate was like that of a cold spring morning in New




VOLCANO OF ITZALCO.


England. The rancho was owned by a Frenchman,
who received us courteously, and prepared a supper,
to which our appetites did ample justice. His hospitality to man and beast, for which he refused to receive any recompense, was the more disinterested, as
there was no water within six miles. The night was
so cold, that we lay shivering under our blankets.
The volcano of Itzalco was but a few miles distant,
and its deep and tremendous roarings during the
night were fearful, and frequently roused us from our
slumbers. At every explosion of its subterranean
gases, as they escaped from its cone, the ground was
shaken violently beneath us, and the motion communicated to the house and beds. The noise might
have been taken for the asthmatic breathing of a
leviathan, or the united roaring of all the bulls of
Bashan. Heavy columns of smoke, lighted momentarily by bright sheets of flame, shot up, at intervals
of a few minutes, and its boiling fires were clearly
visible, their blood-red color heightened by thie dark
outline of the mountains. The crater is dangerous
to approach, on account of the showers of stones and
ashes which are constantly discharged from its several orifices. While we were in Zonzonate, I frequently saw at night snake-like streams of liquid lava
issuing from crevices near its summit, and pouring
down its rugged sides. This volcano is yearly increasing in size, and becoming more destructive in
its eruptions. It burst forth in its present situation
near the close of the last century, and promises to become, before its fires are exhausted, one of the fiercest
and most sublime of existing active volcanoes.
27




314         DRY AND WET SEASONS.
It was late in the morning before we were able to
start, the mules having been turned loose the evening
before to browse; an operation, we found to our
cost, much easier than that. of catching them. The
scenery, in descending the mountain, was of the same
character that we had passed through in the ascent.
In the distance, craggy and barren ridges were discernible, which betokened a fatiguing journey. It
gradually grew hotter; and by the time we reached
the plains, the heat of a noon-tide tropical sun was
pouring its pityless rays upon our heads. But, under
the shelter of my umbrella, and a broad-brimmed
Gnayaquil sombrero, I travelled quite comfortably.
The contrast between the western sides and plains
of the range of the Cordilleras, with those of the
eastern, was great. The former, being well watered
all the year, is clothed in perennial green. With the
latter, it was the dry season, answering to our winter,
and the ground was parched and cracked by the
heat. The leaves had departed from the trees; all
verdure was gone; the rivulets dried up; and barely
a drop of water to be found in the beds of the larger
streams. It was like crossing a cheerless desert.
Earth, beast, and rider, were parched with thirst.
During the rainy season, the whole appearance of the
country is changed. It then flows with waler, much
of it is no better than a swamp, and vegetation shoots
forward with astonishing vigor.
We left the main track, and struck into a bye-path
to avoid the town of Santa Anna, where Morazan,
with his troops, lay watching the movements of Carrera. Towards night we reached an Indian village,




AN INDIAN VILLAGE.         315
six miles from that place, and there prepared to pass
the night. Our unexpected arrival created quite a
stir among the dingy population. The women, however, bestirred themselves, and provided a supper of
stewed beans and tortillas. The men gazed stupidly
at us. As we were slinging our hammocks to the
trees, preparatory to a night's repose, several suspicious fellows, mestizoes, came up, and watched all
our motions attentively. They were all armed with
long knives, and it was evident, from their behavior
and conversation, that they intended to rob us during
the night. But we were not to be caught napping.
Having no fire-arms themselves, they feared ours
greatly, and we prepared to give them a warm reception, should they make the attempt. Our baggage
was collected into one pile, and two of our number
stationed themselves upon it; the remainder retired
to their hammocks, excepting those whose turn it
was to mount guard. Surrounded, as we were, by
secret foes, all upon the qui vive, we could get but
little sleep; and as our guard paced his rounds, his
artns reflecting in the bright moonlight, with groups
of restless sleepers, in quaint attire, our band resembled more the encampment of banditti, than of peaceful travellers. We had with us a strapping negro,
some six feet high, who looked a giant in comparison
with the Central Americans, who are a race of manikins. This fellow was an object of admiration
wherever we went, and, although the veriest coward
that ever wielded a cutlass, his company proved quite
a safeguard, the inhabitants probably eslimating his
prowess by his size. He carried a gun of propor



CHANGE OF ROUTE.


tionate length of barrel to his own limbs. Like himself, it was an admirable scare-crow, and would have
been very serviceable in supplying us with game,
had it not been deficient in a lock. This fact we
took especial care, for obvious reasons, to conceal.
At the farther end of our encampment was the Indian hut, where we had supped. The Ethiopian
was on guard, with his back to the house, when a
shutter was slowly opened, and several heads cautiously protruded, eyeing the sleepers, (as they supposed us,) with peculiar satisfaction. All at once
they espied our protecting Sambo, whose huge dimensions, augmented by the shades of night, seemed
to them a greater bugbear than ever. A conversation was then carried on in whispers, of which we
could gather only that he was un grandote, and
altogether too formidable a subject to be assaulted.
Having settled the matter among themselves, they
withdrew, and left us in quiet for the remainder of
the night.
Early the next morning we were off, well pleased
to leave such quarters. Our plan was now to strike
into the least inhabited portions of the country, and,
as far as possible, leave no track of our route, or give
any hints as to that which we were to pursue. None
of us felt disposed to magnify the dangers of the way;
but the reports of the fugitives, whom we frequently
met flying from the seat of war, convinced us that
discretion was the better part of valor, and that it was
good policy to give neither party an opportunity of
relieving us of such baggage, as they might consider
inconsistent with safe journeying, in so disturbed a




AN INDIAN HAMLET.


