The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-06-15
Letter from Kau.

. ONCAStOudi corresponding huOSC lAhOA6 III dAhoJo
acceptable. Maui, which has heretofore been in the
first rank for enterprise, must certainly look to her
laurels, for although she can boast of the first tele-
graph wire on the Islands, and has talked seriously
of a railroad, yet Hawaii has quietly gone to work
aud built one.
KEAIwA, KAU, HAWAII, II. L., !
June 4th, 1878. )
Ny DEAR SHELDoS-I am sorry that you did not
continue your recent excursion, from Kohala TO
Hilo, and thence on through Kau, thus visiting all
the sugar producing lands of Hawaii, some of which
are destined to be very productive, and consequently
remunerative to the owners, if any cheap means of
transportation to safe ports of shipment can be pro-
vided for their produce. You would have been able
on this trip to obtain abundant material for several
interesting newspaper letters, and, from actual
observation, might have seen that a narrow gauge
railroad can be built from Kawaihae to HilO, passing
through or near all the plantations, at a probable
cost of not over one and a half million dollars,
which would in time become a profitable investment,
as the country which it would traverse is the richest
cane land in this group.
But it was chiefly to see this portion OF the
island that l hoped you would make the circuit
by land. kau has so long borne the reputation of
"a dry and thirsty land" that it will be difficult
to persuade some people that it is not SO still, or
to convince them that the forest belt around this
island, (fom 1000 to 1000 feet above the sea), is
A VAST RESERVOIR OF WATER, with perennial
springs Astounding in many parts of it, which only
need to be found and the water led down, to fur
nisn ample supplies. The Commission to De-
velope the Resources" should have investigated
this important subject on each of the islands, and
not have left it for accidental discovery, or for
,rT-ntn. |ar--.- =
Until quite recently, only two considerable
springs were known to foreign residents living in
this district-one called the 'Mud-fow Spring "
near Kapapala, and the other, the well-known
- Shining Water . of Waiohinu, which, from time
immemorial, have supplied the people of these
sections with water. Recent search has brought
to light five large springs near Keaiwa, seven near
Hilea, (where C. n. Spencer, & Co. are located),
and two large springs back of Waiohinu; one of
which now pours It's cool stream into the Naalehu
Sugar Mill, and may yet serve to fume down the
cane from the fields to the mill. The FIVE noun
tain springs back Of Keaiwa are very valuable, and
are thought to be capable of supplying 5000
barrels, 100000 gallons,) each twenty-fOur hours,
if all the water discharged is secured. These are
but the beginning of what will yet be discovered,
as new ones are found every month. Indeed, no
one can witness the quantity of pure fresh water
boiling out from under the rocks near the sea-
shore at Punaluu, without being convinced that
many large streams flow underground into the sea
in this district. which, were the soil and rocks
less porous, would flow above. 1t is not impro-
bable that some of these may yet be tapped on
the mountain slopes, and be made to serve for
irrigation purposes. Sufficient have already been
found to serve the wants of the inhabitants and
animals in the dryest years, and hereafter there can
be no complaint of want of water for man or
beast in this district.
1t was to observe and note these interesting dis
coveries that L wished you had come through this
district. 1t would do you good, and it is so re-
freshing in a hot day to see a powerful stream of
clear, cold mountain water, pouring from two and
three inch. iron pipes, to supply the new sugar
mill, soon to be erected, and the village which has
sprung up around its site. This water is brought
in iron pipes a distance of over four miles. and
has IA fall of over 1000 feet. and the quantity dis
charged must exceed 1000 barrels or co, 900 gal
Ions per day, full half Of which now runs to
waste, and this during the dryest season ever
known in Kau.
Then L would have taken you to witness the
building of the first railroad on these islands!
from the port of Punaluu to the village of Keaiwa,
a distance of about five miles. The road is being
graded, and a temporary track has been laid over
It's nrSt section, the rugged al lava stream. and
freight cars are now running almost hourly from
the beach as far as the track is laid, a distance of
about one mile, carrying lumber and other freight
up from the landing towards the village, OK carts
or wagons taking it from the shifting terminus,
and conveying it on to its destination. Within sixty
days. heavy steel rails will be laid, and soon after
the locomotive will be at work conveying ma
chinery, lumber and passengers to and fro. All
this is in the very near future. but a few weeks
distant and the enterprising company, which
have pushed the work along, so quietly and so
rapidly. most certainly deserve credit for their
energy in pioneer railrOading.
The new Naalehu Sugar Mill ut Waiohinu is
working admirably, and turning out some of the
prettiest sugar ever made on these islands. Its
capacity is eight to ten tons per day. and it is said
that more cane is standing in the fields around it
than can be ground by it in two years. notwith-
standing that the severe drought of last year
checked its growth, but has not injured the quality
of the juice. The yield of Mr.. Martins small
patch of cane, lately referred to in your paper.
was q tons Of sugar 5000 pounds) from one
third of an acre. (nOt One-quarter of an acre as
stately This was an exceptional yield, at the
rate OF u tons of sugar per acre, and shows what
kau can do. The same plantation. some years
since, took off sixty tons (l20,00O lbs) Of sugar
from eleven and a half acres of cane or nearly
five and u quarter tons (l0.435 lbs.) per acre,
which is probably the best yield yet obtained from
the same area of land, on these islands. though
smaller tracts have turned out larger. If any
one has beaten this, l wish you would publish the
figures, as Hamakua. Hilo and Kau have entered
into u laudable strife. to show which possesses the
best land and the best men to work ii.