The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-07-29

The Homestead surveys have
taken several field parties a good
portion of the period Most of them
have been located on Hawaii and |
Molokai. 206 lots have been laid |
out, covering 5081 acres, exclusive
of the Makaoku lots in Hilo, Of
the operations under the Home
stead laws, the Minister of Interior
says: 248 lots have been mapped,
appraised and opened for settle
ment during the period. They are
largely on Hawaii, situated in
every district. Their appraised
value for homesteaders is $2S,O27.-
43. To say nothing of taxes on lands
and improvements where no in
come was obtained before, $3,64O.-
So has been received from interest,
and this amount will increase till
all avail able lands are taken up.
Who can estimate the value to the
country of the considerable num-
Der of settlers, who by owning their
little holdings have become an i'm
portant conservative element
wherever located. The amount
now held by the Minister as due
upon homesteads is $40, 699.05. 1t
is reduced little every year.
The survey of a road into Puma
has been an important item. 1t
was carried out by Mr.. Loeben-
stein for the Government, and very
wisely the barren and desolate sea
coast has been abandoned. The
new road joins the Volcano road
about nine miles from Hilo, and
after a few miles of pahoehoe a
country, hitherto almost unknown,
of great fertility and variety is
opened up. By the multitude,
Puma has been regarded as the
home ottawa, given over to yawning
cracks, the fire queen and desola-
ton. It is in fact only awaiting
the axe of the pioneer to lavish
abundant returns to the farmer and
materially increase the wealth of
the nation.
The. work of triangulation has
been carried on through Hilo into
Puma as far as Kapoho. On the
other side it has been carried down
through Kona into Kau as far as
the South Point, and work prelim-
mary to connecting the two series
of triangles by the way of the Vol.
cano is about complete. 1t is
pleasant to note the words of COM
mendation given Mr.. S. M. Kama.
kanui, a native assistant.
The town of Hilo has been sur.
veyed and accurately mapped
Molokai also, under Mr.. NJ. D.
Monsarrat, has been surveyed and
maps partially completed. Based
as they are upon the former triang
ulation, these surveys and maps
are of great value, and it is worthy
of note that they are constantly
disclosing bits, strips, and blocks
of government land where none
was known of before. Sometimes
they are of considerable value in
money; but the value of the work
done in determining questions o.
location and title cannot be esti
mated.
The record of the dangers en-
countered and difficulties overcome
by these field parties is often O
surprising and romantic interest
Sometimes the results are surpris
ing, certainly to the ordinary civil
ian. On the data obtained from
the pendulum observations of Mr.
E. D. Preston in 1887, it is devel
oped, for instance, that South Poin
extends a mile further into tn,
ocean than our maps have hitherto
shown--not that Hawaii is farthe
south, but is so much bigger.
Considerable work has been don,
for public works, like the survey o
the bar of Honolulu harbor, open
ing, widening and defining stree
grades; furnishing maps, plans
and drawings, In fact, the mum
Der of the latter three mounts int
the hundreds, being nearly o,
quite 1000. Mr.. Lyons has charge
of the office as we'll as the genera
meteorological work, for which h,
is most eminently fitted.
Reference is made to the astron
omical work which has been goiny