The record-union., 1896-02-18


Mr.. Baldwin and meet US at a place
about five miles along on the road.
Before starting Mr.. Coleville showed
me about the plantation, and explained
| the system of irrigation I saw hun
dreds of busy Japs and Cinnamon at
work in his fields. The system by which
the water is taken up and down Hill and
every stalk of cane supplied, requires
very skillful engineering. Mr.. Coleville
was for three years the manager of both
| the Paia and Haiku plantations. I'm
| der his skillful supervision the Paia
| plantation has been made the second
best paying plantation on the islands.
/ AS we We're to start at II O'Clock
sharp, a lunch was made ready at 11:30,
and Mrs. Coleville prepared some sand
wiches and cakes for myself and guide
while on the mountain. This guide was
| a young Portuguese named Manuel Da-
vera a faithful and capable fellow.
We mounted our steeds and galloped
down long, broad road, as smooth and
hard as a turnpike. On either side We're
vast cane fields, with men, women and
children at work in them.
| The place at which we were to meet
the Benners from Honolulu was a cross
roads store kept by a Chinaman. Here
we tied our horses and went to the
porch, where 1 perched myself, to wait,
Oh a dry goods box, meanwhile watch
ing a Chinese tailor manipulate sew
ing machine.
Presently a white man came to the
store from the telephone and said that
the Benners were detained. and for us
to wait for them. / sat on my goods
box kicked my heels against it, the
Chinese tailor made his machine hum,
and Manuel, who sat on the step. with
an anxious, despairing look, rolled
cigarette and smoked in silence.
herd of horses We're driven along the
dusty thoroughfare, which was followed
few moments later by herd of cattle.
A horseman was discovered galloping
around a bend in the road. / started up
hoping it was one of the Benners, and
expected the other to come out of the
lane in a moment, but the rider proved
tc be a school miss, riding a la Ha-
waiian, in divided skirts. Manuel
sighed, said we would be late, rolled an
other cigarette, and watched the road
impatiently.
At the elevation we now were the
the leaves rustled somewhat as they do
in New England in September.
Time passed. School was out and the
children had gone home, when car
riage. drawn by span of black horses,
came from the lane and drove up to the
store. My Honolulu friends were in the
rear seat and hastened TO greet them.
They apologized for the delay they had
occasioned, and as soon as possible we
were on our way galloping along road
which grew sleeper at every step.
Haleakala seemed only a stones
throw away, tho it was really twelve
miles to the peak. A cloud rested on the
side as if it loved the mountain and
would not leave it. The main road
dwindled away to a mountain path,
sometimes leading up a steep sandy
plain, then across a prairie cut with
deep gorges, or through clump of
trees. We crossed a ravine nearly 100
feet deep and scared up a flock of wild
turkeys.
The ascent grew sleeper and the air
colder. At last, at about half-past 4,
Olinda was reached. OIinda is the sum-
mer residence of II. P. Baldwin, the
wealthy sugar planter. 1t is large,
delightful house in temperate region,
surrounded by temperate flowers, and
the grounds beautifully adorned. 1t is
well furnished and left in charge of
Japanese, who, however, could not be
found anywhere. We climbed in at a
window, made fire in the range and
prepared our suppers, while the guide
took care of the horses. The house had
deserted appearance. Evidences of
child occupancy could be seen in the
dolls and toys and children's books of
little tots, but this was winter, and the
little ones were no doubt in their home
down by the ever-restless> sea.
After supper we went to bed and
slept until midnight, when we awoke,
and after lunch, saddled our horses
and proceeded on our midnight journey
to the House of the Sun.
Onward and upward, step by step,
and foot by foot, our sleepy horses
stumbled through the darkness. From
Olinda to the top of the mountain /
was told that the rise was one foot to
every six, and / believe that the state
ment is correct. But few words were
spoken. If we were inclined to yawn or
doze in our saddles, our horses stum-
bling on some round stone awoke us.
Hour after hour we pressed on; some
times over a bleak mountain wild,
sometimes through a forest of dead
trees blasted by the cold mountain
winds.
Before starting Mr.. ColvilIe had fur
nished me with an overcoat and gloves,
assuring me that I would need them.
donned them on leaving Olinda, and
now found my teeth chattering with the
cold. thought / would dismount and
walk up the steep, but found after TAX
ing dozen steps that could hardly
breathe. The atmosphere was so light
that although our horses went on a
walk they painted as if they had been
running, and often we were compelled
to halt and let them rest. My hat
blew off once and dismounted to get it.
The exertion almost exhausted me.
Our guide showed evidences of bewil-
derment, and though he uttered not a
word we knew he was lost. Mountain
gorge after mountain gorge was cross
ed. Sometimes we threaded our way
along narrow shelf of rock on the
mountain side, with a chasm 500 feet
deep on one side and cliff fully as high
on the other. My horses foot struck a
loose stone and sent it rolling to the
awful depths below.
At last the morning star arose 1t
looked double the size of q star. The
purity of the atmosphere in this region
would certainly make it a desirable
place for astronomical observations.
We halted to allow the horses to rest,
and talked almost in whispers. A white
object appeared among the rocks and
coarse shrubbery 1t was wild bull.