Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-09
HONOLULU.
A VISIT ABOUT THE CITY OF THE
ISLANDS.
Defensive Armament-King's
Palace-Legislature.
correspondence of the REcorD-Uslos.I

Palace-LeSisiature.
Correspondence of the REcoRD-UNIos.I
LAIE, OAHU (S.I L.. September %, 1886.
In going from here to Honolulu one
| meets with filth and flowers, huts and cot
tages, natives and Cinnamon in abundance.
But going in a week ago l noticed that
quite a large tract of new land at Kaniohi
mine miles this side of Honolulu was be-
ing broken up and planted by a herd of
| Cinnamon, under the supervision of two
natives belonging TO the Heia Sugar COM
pany. The pail doomed up before Us al
most perpendicularly hundreds of feet
high, and made my feet ache only to look
at the next to impossible road. However,
we reached the top by diut of wild strug-
giles on the part of the jaded animals and
a severe effort on u own part.
When we turned the sharp corner of the
cliff a beautiful scene spread out below.
The view of Honolulu is much finer from
inland than when approaching by sea-.
The green-embowered town, set in its
ieweled frame of the blue Pacific and dark
ching in the on-coming twilight, fills the
vision with that full sense of loveliness
which is a chord of natures own majestic
harmony. We noticed as we came down
Unuanu valley that the city authorities
were taking up the water pipes, which are
far too small, and putting in a twelve-inch
iron pipe. 1t looked very much to me as
though a stream of water that large, rush
ing down an incline of about 500 feet,
would be dangerous to the pipes and apt to
food the city. 1t will give them plenty Of
water, however, both for domestic use and
to further beautify this already luxuriant
city.
A VISIT To lunch BOWL HILL.
The next morning, after breakfast, we
decided to spend the morning in a climb
TO Punch-bowl Hill. This hill rises up alb
ruptly on the east side of the town, par
tally dividing Honolulu into two portions.
the houses on the eastern side of the hill
gradually struggling out to Waikiki. The
hill is probably 500 feet high. AS we
neared the top we could see the reason this
ridiculous name of Punch bowl had been
given to the spot. Where we stood we
were on the top of a rim which cupped in
a little valley grooved with trees and
broidered with flowers. Evidently it is an
ancient crater. The sides are circular,
| steep and covered with volcanic rocks on
the outside. Inside it is a veritable giant
punch-bowl. Before stopping, we con-
cluded to walk across the bowl and get up
on the highest point on the south of the
hill, where several rusty cannon pointed
! out to the sea below.
The scene here was lovely not too high
| to distinguish every house with clear dis
tinctness, and yet high enough to see the
- r. ., TA ~ laff Low
| the harbor and shipping, the business and
| crowded part of Honolulu, whose loneliness
| of green and white creeps far up into
| Unuanu valley. This valley winds up be-
tween the gradually closing hill-tops into
the pass which forms the gateway of the
pail. One spur of the mountain comes
down nearly to Honolulu. In the valley
thus formed the busy Cinnamon have
| planted forests of bananas and acres of to-
matoes and vegetables. a creek running
! through the western portion OF the city
looks like a wide ribbon OF glass and down
towards the sea n bridge spans 1t, connect
| ing with a tiny island, on which the Gov
eminent Prison stands, silent and grim.
To the west, still beyond, lie low, marshy
islands and swamps, and on 4 distant low
island is the city quarantine station. On
still westward, away in the distance lies
PEARB XIV fh AMI hAhbpAN
Which the United States have been en-
| deavoring to obtain, but the fear that Hon
| olulu may be killed by competition hinders
| the success of the plan. In the hazy be-
| yond, melt and culver into the pale horizon
the faint lines OF themountains which form
the backbone of this irregular island.
Straight below us the houses crowd each
other away down to the very sea, and to
the left and east the houses still hustle each
other closely, running up around the west
ern base of Punch Bowl and to the foot of
the mountains, going on ~irregularlv out
clear TO Waikiki.
The town is very pretty. Its masses of
green and fine, though everywhere low
rooted houses, many even elegant build
ings, its border of ships and setting of sea
and sky, its background of dark massive
hills, is a picture that will stir the dullest
imagination and flush the coolest heart.
The eastern side is filled in to Diamond
Head, a rocky point of the mountain which
iuts out into the sea fourmiles from Punch
Bowl Hill. 1t is q green semi-clrcle, dotted
with mansions, cottages, pandanus trees,
c~ocoanut groves, fields and gardens.
Diamond Head ends the chain of noun
tains which run through the island OF
Oahu north and south, kitty. cornering"
and irregular in shape. The bay and sea
lie quietly ripping and glancing IN the soft
air of the summer morning, II now
shat the first long eager look has grasped
the whole, we mark the various buildings
which attract u attention. On thee east
the only ones of note are
CLAUS s~PREcKELs' ELEGANT MANSION
| And a large seminary with grounds we'll
laid out. A little to the right, the
red brick theater stands up quite promi-
nently, and not far away are the Gov
eminent buildings n the palace.
Quite a number of very handsome prl-
| yate residences dot the city, among which
stands alone on a large grass plat one OF
the handsomest houses in the Kingdom.
1t is modern in style, high, roomy and
elegant. And while we admire its grand
uer, we listen to a gossipy tale about its
belonging to a white man, who sold him.
| self for gold to one of the ugliest and most
hideous-looking women ever allowed to
| live. A native chiefess she was, and
wealthy in lands and estate. She is dead
now, and the house is shut up and silent
NY eyes Toasted, l turn to go; and when
l went to inspect those black monster guns
which darken the hilltop, I felt like laugh
ing outright. There are eight cannons-
rusty, and standing out exposed to the
weather-of the old style, requiring fuse
and muzzle-loading, but with a bore OF five
or six inches. AS for defense, a boy with
a popgun could harm a man-of-war quite
as much as would these ~ugly-looking
weapons. They are apparently kept only
to make a noise" on joyful occasions.
And the 10x10 wooden shanty, he sup
posed magazine of this mighty armament.
looked anything but weather-proof, and is
rotten with age.
After l had enjoyed this joke, | suddenly
recollected that ! am an American, and