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


of one of the cones or lesser volcanoes, which
must have broken out after the entire crater
was Crusted over. There are some twenty OF
them on the floor of the crater. The one be-
side US seems mountain now when we are so
near 1t.
| A halt was called to allow the mule with
the weak tail to catch up. The rough cliffs
towering ON all sides of US were very majestic
and grand, but we could not see much of the
crater we we've in on account of the young
volcanoes around US. Henry, being the lin
guist of the party, was deputized to tell the
guide Tapioca that we didn't want to miss the
"bottomless pit" on any account, as we wanted
0l>the crater, which was here = smooth, soft
sandstone, the firmness of which was luxury
after the deep sand. Polly insisted on walk.
I % throw stones down it and listen for the
sound of their dropping. We wanted to be
sure of the matter, and not have to rely on the
word OF travellers preceding us that no return
sound could be heard. Henry having missed
the sight of the bottomless PIT the year before,
was determined that nothing should euchre US
out of 1t this time, and attacked the Kanaka
vigorously in his very purest Hawaiian.
"Ae, ne, ike no. MaOpopo lea, aolc plllkla,"
was his reply, assuring us that he understood
the matter thoroughly, and we had only to
leave ourselves in his hands and we would be
led to il all right.
The "tail' mule came up, and on we moved.
The broad, smooth road led around the base
of the cones for several miles. Here is the re-
gion of silver swords, a most beautiful and
singular plant only found on this mountain
and the mountains of Hawaii. They dotted
the sides of the cones here and there, growing
out of the aand where one would suppose
nothing could find sustenance. Polly wanted
one, so did Mother Prne, so did Sukey, so did
Ann. Henry protested. He had tried it last
year, and knew the trouble they gave, and how
after careful carrying several days they were
thrown away in damaged condition. Leo.
pold and Cowels backed up the ladies, insinu-
ating that 1t was Henry's laziness that was
the matter. Such inslnuations were more than
his chivalrlc spirit could brook, so Henry,
being the only unmounted gent, gathered silver
swords for the party. He takes pleasure,
none of them got out of the crater, but were
left behind at the next camp.
1t was growing late, and the party began to
ask for the promised bottomless pit. 1t was
little farther On over one of the cones, the
guide said Some of the landmarks began to
look familiar to Henry, and doubts grew in
his mind. He took Tapioca aside.
"Are you sure" he said, "abOut this bottom
less pit. Isn't it at the foot of one of the high
est cOnes?'
"Aole," replied the sage, mot bit Of It,
You will soon see 1t right over here on the
fiat ground. 1t is right beside the road"
Look here, there's something wrong about
this; you can't fool me, tor came over this
road last year, and we didn't 60 anywhere
near the bottomless pit What is the name of
the pit III Kanska?'
"Ana makuahl."
"Oh, you Internal old idiot! he Kanaka pu-
pule maole oe,' that amt the place l mean.
That's only six feet deep, and the entrance to
cave about h rod square. We don't want to
see that measly sand hole. It's the bottomless
pit we're after, that goes clear down to the
center Of the earth"
"Auwe" 1t began to dawn on HIM at last.
ut Is about mile back"
"Well, turn around then and take US to it,"
"Aole paha pouo, otis getting late, and if
we go back we can't get to the only camping
place In this end of the crater before dark"
A council OF war was held in which en-
phatiC remarks were made derOgatOry to Hen
rvs perfection in the Hawaiian language, and
ii was decided to 60 on INTO camp and take .
Sunday ramble next day back to the bottom
less PIT and perhaps scale some of the highest
cones. The camping place was on a short dis
lance ahead the guides said, and we pushed on
ut a livelier gait utterly ignOrig Tapioca's
hole IN the ground, which although not much
to look at, Is great convenience to travellers
caught in the crater during storm, as 1t Is u
perfect shelter, shaped like large fiat ink
stand with Its mouth level with the ground.
1t is perhaps a large lava bubble. Soon we
began to get into rOugher country. Groups OF
grotesque formations of lava appeared on all
sides, some shaped like old women, ancient
idols, monkeys, Id fact anything the imagina
ton wanted to make OF them. 1t would be a
hideOus place for a nervous, superstltlOus per
son to pass through alone At midnight. AS we
neared the Kaupi gap the smooth road was
exchanged for rough lava clinker. This was
once a lava river, pouring out on its way to the
sea and forming cataract of molten lava a
mile wide, rolling and tumbling down over
seven thousand feet IN about ten miles.
What grand sight 1t must have been IS
seen from the sea then.
1t is very tedious picking our way over the
lava rocks. Tsploca's ''only a little way" is
voted a humbug, rs mile after mile of road is
travelled over.
will we never get there?"
"How much farther is ?"
81 don't believe the guides know themselves
where they are going"
"Who wants to walk back to the bottomless
pit Tomorrow
say, laplOca Wnere are We GONG!
"AOle ike, never was here before. | nave
been up on the cliffs above and looked down
WHAT How do you expect to guide US,
theny"
"Oh, KalIma knows. He used to live down |
at Kaupo, and has been mp here often from
that side when he was boy"
This was refreshing. Suppose he shouldn't
find food tor the horses, and water TOR US and
them before dark Suppose he should have
passed the place already. The horses had not
bau Il drink since yesterday noon and would
suffer; our can,cens were getting empty too.
kalima protested that he knew the place. 1t
was just beyond "Pohaku ok alma" large
rock where all the main divisions of land he |
longing to petty chiefs IN ancient times cen
tered
Soon green spots of island grass began to
appear, and We were evidently gong down
III Ii