The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-01-28

their first missionaries came from
Tahiti and those of subsequent times
and of the present time are from
II laval, and as they will probably
pass again under the care of Tahitian
missionaries, since France owns these
islands, together with Tahiti and the
adjacent groups. The Marquesas ISL
ands lie in two parallel groups, thir-
teen in all, trending from southeast
to northwest, between ATTITUDES eight
degrees and eleven degrees south, and
lOngitudes, 1873 degrees and $50 degrees
west. The southern group was dis
covered July 81, 1895, by Alvaro
Mendana de Neyra, as he was vOyag-
Jog with four. ships to COLOMBO the
Solomon Islands, and by him named
Marquesas de Mendoza, in honor of
the viceroy of Peru. The northern
group, though near by, was not dis
covered until nearly two hundred
years later, in 1871, when they were
seen by Captain Ingraham, of Boston,
and named Washington Islands. But
the term Marquesas now embraces
both groups. 1t seems to be the rule
that the further east one goes, in the
Pacific, the more wild, broken and
picturesque ARE the mountains. The
Marquesas are even more remarkable
ands, excepting MOorea. The terrific
storms of the Western Pacific have
not reached this part of the ocean
with sufficient violence to cause ex-
ceesive erosion, nor have frOsts here
prevailed to disintegrate the beetllDg
cliffs, the sharp ridges and the spire
like crags; but all the mountain
forms, even the most fTail and
reaches a height Of 2430 feet above the
level of the sea, and the highest 1860.
Most of them have fertile valleys half
q mile TO three miles deep, and from
One-tenth of a mile to mile wide,
filled with luxuriant shrubs, vines,
and magnificent trees, beneath which
riIIs of pure water, falling from high
inland cliffs, ripple along rocky and
shaded beds to the ocean" (Coan's
Life in Hawaii.)
The largest of these islands is Nuku-
hiva, named after it's discoverer
Marchand." 1t is seventy miles in
circumference, and 1850 feet high at
it's highest peak. almost every pin
nacle of this island is carpeted with
vines; even on the perpendicular walls
of it's preeipices tapestry of shrubs
and verdure hangs. On the south side
is the bay, Taiohae, or Anna Maria,
fragile, still seem to stand as when
originally upheaved and rent by
volcanic forces.
"The coasts of these islands rise
from the water like walls. Deep
gorges, serrated ridges, lofty pro
montories, with sea walls plungIng
thousands of feet into the sea, cone
pointed and truncated; rocky min
arets, and confused masses of rocks,
scoria, and tufa, testify to terrific
rage of PlutOnic agencies In unknown
ages past Many of the ridges are so
precipitous and lofty that they cannot
be crossed by man; and MANY. OF the
rocky ribs come down laterally from
the lofty spine, or dividing ridge, on
an angle of thirty degrees, and form
submarine and subaerial buttresses,
leaving no passage except by canoes.
The lowest of these inhabited ISLANDS
which is shaped like horseshoe and
is two miles deep, a mile broad at the
center, and half mile broad at the
entrance, where it is f1anked by two
great headlands over 500 feet high.
" It's shore is a beautiful crescent
of sand, interrupted here and there
with single and boulders," says ii.
Melville (Typee). mo description
can do Justice to the beauty of the
scenery of this bay. The mountains
shut in vast amphitheatre OF deep
glens, overgrown with vines ana
cleaning with cascades. l felt regret
chat a scene so enchanting was hidden
from the world in these remote seas -
OF view he obtained from the sum-
NIT the mountain he says: lad
oIimpse of the garden OF Paradise been
given nue., 1 could scarcely have been
more ravished with the sight
About forty miles south or TINS ISL
and is Uapou, or Adam Island, on the
west side of which is the maroon IA
kahekou From this harbCr valley
ope-fourth of u mile wide extends
three miles inland, Crowded with
shrubbery, evergreen vines and lefty
trees. The mountains, ridges anu
towering cones of this island are very
grand. Within a vast amph1theatre
of rugged hills, which send down thelr
spurs TO the shore, buttressed by lofty
precipices, are eight remarkable col
umns. 200 to 800 feet high and 90 to
100 feet in diameter, rising in solitary
grandeur like a castellated fortress
GCOau). East OF this island, about
sixty miles distant, is Havaoa, named
La Dominica by Mendana, because
discovered on the Sabbath day. On
the northeast side of this 1siand Is Inc
valley Puamau, lone mile IN 1engIh
and one-quarter of mile Wlde, d par
adise of natural loneliness, charming
forever with the music of its rippliDg
stream" On the south side is Atuo-
ma which is said to be the most YER
.dant valley in the Marquesas. Bread
fruit, oranges, eocoanuts b. 1m afsan aGc
y vi,applez, two grow feet 70 in D' diameter diameter
and seventy feet high, loaded
with fruit. Of this island Geo. For
ster Cooks Voyages) says: I'VE
saw saw many craggy rocks like spires
H al the centre of the island. All the
10 snT mart ia a,prodigious steep and
e eHnsot perpendicuIar wall OF a great
height which forms a sharp p, I [ioge
aha3tarad into spires and preclplces.