Austin's Hawaiian weekly. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1899-190?, 1899-09-30

the world, IN secluded vale, shaded by palms and
ohia forests aticed by the tropical parasites that
climb to the tops of the stately trees, is Waiolooa,
the fountain of perpetual youth. The native Ha-
waiians are imaginative and superstitous, and
they have many legends of the gods who fire the
VOLCANOES bathing in the boiling sulphurous lakes
and pools that abound in the region adjacent, to
remove the begrimed livery of their calling.
The pool of Waololoa is five hundred feet long
and has breadth of one hundred and fifty feet.
The surface of the pool rises and falls about four
feet twice every day. There popular error pre-
vaing in the surrounding country that this is
caused by the ocean tides, but this mistake is APP
parent for the pool is six hundred feet above the
sea level The variation in depth is doubtless
caused by natural syphon in precipitous rock
that bounds one side of the pool and is thus kept
supplied with clear pure water by natural but in
visible means, mysterious but nscrutabe to the
native Hawaiian. They have many fancfu legends
of supernatural agencies believing that the presid
ing deties abhor old age and are patrons of YOUTH
and have the power OF retrogressive transformations
May the illusion, if one it is, never be dspeed and
may old age, if only in imagination, wash off it's
disfigurements and assume the bloom of early life
"esto perpetual" So realistic are their stories that
l followed the winding path in approaching
Waiooloa, now passing around abrupt preci-
pice, now through tangled Jungle, my mind was
in constant expectancy of startling surprises.
almost hoped that the tuteary deities would favor
me, stranger from so distant land with at least
furve glance of their forms before they disappeared
and that which legend and song described so
POLITICALLY Cor porea vanish into thin air. But
my hopes and excited imagination awaited me
nothing save buoyant spirits and lively enjoy
ment of the surroundings. At last, under grove
of lofty cocoa palms lifting from a bank covered
with short green grass, stood looking into the
cearest the most beautiful sheet of water had
ever seen. sugar cane lying at the bottom thirty
five feet deep assumed to the eye an exaggerated
size, every joint distinctly visible, while smaller
Objects the finest thrown as an offering to the
goddess Pele could be seen apparently enlarged.
On tine opposite side of the water an immense
rock rises almost perpendicular many hundred feet
and here and there is relieved from austerity by
festooned vines and shrubs that grow from the
assures cleft by quakes that the earth suffers when
Pee, the great goddess, wakes in anger at the dis
obedience and wantoness of her children of the
Hawaiian race. was lost in contemplation of the
beautiful scene, the products of nature unassisted,
should say, undshgured by art. 1t is truly
fit habitaton for divinity. did not feel DID, but
wanted to feel yonng and sportve, so | disrobed
for bath, and my guide placed my clothes under
the shelter of projecting rock at little distance
and retired. l approached the water by natural
stone steps aud immersed my hand and so exact
was the temperature with the cool air that sight
alone convinced me that my hand was in the water
Like Manfred, | felt GO the impulse, but did not
plunge into the pool ever sacred to Pee in Ha-
waiian myths, and l fanced that l could hear in
distinctly low but musical saraband for which |
felt a strange reverence. Was l mistaken the
sequel will tell.
There was no habitation visible and no impress
of mans hand to the scene, no remains of
telled TIMBER not even the pruning of single
Dough. | was in solitude in Paradise as thought
and dreamed not of the barbaric hospitality that
awaited me on my exit from the bath. | sported
in the water for long time, dived, foated and
fhof hoo.