The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-08-03


Far III o. the south ruse the high rucky izrt Of
Kaun the home IF the white ze., binds which
played around our vessel gracefully, in contrast
tp few clumsy hooking noddy-. A. we g,zsi
upon this ocean rDck dim in the shadows uf the
evening. c,ulI not but reflect on tine vast ex-
Ian-c IT waters that stretched beyond, unbrOkcn
Ly any anI until Pacifc's waves surge against
the frOzcn shores or the Antarctic Continent.
Passing near the lccwaTd shore Of the Island
the Highlands -ubsile,I down into a low. level
plain Of thin sJil, resting cunglomcr,tc
sandstone basis. COMPOSED Of abradcl shells
aud beach -and. And here commenced a wall Df
shingle. apparently perfect If erected hy tile
hand Of mnn--a substantial sc., wall t. protect
the Island from the kona e,llc-. vt a distance
the rocks l0Dk dark and basaltic but they are
blocks Of the same sandstone. thrown up by the
southern storms and daTkencd by cxID-ur,, and
the hydrate of iron, which colors all the soil uf
Niitau. The grass grew luNuriantly over this
low plain and waved ia the trade wind like a half
grown wheat field when played over by the
mer breeze. The shore was winding. and there
several inlentations with fine, sandy b..ic.-,
afor,iins ruad-tead- with gund anchorage.
~ dashed through tile clear waters, and
looked down tile
Coral tree. blow
wherv thu Tsarpie MULTI aud sasi nsh sb'~,7
wc were animated by the sight of two dcyil-fish
Of enormous size, which sportingly Ia--ed between
and tine shore. They were that Capt.
Kinney could not resist the temptation of . shot
at them. 30 he sIattercd away, and the shot
went splttering the water over tile fish, who
glided quite unharIncd and did seem at all
astOnished.
The sun was slowly descending behind a
tain of crimson clouds, when we entered Cooks
IarbOr and east anchor. The little hamlet on
shore appeared to be alive with people. They
crowded the white sandy beach curious and
anxious at the appearance of the Matte as the
natives were when the grea discover anchored in
the same place nearly century ago.
Anxious tread the soil Of the last Island in the
group, we landed and had twilight view Of the
port Of the =. Lords of the Isle There are four
halepiIis and a halcpili warehouse. which consti-
tGte this depot of the trade Of Nihau. The beach is
n sandy eUye-an opening in the sci wall Of shin
glc-the bOat landing good during the prevalence
Of the trade winds, and protected by natural
brcak-watcr Of the cOnglomerate shinglc that runs
out in n point from the northwest of the landing.
From the hamlet, southcastwarl, extends a salt
lagoon forming n low, narrow. sandy peninsula.
\ few sea birds were tapping their wings and
screaming the lagoon a. though they thought
we were intrudcrs ON their domain and wished To-
frightcn away
Native Island produce ON the shore, and
the sharp Kanakas seemed ready for n trade.
Sweet potatoes, onions and pineapplcs were in
abundance and remarkably fine and chsaP-the
best we have seen in Hawaii. There were al-o
those skillfully wrought and Ornamented rush
mats, the manufacture Of which is peculiar To-
Niiiau. They are pliablc and elastic, and made
Of a material that grows nowhere el-e ON the
Islands. We saw some neatly plated and n
pliablc as the hest Panama hats. Like the
American aborigincs, were struck with one
Ornamented with red, and - invested
Night had fairly set in when ruwed on
board. Next morning, daylight found I'll hands
busy constructing raft To- land tine lumber con-
signed To- the Me-~rS. Sinclair, for the puTIs~c Of
making additions 10 their ho-pitablc mansion.
And then the active. stalwart natives were busy
ON shore rolling down the bales of wool and cot
tom the product Of the Island. tO hc shipped ON
board the NsfHe. IL seems the practice, If not
the right. To- demand the icudll service 10y the
lDrI Of tlle manor from the natives still exists,
anil at hi call all the available population come
forth. The natives Of Niihau the best sI.ci-
Of the Hawaiian We have seen bccs,u-c
removed ani at a distance from cOuiamiuating in
fiucnces, ths,y are lri-t corrupted.
After a ha-ty breakfast. sT1rtsmanIikc. We
shoulsrr,i doubls-barrclci gun anil pru,c,,l,d
ON shore tor a ramblc over the I-land-wc went
~ o rc,ie.trian-an humble imitatDr Or Captain
Pirtridsr. With the exception 81 a screaming.
II fl
nothing that looked like the shadow or game
We wandcr,,l up the inclined plans. towards thc
mountain rid-. on the northeast AMI came t.
many natural plantations of pineapple. They
grow everywhere over the leland spontaneously.
and with n, other cultivation than that It nature
they arc the jucic-t and be-t favored # any in
the trJPic-.
We camc very ncHr finding game Fl-sing
through district wicr- the grJ,s- had been burnt
We came acr,-- a nest with n dozen turkey c.,-
in IL. cOmIlctcly roasted by the action or the lire
on the l,rn-- and other vegetation. Immediately
beyond. the pit gus~ green and tall. We
INV the grass move and heard zsuud- familiar To-
hunters II the Wet. Cautiously approaching.
We cooked our gun aui made of something
f,r our game bag. when about sixty turkeys
started up. We ri-ci our gun after the man
ncr m.~t approved ~ sI1rt-mcn and wer- about
to fire. but reflected that thoy might not De- frae
Hafnyae. but the property OF tic Mc--r-. sinclair.
which vc afterwards asccrtaincj to be- the fact.
although they were distant from any human hab-
itatipu.
Ascending gentle hil. surrounded hy natural
plantations ~ pineapple. We came uI"n tvs" tnrk-
"f crpl water. apparently cot out II ~" ha-a'lt
We afterwards a-ccrtain"'I that they were cnllci
the King well- Tie o,cnn nnI I-lnnI view j.
magnificent lrom thi- hill. and it y probable that