The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-07-31
ON HALEAKALA.
The Description of q Trip Taken
by James ". Gsrvln.

. SUCH " - ~ e%A-AN - -
( sion that will never forget il. \
/ friend. Harold Giles, and l had agreed
10 make the ascent Of that famous old
mountain sometime Snd we decided
I that il might IS well be done and
over with. We had visited every
I valley snd peak worth speaking OF
and always kept that Haleakala in
view as our last grand climb before
We left the Islands. We hsd lived
quite s while in Waikiki, and from
our veranda that grand, majestic.
weiri-looking mountain, l0,O00 feet
high snd gigantic in all its proper
tions seemed to be daring Us TO make
the ascent. To the people Of West
Maui HSleSkAls stands out in bold
relief against the eastern sky. Shut
in IS they sre by their own high
range Of mountains the sun sets 10
them early in the afternoon and they
watch the receding light IS II slowly
dies out upwards along the slope Of
the crest mountain. Ii is the only
place / know Of where the sun sets in
the east The word HSleakAla hiss
been translated House Of the sun, but
/ understand il IS House-where-
he-Sun-is-lighted. From Wailuku,
ST distance Of about TWEEN
" miles, il presents very
symmetrical, though barren, aspect.
on = bright, clear dsy, il is observed
thz. its sides sire scored with deep
rSvines. which, through s telescope,
sre found 10 be filled with s dense
rropicSl growth Of scrub kos, kukui
and other trees. Generally in winter
HsIeaksla wears = cap Of snow for s
few dSvs When this cap comes well
down the sides snd lasts for few
weeks, the natives assert that good
agricultural season may be expected.
The slopes Of HSleSksls sre 50 gentle
that cultivation may be carried on
halfway up 70 the top. Anyone IN
seSrch q climate may locate himself
en- this mountain at such an attitude
IS 10 obtain the requisite temperature
from that OF the tropics 10 Sn almost
Arctic ST the summit. Although the
side towards WSiluku has s barren
appearance, being on the, leewsrd,
lhSt on the windwSrd is denSely
covered with gigantic ohis snd kOS
trees, Snd the rsvines which Sre
deeper generally carry turbulent tor
rents II is from these the water is
drawn 70 irrigste the thousands OF
seres Of cane in Haiku. Grove Ranch,
Hsmskuzpoko, Pzis snd the lands OF
the Hawaiian Commercial snd Sugar
Company. In the dsys when my
friend snd I visited old HaleS6SlS
there wSs but one Of these plantations
HAIKU, snd its output wSs small.
As we rode Seross the plSiu which
sepsrstes West from East Maui We
might have diScernei from the rank
growth OF the grass, which wSS up TO
our horses bellies, thSt some dsy the
whole would be one grand field Of
cane. We knew Of the water supply,
sud were familiar with irrig2ting syS-
tens Of other countries, but could not
have f0reseen that reciprocity treaty
with the [ nited States would be made
Sni which hzs given such Sn impetus
10 the sugar industry.
Stopping ST Mrs. Andrews place st
Makswao we obtained : supply OF
provisions snd her son IS > guide.
After s very pleasant Tide Of few
hours We found ourselves 81 the cave
nesr the top. Here We tetherei our
horses and proceeded 10 collect : lot Of
scrub wood 70 keep 5 IRE going all
night In the morning We were on
top before sunrise snd felt fully repaid
for our exsrtiOns. None but s poet
should sttempt 70 describe sunrise on
HsleSkzls- All the principal islands
OF the group sHe visible. At times
they could bs compared 70 huge toad
stools, IS eseh Of them carried its bon
net OF clouds The three mountains
OF Hawaii prOtruded from the field Of
fsecy clouds which covered the whole
isiznd. After chasing goSts for while
and gathering some good specimens
Ot the silver sword, beautiful plsnt
which Is peculiar 70 great elevations,
NY friend snd the guide decided to 90
down into the erzter.
The eFztsr Is somewhat triangular
shaped and its floor appeared 10 be
covered with cone SHAPED hills. l de-
terminei not 70 make the descent ss
nv lungs were not very strong. Il Is
very steep snd sandy, and the two
men were soon ST the bottom where
I could see them wandering shout
among the hills
Presently the clouds began 10 draw
into the crster from the kOOlau gap
zni the whole interior was covered ST
: distance Of probably s thousand feet
below the rim OF peak on which I
stood. II vas 3 very peculiar seDss-
ZION 10 bs alone in the world. Grad
Ually the clouds closed Up toward ne
until the space on which I stood aO-
pszred % be no larger than an Orii-
usry hO1setop-
After su hour or %, and having
eaten nv lunch sni written NY diary
and sung al the eso1gs knew, : fearful
sense q Loneliness seemed to crowd
upou me- I walked s. far s. the
limits 0f my surroundings wO1l1 al
low ne. Ehi>tled and called 10 my
eomrSies- | lOosenei bOUlders and
ses them huStling toward the center
of the crater. AL means OF passing
time became exhausted, snd | would
fsin have followed my friends into the
crater, but knew that S slight devis-
ton 81 the top would mean miles be-
Meath. had reSi Of the sense Of lone
lines mel experience who have none
OF their kind 10 talk with, but they
had always the lower animals or 3