The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1850-01-05
Los GRINGns.

BY Lieut.. Wise. Of the U. s. Navy
From the sgraphic scenes described in il
Pages we extract the following descrip
tlon Of the naiad spirits of tho Hawai-
rlan maids:
"AlI classes at Hilo evince an enthusi
astlc admiration for flowers; and the
maidens particularly are never without
!, natural wreaths, or necklaces OF woodhue
a1d jesmine, prettily woven for the oc.
cas'on, There is yellow bud Of the
candle nut which is not so pleasant 10
eye or nose, though more generally
worn. But in all the tastes and diver.
slons Of the n.tives there was not one
that charmed US so much, and in which
the natives in such wild delight as bath.
ing in the river Wailuke.-Along the
whole eastern face Of the Island or Ha
"aia there are numberess rills and
streams that come bounding from the
lol'y skies Of the giant mountains in cat.
aracts and cascades, until at last they
jump from the green clad shores into the
salt foam oflhe ocean. One the larg
est Of them is Wailaka. No further
than league from the harbor inland is
miniature Niagara, Of more than hun
dred feet, which dasher mass of broken
water into bowl-Iiko basin, flashing upo
either side brilliant rainbows, from which
the fall takes its name, tracing our steps
towards the village, the banks oI the lit.
tie river become less adro t, and within
few hundred yards Of the bay the water
is diverted into multitude of channels
here torrent boiling over scattered
rocks, with clear, sleeping pool beyond
there the white cataract p!unges
swiftly through narrow "lreets and leap
ing gaily down below like liquid port
eollussto some massive gateway-again
whirling edJes playing around rocky
islets, until at last by one sparkling eff.
fort the waters reunite and go roaring
and struggling down steep chasm into
the, rs mere Iif>- r'hn hay,"
most Of their time. 1,eL-.n
girls and even little ones scarcely able to
work, are seen in all directions, Perched
on broad shelvy crags and grassy
mounds, or still higher up, clinging from
the steep sides and peeping out from a.
mid the foliage. On every side they
come leapiug joyously into the rushing
waters! There on buf--thirty, forty,
and seventy feet high--a score Of native
maidens are following each other in
quick succession into the liquid pools
beneath. The moment before their flight
through the air they are poised upon the
rocky pedestals, like the Mediterranean
Venus. One buoyant and bound-tha
right arm is thrown aloft, knees broug It
up, aud at the Instant Of striking the wa
ter the. head falls straight out-when
they enter the pools with the velocity
and clearness Of a iavelin, shooting far
away, just beneath the surface, like
salmon.
"Others again, arc diving in foaming
torrents-plashing and sk'rling-laugh-
ing, always NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ming, half revealing heir pretty forms
before sinking again beneath the stream
Others still more daring and expert, go
whirIing through narrow passages,
thrown from side to side in the white
waters-now completely hidden in the
cataracts anon rising in a recumhentatti
tude, when away they are hurled over
cataract Of twenty feet, emerging far
below, with long tresses streaming be-
hind, and with graceful limbs cleavibg
the. river, like naught else in nature
more charming than themselves"
"It is a sight to make a lover forget
his mistress or parson his prayers.
| know il would have been my case, had
| been so fortunate as to be'either! Here
| passed all my leizure hours, never
tired Of beholding the beautiful Pano'
rama Of life and water moving before
me; and there were others on these occa'
sions, who we're won't TO mlngIe bravely
in the sport-portIy post caPtains--hus'
bandly lieutenants-mad-cap loafers o.
course-and chaplains, too--but all de
cared it was pleasant, although mingled
with a few Indifferent remarks as t
what the good missionaries might thlnl
Of it"
"Many Of the Wykesnese have pretty
laces, expressive black eyes, and lonl
let. black hair; then there are others wh'
make good imitation 'o( Blenhem span
iels in the visage; but nearly all have
rounded volupluous forms. perfectly nat
: ural and beautiful when young, will
+ small hands and feet But such lark
! they are for fun and laughter, with Ger
tain air Of SLY demurness that render
Z them quite bewitchlng.'
In the cool Of the atternoonsa nun
Der Of US, in company with half dose