Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-07-20
SANDWICH ISLAND MYSTERIES.
Caves fm Hawaii Frozen Lake iis tn
G'ropics-The Stone Adzes Of tme Ma


| Cayest Ina TEavafi-k Frozen Lake In fhe
| q'ropics-The Stone Adzes of tm me Ma
| tives.
DR.. Beraiz, German naturalist who is
visiting the Sandwich Islands, thus deg-
cribes what he saw on the top of Mauna
| Kea:
On our ascent to the top of Mauna Kea
we visited the little lake OF Waiau, situated
at an angle of II, 900 feet, Ill a depression
! formed by the numerous snow-coyered
| peaks of the mountains The lake was COW
| cred over with crust Of ice two or three
| inches thick, but not strong enough to
skate upon. To find ice in these tropics
strikes the traveller with surprise, and here
| we feel inclined to play with il like chill
dren. About mile below that we found q
large cave, ,Ewhere the Hawaaiins in olden
| times manufactured their stone implements
for cutting down trees and excavating
canoes. On our second visit to these
noun tain regions, we discovered q number
of caves all formerly used for similar pur-
| poses. These caves Wero undoubtedly iu-
| habited in former days. In overy
one we found fire place near the entrance,
| showing that the hands OF men had COM
| pleted what nature had left unfinished.
Where the natural entrance to the cave was
too large, we found rocks piled up like
wall. and fissures and openings between
them filed up with chips and small stones.
In other caves again where the entrance
proved too steep or too rough TO be COM
Portable, there flat stones had been placed
Ike steps, down which we descended into
these little mountain habitations. This
part of the mountain-Where these caves
and duarries from which the material for
the adze manufacture was procured are
situated-is destitute Of vegetation. On
examining the interior of the caves, we
found pieces of kaba of various texture
and color; bones of dogs and pigs, cocoa
nut shells, banana-stems, pieces of AVA
root, and sugar-cane, old meats, fire.
wood, and heaps of Opihi shells.
Outside of the caves, the ready-made
stone adzes We're piled up in large
heaps on both sides Of the entrance. The
most striking thing of this stone-adze
manufacture and which at the same time
gives US somewhat of an idea of the extent
to which it was carried on, the number of
ages during which il was continued, and
the amount OF people working constantly
ut it-are the large mounds of little chips,
thin and sharply pointed, in front of every
cave, 20 to 80 feet in height and thick
ness. In fact, these wonderful mounds,
visible for some distance, led to the discov-
cry of the other caves. 1t is only q short
time since the "stOne age" of these lands
closed, and the first iron tools and metal
instruments were imported by foreigners.
Until then the Hawaiians worked like the
aboriginees of other parts OF the World,
and, like our own Indo- German fathers
with stone implements. Flint arrow-heads
and spear-heads, stone knives and war
clubs are found in Europe and Africa,
sometimes buried deep in the ground with
human bones and those of extinct animals
The more peaceful Hawaiians had only
stone adzes.
FIGHTING SWALLOWS. Recently farmer
named Ossmere, residing in Greenfield, |
Mich, concluded that he would rid his
barn of about hpndled nests made by |
swallows under the eayes. and for the |
purpose put up and mounted long lad
der. There were only dozen birds about |
when the farmer commenced at the nests, |
but he had scarcely tore one down before
The few set up such n twittering as soon
brought to the spot every bird from the
barns of the whole neighborhood. They
flew around Ossmere's head, utteiing notes
of displeasure, and at last the whole cloud
settled upon him, screaming, picking, and
as if determined to dig his
eyes out. The ladder did not stand very
securely, and, as the farmer raised his
hand to fight off his tormentors, his sup
port slipped and fell, carrying him to the
ground, the fall breaking a rib, and giving |
him some severe bruises. The birds re- |
manned about the spot until seemingly con-
vinced that their abodes were safe, when |
the flock scattered.