The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-11-26
TRIP TO THE VOLCANO.
Graphic description OF the Route by
Two Australian Tourists.

The following contribution to the Mel
bourne ARGUS" and the Lyttelton
New Zealand) Times was forwarded
by the last mail. We were favored with a
copy OF it by the writer's for publication in
the 2. c. ADVERTISER. The tourists
say:
4 wise Hebrew monarch has lett on
record his opinion that in making many
books there is 10 end, and much reading
is a WEAKNESS of the flesh. Ii we apply
this observation to the contributions OF
travellers most of Us will, We fancy, be
disposed to consider his warning as we'll
founded. For the past hundred years
the Hawaiian Isles have possessed the
fattering distinction of being the most
! extensively written all ,ut OF all the isles
of the Pacific If We are about to disre-
gard the mOnarch's warning it Is only
because we ''feeI a call'' to give our fell
low colonists some slight idea Of the
scenes which are now brought within
easy access by the new facilities OF
travel
In the summer of 1881 one OF our party
waited over 4 boat here in order TO visit
the famous crater OF Kilauea, but on in
|. quiry found it quite impossible unless he
had six weeks at his disposal. Now the
marvellous volcano can be reached in as
many DAYS as it formerly took weeks,
and on learning this, and some kind
friends having arranged for our transfer
from the Zealandia to the Alameda,
leaving the following week, we decided
to stay over.
OPINION OF THE ALAMEDA.
On landing we were invited on board
the Alameda to breakfast, and it Is not
too much to say that every appointment
| about her is as clean, neat and elegant
as first-class yacht. The dining saloon,
social hall, state rooms and smoking
room are large and well ventilated, and
! could not be surpassed for beauty and
| convenience All the latest improve
ments i'll the way of electric light, bells,
| etc, have been adopted, and the cuisine
| and attendants seem all that could be
1 wished for; in fact, everything has been
| done to increase the pleasures and
| diminish the discOmforts of travel. Over
900 tons burthen, capable OF steaming
| sixteen knots per hour, she and her
! sister ship, the Mariposa, will find the
! mail contract rate but mere bagatelle.
| The new Australian, New Zealand and
| San Francisco mail service contracted
! for jointly by the Union Steamship
| Company of New Zealand and the
| Oceanic Company of San Francisco, will
! now run four boats. The Zealandia and
| Australia will remain on the line be-
! tween Sydney, Auckland and Homo
lulu, where freight and passengers will
be transhipped to the connecting
steamers of the Oceanic line here, con
tinuing the voyage to San Francisco.
At first sight this transhipment may
seem somewhat of a drawback to the ser
vice, but in reality it will be an agree
able change which the Australian travel
ing and commercial public will soon APP
preciate Judging from our own expert
ence, there will be no delay or inconveni-
ence in transhipping; the steamers will
be almost side by side at the wharf, and
the Honolulu agents, Messrs. w. q.
Irwin q CO., pay every attention to the
comfort of passengers.
INDUCEMENTS TO TOURISTS.
Those preferring to wait twelve days
for the following steamer will find an
agreeable break in the monotony of a
long passage, and will have an Opportu-
nifty of leisurely visiting every place OF
interest on the Islands. Chief of all, the
celebrated volcano of Kilauea, in which
are situate the burning lakes; the noun
tains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa,
each towering IA, 900 feet above the sea,
and Haleakala, the largest extinct crater
ever known, over thirty miles in circum-
ference In and around Honolulu itself
pleasant days can be spent; the sur
roundings are most charming with a
wealth of semi-tropical vegetation. The
ever-celebrated Pail, the watering-place
of Waikiki, the cocoanut groves are all
within easy access. The Hawaiian Hotel
is ample and comfortable, surrounded by
spacious and well kept grounds.
THE VOLCANO TRIP.
But tearing ourselves away from its at
fractions, we left Honolulu on Monday at
p. m. by the steamer Kinau, good
boat of 900 tons, with comfortable saloon
and cabin accommodation, fitted with
electric lights and bells. Calling 1T
Lahaina, Maalaea and MAIZENA, on the
island of Maui, we crossed the Hawaiian
channe-, arriving at Mahukona at a. III.
on Tuesday, this being the terminus
of one of the Hawaiian narrOw-g gauge |
railroads Some time was spent in dis |
charging and taking in cargo and passen- |
gers, which gave us an opportunity OF a
run ashore. Leaving again, an hour
brought us to Nawaihae, which termin- |
ated the steamers journey in this direc-
ton. Again passing MahukOna, and |
rounding Upolo point, our route lay |
along the coast OF the Kohala and tlilo |
districts, rich in sugar plantations, green
cane highly cultivated, being visible for |
miles from the coast upwards towards |