The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-03-28

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HAwAI1 THE PEARL OF THEPACIFlc.
~ Journey to the Great Volcano. "A
Mysterious Plantation Owner.
! Copyright, 1885, BY Funk 4 Wagnalls Co. N. "
ct course, no visitor to the Hawaiian
Islands fails to see the great volcano Kill
auea. The journey to this volcano can
now be made very comfortably. The
! Wilder Steamship Company runs line
OF steamers from Honolulu to Hilo which
there connect with stage. This stage
takes one to the Volcano House, about
three miles from the crater.
On Dec. 10, / boarded the Khan, a
steamer Of the Wilder line, for 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 shin was
bringing some heavy machinery. AS the
vessel was anchored half mile from
shore, the transpor tation Of that ponder
Gus machinery 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 Df steam derrick and placed on
the two boats, which were then rowed
ashore by the native sailors. e.
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 q barren waste. But as we
proceeded the scene changed. Huts and
mills IN abundance, with green pastures,
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
summer breeze that famed our cheeks.
During the afternoon we passed the
landing called Panilo, where Minister
Stevens's 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
to the ship was overturned by the surf
and she drowned in fifty feet of water.
A native sailor afterward dived to the
bottom and recovered her body.
We arrived at Hilo at about eight in
the evening, and going ashore was taken
in hack to the Hilo Hotel, kept by a
Portuguese named Joseph Vserra. From
here to Volcano House one goes over a
stage, which makes the trip every other
day.
On the morning OF December 18th we
boarded the stage and left Hilo. Tn the
suburbs we halted to pick up Japanese
woman who was going up the road, and
at the bridge beyond Hilo we took ma
tive man and an empty box on board,
Then the four horses with the stage
swept down the road, through lane with
rich cane fields on either side.
After few miles the cane fields disap.
peared, and we plunged into vast forests
Of ohia wood mingled with which wild
coffee was growing. Occasionally we
passed narrow path leading into the
dense jungle, and whenever one glanced
down it, the shanty of japanese might
have been seen snugly hidden away like a
ground birds nest.
The stage carried the mail, and / was
surprised at the manner in which this
was distributed by the driver. At every
path along the way he gave blast on his
stage horn, and threw. of letter or
paper. Sometimes there was post-box
at the roadside, and as he wh1rled by the
stage driver deity dropped into it the
mail for the owner of the plantation.
/ One practise 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 turn
pixies over the mountains are due to con-
victs working out their fines or years of
penal servitude, which is certainly more
profitable than hiring them out to cor.
poration. TIA man VIOLA es the laws, it
makes no difference whether he commits
misdemeanor or q felony, no must serve
the spunky little republic by digging on
the road. 5.
At four O'clock the Volcano House, Mr..
Peter Lee, proprietor, was reached. One
has all the evidences Of the near proximity
OF volcano on approachin. the nouss,
Steam was issuing from the seams in tie
Ilava-crusted earth along the roadside E. and