The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-08-28
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Around East Maui.
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE


-, Mani as most Of our readers are aware,
D. vast mountain cone, about thirty miles in
-,.,.r at the base, rising gradually on all sides
ta,bs of n. .2I7 feet above the sea. At the
-, og this mountain cone is the crater of
,s-r-,t,In- said to be the largest in the world
-, Dscer been surveyed, even by Wilkes ex-
-I:,;or. and the scientific gentlemen connected
~ :, satisfied themselves with simply estimat-
=. "A. length, breadth and depth. OF these and
H. seatures OF this great natural wonder we
'sa1 have more To say in another letter, describ-
80. enc view from the summit
L srS;. maintain, which has circumference ut
u .bo-r Of about 90 miles, il divided into eight
,,;.,r;ct. commencing with that of kula, which
Ia. opposite the sandy isthmus connecting East
,,d West Maui. Then comes HonuauIa, IN
which the Makee Plantation is located, then Ka-
bikinui. Kaupo, Kipahulu. Hama, Koolau, and
Iuruakua. the latter joining the Kula district.
Each extends from eight to fifteen miles along
The shore, gradually narrowing as it approaches
,be summit The characteristic features OF these
districts may be briefly stated Kula consists
generally Of deep soil, except near the shore,
where il is stony. It has no streams, seldom
min, and is so dry that it has not attracted much
popuation. In fact, it Is becoming gradually
depopuIated and n traveller can now 60 for miles
through the district without meeting q dwelling
orany sfsn Of Life.
IIonuauIa district has n soft rich soil, and is
more favored with rains and moisture. Between
the elevation OF two and four thousand feet, it
possesses some OF the most productive soil on the
group. KahikinuI district, adjoining the above,
is for the most part dry, rocky, and fit only for
grazing Kaupo and Kipahulu districts are more
favored with rains, but are too stony to allow OF
cultivation with the plow and harrow. In Hama
the soil is generally good, and plowable, though
sections OF stony land are found in it. Showers
are frequent here, and vegetation in consequence
very rank The Koolau district consists Of little
else than dense forests from the summit to the
shore, while in Eamakua, forests and rolling
pasture lands alternate, Offering better field for
cultivation Both these districts well watered
with abundant rains and permanent streams.
But the entire absence of good roads and harbors
nss prevent the Development Of any important
Industrial enterprises Excepting the little har-
bors Of NIaliko and Fana, there is not saie
anchorage from Kahului around to Makena, un-
less in very still weather, when schoouers may
points ulong the coast
The Start for Hama.
Leaving the hospitnbIe mansion Of Captain
sakee, whose gardens, cane-6elds and groves Of
young trees have tor months been suffering f1r
want Of rain, we started ON the 1lth, with good
mules over the lonely road TO Hama. The trade
winds were blowing, is usual in this section,
fresh and strong, compelling to reef in every
thing likely to be torn away by the frequent
gusts. For thirty miles, with little or no varia-
ton, the road leads over n dry and rocky track,
up and down, through hot ravines or along the
snyelly beach, Reaching kaupo district, we
ind village Of the same name with several hun
dred inhabitants, and two small churches, Roman
Catholic and Protestant. Just back OF this vii
lagc il one OF the two noted ruptures in the sides
OF the great crater of Haleakala- IL looks pre-
lcisely rs it when the crater bowl was filed with
molten lava, this side had broken away, causing
Ian opening one-third of n mile in width, with
tseep precipices on each side, 500 1000 feet
1high, almost perpendicular. The very track o.
the lava stream it rushed through this opening
Ian be traced, by the frequent ridges, spreading
put below and beyord it in the form Of n delta
The general course Of the lava stream, although
t is now covered with grass and shrubbery, is n
Instinct though the eruption took place re
Eently. When it occurred there Is no means o
psertaining, even can we gather, by nativ,
ndition otherwise, any facts to establish 4
ate when the latest erupsions on this island tool
place. The lava stream below UIupalakua look
po-day fresh does that OF the eruption o
Qsj9 on Hawaii, and ye- it is beyond th'
bemory or the tradition Of the natives.
Mountain Scenery.
From Kaupo the scenery becomes more varie,
md interesting, the ravines deeper, and the pah
kr precipices more formidable. There are fou
oeep valleys between the villages Of Kaupo ant
kipahulu-two Of which are specially noticeable
Inc for having its steep precipices covere'
throughout its length and breadth with scarcely
Fee but the LauhaLa or screw-pine. From tl
bps Of the ravine to its bottom there is nothin,
be seen but one dense mass of these trees
ksing one above the other in the most beautifu
kmmetry possible The other valley, called b,
be natives Wailua, is one of the most pictur
que that can possibly be imagined As th,
ayeler turns the cliff to descend from the Kaup,
lie, the whole valley opens before him, with it
20 streams, three silver white waterfalls, an,
iiage Of endless variety. The precipices ar
re perfectly perpendicular, and covered will
20 dangling from the cliffs several hundret
Gown to the swift and roaring streams
heh rush through the valley from the noun
n summit.
TIVE Bridges
fVe just been completed over the worst of tn
'antain streams in this district, one on eac
pe OF the village of Kipahulu- They are plail
pa serviceable, but show the same lack Of goo.
enent IN their erection, that is noticeable il
many OF our public works. The fault her
In the foundation, which consists of smal
We stones, piled up on the solid rock. Her
the very best natural foundation that coul
been sought for, and had the stone work
essary to raise it to grade, been laid il
nent and made as firm as the rock below, /