Evening star., 1896-02-21

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Dole has felt 1t important to obtain per-
sonal knowledge of what roads were most
needed, although Engineers and officials
have already reported on the subject.
Kona's- Climate.
This Is good place TO speak Of the won-
derfui climate of K0Ra, which renders it a
iocsiity OF unequaled vrlue for consumpttve
ipvaiids. I have now young friend there
who tried Algiers and Madeira in vain. and
In steady decline came all the way from
Europe to Kona. where she is now de-
c:dedly gaining strength. The entire dis
trlct Is absolutely cut Off from the damp
susty trade winds by the three lofty noun
tains of the interior of the island. Against
the giant mountainsf Kea and Loa the
trade winds pile up and then sweep away
70 the north and south. first precpitating
.neir burdens of moisture in copious rains
over the HilO and Puma districts. In con.
sequence, the whole Of the ninety miles of
tne western shore of Hawaii is absolutely
ara and barren, no rain visiting the shores
eAcept during the brief southwesterly gales
o! the winter season. This secures for the
district an exceptional freedom from winds
Uniformity OF temperature, and absence Of
numldlty, all to degree found in fardl
any locality in this group, and not any
"nere else, so far as known
on the shore. however, the climate is too
~arm and relaxing. BY ascending 1,2DO
ieel 10 the cultivated strip, a bracing tenn
perature Is obtained, without the excessive
humidity found at double or treble al
titude. 1t Is in few comfortable, we'll
kept homes of old settlers on the upIand
ROAD at the altitude named that a few in
vands are frequently found reclining on
sunny Verandas, with magnificent outlook
on the shimmering western ocean, or rid
ing along romantic trails among orange
ana mountain-apple orchards. or clinker
piles covered with luxuriant morning glory
or gay iantana thfckets. In this COOL dry
balmy air they breathe healing to their
wounded lungs and gather flesh on their
wasted frames.
The great humidity few miles inland
ls remarkable. 1t Is due to the sea breeze.
The heat of the rocks inland produces a
strong draft of air from the sea daily be-
ginning early in the forenoon and lasting
until sundown, with perfect regularity
This sea breeze comes in with a moderate
burden of moisture, which it necessarily
deposits after rising to sufficient attitude
Hence, before noon every day, a heavy
bank of cloud gathers over the upland tor
est, which it nourishes, and gradually
hangs lower and lower, shedding it's rain
every afternoon copiously upon the higher
forest and gently upon the lower farming
belt. While the latter enjoys but moderate
humidity not unfavorable to the weakest
lungs, the forest region is dank and drip
ping. and abounds in gigantic specimens of
timber. In such place l once found an
inches In diameter. growing among a cluster
at the pendulous end of cane over forty
feet in length
Skirting Maunn Loa.
The president and his party continued
their inspection over the extremely rugged
route Of south kona and western Ka-u
lkah-oo) This whole region skirts for
forty miles the lower western flank of the
broad dome of Mauna Loa. Probably not
a century has passed since man dwelt on
this globe in which this mighty volcano
has not sent one or more devastating floods
OF lava streaming across this belt to the
sea. For the entire forty miles the road
traverses old and new beds of lava, mostly
of the clinker variety, on which vegeta-
ton best fourishes. but which Is as nearly
impossible to travel as ground can be
made. although road once built over it
seldom needs repair. except when Il new
outpour of fire obliterates it. Such rude
trail as existed for horses was thus covered
twice for about a mile. once in 1865 and
again in 1856. The government is unlikely
to construct any expensive road through
this barren and unpromisng borderland of
ka-u and kona, especially in the absence
OF any fire insurance on the work.
Mr. Dole here turned eastward. travers-
ing the rich planting district of central
ka-u and its eastern desert of fifteen
miles, which devasta ted in 1880 by an
explosive" eruption of Kilauea, covering
the region with gravel and pumice. A
journey of fifty miles from the south point
of the island brought the official party to
the Volcano House, the last thirty being by
stage coach over a rough road. Here they
met the very first party of visitors who
had rushed up from Hilo to see the mag
nificent spectacle of an uprush of lava in
the crater after fifteen months OF QuteS-
cence. During the first, three weeks sibce
the return of the fires on the 4th of Janu-
airy the hotel has entertained about $50
guests from all parts of the world. Among
haT h. n
two high officials. who have been here to
spy out the land. They returned homs last
week after a busy sojourn of sixteen days.
Their visit has called our attention strong
ly to the immense promise and resources
of their colony, and to the coming vast i'm
portance of Queensland as factor IN :he
future commerce of the Pacific. We have
evidence that in their turn they have car
red home the strongest sense of the COM
mandng position and Importance OF Ha-
wall the great central crossing point of
that fast-growing commerce.
Sliding Down Hill.
From the volcano to Hilo by the new
read was mere slide down hill of thirty
one miles and 1000 feet fall which has
teen done on bikes in two hours. The pres
ident was warmly welcomed in this chief
town of the big island. and made the peo-
pie feel that he was thoroughly interested
in the welfare and progress of their beau
truth whatever, by the way, in a recent re-
pert sent from here to the Associated Press
that Hilo people We're moving to secede
from the republic. Nothing OF the kind
was ever thought of by any one. The re-
pert grew out of some talk of theirs to de-
r,and local direction of the revenues raised
on that island-a sort Of home rule-in the
belief that the capital was receiving m ore
than its share of public improvements. A
wise citizen, however, easily demonstrated
to the malcontents that on the new plan
they would have less to spend than they
had been getting. That was the last that
was heard on that subject.
The citizens of Hilo are awake and pro-
gressive, and fully conscious that they have
a very good thing in hand in the way Of
developing their possibilities. Their strong
est immediate outcry Is for wharves. of
which as yet they have none even for light
ers. The trouble has been that the only
side of the harbor free from the swell is
from one and a half to two miles from the
busiest center 1t might be connected by a
railway along the beach. This will doubt
less be done, and wharves built alongside
which ships can lie. Such wharves would
he subject at intervals nari1 from