The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-09-14
THEASCENTOP liAUNA KEA, HAWAII

Although the ascent Of Mauna
Kea presents no great difficulty and
has often been described, yet brief
account of late scientific expedi-
ton to it's summit may be of interest
to your readers.
The results of MIR. E. d. Preston's
work on Haleakala In 1887 were so
highly appreciated by scientific
men, that the American Academy of
Sciences recommended that sim
liar series of observations should be
made on Mauna Kea. 1t was also de-
cided to include in the plans series
of magnetic observations at number
of important points in the islands.
The u. S. Coast and Geodetic
Survey agreed to grant Mr.. Preston
leave of absence for the purpose, and
to lend the necessary instruments,
while the trustees of the Bache fund
of whom Prof. Dana is one, offered
to apply its income to the same
object. As this sum, however, was
insufficient, q correspondence was
opened as early as 1889, with the
Hawaiian Government Survey, which
promised to assist in transportation,
and to furnish at least one assistant
to record the observations, in con-
sideration of the value of the mag
netic and latitude work.
The plan would have been carried
out last summer, if Mr.. Preston had
not been selected to co operate with
DR.. A. Marcuse in carrying on
series of latitude observations of the
highest degree of precision at Wal
kiki for a year. beginning about the
1st of June, 1891. AS is we'll known,
this laborious and delicate task was
completed to the entire satisfaction
Of astronomers, and the way was now
open for the execution of his orig
inal design. He decided to make
complete series of pendulum, lati-
tude and magnetic observations at
the sea level, on the side of Mauna
Kea, and again on it's summit; one
important object being to determine
its specific gravity, and, as it were, to
weigh the mountain. The stations oc
cupied were to be carefully connected
by survey with the triangulation of
the Government survey.
The party left Honolulu for Ka-
waihae June 25th, consisting of Mr..
E. D. Preston, astronomer, Mr.. w.
E. Wall, his assistant, Prof. W. D.
Alexander, surveyor and quarter
master for the party, and Messrs.
w. w. Chamberlain and Louis Koch.
The first station occupied was In
the village of Kawaihae, near the
sea, in lot belonging to His Elk. S.
Parker, to whom as we'll as to his
agent, Mr.. Jarrett, the party are in
debted for many repeated kind and
generous acts. The appearance of
the place has been greatly changed
by the groves of cocoanut and alga-
roba trees, that have grown up Of
late, and by the formation of a
strip of new land along the shore,
more than 100 feet wide, within the
last fifty years. Like Lahaina
it is rich in historic ruins and in
"reminiscences of better days.
Our next move was to the grassy
and wind-swept plain of Waimea,
2600 feet above the sea, where we
enjoyed complete change of
climate, and had glorious views of
the three great mountains of Ha-
waii. We could not help noticing,
too, the evident fertility of the soil,
and the neglected opportunities for
homestead farms. Only magnetic
observations were made here, while
we were preparing for the ascent of
the mountain. Here we engaged our
guide, hired our horses and part OF
our pack mules, and had our freight,
(''impedimenta," as Caesar appropri-
ately called it,) carted thirty five
miles farther, halfway around the
mountain to the Kolaieha Sheep Sta
ton. We made this our base of op-
erations in attacking the mountain,
in order to dispense as much as DOS
sible with the use of pack mules, on
account of the heavy and costly in
struments which we were obliged to
carry. A wagon road made by the
owners of the Humuula Sheep Ranch
leads from Waimea around the west
ern and southern sides of Mauna
Kea. On the western side of the
mountain it passes through region
which only needs more rainfall tC
make it a superb grazing country
The ancient forests here, as at Wal
mea, have been nearly exterminated
but fine grove of mamane trees
still survives at the Auwaiakeakuf
Ranch. The manienie grass is grad
ually spreading and will in time ado
immensely to the value of the land
At the halfway station, called Wal
xii, water tanks and a rest house
have been provided for teamsters
After turning the corner we skirtec
the desolate plain studded with vel
canic cones that lies between thu
giant mountains of Hawaii, riding