The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-04-15

their sides. and served 10 sioye a supply that was
at once abundant and never failing.
Upon ,his subject, 1t l. relevant to repeat
to-day the statement which has frequently been
made in these columns in the Iost, that tie
upper part Of the valley, from whence tie stream
Issues, and through which it flows, has long been
appropriated as a PASTURE for cattle and thus,
while by this means our supply has been rem
dered very impure, it has also been rendered
short, for it is well established that cattle are the
most destructive animals known when allowed 10
browse among young shrubbery; and no man of
sense can deny that If the forests are thus
destroyed, there will be a corresponding decrease
10 tie supply Of springs. The memory OF
Nuuauu valley az i; was a few years since, con-
trasted with Nuuanu valley as it is to-day, is
alone sufficient evidence OF the truth Of what has
been said. Upon the subject of this cow-pasture
and its manure, thesoluble parts Of which must find
their way to our drinking water, much has before
been said in these columns which perhaps it
would be useless to repeat suffice it to say that
government, after making a slight stir in the
matter, mysteriousIy dropped the whole affair,
and the COWS, like the tabled pigs of Saint
Anthony, are allowed still to do as they please,
even LLOuSu VIC fpASE Il NhSl GdtAoh oaiAt A"S
never been heard to interfere in their behalf.
Sometime since, the government thinking 1t
advisable TO do away with this cattle-run IN the
valley. entered into negotiations with the owners
to purchase their right and title to the same,
and Messrs. G.. j. Lyons, j. Montgomery, and
j. /. Dowsett were nominated by government TO
appraise it's value. The value was set, by these
gentlemen. at between eight thousand and ten
thousand dollars, while the figures were placed
by the owners at sixteen thousand dollars. But
the Court set aside the appraisement of the
Commissioners on the ground that the Crown
Commissioners had not been consulted in the
matter, the land belonging mostly to the Royal
Domain. Better would it have been to have
given the full amount asked by the owners than
to have higgled about so small n matter when so
much was at stake.
There should be a systematic effort made by
government to secure this land, turn the cattle
off, and have it planted with trees, as in no other
way can we look forward to a sufficient filling of
the Nuuanu stream once more and as things are
now going on, our water supply must grow more
filthy and more precarious than ever.
In regard to the feasibility of procuring water
from the valley of Manoa, we are not possessed
of sufficient data to form a definite opinion; but
understand that it is not looked upon with dis
favor by our government surveyors. 1t would,
doubtless, at first be an expensive job; but would
probably prove remunerative in the end. In this
valley too is plainly visible the immense detri-
ment to the forests and water supply that cattle
pasturing everywhere brings with it, but still the
supply is abundant, and many cubic feet of water
are daily swept usclessly thence into the sea
which might be utilized in fertilizing the plains
below.