The sun., 1891-05-31
THE SOUTH SEAS.
LITE UNDER THE EQUATOR
LETTERS FROM 4 LElsusELY TRAVELLER.

LETTERS FROM 4 LElsUHELY TRAVELLER.
fcuvvrisn 1881 ev q kconssl
XIV.
1Hn xoNA COAST.
o,o,u. Samoan Islands, December. 18o0.-
NJ The island OF Hawaii. though havo passed
las becalmod under Its Ice. and spent week
.,,nn its shores, have never yet behsld the
Sssais Dense clouds continued TO enshroud II
~ hsov its middle; not only the zone OF snow
snd dre, but great part OF tho forest reeion
"a. eoyered or at least yelled By q perpetual
AIN And rot even on my first sight behold
-. 40 little and that through glass from the
lay Of tho Casco. the rudc plutontc structure
~ the Isle was conspieuous. Here swas none
~ ths accustomed glitter OF the beach. none
" shs CLOSE shoroside forests Of the typical
S,.h island. All seemed black and barren.
IA n slope sheer into the sea. Unexpected
.savsments OF the land caught tho attention;
s.,as that rlittered with . certain vitreosity;
Nay mouths of caves; ranges Of low clif1B,
slv designed awhile In sun and shadow,
s.a thst ssnk again into the general deolivity
- m Sislsud elacis. Under its gigantic cowl
=, cIoud the coast frowned upon us with face
Of desolation.
On nv return I passed from humminR
aty. With shops and palaces and busy wharves.
sivne cabs and tram cars. telephones in oper-
1tion and railway In building: mounted
Z strooe and comfortable local steamer: sailed
.ndsr desolate shores indeed. but guided In
ihs night bv sea and harbor lights. and WAS
~ down at last In village uninhsbitsd by
sny vhltc. the creature OF pure native taste
- .hch, what am to say but that know NO
nah village In Europef A well-tosdo Western
ssmlet In tho States would be the closest par
si,sl and It is moderate prophecy to coll It
% already.
Hookena is its name. II stands on tho same
eosst which had wondered at before from tho
iossIne Casoo. tho same icoast on which the
fsr.yoyager Cook ended q noble career not
vary nobly. That district OF Kona where he
foll is ono ius.rlous in the history of Hawaii.
Il WAS at first tho centre OF the dominion OF the
great KamehamehA There. In an unknown
espulchre his bones are still hidden: there,
TOO, his reputed treasures. spoils OF buc-
cancer. lie. and are still vainly sought for. In
one Of the thousand caverns Of the lava. There
the Tsbus were first broken. there the mission
sriss first received; and. but for the new use
Of ships and the new need OF harbors. here
might be still the chief city and the organs Of
the kingdom. Yet nearer approach con-
armed tho impression OF the distance. It
prssents to the seaward one immense de-
cline. streams OF lava have followed aud
submerged each other down this slope. and
oyerdowed into the see. These cooled and
shrsuk. and were buried under fresh inunda-
tions or dlslocated BY fresh tremors Of the
mountain. A multiplicity Of caves is the re.
snl' The mouths Of caves are everywhere;
tho lava Is tunnelled with corridors and halls:
--1nder houses- hfxh on the mountain tho sea
can be heard throbbing In the bowels Of the
land. and there is ono gallery OF miles which
has been used By armies as . pass. Streams
are thus unknown. Tho rain falls continually
In the highlands: an isle that rises nearly a.
900 feet sheer from the sea could never fail Of
rain but the treasure is squandered on q
sieve. and BY sunless conduits returns unseen
into the ocean. Corrugated slopes Of lava.
brstllng lava cliffs. spouts OF metallic oltnk.
ers. miles Of coast without . we'll or rivulet.
s'arce anywhere beach, nowhere q hArbor-
here ssems . singular land to te con-
tended for In battle IS 0 scat for
courts and princes. Yet It possessed In tho
eyes Of tho natives one more than countsrvail-
Ing advantage. The windward shores OF the
Isle arc beaten BY monstrous surf; there are
places where goods and passengers must be
hauled up and lowered by rope: there arc
coses which even the daring boatmen Of
lated In their hamlets or communicate By
eiddy footpaths In the cliff. Upon the side of
Kona the tsble-llke margin OF the lava affords
almost everywhere apassage by land, and the
waves reduced By the vast brcnkwater OF the
island. allow an almost continual communica-
uon by way Of sea Yet even here the surf OF
the Pacific appears formidable to the stranger
Nhs lands aud daily delights him with its
beauty ss he walks the shore.
Ths land and sea breezes alternate on the
konAsoast with regularity. and the veil OF rain
arsRs NJ and down the rolus OF the mountain.
eov rstring to the zone Of forests. now de-
scendin& to tho marRin of the sea. It was In
one the latter and rsrer moments that was
sss On board whale boat full OF intsrminGled
pa!roh passengers. and oarsmen. The rain
!el and blotted tho crude aud sombrs colors OF
msscsna Tho coast rose but Q little wayi II
w then intercepted By the cloud; and. for all
@A appeared. we might have been landing on
~ le Of some 200 feet OF elevation. On the
immediate forsshore. under low cliff. tbers
s'ood some score Of houseA trellised and ve-
maaaed. ssttn narrow gardens, and painted
sauoily In green and white: the whole aur.
Wunoed And shaded BY grove OF COCOA palms
Sno irult trees, sprlnginR las by miraclel from
W. Dare lava In front the population OF the
negnborhood were gathered for the weekly
Ieoiaent tho passage Of the steamer. sixty to
ashty strong. and attended by . dispropor-
senste allowance OF horses, mules, and dom
tsys; Tor this land Of rock 10. singular to say,
siaad OF breeding. Tho green trees. tho paint
"a aousss' the gay dresses Of tho women. were
s,erywhers relieved on tho Incorporating
U'aokness OF tho lava; and the rain which fell.
unhesded BY the slghtssers. blended and beau
uned the contrast.
tne boat was run in upon . breaker and We
passengers elected ON nat rock. whore the
ssAs wave submerged MS to the knees. There
continued to stand. the rain drsnchinR us
Mom above the ssA from below. like people
,Issmerized; and as We were all tbeing travel
nt tncked out with the green Rarlands OF
aspAsture. we must have offered somewhat the
same G. appearance as a shipwrecked picnic.
sne puTser spled and introduced me to my
so'!' sx-judGe Nahiuu, who was then deep 10
TpI'ansss. despatchinR aud receiving goods.
az vas dressed in pearl gray tweed. like any
sssn.IespeetinR Englishmsn. only the band of
M n pnnA. .. Ia