317


country. Moreover, our muleteer had a prudent regard for his animals, and the pay he was to receive.
His opinion of his countrymen was quite as bad as
ours. By avoiding the abodes of men, we met with
other annoyances.  The forests were alive with
countless millions of an insect, called ' garrapatos,' a
species of tick, so minute as to appear more like
black dust than animal life. Although so small at
first, if allowed to attach themselves to the body, they
soon work their way beneath the cuticle, where they
grow to the size of a pea, and, unless immediately
extirpated, occasion painful sores. The mules suffered severely from them, and we only evaded their
insidious propensities, by carefully picking and
shaking them from our clothes at every stoppingplace,; a work, which required much time and patience, and occasionally obliged us to resort to a knife
to cut them out from beneath the skin.
During the afternoon, we arrived at an Indian
hamlet, on the shore of a lake, embosomed amid
lofty and precipitous mountains. Swans, cranes,
and numerous other birds, were sporting on its surface, and near its banks was a rare and beautiful species of Achatina. It was so retired a spot, that we
determined to go no farther before morning. The
inhabitants were few, primitive in their habits, and
apparently inoffensive. At all events, their conduct
was very different from those that we left in the
morning.  They were kind, but not inquisitive.
Having prepared our encampment under the shelter
of a thatched shed, with open sides, we hurried to
the lake for a bath. At our approach, a herd of wild
27*




318


A SUBMERGED TOWN.


cattle manifested decided disapprobation at our invasion of their territory, and some savage old bulls
were disposed to charge upon us. But a show of
courage, the report of a few pistols, and more particularly, the presence of an Indian lad, caused them
to yield ground, and to leave us in peaceable possession.
This lake, we learned, according to an old tradition, was once the site of a large aboriginal town,
which had been submerged, no one can tell how long
ago, by an earthquake. Its appearance justified the
tale. It was situated in one of those wild, irregular
districts, such as it would be imagined dame Nature
would select for some high frolic, or to vent longpent wrath, caring little for cities ruined, or mountains rent.
The next day, my little mule made its escape.
It took the road that led to Zonzonate, and occupied
its owner a day before it was captured. This delay
some of our number were disposed to grumble at;
but it proved a providential circumstance. Had we
proceeded that morning, as we intended, we should
have fallen in with a party of ladrones, who, as we
were afterwards informed, were on our track; but
not meeting us, as they anticipated, gave up the
chase.
Once again in the saddle, our course led through
a more fertile country, abounding in sugar plantations. We were now in the State of Guatimala,
and consequently on the contested ground; but the
war had not yet reached this quarter, and we passed
a quiet night in the forest, under the shelter of a hut.




A FOECI ALARM.


Early the ensuing morning, we were mounted and
away. A dangerous track of country lay before
us. A guide was obtained, who conducted us
through tangled morasses, and villainous swamps,
almost impassable then, and entirely so during the
rainy season, until we arrived upon the border of a
barren prairie. A large village lay some distance to
the left. We hurried rapidly on, the distance preventing the inhabitants from distinguishing us from
a company of muleteers. The plain was thickly
studded with cactus, and abounded with wild fowl,
so tame as scarcely to trouble themselves to get out
of the way. A solitary house, rising by itself from
the plain, like a rock in the ocean, afforded us shelter for the night. We had not been there an hour
before a fierce-looking fellow, riding a noble steed
came galloping furiously up to the door, and after
exchanging a few words with the owner, rode as
rapidly away. Our fears subsided, when we were
informed that he was merely under the influence of
aguadiente, and a wedding frolic.
By light the next morning we had drank our
chocolate from our gourd-cups, and were once more
on the road which was the common track to Chiquimula, the capital of the department of the same
name, and at this time the strong-hold of the insurrectionists. We crossed a battle-plain, famed in the
revolutionary annals of the country, and which still
bore marks of human strife upon its surface. Our ride
was an excessively wearisome one, and it was late
before we arrived at the village of St. Helena, which
we found in considerable commotion in consequence




320


BAD NEWS. —A COUNCIL.


