Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1896-01-24
disagreeable steam arises which
makes one sigh for the good old
DAYS in Hawaii when people did

fort lasts only short time, how
ever. These streets dry quickly,
and a gentle cooling breeze fans
the heated face.
Just back of the city of Homo
lulu mountain rears its head
several hundred feet in the air.
From some supposed resemblance
to that article the mountain is
called the Punch Bowl. Tourists
invariably scale its lofty heights,
from which a grand bird's-eye
view may be obtained of the city,
bay, shipping, and whole sur
rounding country.
Like all other tourists deter.
mined to pay the Punch Bowl a
visit, and as | learned that many
tourist had walked to its heights ]
set out one morning on foot. AS
| left the city and entered upon the
long winding road which leads up
to the dizzy height, many of the
busy little Japs and Chinese cast
curious glances at me, and from
the vine-clad cottages along the
way l caught occasional glimpses OF
dark eyed maidens peeping shyly
forth from trellised vines.
AT last, wearied with travelling
over road which seemed to have
no end, / began to cast glances up
the steep sides of the Punch Bowl
and debate in my own mind the
possibility of scaling it. Deter
mined to make the trial, left the
road and started up the mountain
side. A few shrubs and little
coarse grass, with loose crumbling
stones were all / at first encount-
cred, but soon a new obstacle pre-
sented itself in the form of a thor
ny shrub called lantana. 1t is a
species of mesquite, and is ruinous
to the clothes, and uncomfortable
to the skin. 1t is hardy plant,
triumphs over drouth, and -four
ishes in Il flood. 1t thrives alike
in rich soil, stony ground, and
where there is little or no soil at
all The most skilled botanist has
never been able to find single use
for lantana. No animal will eat it.
The islanders have more to fear
from lantana than tiliibuSterS or
the restoration of monarchy. 1t
spreads like cantagion, and detieS
plow and hoe 1t is nearly inde-
structible. | have been told that
if you cut it down, each joint will
start separate new plant; if you
grub it out, it will come again,
and if you burn it, it will rise like
the phenix, triumphant from it's
ashes. If had auenemy whcm 1
wished to do a mortal injury, l
would SOW lantana in his fields
Sometimes half buried in this
noxious plant, l struggled blindly
up the mountain side. At last
making my way across a sort OF
ravine to some rocks blackened
by time, sat down almost out of
breath to rest. My hold on the
rocks was slight. / had scarcely
six inches of space to cling to, and
below me yawned a chasm fifty
feet deep. There was no breeze
on this side of the mountain, and
the rays of the sun were exceed
ingly warm. So, as soon as | had
partially recovered my breath, l
resumed my toilsome journey to
the top. l afterward learned there
was path on the west side OF the
mountain which, though steep, is
accessible to foot travellers.
AS seen from the top of the
Punch Bowl Honolulu presents a
charming picture. The little city
half hidden in the dense foliage of
the tropics, has a shy, coquetish
appearance.
was willing to return by beat
en- path and less precipitous route.
On the way l paused to gaze upon
squad of convicts at work on the
road. The uniorm of the Hawaii
an convict varies according to the
offense with which he is charged.
If it is only misdemeanor, he
wears a suit one-half of which is
blue, the other brown. If he is
convicted of felony, his garb is
black and white striped, the
stripes being perpendicular instead
of horizontal, as is the uniform of