The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-04-16
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Rural Sketches
Of the 4awaiian csslands
Maui Revisited.

Leaving Waikasp carly in the morning, we
reached the villagsof Wailuku, distant short
two miles, in time breakfast at the hospitable
table of Rev. W. Z. Alexander, the doors oil
whose dwelling ever open 10 the traveller.
Learning that a gentleman residing there, had re
Gently made an excursion to the summit OF the
Vest Maui Mountains which rise very abruptly
In the rear Of the valleys that skirt their base we
requested him 10 write account Of 1T, which
we insert here. 1t describes trip which is sell
dom made by travellers, among the widest and
most romantic OF our island scenery, and con-
tains some incidents entirely new, even to
Hawaiian residents.
The West Maui Mountains.
Mr. EDrroR:-At your invitation, furnish short
account of the mountains of West Maui for the ben
eft OF those of your readers who will be taking
their annual pleasure excursions 1t has been the
misfortune of tourists hitherto that they have taken
their mpressions OF Hawaiian scenery from the routes
OF common travel and business. They have merely
gone through the districts the shore, where the
cattle goats and horses have, to speak. eaten off
all the beauty In former times the country was
doubtless beautiful everywhere. The mountains
were covered with foliage, in some places, clothed
with robes soft and delicate as birds plumage
to look upon; in others, rough and imposing. you
might say like the shaggy locks of the buffalo; and
near the shore the little hills in grassy cover
ings sleek and beautiful the antelope. But now
the land is fas, being stripped Of those pretty robes,
and in some places is being stripped of the
skin
To see beauty Of scenery, it is now necessary
to 20 inland. Beauty has fed from the dust and
turmoil of business. and reared her palaces and
altars where her votares toll if they follow her.
In the mountains Of West Maui. they must be con-
tent often to toll hard an rain, for the whole region
there Is often hid by fog Over this, the glorious
Inner Temple of Beauty, thick veil of clouds
hang most OF the time. The warm moist trade winds
which sweep in from the chille1 in those
heights, and made to overspread them with clouds.
and generally to keep them bathed in rain. 1t is
almost always a fearful region OF cold and storm.
No one ought ever to ascend thitber without being
well supplied with waterproof clothing, with means
to build a shelter, make q ire, sc. But during the
light trades, always just before after kona
storm, the mountains perfectly clear, and
then is the time to hasten up to their SUBMITS
visit to the summit Of the West Maui mountain can
best be made from Lahaina. taking the road via
Mount Retreat House, which is located about 5000
feet above the level Of the The mountain itself
was estimated by Wilkes Exploring Expedition to be
about 1900 feet in height
a Trip to the Summit.
Ilately ascehded from Mount Retreat by moonlight
and reached The summit before SUNRISE just in the
time Of day 10 see the mountains most clear After
sunrise the clouds begin To gather over them They
DO not wear night caps much as day caps The
summit Of the Mt Retreat ridge found to be a
very extensive Passing on from tins place
through the head Of HoEokabau Valley. ascended
o another plateau OF swampy ground. terminating
IN a Iof,y bluff. which has been recently named
christmas Mt. These swampy npIands are the foun-
lain heads Of the streams that flow through the dh
5er-nt valleys Some enterprisng people have pro-
;se 10 cut trenches conduct the waters that
40 nearly all flow from the heights into the Homo
lAhau Valley, (Which does not neei so much,) so
hat they may flow into the Waiiuku aud Lahaina
Valleys, where they are more needed. Wailuku re-
ssives none the wash directly from this swamp
slke except through subterranean passages or
brings; but Wauiu spreads out like great inland
.InneI and gathers into itself clouds and rain sufi-
, for n very considerable stream. These elevated /
'Iorasses and the trees around them overgrown |
with thick MOSES. and these again with plants. In
:he themselves, the trees, which elsewhere
grow forty feet in height. dwindle down to shrubs
few inches high Blue violets abound and gorgeous
generally silvery hue like the silversword of Hale
akala II fitting that in these grand mountain
heights there should be such vegetation, catching,
as it were. the lustre from the heavens.
Scenery at the Summit.
As might be expected, the scenery at these heights |
Il Infinitely finer than it is from any other point of
view in the valleys below. Each valley needs TO be |
looked at, a WHOLE from without. When you stand |
10 II, you fail the part you stand in, and to
observe the contrast Of the bright foliage of that part
With the rich hues of its abrupt and lofty sides /
But at the summit you see, not one valley only. but
number or such valleys and Of majestic ridges on
all sides, all uniting at this point into one symmet-
ricai whole. The view had from these points !
snail never forget. especially that from the vicinity
OF Christmas Mt. Haleakala is a vast dome-like |
mountain with immense yawning abyss at its /
summit, and the view from its top is very grand !
Dat the West Maui mountain is divided into ridges
aud valleys al meeting at the central apex where
stood, forming symmetrical whole, with mountains
and precipices grand, grander perhaps, than Ha.
eakaa; and all this is spread the most enchant-
ing Beauties The exquisite little valleys, the vast
nand basins Of whose variegated beds the ridges
se In velvet-lke covering and solemn blue, and the
s"terng summits crowBing the whole, impresses