of a levy made by the governor of Chiquimula upon
its young men, for soldiers. We here got something
to eat, and heard bad news. Chiquimula was but three
leagues distant. If the plague had been raging within
its walls, we should not have been more desirous of
avoiding it. The officer to whom we had letters
had left but the day before, with five hundred
troops, for Guatimala, so that all hopes of friendly
interference in that quarter were destroyed. The
city was in great confusion; the people of the hamlet eyed us with scowling looks, and appeared to think
not all right. We were in the interior of the country;
to retreat was impracticable; to advance was unpleasant, to say the least. From existing symptoms
it would be unsafe to remain, even that night, where
we were. A council was held in the house of the
two Indians, young men, to which our muleteers
had brought us. They had been pressed to serve in
the army, and were anxious to avoid the service.
They appeared to be clever, honest fellows; our
ruleteer was willing to trust them, and we concluded
to do the same. They agreed to conduct us to the
boundaries of the State of Honduras, for which we
were to pay them handsomely. The zeal which they
manifested in our cause struck us as favorable. Our
nmules were unloaded and turned out to feed, while
we slung our hammocks and prepared for a nlight's
slumber. These preparations, however, were only
to lull the suspicions of the watchful inhabitants.
As soon as they had retired, and the darkness favored
our operations, the mules were noiselessly saddled,
our arms carefully examined, and we stole quietly




A NIGHT MARCH.


321


out of the village. By the time the moon had risen
we were far on our way to Chiquimula. Journeying
on in silence, the white towers of the city soon became visible.
Until this time, we had supposed some by-road
would enable us to pass the city unseen. But the
guides declared there was none, and our only alternative was to push quickly through before an alarm
could be spread. Our spirits rose with the danger,
and the romance of the adventure had sufficient
charms to blind us to what might be its fatal realities.
It was now past midnight, and the moon shone bright
and unclouded. We were confident, that the intelligence of our design had not preceded us; still, no
little anxiety was felt, as one by one we ascended
the steep ravine which led to the town, and found
ourselves treading its narrow streets.
Silence and expedition were the watchwords. The
mules were hurried on, by dint of spurring and blows,
to an unaccustomed rapidity. Poor brutes! they had
been both dinnerless and supperless that day, and
panting and almost exhausted by the extra labor they
were obliged to endure, their empty stomachs, as they
trotted on, began to give out sundry distressing sounds,
much like the ringing of an empty cask. The slightest
noise seemed to our excited nerves louder than a
chime of bells. A man stops our guide. He informs
him that we are country merchants, leaving for home.
'A very early hour to start,' quoth he, and passes on.
The centre of the town was reached, and all remains
quiet. Suddenly the guides stop, and consult. One
leaves us.  Can he prove treacherous?  No; he




322


EFFORTS TO CAPTURE US.


went but to reconnoitre, and has returned. The delay gave time for the patrol to turn their backs upon
us, as they passed down a neighboring street. One
minute sooner, and we should have been challenged
by them. Lights were in many of the houses, and
as we proceeded a dog barked, and the bark echoed
from street to street, until every yelping cur in the
town had a voice in the chorus. The citizens rushed
to their doors, in astonishment at such an outcry, and
in stupefied wonder beheld the curious procession
pass by them. Two men with muskets intercepted
our course; we spurred on. The muskets proved to
be clubs. Even the mules seemed now to renew
their energies, and bore us so rapidly to the extremity of the town, that we had fairly passed the outer
fortifications, before the watchmen's whistle had
spread the alarm throughout the city; and, before its
thirty-seven thousand inhabitants had any clear idea
of its cause, we had gained the woods. Luckily, as
we afterwards were told, all the horses had been sent
off the day previous with the expedition against
Guatimala, which alone saved us from an immediate
pursuit.
Our situation was now far from enviable. The
fear of surprise alone kept us awake. Hungry, and
exhausted with fatigue, we looked about for a lurkingplace, and finally ensconced ourselves in the rocky
bed of a dry river. The mules were unloaded and
turned out to rest; the scant herbage they could
could glean could scarcely be called food. A little
water was found for them. As for ourselves, we remained through the succeeding day without shelter;




A HOT HIDING-PLACE.


323


for the forest was entirely leafless, exposed to the
fierce rays of the sun, heated to twofold intensity by
reflection from the volcanic rocks, which formed our
only bed. Sleep was altogether out of the question.
The heat was intense, for it was the hottest day that
we had experienced in the country, and not a breath
of wind to mitigate it. We dared not stir from our
hiding-place, for fear of discovery; and could converse only in whispers. Our guides, to whom the
country was familiar, went out reconnoitring, and
returned with the information, that strict search was
being made for us. Several of our number immediately protected their most valuable papers, and concealing them about their persons prepared for a
speedy flight on foot, in case of discovery. A hopeless chance, but one they preferred, to encountering
the tender mercies of Carrera's banditti. A few cold
tortillas, the last of our provisions, were equally divided; but we were too tired to eat; and as for water,
none, except the smallest quantity gathered from the
hollow of a heated rock, was to be had. Never was
night more heartily welcomed, though bringing fresh
dangers in its train. The mules were again saddled,
and with the utmost secrecy we recommenced our
flight. The friendly State of Honduras was now
distant but forty miles, and our object was to distance
pursuit by getting within its territory.
Another populous town, Zacapa, lay between us
and Gualan, the boundary town of the province.
The whole country was now upon the alert, for expresses had been sent in every direction to apprehend
us; but, this place once in our rear, we felt assured of




