The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-11-09
Breezy Account Given
by Bishop Willis,
INCIDENTS OF A TRIP
What the Passenger Sees in ;
Journey by the l.Iand
Steamships.


Der by Bishop Willis:
The editor of the Anglican Church
Chronicle having expressed the wish for
an account of the trip between the ISL
ands from one who is familiar with 1t,
believing 1t would be interesting to his
readers in the States, and serve to remove
som" current misconceptions with regard
10 one extent OF the Islands. and their dis
lance from one another. the following
sketch has been put on paper:
| Twenty-Five years ago there was but
one steamer pving between the Islands
the kilauea, running one week to Hilo
land the next 20 kona and the southern
,Crts of Hawaii. once a quarter a trip
was made to the most western Island,
Kauai. This boat was unprovided with
any such luxury as a stateroom. and I'M
less driven by rain or spray to the hunks.
like pigeon holes. round the saloon, pas
sengers usually slept on mattresses on
deck. which, not infrequently, was strewn
with sleeping ferns from one end to the
other, particularly when a royal progress
was on hand. But this was such an ad-
vance on travelling by schooner that the
accommodation seemed Al. The kilauea
used to leave Honolulu on Mondays at 3
T.. m, reaching Lahaina about a. m. the
next morning. 1t was generally dark
when she reached Kawaihae, on Hawaii,
latter battling for hours with the trades
in the Hawaii channel. Her last trip
was made about 1875. On that occasion
an old-time kona storm was encountered
land she sprang leak. At Lahaina, where
the storm was raging furously, the dan
ger the boat was in was clearly seen by
an old sea captain among the passengers,
land at his instance the boat was headed
for Honolulu. In the Oahu channel, IN
able to steam against the wind $50 much
steam power being used for the pumrs)
they were driven to the leeward of Oahu
land took refuge off Kaneohe, and when
the storm broke the boat crawled into
Honolulu harbor loaded down to he
waters edge with a cargo of salt water,
which had with great eXertion been kept
from eXtingushing the fires. She never
went out again.
Since then the great development of the
sugar industry has given employment to
two fleets of steamers, owned respective
ly by the Wilder and 1nter-1sland Com
ipanies. The principal passenger boats
are the kinau and Claudine of the Wilder
company and the Mauna Loa and Mika-
hala, belonging to the Inter-Island COM
pany. The Kinau makes a weekly trip to
Hilo and way ports. and the Claudine to
the ports on Maui. The Mauna Loa S
route is to Kailua and the southern
ports on Hawaii, and the Mikahala runs
to Kauai. All the boats are furnished
with the electric light, and offer accom-
growler will complain.
A passenger bound for Hlo must he
Iatoard the kinau at noon on Tuesday. AS
the boat leaves the harbor and approaches
Diamond Head, a fine view Is presented
of the mountains rising behind Honolulu.
and the successive valies, by which the
range is cleft, of Nuuanu Pauoa, Manoa
lard Palolo. AS soon as Diamond Head
is passed the shore begins to recede. and
If the trade wind is strong. its effect be-
gins to be felt, and 1t is well to be on the
lee side of the beat to avoid a shower
hath. The channel between Oahu and
Molokai is about thirty miles across. At
the point of this Island Is a much needed
lighthouse, and near 1t there has lately
Ibeen erected what, viewed from the boat,
appeared to he a flagstaff reaching TO
heaven. 1t Is for the wireless telegraphy.
Under the lee of Molokai smooth water
L. enjoyed for two hours, and a fine view
iof the Island is obtained. The steamer
sometimes puts in to kaunakakai a boat
being sent off from shore for passengers
and mails. The reef runs out here a very
long way, so that a vessel of the Kinau's
idraught has TO lie two miles off. 1t was
here that the American Sugar Company
attempted to establish a large sugar plan
tation. At first the prospects We're most
favorable. but. finally, the project had to
be abandoned for want of a suffclency of
water. Among the permanent improve
ments made by the company is a wharf
running out three-quarters of mile 10
which vessels of light draught, like the
Lehua. can come alongside. Before this,
landing was always disagreeable, as the
boat would usually ground in the mud
several yards from the shore. From this
port the Leper Settlement which lies on
the opposite side of the Island can he
visited 1t may bo remembered how Ste
venson describes the Settlement as "a
bracket against n wall" From Kauna
kakai you go mp 10 the Meyers ranch at
| kalae and continuing to ascend from
! there you come to the top of this wall,
and find a zigzag path leading down to
the sea-girt bracket below. To come back
again is quite climb
! Leaving kaunakakai the steamer is
abreast with the western end of Lanai
which Is now kept on your right at several
miles distance until Lahaina Is reached,
As the shore of Molokai recedes. the force
OF the trade wind sweeping between Maui
and Molokai Is felt for n little while. hut
the boat soon runs into calm water under
the lee of the mountains of West Maui
at the base OF which IL the rich sugar
land of Lahaina, II the sun has not set
before the anchorage is reached. "A very
beautiful view viii be obtained, The line
OF surf breaking over the reef the shore
iringed with cocoanut palms, the bright
green OF the sugar fields, contrasting with
the red of the base OF mountains tower
Ing into the clouds, are some OF the fea-
lures Of tho landscape
II win probably be dark when the
steamer gets away from LAhaina, aud
only the outline OF the high mountains, as
YOU keep along the coast OF Maui. Will bc
discernible, II takes little over an hour
th reach Maalaea liay, the port for Wal
luku This bay lies under the mountains
OF West Maui at one end OF the isthmus
between East and West Maui Across this
lsthmus the wind PUSHES with peculiar
force making the landing az times very
dlficut, the sailors being unable 90
make hsadwaq against A. There have
one occasion a newly married couple We're
coming NJ Ca tnend their honeymoon On
Maui THIS bridegroom handed his bride
into tho nrst boat, hat was not allowed
o. follow the lady having made az ~
boats complement 10 he followed IN ne