St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-02-07

mirror with the ships lying quietly
at anchor. The beauty OF the situa-
ton from this elevation is worth 60
ing twice the distance to see.
We were now on a higher plane
covered with grass save where there
were clusters OF algerobas or small
fields. Growing along the fence |
recognized some old enemies that |
used to encounter on the farm when
a boy, the cucke burrs. Notwith-
standing the Amercanism OF the
Hawaiians, the cuckIe burr and TAX
ing up a collection in church were the
only really familiar features in the
country.
AS we walked our horses upa steep
incline, or galloped over level plain,
we met some odd and interesting
people. A long caravan of pack
mules was seen coming down the
road from the mountain. They were
loaded with bags of rice. 1t is as
tonishing the amount of rice these
hardy little creatures will carry up
steep mountain-sdes, or along
shelving rock, where single false
step would precipitate them to the
sharp rocks hundreds of feet below.
These caravans of pack.mules were
under the control of two Cinnamon,
one before and one behind. The car
avans usually contained eight or
twelve pack-mules, all tied together;
the Chinaman in front leading the
first mule, and a Chinaman in the
rear lashing the laggards.
Flowers in wild proiusion bloomed
along the way; nature has done for
this mountain road what the most
skilful gardener might envy. Just
below the reservoir we came upon
some natives washing, Their method
was peculiar; the water was in a
sort of stone basin, and they were
kneeling with their bare knees on the
stony earth, dipping the clothing into
the water and rubbing it on stone.
One of the most picturesque and
novel sights on the road was
Chinaman moving. He had his
shoulder pole on his shoulder, on one
end of which was his valise, together
with his household and kitchen fur
niture. On the other end was his
ve-stock, consisting of chickens in a
large gunny-sack, holes being cut in
the bag for the chickens to put their
heads through. This little fellow had
come over the Pail and was going to
Honolulu, carrying all his earthly
possessions on that pole.
ut is nothing for them to carry
two hundred pounds twelve or fiji
teen miles," said my guide. They
are tougher than mules"
We crossed some of the plains made
famous by the great battles fought
by Kamehameha the Great, and
reaching plateau, halted at the
halfway house to get a drink of
water and allow our horses drink
and rest.
During the entire journey we did
not meet single white person.
Wandering Chinese and Japanese
without any home, or going to the
markets were the only persons, save
the natives, living along the road
side.
At last the Pail was reached. The
path winds along the pass betweCn
two mountains through which the
wind sweeps down with such terrific
force as to sometimes almost take
one from his feet The view from the
Pail is sublime. On one side may be
seen the sea, with Honolulu looking
like a speck in the distance; on the
other are the plantations and houses
looking also like mere specks in the
dim distance, with the dark blue sea
for a background. Gigantic, grim,
and silent as the sphinx, stands the
frowning cliffs on the right, and on
the left a sharp cone-like ridge ex-
tends so far away that it is lost in
the distance, while the only possible
place of crossing the island is at the
Pail.
One cannot but admire the military
genius of Kamehameha in securing
this pass. 1t was the Thermopvla
of Kalanikupule, the last Oahuan
chief. Here was fought the great
battle which made Kamehameha,
the Hawaiian Napoleon, master OF
all the islands.
Before the battle, Kamehameha,
with fleet of war canoes and one