324


A COURIER.


safety. Much time was consumed in ascending a
steep mountain. It was so dark that objects only at
a short distance were visible. This was favorable to
us. When half-way up, a man on foot, travelling
much faster than we, passed our party. He was a
courier, bearing an order to Zacapa for our arrest, as
we soon after learned. Upon reaching the summit,
the lights of Chiquimula could be plainly seen. Numerous watch-fires were also observed on the surrounding heights. Despite our alarm and fatigue,
we could not refrain from a hearty laugh, when picturing to ourselves the astonishment and chagrin of
its inhabitants at our audacious exploit. If our entree had been noiseless and humble, our egress had
stirred them up considerably. The descent of Morazan and his troops into their plain would scarcely
have created more excitement. But the times were
troublesome, and it was a wild game that they were
playing; many that saw its commencement lay
senseless and unburied clods upon the battle-field, or
fell beneath the assassin's blade, before it was won.
At that time we should have felt much more uneasy,
had we been fully aware of the sanguinary principle
that was abroad in the land. In this country, at any
time, life is but little valued; at the present it was
taken as a pastime, under circumstances of horrible
cruelty, which in modern times find their parallel
only among the hybrid population, sprung from the
same races, in South America. The descent from
the mountain was even more arduous than the ascent. It was too dark to discover even the path, and
we trusted entirely to our mules. They stumbled




A HARD ROAD AND A THIRSTY PARTY.  325


frequently over the loose stones with which the road
was strewed, and after several hours' severe exertion
carried us safely to the dusty plain beneath. We
hurried them on. The soil was a dry chalk, which,
rising in clouds, soon gave our company the appearance of a band of millers; it also penetrated our
nostrils and mouths, and irritated the already burning thirst with which a fast of twenty-four hours had
consumed both man and beast. It soon became insupportable; my tongue seemed like a piece of
shrunken leather, and rattled strangely around my
mouth. Not a drop of moisture could I conjure up
to wet my shrivelled lips; my eyeballs were heated
and distended. At every footstep the fine white dust
rose in clouds, and settled over us. Suddenly a joyful sound was heard. It was the purling noise of
running water. Never did a famishing caravan in
the wilderness of Arabia hail the appearance of an
oasis with more ardor than we the sight of Zacapa
river. Down its banks we rushed. Attached to my
saddle was a water-proof basket, such as is made in
California. It had served thus far for a wash-basin;
now it answered for a drinking-vessel. Filling it to
the brim, I drank from it the longest, sweetest draught
that ever a thirsty traveller knew. Again filling it, I
plunged my face into the cool liquid, bathed it, and
bathed it again; men and beasts about me were following my example. It was at once the freest gift
of Providence, and the most choice luxury man can
know. We had arrived at that degree of thirst, that
it would have been agony to have gone farther, unrelieved; the pleasure of the first draught was un28




326


PASS ZACAPA.


speakable. I filled my basket for the third time, and
spurring my mule from the spot, for he seemed
equally fascinated with its refreshing powers, rode on
with it before me, drinking and dipping into it, until
by an unlucky jolt it was all spilled.
The moon had arisen, and by its light we were
soon able to see the white-washed houses of Zacapa
glistening directly in front. With the utmost caution, and in single file, we pushed through its outskirts, sometimes passing within a few feet of houses
where all appeared buried in slumber. The very
dogs kept quiet; if some solitary cur at intervals
opened his noisy throat, the cry was unreturned. It
was a most lovely night; and,^with the exception of
ourselves, everything was as still as the grave.
Avoiding the town all that it was possible to do, we
wound around the numerous hills in its vicinity, eyeing its streets with suspicion, anon stopping to reconnoitre some doubtful point, then hurrying breathlessly onward. Unfortunately we became perplexed
and entangled amid a labyrinth of cultivated and
enclosed grounds. A hurried consultation ensued,
while the guides sought an outlet. One was at
length discovered; it was, however, one that a prudent regard for our necks would have counselled us
to avoid, but which the urgency of the case compelled us to take. A steep gulley led to the river's
bank, a hundred feet or so beneath, and at its head
stood a cottage. A fence was taken down, and replaced. Passing so near the house as to brush
against its eaves, we forced our mules to the brink
of the slippery precipice. With their characteristic




A DILEMMA.


