The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-15

when EXPLANATIONS of mi "G!" and even
"F" were heard from the party. The trail
/ lay over rough crags and through deep lava
sand The horses evidently thought the goat
paths z, and the sand not much better.
II The clouds in the crater al our left began to
break up and float out at the two gaps, and we
could catch sight OF the black lava below and
the distant sides of the opposite cliffs thro'
them. 1t gave one queer sensation In the
feet to look down through little opening in
the clouds and see small portion only OF the
floor of the crater. 1t was like walking on
the open floor beams of a tall, unfinished
house and looking down through the skeleton
at objects on the ground floor. II did not seem
nearly 80 high few hours later when the
clouds all disappeared and we could see the
whole expanse of crater islands and ocean. 1t
was noon when we reached the sliding down
place, and were glad that Mother Prue had
put up lunch OF dOughnuts and hard boiled
eggs. The bag containing these was passed
from hand to hand, and we devOured the con-
tents as we rode along
Here we are at the White Hill, the highest
point on old Haleakala, over 10000 feet above
the sea, and stop to take last view of the
outside world before taking our place for a
four or five thousand feet slide into the mon
ster crater gaping before us. We can see Ha
waii the largest island OF the groupe, with ITS
two tell peaks Mauna tea and Mauna loa, and
can almost imagine we see the smoke OF
Kilauea the largest living volcano In the
world, as the gulf across which we look is the
largest dead one. OFF to the northwest, across
beautiful West Maui, we can see the Islands
of Lanai and Molokai, on the latter OF which
Is the leper settlement. Still beyond, a hun
dred miles distant, lies Oahu, visible, it is said,
in very clear weather, but hidden now by
bank of clouds. Before US, nearer by, are
Kahoalowe and little Molokini. The former
is used as a goat ranch, and the trade winds
are rapidly denuding it of its soil, scattering
it in the ocean beyond and leaving only the
bare rocks. Formerly 1t was beautiful little
island covered with verdure but the goats
have ruined 1t. Molokini is but a wave-wash-
ed rock and reminds me OF old Starved Rock
near Ottawa, as it stands out alone in the chan
mel. 1t was used by Kamehameha the first
time as prison, but the Kanaks ao0uld swim
ashore IN spite of the mile of ocean filled with
sharks and the rough breakers beyond, and 1t
was abandoned.
Turning northward we see spread before us,
and lying seemingly almost at our feet, the
planters paradise-the low lands of Maui.
At the lever edges of this mountain and West
Maui are many bright green spots showing
where the plantations lie, and out toward the
center of the plain lies the immense Spreckles
Plantation 1t looks like great green OctO-
pus reaching out its feelers in every direction.
The plain where this plantation now lies was,
three years ago, q barren waste, where nothing
grew but q shortllved feather grass, which
sprang up and flourished few weeks in win
ter, and the balance of the year 1t was covered
with dense cloud of dust. Spreckels came
down with million or so of dollars dug q
canal nearly forty miles around the rainy side
of Haleakala and brought the waters OF the
lovely gulches to turn the desert into an oasis.
Mills and houses surrounded by waving cane,
with u lake in the center OF the plantation,
make very pretty picture as seen from dis
lance.
Now We turn to take our downward slide.
A slanting bank of sand stretches from our
feet to the bottom of the crater, blown up from
the crater beds by the winds OF ages into this
sack formed by the curved rim OF the crater.
Must we go down there's"
"Is 1t safe?"
"Where?"
There; dom. you see that mark along the
side?"
"Why, that isn't wide enough to walk ont"
| "I'm gong to walk" remarked Polly: I'm
tired riding anyway"
Ditto" replied Henry. II walked most Of
the way dowR last year with Belle. and 1t was
jolly--you ought to have seen her taking
frighttul leaps of twenty feet or moe In the
loose sand as We went down. Come ahead''
you'll &c, yourselves full of sand" eau
toned Mother Prudence.
"Anokea!'
Here we go!"
And leaving their animals in the charge OF
Taploca as we had nicknamed the older
guide, off they tramped, the party following
Ia no
hardly started, however, when we were stopped
by cry that some one was coming up from
the bottom. Away below we could see several
black dots crawling up the sand
"Oh, know" cried one OF the wise ones.
ITS Charley A. coming back from drive
with a herd of wild cattle from the KoOlau
Pail"
"Oh, dear! What shall we do,"
Are they dangerousy"
YOU'D think so if you saw the wild bulls
charge"
Lets 60 back"
| 1t was ut last concluded to wait for the com.
| ing herd, and when they got near enough
we would slip down few hundred feet side
ways and let then pass However, our fears
were groundless, for as they came nearer we
found there was no herd with them. Only
half dozen weary, tagged out men, on more
weary horses, slowly dragging themselves up
the unstable sand. They had slept III the open
air the night before on the KoOau cliff, and
that morning had driven quite herd OF wild
cattle out of the woods and down into the era
ter, when the bulls turned AMI charged SO Wig
orously that they could not manage them with
their tired horses, and they got past them and
fled back to their cover. 1t is dangerous work
but pays well when 1t is successful, as wild
cattle make just as good oxen as tame ones.
We noticed that one OF the party sat very
straight in his saddle, and kept his horses
know TIL long afterward that he had met with
an accident His pantalOons had caught on a
guava snag as a bull was charging HIM, and
IN his haste large square hal been torn from
them where he could not we'll spare it.
Ii hIArn NIL