The sun., 1891-07-12


lokai awoke Of yore the envy OF neighborine
kinRs Only last century o battle was fought
upon this island In which II has been com.
puted that thousands were engaged: and he
who made the computation, though he lived
long after. has seen and counted. whom the
wind blew aside the sands. the multitude OF
bones and skulls. There remains tho evidence
OF the churches. not yet old and already stand-
ing In desert the monuments Of vanished
CONGREGATIONS Pau Eanaka make. sonse
OF survival attended me upon my ride. and the
nervous laughter Of Apaka eounded in my ears
not quite unplsassntiy The place OF the dead
is clean; there is q poetry In empty lands
A greener track rec lived us; smooth. shore
side grass was shaded with groves and islets
OF acacias: the hills behind. from tho rcd color
Of the soil and the singularlty OF the formation.
had the air OF a bare Scottish moorland in tho
bleak end OF autumn; and the resemblance set
higher value on the warmth Of the sun and
the brightness OF the sea. l wakened sudden-
~ to remember Kalaupapa and my playmates
Of two days before. Could I have foreotten2
was happy again had the shadow. the sor-
row. aud the obligation faded already2
The thought was still In my mind whom the
green track conducted US into Kaunakakai: .
church among the acaoAs, grove Of COCOA
palms. pier In the lagoon. few scattered
houses and q sehoolhouse where We paused
to gossip. the brown schooiboys observing us
through the windows and exultlng In the in
terruptioh. Thence we must mount into that
iron desert OF tho foothills. which We had
skirted all the morning. Clouds Of dust ac-
companied our march: rock and red clay. rock
and red ay. COW thistlss and COW thistles and
n" other growing thing. surrounded US: all tho
while the seA and Lanai. and the desert
western end OF Moiokal. spread wider and
paler below us as we went Tho horses. In the
course OF the ascent began to snort and labor:
tho coat OF the white punch was strangely al
tered into ono OF many hues. and his rider
began to dall him with the bride end Next.
We must descend into narrow vale OF rocks.
whore were candenut trees and prickly pears
in flower: 1t was deadly hot and dry In the val
Icy. and Apaka's horse complained aloud. One
more abrupt ascent. and we found we had
climbed at last into the zone OF rains and the
sea wind Dowps spread about US clothed
with grasa and diversified with trees and cat
tic. The roots OF the gens. which here on tho
backbone Of the isle) lie near together, were
all thronHed with canlenuts shining like
beeches In the spring: thor slopes dotted with
lehua. q small tree gro wing something like the
cork. aud bearing a red flower. Here and
there wore houses widely scattered and chief
among these the house OF Mr.. Meyer pre-ides
in paradise Of io wers and Monterey cypress,
the sweet trade making Q vital stir in all the
chambers. Here hs DO .ins to grow old among
his sons and fair dang ghters: and soms 1000
feet below-a leap OF half minute-the lepers
ride by the sea margin. and tn, boys Of Kala-
wac play on their nstrum snts. and the girls OF
the Bishop home arrange their bedside tro-
phies.
For the whole slope OF the isle and the chan
nellng Of water COURSES run to the south: and
to the north. little beyond Meyers door. tho
world abruptly stops. At the edge OF the pail.
the lehua trees are grown upon by . strong
creeper. In whose embrace many stand dead:
q yellowish moss like sleeps wool utters
from their boughs: they go over the edge.
whloh is sheer and sudden like q battlement
In open order. leaning from the wind: and be-
como Immediately massed upon the face in
thickets. The base cannot be seen not many
hundred feet below the wood comes to q pro-
file. and stands relieved against the sea and
tho singular fiat despectivs OF the promontory
blacker and hlesker to look down upon from
this high station: the black cliffs boundingit 1t.
the white breakers creaming beyond. and be-
yond again tho green belt OF soundings shad.
Ing swiftly into the pro oundsst blue Of ocean.
A strong sun threw out tho details: Kalau-
papa. the home. the churches. the houses
drawn up In line like bathing machines. all
distinct ana bright like TOYS.
Here. where 1t began. only some 1000 feet
higher. bring to an end this visiting OF
MolokaL The whole length and breadth OF the
once busy Isle have either coasted by or
ridden. And whore are the people3 whore are
the houses? where is tine smoke Of the flres2 !
see again ApakR riding W me on the leeWard
beach: hear again the sound OF his pain,ul
laughter and the words Of mis- Islrain: Pau
KanGka make. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.