instinct, they drew all four feet together, and sitting
on their haunches slid rapidly and safely to the bottom, while we kept our seats by clinging to their
necks. Fording the river, and rising the opposite
hill, we reached a level plain, with two paths in view.
By diverging so frequently to avoid the thickly-inhabited parts of the town our guides had lost the run
of the true course. One of them retraced his steps,
entered the town, and came back by the correct road.
He reported all quiet, and we moved on. It was
now three o'clock, A. M., and the distance to Honduras was short, and the road plain. Our guides
were dismissed with an ample recompense, and they
bade us good by, with many wishes for our safe retreat. Another mountain, or more properly a long
and rough hill, was before us. Sleep, to which we
had been strangers for the last forty eight hours, began insidiously to steal over us, and overpowered the
sense of hunger, which for some time had been
rather pressing in its calls. But this drowsiness,
unlike the thirst we had encountered, was an agreeable enemy. It crept over one so gently, and with
such pleasing sensations, that we knew not of its approach until it had fastened itself securely upon us.
Several times I fell asleep on my mule, and was only
awakened by a rude shock which destroyed my balance. Finding it impossible to preserve my seat, I
rubbed open my eyes, pinched myself, and got off
and walked. But this was of no use. I soon again
sank into a state of unconsciousness, from which it
was misery to be aroused. In this way we walked
on, alive only to our situation for a few minutes, by




328


SAN PABLO.-A HALT.


stumbling against some protruding stone; then giving a glance at the road ahead, the eyes would again
close, in spite of every exertion to keep them open,
until a fresh stumble recalled the slumbering senses.
The mere pain of attempting to keep awake was intolerable; the hardest rock would have been a welcome bed. Even the poor brutes began to give evidence of the same unconquerable weariness. At
times they would come to a dead halt, and settle
down, refusing to proceed farther until coaxed and
driven by the muleteers.
In this manner we reached the Indian village of
San Pablo, now mostly deserted, the cholera having
the previous year carried off the greater proportion
of the inhabitants. Passinog through it, we noticed a
ruined church and calaboose. At the foot of the
hill on which they stood, we crossed a small stream.
Gualan was now but a few leagues distant.  It
was our intention to have crossed the boundary
line of the contending States that morning. Daylight
had already broken, and both we and our beasts
were too thoroughly exhausted to proceed farther.
Rest we must have, be the consequences what they
might. A couple of hours would enable us to pro.
ceed. The loads were tipped off the jaded mules,
and they and their masters, in less time than I have
taken to write it, were stretched out on the grass,
wrapped in sound slumbers.
How long we lay thus, I know not; but a hoarse
voice, calling us to surrender, first aroused our lethargic faculties; and the sight of several brace of pistols pointed at our heads soon recalled us to con



SLUMBERS INTERRUPTED. — CAPTURED.  329


sciousness of passing events. The sun was shining
brightly and hotly upon us, and a large body of soldiers stood stupidly gazing at our prostrate selves,
seemingly as much amazed at the scene as we were.
They were evidently forced recruits, a puny, ragged
set of fellows, of all colors, looking as if they would
gladly exchange their muskets and knapsacks for
hoes and a field of maize. But their leaders were
fine-looking men, well-dressed and armed, and
mounted on good horses. Their uniforms looked
too new and shining to be many days old, and their
first service in the campaign was our capture. Of
course we surrendered peaceably and with all grace;
for there they were above us, with their pistols prepared to enforce their summons.
The sense of the ludicrous would have overcome
my gravity, had not the scowling looks and fierce
glances of our captors reminded me that we were in
the hands of those with whom power was law. Here
were upwards of seventy men employed to capture
seven half-starved travellers, who, if their will to resist had been good, had not the means. Our equipments, indeed, excited their risibles, as they read the
decree for our arrest, given at Chiquimula. It described us as a well-armed party of foreigners, conveying treasure clandestinely out of the country, and
who, in defiance of their established regulations, had
passed through their territories. In conclusion it enjoined all patriotic inhabitants to aid in seizing and
bringing us to punishment. The paper was sufficiently formidable to have annihilated us. But its
warlike phraseology proved a sad stumbling-block to
28*




330


AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND.


the courage of the gallant alcalde of San Pablo, who
was deputized to see it carried into effect. His village could not boast a sufficient number of volunteers, who were willing to risk their persons in contact with a party of 'well-armed foreigners;' and
had he not accidentally fallen in with these troops,
who were convoying arms to Chiquimula, we should,
for all him, have made our escape. This he afterwards confessed to us, when we became better
friends. As it was, with his silver-headed cane, the
insignium of his office, pointed at us, in one hand,
and holding the order for our arrest in the other, he
ensconced himself behind his military companions.
From this position, so judiciously chosen, he ordered
us to prison. But as that order implied the necessity of reascending the steep hill which we had so
recently passed over, we flatly refused, intimating
that if we went at all, he must find the means of
carrying us.
The captain of the soldiers attracted attention from
the beauty of his figure and person; he was indeed
a remarkably good-looking man. It so happened,
that while we were cogitating some plan for escaping from the clutches of these fellows, our office-seeking friend, the spirit of his profession no doubt suddenly inspiring him, remarked that this captain
looked like a gentleman. To our astonishment, he
immediately spoke.to us courteously in English, and
from his altered demeanor seemed desirous of retaining that opinion. That chance expression turned
the scale of our destiny; and instead of the horrors
of a Chiquimula calaboose, thoughts of home took




AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND.


possession of us. Explanations soon satisfied him
that we were strangers in the country, as desirous of
leaving it as the most fanatical of his party were for
having us expelled; and instead of treasure, they
themselves were not more deficient in the article than
we. But what especially mollified him, next to the
personal compliment, was to find us citizens of the
United States; for his party was particularly inimical to Englishmen. He immediately claimed us as
compatriots, and said, although hlie was by birth an
Italian, he considered himself a citizen of the great
republic, having resided there seven years.  The
production of our letters to the commandant of Chiquimula wonderfully advanced us in his favor, although at the recapitulation of our midnight march
he shook his head, and intimated that it would have
fared ill with us, had we been apprehended. While
we yankees were thus insinuating ourselves into the
good graces of our adopted countrymen, our AngloMexican auxiliary was no less dexterous and successful wiith the full-blooded Central Americans. He
was accustomed to revolutions, having lived for
miany years in one of the most inflammable states of
Mexico. He assured them that their cause was one
of the most glorious on record; that history, and
above all, Mexico, their rival republic, where he had
lived so long, could produce nothing equal to it. In
short, he made them think so well of themselves that
they could not do otherwise, from mere sympathy,
than think well of us, so that in a half-hour from our
capture we had become the best friends possible, and
they were really sorry they had disturbed the slum



332


RELEASE.


bers of so many gentlemen for so trivial a cause as
a paltry alcalde. They undertook to procure from
the powers that were, a release from any farther attentions on his part, and a safe conduct for the remainder of our journey. The Italian rode on to
Chiquimula himself, to see that the necessary papers
were sent. We had made a strong interest in the
right quarter; still their superiors might desire a personal interview, and the very idea made us nervous.
Guards were placed over us; these claimed a liberal
fee for their kind protection. Before night, the alcalde, who would not leave us, claimed a similar
donative, and suggested to us the propriety of our
sleeping within the walls of the calaboose, as lie
could not be answerable for any violence comnmLitted
upon us in so exposed a situation. His offer was
most decidedly declined. rThere might be felons
about us in the open air; within prison walls they
would have been nearer still; and there is but one
key to unlock the door of a Spanish jail -a golden
one.
Our papers arrived the next morning. Once more
at liberty, we rode gayly on. now straggling from each
other and the road, admiring the varied prospect,
shouting and singing more like boys escaped from
the durance-vile of school-hours than sober travellers.
The road was through a mountainous but delightful
country; vegetation was luxuriant, and the country
bright with flowers. In the distance rose the mountains of Vera-Paz to the height of seven thousand
feet, bounding the horizon like a mighty wall. Close
to us the Motagua river flowed swiftly along; birds,




AN INCIDENT.


333


crocodiles, and Indian girls, were bathing in its
waters. The sun being oppressive, I raised my urnbrella; two countrymen passing by, one remarked to
the other, 'the foreigner must either be a fool or
drunk, to raise an umbrella in a country where it
never rained.' At the same instant, a gust of wind,
indignant no doubt at the imputations cast upon my
character, undertook to relieve me of all suspicion,
and gave it a whirl; away it went, topsy-turvy, helterskelter, over bush and brier, now flying high, now
low, but never altogether alighting. Not at all grateful for the zeal so unceremoniously displayed in my
behalf, I clapped spurs to my mule, and gave it
chase. Coming up Iwith it, I dismounted, thinking
it secure in my grasp, when a fresh gust gave it a
new impetus, and away it flew, faster than before.
Chagrined, I turned to mount my beast. But he
gave his heels a scornful toss, and took French leave
also. The umbrella cut queer antics, but he cut
queerer. Had he been any one's else mule, I should
have voted him a funny fellow. As it was, I considered him a bore. Several times he allowed me
to approach near enough to touch him; then he
bounded away again, and keeping a few feet only in
advance, trudged on as soberly as if it were no joke.
I felt disposed to bestow a hearty malediction upon
him for his impudence, but swallowed it, reflecting
that he had but caught the spirit of the party, and
his conduct was fully as sensible as mine had been,
with rather a mulish way of exhibiting it, to be sure.
Then he was such a little mule, and we had been
friends through so many toilsome days, that I could




GUALAN.


