The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-01-18
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser
Our Island Correspondence.
KAALs MOUNTAINS, January, 1868.
Ride to Eva.

The Mona had sung the tirtre OF tne otu year,
and feeble effort Of the returning trade wind was
banking the clouds over the ver,lant mountains 10
the northeast Of Honolulu, when We gallOpcd out
Of King Street the excellent road that leads in
the direction OF Eva This il decidedly the best
highway leading from Honolulu, ~ far a. the ka-
Ihi briIse. Ii il maeadamized with coral broad
graded, convex enough for the water To aow To
either side, and II compact and durable lt II the
uo.sl from which all the streets in the city should
be Grned- They are now graded and filed with
the black volcanic sand, which ~ 80 light IN its
nature, that when tbe weather is dry, the winds
to-s IL about, and when the rain comes. it y
washed into the harb0r, filing it up and leaving
yawning and dangerous gullies tc be repaired with
the sime material IL causes double labor and
EXPENSE IL creates the necessity Of cleaning out
and drcsiging the harbor; it keeps hands eOn-
stlntIy employed exelvating and digging the vol
c=.nic material under the Devils PunchbOwl, ere
ating great ehasms and dizfguring the suburbs;
il keeps n train Of wagons and carts almost con-
tinuously employed in hauling the material To re-
pair the streets thus occasioning great labor and
expense, without any corresponding benefit and
without improving rhe streets IL would be tar
more economical to procure the coral from the
reef and maesltamze the streets ut once IL would
make them cIerner. more durable and prevent that
constant filing Of the harbor, which promises to
be at no distant day like that Of ancient Jafia,
which il now covered by the gardens and olive
orchards Of the Syrian Turks When will our
authorities wake tn economy and reforn7 We
would here suggest that the sharp angular dust OF
the black sand IS for the eyes than the coral
dust end by repairing the streets with coral, one
serious inconvenience would be removed
Our companion III. was an intelligent gentle
man, born and educated In the Islands, familiar
with the manners, customs, history and legendary
lore Of the people As we rode along, we enjoyed
she prospect and improvements which were per-
ceptbe in the environs of Honolulu, except in he
grounds Of the ReforHaatory School at kaIalama-
On either side Of the ruad neat cottages, many
Of them new and substantial, with adjoining gar
dens oruaIHeuted with thrifty young shade trees-
The situation as far out rs Kalihi, and even be-
yond is very beautiful for private residences, and
the ocean and mountain view cannot be surpassed
in the vicinity. \ fresh breeze Is always playing
down from the mountain valleys or from the sea,
and the climate is healthful and inyigorating.
BEYOND Kalihi, the cactus and yellOw-howered
mmosa, which filed the air with its delicious fra
g7aner reminded us of the table lanes Of Mexico.
Descending hill which was the terminus Of an
ancient volcanic CT tuEa, we entered the
romantic valley of MoansIlua- The bright waters
we're murmuring over n pebbiy bed between green
and fertile banks where there were some evidences
Of cultivation. Our road wound up this valley
Er some distance, past substantial farm-hou-e-,
quietly nestled between the hills, where We left
the valley menndering away with Areadian beauty
among the green wooded mountains To the right,
and assembled volcanic ridge On the summit Of
the ridge % the left were several piles Of stone
rising like rude Obelisks, that surrounded
with superstitious traditions Of the past. They
mark the descent, the jumping OF place, to Ka-
papaIolea, the Internal regions Of Oahu We
lode To the summit of the ridge below the weird
piles, and stood ON the cheer brink Of preeipicc
several hundred feet in elevation that overlooked
che
Hawaiian Lake Avernas-
Far below, aving the base OF the dark volcanic
elf, IN the cavern OF an extinct crater. gloomy
lake was sleeping in green meadow pa-tured by
cattle, and We glzed the diminished forms Of
the herd, We were forcibly reminded OF Shak--
peare's description OF the Dover cliff in kim Lear:
"Camc Sir here. the piaes stlni stfos asrai
And dizxy 'tiS o. ca-t ONES Eyes so Inv
Tae crows. AMI shoas.- ,hss Win. m midway air,
TIE n-hgrursn, thaf walk gIaa tn b-arh,
sgDs1s M N ",sss % , aa 900 % ~; Ma aHSass.ax % bark
4%o.t e., 'aI.a Sc ..ss's I'M s,af%sfnE surg
caanat b. Eratr'i 80 high
As dark cloud swept over the scene, il gave it
that impress OF and grandeur that created in
the Hawaiian mind the idea Of it, being the place
OF descent to the regions Of the dead One Of the
native legends bears a striking siBilitude To the
Greek story Of Orpheus descending into fiades for
has in.s nymph Earydice. An enamored youth in
nses long past Ioet the lady Of his love, aDd he
determined b. seek her among the shadows Of the
dead lie made the descent, found the shade Of
his beloved, and was more successful than Or
pheus for by trick he ogtwitted NriIu the prince
OF the realm OF darkness, and returned TO the
upper worId with her spirit. which was restored
TO her body, and they lived life Of bIiss in the
Eden Of the Islands. The Hawaiian idea OF the
Immortality Of the soul, before the intercourse
with che Europeans, was more brilliant and spir-
ituai than that Of the Jews, and most Of the civ
ilized nations Of antiquity before the Christian
era. But We will treat Of this subject hereafter
and Of the pr0cesAoH Of The deGd and other illus
tratOns Of their doctrine Of future state, which
we have no where 1een published
The Hawaiian Ayernus il n fresh water lake
but beyond il TO the southeast al-o in the crater
OF an extinct volcano, the sea, il n larger
lake Of salt water, called KcaIa, which IL il said
rises and falls with the tide, showing subterra-
mean oceanic connection. The view above these
lakes from the ridge il beautiful, extending over
mountain, vale and ocean, Away 10 the west and
northwest extended the green unduiating and
wide plain Of Eva, bounded by the Kaala or War
anae range of mountains, over which was spread
agps-amer veil Of clouds, which gave -oftentd