The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-11-09
A SEASIDE RETREAT IN THE
PACIFIC.
BY WILLIAM r. BLISS.

clOthes, mosquitoes and solitude, at odd
times Of the year. II is not as gay a
place as Long Branch, although the
President-that is, tho Kiug-has a
cottage here. The principal excitements
are caused by the activity Of tho insect
tribes and the occasional fall OF a coco
anut. But, for the wearied duellcr in
Honolulu, to whose year there comes 10
change Of seasons, fashions or faces,
Waikiki is somewhere TO 60" Dur
ing the monotonous round OF his days
10 the city, every friend, neighbor and
acquaintance has been measured, weigh.
ed, appraised and set in place on the
social scale always remaining there,
the same 10 him aud to each other.
Like some established medicines, they
promise to be good for all time. There
fore, as a change, he goes to waikiki,
now aud then, to enjoy nature aud the
natives Let US also go
1t is ride Of three or four miles
Leaving the city on the eastern side.
by King street, we pass the great coral
meeting house, built by native labor 40
long ago that it is now much too large
Tor It's uses. Near BY is ueighbor
hood whose broad street, white houses.
stoue walls, swinging gates aud old
shade trees, remind me Of New Eug
land village. These large, arching al
gerobas are sufficiently suggestive oi
elms TO complete the delusiou, IIore
was the first mis- s.ionary settlement in
Honolulu. Hence it's pleasant New
England complexion
Now We enter upon hard, level
road, where we can try the speed OF our
horse Ga the right We pass the hand
soonest tree on the island, "A huge ml
maui, or tamani tree, called, also, the
umbrella tree, Il native Of Tahiti, exten
ding its shade over half an acre. At
this season its large, isolated leaves are
both scarlet aud green. beyond, over
u grassy fat, we see the ocean, aud an
American whaleship, her maintopsail
sback, waiting for pilot. On the left
are the plains OF Kulaokahun, from
which rise the volcanic hills aud noun
tains, in whose variety Of form aud color
there is always something to admire
These mountains, throwing out spurs
toward the sea, divide the lowlands into
valleys which are not dcpressions be
tween submits, but are, rather, amphi.
thcaters, rising away from the plains,
~heIo the svrnuTy shinS daily fro,a
showers to raiubows, and then to long
cascades falling and pouring down the
wooded cliffs A branch Of our road,
passing the school Of Puuahou u-osten
tatiousIy called a college-climbs up
into one Of these beautiful amphthcl.
tres-the Manoa yalley-whcrc it is
lost iu the grass Of feuceless fields.
Al,era brisk trot Of ten minutes, We
turn to the right, direct for the shore;
and, wheeling around the corner, en-.
counter 4 native woman 4 straddlc of
strong minded pony, not disposed to 20
way. Out Of her gibberish We catch
the word piiikia, which tells US th,t she
is in "a peck Of troubles" We eau
give her only our sympathy, and the
pony cut OF our whip, which starts
him spinning toward lionolula Here
about is ueighborhood OF white cot
tages, within white fences, inhabited by
white people, pleasantly shaded by trees
The crimson flowers of the China hibis
Gus, the reddening leaves Of the mango,
and the brown lomeuts Of the tapariud
make attractive contrasts to tho green
foliage The road, now crossiug
stretch Of level fields, is occupied By
pigs Of every color except white, appar
emily going, like ourselves, to waikiki.
They swing their straight tasseicl tails
with su much energy as to worry our
horse, who never saw suoh p 20 at his
own home IN California. FIT compan
Ious to them are their owners natives,
on whose civilization the era of trowsers
has not yet dawued After the pigs,
We come to the Kings poi factory, where
poi Is ground out by the quantity for
the subjects vi his majesty to lick IRON
their hngers, as they squat around musiy
calabashcs, at their social dluner parties
Near b., under the cocoauut trees, Is
the Kings brown cottage. The royal
standard is flying from fla staff on
the lawn, rejecting lts red, white aud
blue stripes in tho large silvered globe,
emblematic of dominion, pcrched gu u
tripod below it. Ia the verauda sits
his ma esty, alone; while little way of,
before him, dozen native women,
chatteriug, in calico gowns, lie on their
bellies In PROSTATE alteration Of their
King.
What strange thugs these cocosnut
trees are, casting their shadows far
away; never showing any signs oi growth;
always standing here, in silence, the
same long, crooked, wriukled, cyliudri
cal stems, crowned with pIumy tufts.
They lean and curve aud point upward
from every direction When riding
towards them ut sunset, the gray hunks
invisible in the dimness, their plumy
tops have appeared to me as clouds in
the evening sky. Under these trees
are few grass huts and wooden shan
ties, occupied by natives; and under
them, also, straggles the line of cottages
which IL waikiki. The architecture OF
these is of the sudden, spasmodic style,
indicating daily diversities o. mind 10
the same individual. They stand SO
near to the shore that the front door is
necessarily on the back side, which our
carriage must approach by wandering
by.road. From the southern veraudas
extends long, broad porch, made OF
reeds woven upon frame, which shuts
out the glare thrown up by the sun from
the sea. But il cagnot shut ont the