Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-04-20

as laboriously as any maintained the decorum
of his profession by being clad. But he with
the rest plunged into the water as the lumber
was towed by canoes near the beach, and with
much shouting, (for in any such work the
natives find nsise as essential as muscle) the
material was piled up on the shore. On some
future day they would come together to help
build the church. Having little or no money
this is the way they make their contributions
to public works.
A native school in progress near by pre-
scented a curious scene. The school house, II
house il could be called, consisted OF four
lava walls built of loose stones and surmount-
ed by. q grass roof whose wide rents would
have given fair opportunity for the study of
the heavens without going outside. OF furni-
ture there was not single article, neither
chair, desk, nor table. The scholars sat
tain seats, by placing one stone upon another.
There were nearly thirty boys and girls,
whose attire was of the most simple descrip-
ton, consisting in the case of the former of
only shirt. The master seemed much
pleased with the visit of foreigners, and forth
with called up to the blackboard one of his
"show scholars" who, with the peculiar tone
characteristic of an exhibition, proceeded to
display his skill in figures. Our vocabulary
did not allow of very extended praise, but we
made out to have the performers understand
that we were satisfied if not astonished.
The days ride found an early termination
at the house of hospitable farmer, or herds
man rather, whose neat grass house afforded
welcome rest and refreshment. In the vicini-
ty were some spots of interest. The top of
hill near by was the site of an ancient heiau
or heather temple. Their structure among
the Hswaiians were of a very simple charac-
ter, being little more than large enclosures
formed by stone walls, with the inner space
divided off and provided with rude affairs and
shrines fer images. In the present case the
top of the hill seemed to have been leveled off
and q wall made with unusual care of hewn
stone, some of which still remained in posi-
ton. The hill was high and almost precipi-
tous, seeming itself like huge altar thrown
up in the midst of the plain. Imagination
was naturally stimulated to picture the scene
in ancient times when the spot was thronged
with savage men gathered to perform the wild
and often bloody rites of heathenism. Now
. cluster OF cocoanut trees wave their grace
full tops over the spot, and from among them
the visitor looks upon . land marked with the
emblems of christian civilization. In the same
neighborhood, are he warm pools of Puma,
objects of local fame One of them is an
open body of water occupying slight de-
preston in the earth few square yards in
extent. The water maintains a constant tenn
perature of perhaps sixty degrees, and is of so
transparent clearness that depth of eighteen
feet permits the smallest objects to be seen as
plainly as if held in the hand. The other
pool is half mile distant To examine this
the visitor enters small arched opening in
ridge Of rock, and holding torch or can
die in his hand feels his way down a rough
inclined way, very narrow, and bounded by
. precipice OIL one side. At a depth of
about sixty feet, water is found filling the
cleft of the rock of temperature equal to
blood heat. How far this subterranean pool ex-
tendsis unknown. The natives have explored
itby swimming for half mile without reaching
the end. The superstitious fears that rule them
prevent them from going farther. They think
they may be intruding upon the abode of some
spirit who will punish their audacity by swal-
lowing them up. This water is heated by the
same fires which rage in the volcano and
doubtless underlie at short distance the whole
of the Island
The concluding portion of this tour brought
to view some localities rich in the proflse and
varied verdure of the tropics. At one place
cocoanut, the bread fruit, pine apple and ba-
mana were all to be seen growing wild in the
space of few yards. But the traveller from
other lands is struck with the silence of these
Hawaiian woods. The sound of bird seldom
meets the ear, and the only living thing seen
is the beautiful and harmless little lizard with
which the wayside stones seem almost alive
The sight of Hello bay and the beautiful
little village on its border was doubly pleasing
after the scenes of solitude and desolation
through which much of the tour had been
made. Here in view of the blue waters spark
ling under tropical sun, your correspondent
takes leave of his patient readers and ends
his notes of travel in the Hawaiian kingdom.
c. &. NJ.
RAILROAD MATTERS.
The Portland correspondent of the Boston
journal says the Boston and Maine Railroad
extension from South Berwick to Portland is