The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-03-02

@@ SNH~+ 1880 N@r N'~~ -
a very great variety Of trees, which produce no
fruit, and for which / have no names. With
their luXuriant and evergreen foliage, pendant
from their wIde-spreading branches, the travel
or can roam IN every direction, at hs Will, IN ma
lures park, over a ground which Is carIeted with
an endless variety OF flowers, plants and shrubs.
Rice, ginger, tumeric, ttrD. yams, MELONS,
pumpkins. peas, beans, radIshe=, turnips, pars-
nip-, beeCs, cabbages, tomatoes, spinach, egg
plant, mustard, vinegar plant, iettice, caulihOwer,
~cucumbers, olives, asparagus, red and black
pepper strawberries, pine apples, onions and
carrots, and in fact all kinds Of vegetables and
garden products grow IN abundance and perfec-
ton. Two crops of corn are grown in d wear,
equal 20 the best in Mexico or Illinois. Also,
the Il plant, which IL a vegetable with n root
many times larger than our California beets, and
containing ten times the amount OF saccharine
matter that is found in the beet, from which the
natives supply themselves with sugar and mo-
lasses, by baking in an oven. The purest liquor
Is made from this same root, which grows to the
size Of a mans body in many instances, and is
also eaten by the natives, and is very palatable
when hot. Sweet potatoes are abundant and
very fine. The Irish potato - said to thrive in
the uplands Of SavaIi but Professor Wood says
the third generation or crop is be found only
~amalgamated into the sweet potato.
The coffee tree at three years old was found
seven feet high, with strong outspreadlng branches
and in a most healthy condition, unlike the
coffee tree Of Central America, Mexico, Brazil,
and most other parts Of the world, where it is 10
be found only growing beneath the shade of
trees which have been planted in rows for the
purpose, and have required from four to seven
years to arrive at the proper height and condition
to protect the coffee tree, which in many instances
requires eight years to arrive at full maturity.
Here 1t Is found growing like that Of Mocha, in
the sun thriving best, like the Mocha, III the
uplands 10 an altitude of 1000 feet, giving at the
early age of three years fifteen pounds of a small
round bean, equal in flavor to that of Mocha,
RruvIl nF Lava tf n aluapsf gnnp0zsiIIa 70 do
scribe the beauties of a coffee estate, with its
verdant foliage, filled with Jewels or dew drops of
the deepest red. 1000, 900 600 lbs. of these
most delicious beans are consumed annually, as
the richest beverage the human family are heir to.
Cotton equals In point Of texture and staple
the best Sea Island cotton in the world, being
snow white and silky.
Sugar cane is abundant and of superior quality,
but only used by the natives in it's natural state.
All the above named products are indigenous
to the soil. Besides these there are a great
many others, for which | have no name, but all
of which flourish with extraordinary vigOr, and /
am told by the best authority, that all kinds of
seeds that have been received at these islands
from various parts of the world have invariably
hOurlshed In the most satisfactory manner.
Birds are not so numerous still the forests in
some places are filled with warblers. The wild
dove is abundant, and with the wild duck, consti-
tute daily food for the people. A very rare spe-
cles OF bird IS found in the woods, a pair of which
sold in Sydney for $3.50.
There are no venemOus reptiles or wild animals
that [ know of. Fish are in great abundance,
and among the sea fish may be seen the mullet
leaping out of the water in whole schools; and in
the rivers and lakes are Il variety of fish and cells
of enormous sizes.
l know of no island in the world oe equal di-
mansions so well watered as that of Upolu, with
Its numerous rivers and waterfalls. Brooks
which are supplied from never failing springs of
pure cool crystal waters, are to be met at short
distances in all directions, and together with a
lake of fresh water, situated at the summit of
the highest ridge of land, surrounded with n
scenery which with that of the surrounding land
scape is unsurpassed, and may be Justly classed
among the most picturesque and beautiful that is
to be met with in any part of the world. In fact
the whole surface Of this island is beautifully di-
yersifed with valleys, plains and irregular hills
the whole of which is covered with shrubs of
various kinds and trees of perpetual verdure. 1t
is here that the wandcrer may enjoy the pure air,
and truly Paradisiacal scenery which surrounds
him.
They may talk of Italian skies and Sicilian
shrubbcry no island or coast III or around the
Mediterranean Sea can rival this island in salu-
brity of climate, fertility Of soil or beauty Of
scenery. Its air is deliciOusly balmy, its shrub
berry luxuriant. Health and beauty here revel
together. Nature is dressed in ever changing but
never fading charms, and her sunny smiles are
ever reflected from the human countenance. From
the dawn of day until some time after sunrise, the
hlBo- pau iii VI IuIhtN, L tI6ld VI HI lHt
East is fully realized. Every leaf and flower and
spray and blade of grass is gemmed with dew
drops of extraordinary learness and purity, which
have imbibed SD much of the vegetable fragrance,
that when they begin to exhale in the increasing
warmth of the solar rays, the whole atmosphere
is filled with the most delightful perfumes, and
every passing zephyr scatters grateful odors from
its wings. This is the hour for healthful recrea-
ton the ~by-paths are now crowded with eques-
TRANS of both sex, while the fields, meadows,
lawns, hills and valleys are sprinkled with peo-
in groups, others in pairs, and many
in contemplative solitude. But wheu the sun has
a somewhat higher altitude and the strag-
glers begin 10 feel the potency Of his beams, they
all repair To their dwellings with keenly sharp
ened a%ppetitcs for the luxuriant breakfast that
awaits them.
In pcrsuing the pathway that led to the
highest eminence in this part of the island, in
which Is situated the lake to which | have referred
above, we found it no easy task to scale the little
precipices, which we found in some parts of this
romantic avenue that led through a forest of
trees, the outrageous foliage Of which,
uniting above, screenes it from the iervid rays of
tropical sun, and wells it in cool pensiye con-
templatIve glOOms. The birds carOlled sweetly
in the branches above our heads, and after Il
atIGuing ascent OF more than half Il day, we at
reached the summit, when a prospect sud-
denly opened upon our enraptured view, which
amply repaid us for all our previous labOrs. 1t
without exception the most romantic and
beautifully variegated that l ever beheld. No
painter could do it Justice it must be seen in all
the living, breathing, moving colors Of nature 10
be duly appreciated. No pen can accurately de-
scribe it; yet | shall attempt to convey a faint
idea OF ITS outlines. Standing on the highest pin
nacle, with nothing to interrupt my vision in any
my first attention was directed to a
most lovely lake, with its limpId waters, and
woOd-f-inged borders, which lay basking in the
liie-giying sun-beams. at my very feet. | next
turned to the west; there lay the lovely island of
Slvaii, with its cloud-capped mountains of t 200
feet, the highest in the group. with It's extensive
verdant plains and luxuridnt valleys. Here the
ranges with delight over a fertile champaign,
with thriving plantations Of bananas,
cocJnuts and other trees and garden shrubberv,
mil n $500 tEn ri.trr...,n .LnrnnI g -