The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-03-12
ICopyright, 1896, by Funk and Wagnalls
Company, New York.

OF course, ne visitor to the Hawaiian
Islands fails to see the great volcano
Kllauea. The journey to this volcano
can now be made very comfortably.
The Wilder Steamship Company runs
a line of steamers from Honolulu 10
Hllo which there connect with stage.
This stage takes one to the Volcano
House, about three miles from the era
ter.
On Dec. 10, boarded The knau,
steamer of the Wilder line, for HIlO.
The next morning we were at one al
the ports on the northern part of the
island called Wahumacoua, where there
was large sugar plantation for which
our ship was bringing some heavy ma
Chinery. AS the vessel was anchored
half a mile from shore, the transporta
ton of that ponderous machinery TO
land was an interesting sight. Two OF
the boats were lowered and dashed to-
gether with ropes and heavy beams Of
timber. Then the great ron rollers
and cylinders were let down by III ans
of steam derrick and placed on the
two boats, which were then rowcd
ashore 10y the native sailors.
The water in this bay is SO clear that
we could see pebbles on the bottom at
the depth of forty and fifty feet.
Schools of fish, some weighing twenty
to thirty pounds, could be seen SWIM
ming about the ship. The natives on
board cast over hooks and caught one
fine large fellow.
When the cargo for this port had
been all taken ashore, we continued
our voyage down the coast of the great
island which, with its miles of stone
fences and brown earth, seemed a bar
rem waste. But as we proceeded the
scene changed. Huls and mills in
abundance, with green pastures, cane
fields, and forests succeeded barren
wastes. Then soon, we steamed along
the shore, the snow capped peak of
Mauna kea arose before our vision, in
strong contrast with the tropical sun
and summer breeze that famed our
cheeks.
During the afternoon we passed the
landing called Panilo, where Minister
Stevens's daughter, an estimable youny
lady was drowned. Miss Stevens had
been visiting some friends at this place,
and was taking the vessel for Homo
lulu when the boat which was convey
ing her to the ship was overturned by
the surf and she was drowned in fifty
feet Of water. A native sailor after
ward dived to the bottom and recov-
cred her body.
We arrived at Hilo az about eight in
the evening, and going ashore, | was
taken in a hack to the Hllo Hotel,
kept by Portuguese named Joseph Vi
ezra. From here to the Volcano House
one goes over fairly good road through
the Puma district in stage, which
makes the trip every other day.
On the morning of December 14th
we boarded the Stage and left Hlo
In the suburbs we halted to pick up
Japanese woman who was going up the
road, and at The bridge beyond Hilo
we took a native man and an empty
goods box on board Then the four
horses with the stage swept down the
road, through lane with rich cane
fields on either side.
After few miles the cane fields dis
appeared, and we plunged into vast
forests of AHA wood mingled with which
wild coffee trees were growing. OcCa
sionally We passed narrow path lead
ing into the dense jungle, and when
ever one glanced down it, the shanty
of Japanese might have been seen
snugly hidden away like ground
birds nest.
The stage carried the mail, and l
was surprised at the manner in which
this was distributed by the driver. At
every path along the way he gave a
blast on his stage horn, and threw off
a letter or paper. Sometimes there was
a post-box at the roadside, and as he
whirled by The stage driver deity drop
ped into it the mail for the owner of
the plantation.
Ones practice in Hawaii might teach
a valuable lesson to the United States,
and that is the employment of convict
labor on public roads. Hawaii has some