Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-07-29
A Tramp up Ukumohame VALLEY.
written for the pnrss

lneic NeIc lOuF OF us tnc IlesIucuJ, INC
Professor the General and the Doctor
We had day to spare at Bahaina, and as
the General was an enthusiastic fern col.
lector, he proposed to us TO spend day mp
Kahome Valley. Tired of the humdrnm
ways of routine duties, and glad Of a days
.outing, we were all ready TO take up with
the Generals motion. So, behold us after
breakfast Saturday morning, mounted on
our various steeds, armed and equipped as
the fancy suggested. The General led tho
way, with his tin box strapped OH his shoul-
der, as formidable as any mountain howitzer
belonging to the Hawaiian Army Of Invis.
ibles. The President was an old kdjHoaiBa,
and sauntered along, bringing up reminis-
cencos of similar iaunts and glorious times
camping out by moonlight on mountain
tops. The Professor was n new comer
and gave himself up to silent admiration of
the changing scenes, so utterly unlike any
thing iii his former experience, The Doctor
was past the spriDg-time of life, but entered
into the novel experiences Of the day with
elephantino gravity. Our way led first
down and across valley filed with taro
patches. The horses picked their way deftly
along and down the old budoRa ridges that
UuThcu OnC huulutTs w lHu III
immense amount Of labor, and how vastly
numerous tho workers, that in the bygone
times long ago built mp these walled ter
races, stretching across the Wiley up and
up as far as the eye can trace them But
it was not taro that wo started out to look
for, but ferns, aud ferns that grew only in
the Ukumehame Valley. Sowe crossed the
narrow shelving plateau of red soil with
o,ci whitening in the summer sun, and be-
gan our descent into the next valley. The
horses picked their way down the zig-zag
path on the steep hill side. We brought
up on o smooth bit of D,aRiehtc turf, tether-
ing ground for the horses, belonging to
some well.to-do native, whose comfortable
and roomy framed house betokeued fam.
lily of some size. And such It proved to be,
for MS wo rode nearer wo saw parents and
children sprawling at their case on the level
plat in front of the house. Here we crossed
the brook that was utilized in this valley,
even to greater extent than in the first.
The valley was broader and the taro patches
even larger and more regular in shape,
green parallelograms extending across and
up, up the valley, as far as the ourvings Of
the precipitous sides permitted fair view.
Our path lay on the western side, but
through all the windings of the route, the
sun seemed to shine vertically down with
unclouded glare.
But who would call this Bride path
Ys who have cantered your prancing steeds
through Hyde Park or Central Park, what
would your horses do on narrow shelf,
say eighteen inches wide, simply worn into
PERCEPTIONS mountain sidoP Our horses,
however, accustomed to picking their food
on the narrow huaoaa ridges Of Lahaiualana
taro patches, never laltered In single file
we rode on, the Docior's horse being more
nimble than the Professors and often lap.
ping his hanks, while he was dcliberating
what to do and when to do 1t. Occasion
ally, where there were not the eighteen
inches necessary for the path, it had been
built up from the outside. Up and down
and around tho path wound along. Ian.
tana bushes narrowed the way, and wild
tomato vines bordered the path with little
red fruit like marbles i'll size, A elump of
cactus here and there held up its purple
fruit on the edges Of its platter-like leaves.
But no one who has ever tasted its inspid
sweetness, and got any of its prickly burrs
on his tongue, wants a second taste, any
more than u wise man wants second taste
of sin. At n turn in the valley we came
upon little oasis of greenery, clump OF
mango trees, with the luscious golden irrit
hanging in wanton luxuriance from every
bough. Calabashes of poi aud the black
ened stones of n Hawaiian Fireplace, be-
toksned recent use MS shelter for people
who had como up from Lahaina to work
in their taro patches. Doubtless there
were many habitations in olden times all
through the valley. Farther up, we came
upon grass hut in ruins, and still farther
up we passed q grass house, well built ant
well kept, but without occupants. Their,
was the usual pavement Of broad fiat stones
and under the projecting roof, the careiull.
selected small pebbles---sweetest couch t,
the wearied Hawaiian.
With this house, all cultivation ceased
The small taro patches in the narrowing
valley could no longer be cultivated profit
ably, and SO were left for pasturage 70
the horse and colt we found nibbling away
Our bride path here failed us altogether
and 80 we followed, now one trail, no,
another, as our horses thought they shoul
find easiest climbing. AT last, our mounte
steeds found il hard to carry their rider
through all the thickets that had grown u
in tangled wildness in the neglected patches
Tying our horses, wo left them to thei
meditations. Ard now we scrambled oil
tightening the toll by an occasional shcu
Ovefpiles of angular rocks, overgrown wit
the many -jointed hossohonu, down in ii
brawling brook, jumping from stone
stone; clinging to the jutting rock on on
side or tho other, ever seeking an upwar
path; clambering over fallen kuku trunk
so we kept on our toilsome way. I'll
General would dart ON one side or Il
other, seize fern by the roots, scrutini.
its fronds, and If tho specimen proved sa
isfactory, carefully secure the coveted trea
ure. Occasionally, he would hold col
suitation with tho President, who has on
lately bsen delivered from the fern mani
The olcphantins Doctor was pleased to di
cover how much clinging power there is
the solo Of tho human foot, as sprnging {
some angular jutting rock he wonders
whether he would tind himself there ne
momeut, or in the bottom Of the pool at 4