The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-05-29
THE DIFFUSION EXPEDITION.
Notes on the Trip-The Makee
Sugar Company's Plantations
Personal Items.

or stimulate curiosity on the trip OF
the Tnter-Island Steam Navigation
CO. : steamer Mikahala, leaving Hon
Olulu on Tuesday the 18th inst. for
Kauai. II was a very smooth passage
mast the island of Oahu, changing to
stiff breeze with lively pillows crossing
the channel. No whales came up to
blow. nor sharks 10 covet q supper
nothing animate amidst the sheen of
the waves but sea birds and flying fish.
A half-clouded sky, making the I'M
curtained stars look brighter, a young
moon, the bright new mariners light
on BARRIERS Point, and the mountains
receding into distance and night, COM
bined TO relieve the throbbing steamer
from tiesolation. Two editors sat or
leaned on the stern rail till late hour,
arranging the course of state affairs
for decade in advance
Speaking OF BARRIERS Point light,
Capt. Freeman expressed his gratifica-
ton at the recent boon. 1t was a great
aid 10 the cOasting trade between Hon
Olulu and Kauai. They could now
make the most direct route possible,
whereas formerly it was necessary for
safety to give the land wide berth on
a dark night, making the passage
much longer than with this aid to
navigation.
Between the rivalry of Neptune and
Morpheus in seeking control over the
representatives of the press, the latter
scarcely knew whether their heads or
heels were uppeTmost-their gastron-
Omic diffusion apparatus were certain
~ upside down-when the signal was
given, at three o'clock in the morning,
10 20 ashore at Nawiliwih. a pull of
q few hundred rods in boat landed
the half-dozen passengers for that point
upon the solid strand. Hon. w. n.
Rice's stage coach was waiting, in
which 4 start was shortly made for
kealia, some twelve miles distant.
There was another coach standing
there bound for Koloa, which looked
TO be more Toomy and painted brighter.
True 10 their instincts of taking the
best that was going, the scribes placed
their gripsacks on board the wrong
coach. They did the same with the
baggage and parcels of q lady passen-
ger OF identical destination. The mis-
take was not discovered and rectified a
moment too soon, but if otherwise it
would have made little difference to
the editors, for they never unpacked
their comparatively good clothes
until they returned to town. Besides
the lady Mrs. G. NJ. White, at whose
wedding the writer had been present
few months ago., Mr.. J. \. S.Williams
was a passenger as far as Lihue.
1t was pretty dark in setting out
barely enough starlight to distinguish
cane fields from lantana iungles-- but
our fellow-passenge kindly named
localities and indicated points of in
terest. The road winds in a horseshoe
bend over the brink of a precipice
several hundred feet above broad
gulch. This is the divide between
Lihue and Hanamaulu, and the road
has recently been changed from
location higher up on the land, in
order to avoid the sleeper gradient.
There ought, however, by all means,
TO be stout rail provided at the bend
in question, for at present it is immi-
nently dangerous to life. The slight
est prank horse may play at the spot
Is liable to hurl one or many persons
down to certain and fearful death.
The road is in good repair all the
way TO Kealia, and information is that
it is even better beyond to Kilauea.
After rain, as on this occasion, the
road is from the nature of the soil
heavy and sticky; but being dry on
the return trip it made one of the
smoothest and most agreeable carriage
drives. Kauai roads, it cannot be dis
puted, are kept up to a very good repu-
tation. AT the high hills encountered
the pressmen got out to relieve the
four horses of about 275 pounds burden,
but on mounting the coach again
brought in on their feet something less
than a ton of the GARDEN soil.
Day was dawning before half the
route was covered, revealing the ocean
waves breaking to the right and sub
lime mountain scenery to the left-the
latter varied by broad pastures and
meadows, with lowly cabins and little
hamlets at intervals. The Wailua
river has never had its bridge replaced
since being washed away in flood,
and the coach and four is conveyed
across on q punt operated by native
living at the spot A smaller stream
further on is forded with ease, the
water not coming up to the aXleS
During freshets, however, there is no
thorOughfare across the beds of these
streams, and on the earliest possible
opportunity the Government should
have causeways, with central bridges
above high water mark, constructed
at the points in question.
Il was clear day when Kappa was
reached. Among the first objects of
interest noticed is Col Z. 5. Spalding's
race track and stables. Hundreds of
cattle are scattered on the plains and
meadows between the mountain and
the sea. Our fair friend forgets her
fatigue and long fast in the kindly
effort to acquaint the visitors with the
lay of the land. Hon. Geo. H. Dole's
breezy perch, in the midst of beau
tiful grove on 4 mountain ridge, is
pointed out Conspicuous at the long
est range is the tall, round, stone
chimney on the Kappa mill site. Not
a vestige of the mill remains, as, since
the amalgamation of the Kappa and
Kealia plantation interests, the mill
ing is all done at Kealia.
As the. coach stops opposite his snug
cottage, Mr. c. NJ. White, principal of
the Government school, emerges and
joins his returning spouse in hearty
proffer Of hospitality to the editorial
contingent, which is gratefully accept
a