The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-10-25
Notes by the Way.
HONOTrTu OpI


To the Editor Of the Pr -. %. 1879.
DEAR SIP ucyfc Commercial Advertiser:
waii Having been on the Island of Ha-
ON business. and again on a tour of business
and pleasure combined. and taken some " Notes
by the way with regard to the beauty of its
scenery. natural resources, &c, and thinking they
may not prove unacceptable to at least a portion
Of the readers of your valuable paper. transcribe
them for their information, and should they be at
all interesting to any of them l shall deem myself
amply rewarded.
Hawaii, to commence with. is of all the Islands
of the groupe in the Hawaiian Kingdom simply
and verify. the veritable land Of the Sugar Planter.
chiefly owing to the frequent rains and the adapta-
bility Of the soil to the growth of the staple COM
modify.
On arriving at Mahukona from Honolulu. l was
rather unfavorably struck. by the %fOrbiding aspect
and extreme barrenness and aridity of the soil {;
but on proceeding only a few miles into the inte-
rior, aDd reaching Kohala, it did not appear posi-
BILE that such a seeming Indianapolis. and remark
able contrast, could in such a short distance exist
instead of the exceedingly bleak aspect. peculiar
to the landing at Mahukona, which l have already
attempted to describe, we suddenly emerged into
the very ne plus ultra OF sugar growing lands
where everything the eye rests on is green, save
TIC NIX lhAAA1s NH0 HD'N~N
which the neighborhood abounds) and the beauti-
fnl blue of the Pacific Ocean which washes the
shores. and breaks over the boulders which bound
the Plantations in the left all the way from KObala
tn Hilo. and from which, landings. in some cases
difficult of construction and of more or less impor-
tance are built. in order to facilitate the exporta-
,ion Of the Sugar to Honolulu and hence to San
Francisco.
And here | may observe en- pdssdnt, as l have
hs,ore stated. that the cause of the exceeding YER
dpre in Hawaii. and consequently its extreme adapt
ability to sugar growing arises in the main and j
chiefly aNhnosr. to the frequent and genera
cl1rnal rains which prevade this Island. re-
ing irrigation unnecessary. and coupled wicb.n
richness OF the soil renders this Island Dim,
group the most profitable to the Speculato5nsIbees she.
Sugar Planter. l was particularly expressed w..
the idea while on Hawaii, that If Sugar Planters
can make money by working on borrowed capital
and some of them not having mills OF their o1o",
being compelled to have their cane ground on
s6ores what fortunes are in store for the capital
ist having his Orn mill. One OF the incest and best
If the Kobala Plantations is that of Ar, Hugh b.
MONTGOMERY. which for beauty of situation and
productiyeness of soil cannot be exceeded. Ihen
we come to that owned by the genial Geo. r.
Holmes. whose kanakas delight to wear a black
ribbon on their hats inscribed in letters OF gold
&C. F. Holmes boy" Another nice little Planta-
ton is that of :. Jim Woods then the extensive
Kohala Plantation and Mr.. Bonds.
On arriving at Kukuihaele there is the new mill
erected for the company OF F. a. Schaefer, Esq, the
valuable and nicely situated one of Messrs. Irous-
seau and Houseman. On reaching Honokaa we
observed that great improvements had been made
in the Plantation of F a. Schaefer & Co. Including a