Polynesian., 1844-06-22

about a mile from the sea. Below this vol
canic sand is sometimes found q stratum of
slightly cemented coral sand, containing
shells and Echinides of species identical with
those now living in the vicinity. In other
places, as on the plain at the entrance of the
Manoa valley, between Honolulu and Wal
kiki, the reef is entirely bare, with every hol-
low and gulley as distinctly defined as they
are on the present shore reef. A short half
mile west of Honolulu and half that distance
from the sea, at the mouth of "a branch otthc
Nuuanu valley, a considerable stream flows
through a section of this elevated reef some
twenty feet deep. A mile and a half farther
West there is Il similar section at the mouth
of the Kalihi valley. These appear to have
been anciently passages in the reef, and show
that it is composed OF the same genera of CO.
rails principally Porites) as constitute the
mass of the recent reef. In the district of
Eva, fourteen miles west OfHonolulu, on the
left bank of Pearl river a few rods from it's
mouth, there is a bed of oyster shells, twelve
feet in thickness and more than q hundred
yards in length, whose lowest portion is full
five feet above the sea. They are for the
most part entire and in a fine state Of pre-
servatiOn, the internal polish yet uneflaced
and not tacky or "%hoppante" to the tongue.
They bear a very close resemblance to our
o. b~orealis, and it is remarkable that although
imbedded with it are found many shells which
still lnhabit the ad ]accnt coast in great num-
bers, the Ostrea is apparently an extinct spe-
cies. 1t was seen no where else in the Paci-
fic, neither so far as | could ascertain, is it
met with either fossil or recent on any other
part of this coast.
"From Waialua on the northwest side of
Oahu | received specimens of a very hard
and compact breccia of shells and coral, said
to be taken from cliffs of the same material
twenty feet high, which the description sent
with the specimens left me little doubt, were
the remains of an ancient cemcnted coral
beach.
son the coasts of Kauai there are frequent
elevated beaches. One ofthese at Kalihiwai,
on the north side of the island, three fourths
of a mile inland, is composed of a slightly
coherent conglomerate Of coral and shells
raised about fifteen feet. Aged natives dwell
ing in the neighborhood, affirmed to me that
the sea had retired within their remembrance
an eighth Of a mile, and that in their youth,
old men had told them that they in their boy
hood tished in canoes at a spot now full one
third of a mile from the sea, which since that
period, as they torcibly expressed it, "iha-
nauia ka lepo hon." literally, had brought
forth the new earth. -Four or five miles West
ofthis, the river Hanalei, flowing through a
plain of the same name in the district of Wa
ioli, + displays on its banks rather more than
a quarter of a mile from the sea, the section
of an ancient beach about five feet higher
than the present one, and composed of mate
rails similar to that of kalihiwai. This line
Of beach extends from the base of the %elevat-
ed table land forming the eastern boundary
of the plain in a westerly direction three
miles across to the foot of the lofty ridges Of
Mamalahoa and Puunauckia its limits on the
opposite side; following the curvature of the
hills to the south, and sometimes almost skirt
ing them at from the fourth Of q mile to a
mile from the shore.
"From all the evidence | could collect,
either by personal observation or inquiry, it
is my belief that the sea instead of augment
ing the coast, is yearly encroaching upon it
and regaining it's previous loss by elevation.
The surf which rolls in from the broad open
bay of Hanalei, especially during the winter
months, with tremendous violence, must oper-
ate destructively upon a beach shelving into
deep water so abruptly as this.
"There is a short beach a mile and a half
perhaps from that of Hanalei, between the
river Lumahae and the ridge ofPuunauckia,
which during the winter is sometimes three
hundred yards wide, and is every summer
narrowed to twenty or twenty-five yards, yet
no corresponding increase takes place during
the latter season in the main beach. Yet it
"Puawnina is the "Punchbowl hill " and Leah the "Dia.
mond Head" of the foreigners.
tWaioli signifies " the signing" or " the joyful water
and is applied to this region by the Hawaiians, whose
names are always not less poetical than descriptive, on nc
~o,o. oc .bo nj cl;tor;ov coccoJoc tLat copca e;nr