Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-28
4 PACIFIC PARADISE.
CAPT. Duftoa Talks to the 0eograpAle So
ciety About the Hawaiian lslnnds.

Capt. Duftea Talks to the 0segrspAie So
ciety About the Hawaiian Islands.
| tn. VOLCANOES AND THEIR EFFECT on TEE
ls1ANDs-A VARIETY OF CLIMATE AND vnok.
rArIoS-A PLACE WHERE If RAINS EASILY
TEE COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF TIE KINGDOM.
Tho assembly hall Of the Cosmos Club never
held larger or more distinguished and At
| tsntivs audience than IL did last night, on the
occasion Of talk to the National Geographic So
cisty on the subject of the Hawaiian islands, their
scenery, volcanoes, people, politics and trade,
by MajC. E. Dutton Of the army lately on duty
with the geological survey. Maj. Dutton spoke
In graceful, off-hand way for an hour, with
out any notes or manuscript, just taking, a. he
expressed it, ramble through that .'little
paradise Of the Pacific" 40 he called the group
OF volcanic islands that mark the map Of the
great ocean like . small speck in the map.
His visit to the islands was made about nine
months ago, and he has always felt that IL he
never did anything else he had done one thing
to have made life worth living. He then went
on to speak Of tho geography and location Of
the islands and spent some minutes in describ-
ing the volcanoes, which furnished text
for q most interesting chat.
THE VOLCANOES.
There are In the islands, he said, many ex-
tinct volcanoes and two that are still alive,
which are the main attraction to travellers in
the islands They are of great volume and
quite extraordinary, being somewhat different
from the generally accepted beliefs % to the
nature OF these phenomena Of nature. Ones
ideas as to volcanoes are changed mate
rally when looking upon those Of Hawaii
aud the other islands. Maunal0a., in the is
land of Hawaii, ID the main one and 10 one of
the Greatest IL un the Oroatoat MATHEMATICAL
mountain masses in the world. 1t is $4,000 feet
above the sea level, but ito slopes extend 80 far
below the level Of the ocean that if the noun
tain we're measured as il rises from the bed of
the sea- 1t would have base area Of $50 miles
In diameter and height Of $1,000 feet. There
are two vents, one 10000 feet lower than the
main one. These volcanoes are not Of the OBJ
streperous sort that have given bad name to
volcanoes, but are very quiet in their action,
inirequently showing any signs Of explosive
ICES such mountains % Vesuvius, Etna aud the
East Indian volcanoes. This is due TO the
small amont of water and vapor in the midst
of the lava that comes forth during
an eruption. The lava of Maunaloa and the
other Hawaiian volcano wells out quietly and
gently and flows like vast food OF molten
rock over the surface of the country, 90 quietly,
indeed, that the inhabitants are frequently un-
aware Of the coming Of the eruption until night
comes and they see the glare in the sky.
MOUNTAIN BUILDING.
This mountain is now in the process Of build
ing, being constructed by the successive pour
ing out Of lava upon its sides by the accumula-
ton Of sheet after sheet OF matter that cools
anu haruens ana forms rock. Inc slopes are
very gehtie, the steePest Deing ohAy ABOUT seven
degrees, and the gentlest only four.
Here and there are to be seen great
pits or lakes of molten lava, but
seldom stirred by ebullition as the gases
from the center Of the earth come yelling and
hurrying up from their prisons and throw
masses OF the matter up into the air. The as
cent OF the mountain is not difficult II one only
knows the way, but otherwise II 10 next to I'm,
possible 1he passage OF the traveller Is impeded
oy great streams OF scoriated Lave, which are ao-
solutely impossible for animals and next to 80
ior men Inc way up TO the summit Is through
streams. There are no spurs, ravines or gorges
70 be found on the mountain, because the mass
is now forming and the water cannot conse'
quently lay upon II 80 as 10 make rivers or
streams tnat Will IN ume wear Gown tne surface surface
OF the lava When the innumerable assures
through which the rain sinks down at once into
the sea have become cemented up, as
In the case OF extinct volcanoes, she
waters Will make rivers and gradually ravines
and gorges WIN appear; lhere Is Da' one
stream on the mass and this is between the
two mountains. The nelghbor OF Maunaloa Is
Maunakaa, which Is a little higher, but sleeper
and with less mass. 1t is covered with vents,
or clnder cones, which give 1t very rough ap-
pearance, and has more scoriacious matter on
its surface. This is an extinct volcano. and 1t
has some ravines on Its w1ndward sade, on
which the rains fall, these being the result OF
the trade WINDS, which Always dow from the
east.
AVARIErf OF CLIMATE
ror the same reason 'nere ~ qui'e variety
OF climate 70 De round on 'ne ,Sland. on 'ne
south ana soatnwes'erh rioes 'ne iano Is very
arid, with little or no rain. ana ON the east and
northeast it is very moist and rains almost con-
tinually. There is sometimes an annual rain
rains easily. and when it does come down it
rains for business. But it is not an uncomfort-
able rain. No one seems to mind it. The
clothing dries soon after the shower,
and there are no bad effects. The
vegetation is rank, but beautiful. There
are many trees of q peculiar species, and go
many fronds that the islands may be called the
home of the fern. Some of these grow to be so
large that they are practically trees of six,
seven and eight feet in height There is the
banana and q peculiar tree with lime-cOlored
leaves called the candlenut. Towering trees
lend their aid in making the landscape one
Of the most beautiful on earth. Cataracts
leap into the gorges Of the extinct volcanoes
and there is a soft wildness throughout the
scene that renders it very attractive to the eye.
The natives in these regions live in picturesque
grass houses and are about midway between
the absolutely savage state and the more civil
lied condition OF those around the cities OF the
Islands. A forest beit In one secton ls almost
lmpassaDie; the lecturer hoeueo s"eiSe hours