The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-03-27
A Journey to the Great Volcano.
A Mysterious Plantation Owner.

| OF course, no visitor to the Hawaiian
| Islands fails to see the great volcano Xii
auea. Z ejourney to this volcano can now
| be made very comfortably. The Wilder
Steamship Company runs line of steam
| ers from Honolulu to Hllo which there con
meet with stage. This stage takes ono Il
the Volcano House, about three miles from
the crater.
On Denember 10, boarded the Kinau, a
steamer of the Wilder line, tor Hilo. The
next morning we were at one of 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 machinery. AS the
vessel was anchored half mile from shore,
the transportation of that ponderous ma.
chinery to land was an interesting sight.
Two of the boats were lowered and dashed
| together with ropes and heavy beams OF
timber. Then the great iron rollers and
cylinders were let down by means of a
steam derrick and placed on the two boats,
which were then rowed ashore by the ma
tive sailors.
The water in this bay is so clear that we
could see pebbles on the bottom at the
depth of forty or fifty feet. Schools of fish,
some weighing twenty to thirty pounds,
could be seen swimming 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 barren waste. But
as we proceeded the scene changed. Huts
and mills in abundance, with green pas
lures, cane fields and forests succeeded
barren wastes. Then soon, as we steamed
along the shore, the snow-capped peak of
Mauna Kea arose before our vision, in
strong contrast with the tropical sun and
| hat 70 nur nhnalye
During the afternoon we passed the land
ing called Panilo, where Minister Stevens
daughter, an estimable young lady, was
drowned. Miss Stevens had been visiting
some friends at this place, and was taking
the vessel for Honolulu when the boat
which was conveying her t. the ship was
overturned by the surf and she was drowned
in fifty feet OF water A native sailor af
terward Owed to the bottom and recovered
her body.
We arrived at Hilo about eight in the
evening. and going ashore was taken in a
hack to the HilO Hotel, kept by Portu-
guese named Joseph Vierra. From here
TO the Volcano House one goes over fairly
good road through the Puma district In
stage. which maks the trip every other day.
On the morning of December 14th we
boarded the stage and left HIlO. In the
suburbs we halted to pick up Japanese
woman who was going up the road, and at
the bridge beyond HilO we took 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 a few miles the cane fields dlsap-
peared, and we plunged into vast forests of
AHA wood mingled with which wild coffee
was growing. Occasionally we passed a
narrow path leading into the dense jungle,
and whenever one glanced down 1t, the
shanty of Japanese might have been seen
snugly hidden away like ground-bird's
nest.
The stage carried the mail, and l was
surprised at the manner il which this was
distributed by the driver. At every path
along the way he gave 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 dropped into it the mail for
owner of the plantation.
One 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 of the best
and some of the worst roads in the world.
Some of her broad turnpikes over the
mountains are due to cOnvicts working out
their fines OF years of penal seryitude,
which Is certainly mere profitable than hir-
ing them out to corporation. III man
violates the laws il makes no difference
whether he commits misdemeanor or a
felony. he must serve the spunky little re-
public by digging on the road.
At four O'Clock the Volcano House, Mr..
Peer Lee. proprietor, was reached. One
has all the evidences of the near proximity