Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-07-27
VOLCANOES.
Views Of Nouna Lady Who Has
Lived Long In Hawaii.

LIVED long IN Hawaii.
Some Of the happiest days OF my
life were spent on table land looked
down upon by the three great noun
tnlns of Hawaii, Mauna Loa,, Mauna
kca and Hualalai, In height l365O,
1865 and S,275 feet wonder IL there
Is another place In the world more
beautiful than those great ranch lands
whence one gets a view of rose-col,
ored Kea, somber and ghostly IOa,
and the lower crags Of Hualalai. Fer
hnps Mnuna Loa, from the Volcano
House on the brink OF the crater of
Kilauea, Is better. One does not real
lie nt kllauet that one Is on the side
OF Mauna Lon, Is 1900 feet above sea
level, for the summit Is miles away,
and seemingly, miles up In the clouds.
From the hostrlry Mauna Lon looks
quiet and ghostly; unless touched by
the red light OF the sun, when 1t be-
comes mountain of lire.
Late news tells us IL In now n YER
h.'hir mountain OF fire; that a noise
heard " Volcano House, twenty
miles l. announced terrific ex.
plosiOn hate nee, red. and that the
light of the fountains OF fire can he
seen for forty miles around We wait
further news with much interest and
some anxiety; three great lava streams
travelling In different directions. down
the sides OF that huge mountain. sure.
~ will work havoc to some OF the sniil.
Ing country that lies on Its sides. M
well as cover the ruined land that
n.lya h., al
Of the fine growth of young coffee
trees; Of the wide ranch lands, where
ronm wild cattle and sheep; OF the
wonderful tropic forests junged with
fern. chun and pandanus trees; when
one thinks Of friends that live on
these coffee and ranch lands. one
wishes there was cable to bring
daily news from old Mokua weoweO,
the summit orator OF Mauna Loa
In the olden time whenever an eriip-
ton took place It was the custom 10
pick the ohelo berries, which glow
In great quantities near the volcano.
and throw ~ m into the crater az an
of ling to Pee Hogs and other p or
erty were often thrown into the
streams OF lava. II Ii rumored that
modern m0narchs tried this latter
method OF nppeasing the wrath OF
Pele; and, strange coincidence the
day after one of such ceremony the
lava flow ceased to advance. A na.
tive girl. with wide -distcnded eyes
aud In hushed voice, told me II
Pcle's recent nppearlngs; how the old
people tell OF seeing her flying about
hn NJ
Ing the form Of very ancient woman,
sometimes very young and beautiful.
| could not decide whether the girl.
who lived In II primitive part OF IIa-
wall, believed the stories or not the
Hawaiian OF to-day, while ashamed
to acknowledge faith In the old super
stitions, Of course. has not wholly de-
parted fIonn ths lssiiy-fs ~ Ma fatksess,
Alexander Ia his brief History Of
the Hawaiian People" tells how one
superstition was broken down by Kan.
iOlani- not the dowagcr Queen, who
lived about seventy.five years.aeo. In
her youth she was inteInperate and
dlsAolute, hut later In life became an
example OF virtue to her country-wo-
men. Up to her time IL had been tab.
coed for any woman to ascend the
mountain 10 the volcano, or to pick
tho ohelo berries, sacred 10 Pe.e, dread
goddess Of the place After her CONVEX
sion 10 Christian beliefs, Kapiolant
determined 10 break the spell OF he.
lief In Pele, and teach the superstl
ti0us natives 10 worship the true God.
She made n journey OF 100 miles. most.
ly on foot. ON approaching the vol.
canO she met the priestess Of Pelc
who warned her not 10 go near the
crater. and predicted her death II she
violated the tabO0s Of the goddess.
who are your demanded Kapi0lnni.
"One In whom the goddess dwells."
was the reply, In answer 10 pretend
ed letter Of Pcle's, KapiolanI quoted
passages from the Scriptures setting
forth the character and power OF the
true God, until the priestess was 81
fenced and confessed that Keakua.
the deity, Ind left her. Kaplolanl and
her company OF eighty persons descen-
ded over i've hundred feet to the
black ledge. There. In full view Of
the grand and terrific action Of the
Inner crater, she ate the berries con
sccrated TO Pele, and threw stones in-
10 the burning lake. saying, Jehovah
II my God. He rules all and
fear not Pele. u ! perish by her anger.
then you may fear Pele; but II I trust
In Jehovah and he preserve me when
breaking her tnbOos, then you must
fear and serve him alone" This las
been called one Of the greatest acts OF
moral courage ever performed. Miss
YOnRe well described the scene In
chapter called IAN Hawaiian Chief.
tess" After Tennyson's death among
his papers was found poem In honor
OF this same heroine. II was published
In the illustrated London News and
nfterward In a late edition OF Tenny.
sons poems. He wrote:
Noble the Saxon who hurled at his
Idol
\ valOrOus weapon In Olden England!
Great, and greater, and greatest OF
women,
Island heroine Kaplolnni,
ClOmb the mountain, and flung the
berries,
And dared the goddess, and freed the
people Of Hawaii.
Katherine Pope In st. Louis
Globe Democrat.
Discretion After Investigation.