The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-07-27


lalHHF itt nifhi ava aFsin a anHihe.
IfiInfiif huNt VI fiFNi uf uirf nfiHfi
IiN ihH mHfhinr 400 utWCuHHf N i'
ha H.l N0Hth ir Hrnk 81 hHN IH.u
fN UfHfHN.H Hus IH NU was IINf
la NitN uH UH"f It'Ir'N. i tf,
go UtHfi DHHL iaUl.n ff DO.
n sod oft Do HHli. .iia fI|H .UiH fifW
tnm distinct fum the Tutr ~ lht t.e.
waited forest hoIf
As may b. plppumd tho frequent
! alteration ul funalius ana shower ~
I fHvurahIr tn TIE tHl1hrw, which W both
solar aud lunar AID very brilliant M
thlH connection mn Impressive spene Il
! brought 90 mind that occurred at the
time of the conveying a. The then
/ aiace. OF the rCmai Of the inte King
] kalnkaua, upon their arrival from san
4 Francisco In the United states cruiser
] Charleston. As the curtege entered
| from the street the gateway to the
spacious grounds, an unusually large
/ and brilliant rainbow so formed itself
on the background Of clouds and show
ers and mist that covered the noun
| tains. and so over-arched the palace
with all It's striking array of weeping.
wailng Hawaiians gathered on the bal
| comics and porches, and around their
widowed queen, with government OIL
cials and native citizens filling the
was. so to speak. framed with sorrow .
full glory. The rainbows of the show
cry valleys OF Nuuanu ana Manoa are
a remembered sight from the decks OF
ships i'm Honolulu harbor. and travel
ers by night see not lnfrequently that
elsewhere very rare sight, a lunar bow.
The noting of the above general fea-
lures of climate will prepare the way
for abiding to the diff erentiation, so to
speak, OF the varying local mates
caused by the mountains, which last
do not so much stand upon, as really
form, the whole group. The follow
ing specimen may illustrate the subject
better than any precise or scientific
classification.
In the north part of the Island OF
Hawaii. between the Kohala mountain
and the foot of Mauna Kea is plateau
of from $500 to 5000 feet elevation, over
which the northeast trades. concentrat-
ed and enforced by the hemming in by
the two mountains. draw ferociously.
accompanied by rains nearly horizontal
and decidedly driving" The traveller
may leave this place for the lee side
coast in what seems to him n general
storm. and yet, after few miles ride
on descending graue. find the gentlest
of sunny weather, and I'm a mile or two
more meet a fresh and balmy sea-
breeze from the west. 1t is storming,
however, all the same on the highlands
of Waimea. Away on the slopes of the
kona mountain at the same time is a
calm forest belt, over which there are
thick midday fogs and abundant after
noon showers. ministering to the coffee
plantations: while directly seward
from >(makai of the same forests are
stony coasts baking in the merciless
sun, with less than five inches per year
of rainfall.
At Kapiolani Park. Waikiki, there
will be some months registered less
than half an inch of rain, while in up
per Nuuanu Valley near the Pail, and
not six miles away in a straight line,
there Will be twelve inches in the same
month. the yearly ratio being about 20
to 125 inches for the two places respec-
lively.
The above examples will suggest to
the reader the main facts as to the var
iety of climates on Hawaii. Mauna
Kea Is 1885 feet in height; Mauna Loa,
$50 feet less. These and other noun
tains throw the atmosphere coming in
land. moist with marine vapor. up
ward, and cooling 1t thus, receive the
consequent heavy rains that produce
the heavy forests, which in turn pro-
mote more rain. The rainfall in the
Hilo forest averages 200 inches a year.
at Olaa 175, and at Hilo itself from 100
to $50. The cleared and dried air rolls
onward, comes to rest in the lee of the
mountain, and changes to ea-breeZes.
Other atmosphere sweeps around the
points of land to the north and SOUTH
and curving inland again, becomes a
back current. still vapor-laden. rolls up
the lee side of the mountain, and feeds
the rains of the Kona mountains spok-
en- of above. The Iona coffee belt re-
ceives about 60 inches per year.
On lower island, like Oahu, the wind
draws through the passes. and the lee
side Gains and sea-breeZes are rare,
except In the winter season. The rain
fall of Oahu Is about forty inches, but
varies very greatly with the locality.
The trade wind. woolpack clouds
are always floating over the Pac fic.
1t looks as IL they caught on the noun
tain sides and tops and punched up"
in great masses, particular y In the aft
ernoons. In point Of fact, however. the
great piles of white cloud are formed on
the spot out of the cooled air on well
known meteorological principles.
Strangers inquiring about climate are
always treated to accounts of the dire
"Kona storm" of winter. An article
like the present may be expected to
enlighten such.
Kona is Polynesian word appearing
in the South Pacific as Tonga, also in
the name Rarotonga. which in Hawai-
ian Is 'lalo Kona," lalo meaning be-
low, or leeward. "Kona" Is probably
of "ko ana" drawing, drag
ging. or being drifted by current and
winds. The direction toward which
canoes, logs, and other floating mate |
rial, thus drifted was the "kona" direc-
tion. So Kona Ia the southwest: more
particularly the southwest district of
an Island, or the southwest horizon.
Hence, the name "Kona storm" ma
kani Kona." The name IL not given to
southerly breezes nor to squalls, but to
a continuous storm with rain. general
ly, like well-regulated cyclones, veerng
to the northwest before clearing up,
hut sometimes holding Its own for n
week at time. Like other storms In
this group, II attacks especial areas
with especial effect on account OF the
of the land. Honolulu Is
never sufferer through damage from
this wind. which is deadened by the
background, though the
heavy sea on the bar Is inconyenient
to shipping. But on the opposite side