not find it in my heart to strike him; so on we
trudged, neighborly as ever, keeping our respective
distances, till having lost me my umbrella, and given
me as good a sweat as I had the hour before given
him, he quit his pranks, and returned to his allegiance.
Late in the afternoon we arrived at Gualan, and
reached the alcalde's just as he was issuing an order
for our arrest. Our passports set him right, and we
put him into good humor, by promising to hire
mules of him for our next day's journey. Gualan
is a small town situated on the banks of the Motagua river, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico at
Ornoa. Between the two places there is some trade,
by means of large boats. The few slhcops v-r;<r v-ell
supplied with American and English goods. Few
names, I suspect, circulate more extensively than A.
and A. Lawrence. I had seen them before in Chili
and Peru, in the cotton linings to a Hawaiian habitation, and here they were in the interior of one of
the wildest and least known of the countries of the
globe. We joined the inhabitants in an evening
bath in the river. Our Italian friend had recommended us for quarters to a lady of his acquaintance, who lived in a very large but very dirty house.
Next door was a much superior mansion; a fair
young girl was at the window. This house belonged
to the Italian, and the girl was his- housekeeper,
perhaps. Our landlady was old and crabbed. Her
neck sustained an enormous goitre. Wilh all her
surliness, she did not turn us from her door. Spanish hospitality would have been outraged at such an




MICO MOUNTAIN.


335


act. But she gave us a large shed, mostly filled
with merchandise, for our sleeping apartment. As
to eating, we had grown accustomed to short cornmons, but hers were but a touch above actual starvation. We were obliged to remain one day under
her roof, and the bill she produced was proportionate only to her want of amiability. We gladly paid
it for the privilege of being out of the hearing of her
tongue.
Leaving Gualan, in two days we reached a rancho at the foot of Mico mountain, which was as far
as our mules had been hired for. The country through
which we rode was equally as rich, though differing
in features from the Pacific side. It was a luxurious
wilderness; but few inhabitants were met on the
whole route; thc land was broken and mountainous,
covered with greensward and a growth of noble
forest trees. They were so free from underbrush,
that the landscape in many places resembled more a
cultivated park than the wildness of nature.
Mico mountain, the great highway from the gulf
into the interior of the country, lay before us. All
the fatigue that we had heretofore undergone was
nothing compared with the trip over ' the mountain.'
The distance to Isabel is but a few miles, but those
miles require a day of unremitting toil. Mules are
kept expressly for this travel, and a more trying road
for man or beast cannot be found. Rocks and mud, 
sloughs and precipices, fallen trees and tangled vegetation, rain, and a slippery, soft soil, so overshadowed by the forest as to entirely exclude the rays of the
sun, have all conspired to produce the worst possible




336


MICO MOUNTAINT.


road. Several times the animals foundered in the
mud; as often they tripped over stones, or rolled
down some slippery pass. Their motion over the
best part of the way was like that of a small vessel
in a heavy cross sea, of a calm day, twisting, pitching, and rolling every way at once. We had no
time-to expend our sympathies on them; it was as
much as we could attend to, to keep ourselves from
being brained against huge overhanging branches,
or our limbs from being crushed by projecting rocks.
The water lay several feet deep in holes; blue mud
in others. Roots of trees like complicated net-work
obstructed the path. In single file, the mules slowly
proceeded, now cautiously feeling their way; anon
making a false step, and rolling themselves and rider
on the spongy earth; but the road is indescribable;
suffice it to say, that having 'crossed the mountain,'
we rode for a mile or more through the bed of a
river. So plastered were we from head to foot with
red clayey mud, that water could not efface it, and
we made our entree into Isabel in just such a plight
as all travellers from the same direction appear.
The inhabitants were accustomed to the sight; elsewhere we should have been mistaken for animated
masses of soil. We had letters to a rich old Span.
iard, or rather we had had them, and they were lost;
riding to his door, we endeavored to explain matters,
but he churlishly ordered us off, adding that we were
suspicious looking fellows, and he would have nothing to do with us. A glance at our array convinced
me, that, as far as appearances were concerned, he
was not much out of the way, and I forgave him, as




ISABEL.


337


trouble, mistrust, and cruel deeds were stalking
abroad over the land. Turning from his house, we
secured a resting-place in the hut of a less captious
individual. Having bathed, we slung our hammocks
for a night's rest. But it was a season of festival
among the tawny population, and fire-works, drums,
trumpets, and shouting kept us awake until near
morning.  Our baggage arrived during the day,
though somewhat contrary to our expectations, as it
was reported to contain treasure. But everywhere
we found the muleteers civil and honest.
Isabel is a flourishing town, of recent growth,
though in a most unhealthy location. It is bordered
by low, wet land, covered with the dankest vegetation. Rains are very abundant, and the heat of the
sun overpowering. Indeed, it is considered no better
than a grave, for a foreign constitution. The inhabitants are thin and sallow. Despite its climate, and
the execrable Mico mountain, it has become the
principal port of entry for the eastern coast of Central America. It is situated on the Gulf of Dulce,
so called from the sweetness of its waters, and fifty
miles from its mouth. Through this avenue most of
the goods destined for the interior are sent, and returns made in indigo and cochineal. There were a
few wooden houses, covered with mould, but which
looked as if they had been imported from the United
States. Vessels drawing above eight feet of water
cannot cross the bar at the mouth of the gulf. A
fine Spanish schooner, bound in a few weeks for
Havana, lay off the town. It was not pleasant
lo be obliged lo wait so long to leave so detestable a
29




