The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-10-26
Our Island Correspondence.
SKETCHES OF HAWAII
From Waimea to HiIo.

HILo, HAWAII, September, 1867
We left the temporary, but commodious PHI
Court House, at the residence Of the Clerk and
District Judge, George X. Lindsay, Esq, and
galloped over the green ascending plain-Lani-
kepu in the Hawaiian language-to PulOa, where
We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at the bospitable
mansion of Francis Spencer, ESD The ever ac-
tive Harry Purdey, always at home in the saddle,
and ready to accommodate with the very best
horses the plain affords, was there. lie would
forget self Mt any time to be useful to n friend
frightening with society, brilliant and spiritual
with good cheer, the sun of his genial and social
disposition is never in the least clouded, though
his tongue is touched with tip Of the brogue,"
Cor be has - ne'er n bit Mt all Of the barney"
From his penchauf for horses, verify believe he
must be a relative, If not the very same Purdey
TINT rode the celebrated race-horse - Eclipse"
Being we'll mounted, and bidding adieu to
generous friends Mt Puloa, we struck northeast
warl over the green soddcd, lawn-iike valley,
through which grIrgled and flashed n stream Of
bright water that irrigates the lands Of wakoloa.
We crossed this, and ascending n wave-like ele-
vation in the plain, had n grand view Of a wide
spread scene To the left extended the green,
rounded and wood-crowned ridge OF the Kohala
mountains, resembling in their outline the great
chain Of the Cordilleras in North America, IN ap-
preaching them from the wide prairie plains of
the west. The grand and regular dome of Nlauna
Kea rose in our front, with a bright crown Of
snow on It's summit, while midway down n belt
Of white deecy clouds encircled il like n zone |;
the golden sunlight Of evening streamed upon it,
and tinted the snow with n roscate glow. Farther
To the right bathed in the golden wave, the reg
ular dome OF Nfnuna ioa looked grand and i'm
posing, while the less lofty Hualalai seemed To
rise sheer up from the sea, beyond the deep cove
Of Puako. Around the emerald plain, with
occasional houses, the white church at Waikoloa
(the Rev Lorenzo Lyons), few scattered trees
~nd numerous focks and herds There was n
bright pond to the right of the road fed by pure
stream Of fresh water; and high up to the left, on
the side of the Kohala mountain, was pretty lit
tie cottage, quietly nestled in n beautiful grove
We paused but n moment to gaze upon the scene,
and the evidence OF former cultivation and popu-
lation where none now exists, and then dashed on
across the land of Puukapu- This is all fertile
and lies beautifully, is well situated for cultiva
ton, but is fast becoming desert. The immense
herds of almost useless and destructive sheep have
broken and cut up the sod and the surface soil,
'n" DrouSht decay anu utas" y" s''S t'.'
ing forest, which appears cold. dry and wintry IN
its desolatiou The cattle and horses have also
aided in this work of destruction, and if some
remedy is not applied-if rothing can be done to
arrest it, in few years the wide and fertile plain
from Waimea to the sea, and from the kohaia
mountain to Mauna Kea, will be a treeless desert,
with the trade wind sweeping storms OF dust and
sand over it like the simoons OF Sahara or the
khamseens of Barca. Already they come IN minia-
ture. Where the sod, and even the hardy fern
and the underbrush are trampled, beaten, torn
and eaten away, the wind sweeps the light and
Porous soil into waves and banks. and creates
Parehed and thirsty deserts, and gives US a fore
sight Of what ere long the whole wide plain viii
De, If the destroying agency is not arrested
We felt sad ; IN irreprcssible feeling OF meian-
cholly came over Us ~ we rode over this grave OF