Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-03
BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS.
lanai and Niihau of the Hawaiian
Group.
Int.r.-ting Facts ahnut "a Delikh tful Re
treat for Tourists Some Of the
Features Of tn
Islands.

Islands.
i Ice ISLAND IL Lanai. y .th IL delight
"a! climate. j. ON. uf the most interest
4n.r 81 To Hawaiian Islands 1t is the
piInr.pA! >hrep-grp" my district Of the.
kingdom. and fru:n il are chiefly
drawn the mutton supplies for Homo
lulu. The island. according To the
NV York Sun. j. about ten miles from
l.ahaina. and some scvcntV-two miles
tn way of the latter from Honolulu.
Il has an extreme breadth Of twenty
tw" miles. with a width at its broad
c~t part If thirteen miles. while the
highest point of it> ring shaped noun
tain ridges has an altitude Of 800 feet
above sea level. To the visitor APP
preaching it hy sea. Lanai has by no
means an inviting appearance. the
brown slopes rising toward the inner
range in almost every direction, Civ
ing no Indication of the rich grasS-cov-
cred land which lies beyond, or Of the
timber and shrub-covcrcd ridges and
ravines with which il is interspersed.
Nevertheless. some $1,000 or 10000
sheep and lambs here fatten upon the
succulent grasses. as well as some GOO
horses. 500 horned cattle. and goats
and hogs. Wild turkeys almost with
out number also inhabit the island.
During ten months there were shipped
from this island some 1900 sheep and
numbers of cattle and horses. Very
large quantities and an excellent quail
ity of wool are also clipped here and
shipped to the United States, England
and other countries. ;
Lanai is noted for the extent and
character of its fisheries. 1t was once
the favorite fishing resort of Hawaiian
royalty. The island is sixth in point
of size of the group. and in common
with its sister isles is clearly and I'M
mistakably of volcanic origin. The
round and landlocked valley of Pala-
wal, with its grassy plain containing
more than ten thousand acres of rich
soil, was in ages past the crater of a
great volcano, which, after the great
upheaval which forced the chain up
ward through and above the waters,
still served as vent for the molten
mass and gases beneath the earth's
crust. The island is also unique in
that it is the only one of the group
which has coral reef on the wind.
ward side. The kanaka population is
now in the neighborhood of two hun.
dred and fifty, who are engaged in
cultivating small patches, in sheer
herding and in fishing. One of the
places of interest here is the native
temple where, in the old days, the
heathenisk rites were wont to be per
formed.
Lanai is in places well supplied with
water; there are springs and several
small streams in ravines, and upon the
beach in different places wells have
been sunk which furnish liberal sup
ply of fresh water. There is one per
petual river, or rivulet, which flow.
through the ravine of Maunalei. The
lovers of the grand and beautiful in
nature will here find much to crafty
and the botanist especially will obtain
much food for study and entertaining
research among the numerous canyons
covered with shrubs and forests.
The island of Niihau is the eighth in
size of the islands composing the Ha.
waiian archipelago, and the last OF
anyimpOrtance from commercial, ag.
ricultural or stock-raising stand
point. 1t lies to the southwest OF
Kauai, whence it is reached after an
at times agreeable passage by
steamer, or the traveller whose time is
valuable can cross the narrow passage
which separates it from that island by
the ever-convenient whaleboat. The
islet has an area of about 10000 acres,
or something over 109 square miles. It
was once more thickly populated, but
is now little more than a large sheep
ranch, and the population consists
chiefly of shepherds and employees of
the firm. A fine grass which is indig-
enous here and is not to be found
elsewhere, though closely resembling
the Guayaquil grass, used in the man
ufacture Of Panama hats, was former
ly woven into Niihau mats, which
were noted for their great delicacy
and softness. These mats were woven
in different designs and colors, and
were really beautiful. They are now
very rare, and of late years the price,
which formerly ranged from IS to 81
or SO apiece, has advanced in an al.
most exorbitant degree. Shells Of
great beauty and of many varietie.
are found upon the shores, and those
with reddish, coral-colored seed are
gathered by the not over-industriou.
natives, and, being strung into neck
laces and similar ornaments, are dis
posed of to their fellow-countrymel
and to foreigners. Considerable tast,
and ingenuity are displayed in tn
manufacture of these pretty articles
and as tourists are, as a rule, ready t,
pay literally for curiosities, the ma
tives derive considerable incom
from their sale.