The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-11-12

To an old timer or kamaaina, the mention Of q
trip to Msuna Koa is suggestive Of long, tedious
| ride, various camp discomforts, not the least
| among which are vigorous scratchings, rubbings
and vrigglings resultant from the attacks Of that
small pest, the pHer iTriaRs and tired sense Of
| having hard time generally.
In company with party Of pleasure and health
seekers II was recently my good fortune to dispel
some rather vivid recollections Of former expert
| ences of camp life on a recent trip thither.
Il vas a rough. hard hide Of thirty-two miles
| from Hilo; over broken country for hve miles,
| though the woods, mile and half over dan
Rerous road, full of sink holes, out on TO the foE
OF '56 and over its rough winding trail for four
teen miles, then scrub growth Of ohia- out on to
the open, across rolling country for ten miles,
and our party found themselves shiyering around
newly Gndled fire in the great fireplace at Mossrs.
Hitchcock Bros. camp at Kapuakala-
The first part of the journey had been performed
the evening before Just on the edge of the lava
hov, sir miles from town, is bark cabin in rather
tumble-dOwn condition. Here We camped-
AZ dAybreak the next morning we were in the
saddle and facing the blue-gray old mountain,
which doomed coldly up in the growing daTn-hght.
At our backs the sky gradually grew lighter, threw
rosy tint over the mountain and finally settled
down into somber gray, indicative Of vet driz-
ely day. nor did it belle itself. A vet, misty fog
soon enveloped Us and chilled us most thoroughly
before Onr arrival at camp.
In sheltered hollow Just in the upper edge Of
the forest belt that girdles Mauna Kea the gentle
men Just mentioned have had built roomy sub
on the place II was surprise to find 50 many
comforts and cOnveniences Of civilized life here
where one would expect TO have to put up with the
spare accommodations of \ remote region vhere
the only means Of transportation are pack-mule1
and horses.
Delightful it was to SIT in rockers and lounging
chairs, telling Of exciting bullock hunts, listening
to old Hawaiian legends or discussing the current
questions of the day, watching the flames dance
and flicker up the dark chimney those long even
inRs. Nor did We luIuriate less in the warm COM
Portable beds with clean sheets and pillows in
place of the heavy blankets and saddle bags Of
old times.
The bracing air, lightened by an altitude of siI
thousand feet and correspondingly cool and re-
freshing, proves grand specific and health re-
storer.
Here is climate somewhat similar TO the In
dian summer of the temperate zone with nights
cool enough to make the CHEEKY fire thoroughly
enjoyable that nightly crackles and roars in the
real old fashioned fire place big enough to take in
a five foot log.
party of five, with several additions for day
or week, we settled down and made ourselves at
time of rest and enjoyment We proposed to make it.
On range of hills little over mile from camp
was an abundance of pohas.
Picking these delectable berries and canning
them was one of the pastimes.
Hunting was another amusement. Wild cattle,
hogs, quail and few ploVer and ducks made
sport with the rifle or shot gun interesting work.
Several wild bull hunts resulted in more or less
Wild pig hunting proved more exciting work. and
showed in one or two instances a wild boar to be
q dangerous and plucky animal. In two cases the
hunter was for time the hunted though repeat
ing rifle gave the sportsman the fatal advantage
Several little porkers fell victims to our success
full foraging and were duly enclosed in the big
Dutch oven in front of the fire place from which
they issued in that delightful condition Charles
Lamb has graphically immortalzed.
Quail too were plentiful. We took a morning
Rallop one clear day around the spur of mountain
past Kalaeha out onto the sand pats several miles
beyond.
There we found quail in such large hocks that
out of one tree into which we fred We calculated
over two hundred birds new, and every clnmpy of
bushes and tree in that region seemed to have its
quota of birds.
Though we were poorly armed, a half disabled
shotgun being our only piece. we returned TO camp
with birds enough to make huge pot pie.
1t was a delightful experience to mount our
horses and take gallop in the sharp breeze of
early morning. On one occasion the sun was not
Jet up, and while galloping across the open coun-
try we had grand view Of both mountains as the
first rays of the rising sun turned their grayness
into almost living color of pink and gold which
selves, but which lasted only few moments,
turning soon into the every day reds and browns.
We also had considerable wet foggy weather.
On one of those wet misty days when the drizze
had merged into hard rain, about four O'Clock in
the afternoon we heard roaring Of water in the
little gully mdukd of the house. As it grew louder
and nearer some of us ran out and were Just in
time to see the front line of a sudden freshet of
dark muddy water go sweeping by. A cloud burst
on the mountain above had caused sudden rise
and down it came with frontage of about two
feet in height Riding out over the country day
after VIC found the trails and hill sides gouged
out in sope places three and four feet deep. The
fall of water must have been enormous.
Thus the time passed only too quickly with
these varying incidents and pleasant experiences
and it with regret, to some of US at least that
once more found ourselves in the saddle for the
long ride down over the lava flow and thro' the
mud to Hilo, where without serious mishaps we
finally found ourselves with renewed health, 7igor
and experience glad to have this added memory
TO keep in the years to come. VILToR.