338


GULF OF DULCE.


place. Luckily in a few days an English steamer
arrived; she was to leave again in a short time for
the bar. The authorities obliged us to pay five dollars each for the privilege of leaving their soil. We
bade them adios with a right good will, and embarked in the steamer. The scenery of the gulf proved
exceedingly interesting; as it approaches the ocean
it narrows to a river of but a few rods in width.
On either side, the banks presented a wall of rock
from three to five hundred feet in height, and covered
with vegetation. The luxuriant foliage spread itself
to the water's edge; and shrubs and trees attached
themselves to the rock in such profuseness as to leave
scarcely a trace of it visible. This portion of the
river is eight miles in length, and very serpentine.
At intervals the boat appeared to be enclosed within
a basin of solid stone, with no outlet except the sky
above.  Through these wild gorges the steamer
rushes with great rapidity, and, with the additional
power of steam, propelled the boat so fast that nothing less than magic seemed to save her, as her bow
dashed around some projecting palisade, her stern
almost touching the opposite mountain rampart. In
one of the craggy crevices, a spring of water
was boiling up through the superincumbent cold,
creating a constant volume of steam.
The steamer went no further than the bar. The coast
was low, and covered with giant trees, under the shade
of which negro wood-cutters had built their huts.
A long ground-swell came lazily tumbling in. We
boarded a New York brig, that was lying here, taking
in a cargo of mahogany. Some of our party concluded




BOAT NAVIGATION.


339


to remain on board until her departure for the United
States. Three of us chartered a boat, with a couple
of negro boys, to take us to the English settlement at
Balize. The boat had something of a deck, and
sailed very well. But we were more cramped and
confined in her than we had previously been on our
mules. The black urchins were careless; the weather
proved rainy and squally; we were repeatedly wet,
and dried again by the scorching sun. We dared
not sleep under cover, except when it was calm, for
fear of being capsized. The wind being ahead most
of the time, we were four days before reaching Balize. Our course lay through the Cayos, or Keys,
numerous little islands, with which this coast is bordered, forming a most picturesque archipelago. They
were formerly a great resort for bullock-hunters and
buccaneers. A few runaway negroes now form
their sole population. Some of them are large,
verdant islands, well stocked with game; others
are from a rood to an acre only in extent, formed
entirely of the roots of shrubs and trees growing apparently from out the sea, with but such slight soil
as such a loose chevaux de frise can sustain. The
navigation among these numerous islands in good
weather is delightful. The water shoals in many
places to a few feet only in depth, affording the voyager a fine view of the submarine garden, which,
with its corals, madrepores, shells, and fishes darting
among them, affords an almost endless variety of
tints and shapes. Indeed, it may well compare
with a meadow, blooming with flowers. By the
third day, our provisions and water were all con



340                  BALIZE.
sumed; on a small island a little of the latter, muddy
and brackish, was discovered. Our tea held out, and
by making it very strong it proved a stimulus, though
not much of a nutriment, to our exhausted frames.
By the time the anchor was dropped in the harbor of
Balize, we were completely famished, and in addition, I was attacked by fever and chills; mementos
of my trip, which stuck close to me for months afterwards.
In the afternoon, I strolled about the town. It
is a place of considerable trade, being an enterport
for goods for Guatimala, Honduras, and the southern
states of Mexico. During the business season, its
population is greatly increased, by settlers along the
coast, who come in to sell their lumber and purchase
their supplies for the wood-cutting season. Its exports amount to two millions of dollars annually.
Approaching it from the sea, it appears much like
one of our neat, wooden-built towns in New England. We were the more struck with its home-like
appearance, from the contrast it presented with the
massive and low stone habitations and cane huts of
the country we had just left. The neighboring
country is a mere swamp, with a river running
through it, which bisects the town, and is spanned
by a handsome bridge. All the land is made; much
of it is brought from England; there being a law requiring every vessel to bring a certain quantity of
earth as ballast; so that its inhabitants, though exiled
from the homes of merry England, to one of the least
desirable spots for a residence, still may be said to
dwell on English soil. The town consists, principal



ARRIVE HOME.            341
ly, of two streets, running parallel with each other
and the water,for about two miles. The government
buildings and Episcopal church are neat, and in good
taste; but the dampness of the climate has left its
marks upon the wooden structures, greatly disfiguring them.
On the 24th of March, I arrived at New York in
an English brig; thus completing the catalogue of
disagreeables of the trip home from the Sandwich
Islands, by arriving on the coast in the most stormy
month in the year. I landed fully convinced, that if
Cape Horn is the longest way home it is not the
most uncomfortable, that Mico mountain is far
worse than a Cape Pillar blow, and a midnight ride
through Chiquimula somewhat more wearisome than
the home latitudes, though one may be ' homeward
bound.'




















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