The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-09
FROM
HONOLULU.
Breezy Account Given
by Bishop Willis.
INCIDENTS OF A TRIP
What the Passenger Sees in a
Journey by the Island
Steamships.


from Honolulu to Hilo written in the
Anglican Church Chronicle for Novem- |
Der by Bishop Willis:
The editor of the Anglican Church |
Chronicle having expressed the wish for |
ali account of the trip between the ISL
ands from one who is familiar with it, |
believing it would be interesting to his |
readers in the States, and serve to remove |
some current misconceptions with regard I
to the extent of the Islands, and their dis |
lance from one another, the following |
sketch has been put on paper:
Twenty-Five years ago .here was cut |
one steamer plving between the Islands
the Kilauea, running one week to Hilo |
and the next 20 kona and the southern
lCrts of Hawaii. Once a quarter a trip
was made to the most western Island, |
Kauai. This boat unprovided with
any such luxury as stateroom, and I'M
less driven by rain or spray to the hunks,
Ike pigeon holes, round the saloon pas
sengers usually slept mattresses on
deck, which, not infrequently, was strewn
with sleeping forms from one end to the
other, particularly when royal progress
was on hand. But this was such an adj
vance on travelling by schooner that the
accommodation seemed AL. The Kilauea
used to leave Honolulu on Mondays at
T. m, reaching Lahaina about a. m. the
next morning. 1t was generally dark
after battling for hours with the trades
in the Hawaii channel. Her last trip
was made about 1875. On that occasion
ar old-time kona storm was encountered
and she sprang leak. At Lahaina where
the storm was raging furiously the dan
ger the boat was in was clearly seen by
an old sea captain among the passengers
and at his instance the boat was headed
for Honolulu. In the Oahu channel, I'M
able to steam against the wind $50 much
steam power being used for the pumps
! they were driven to the leeward of Oahu
and took refuge off Kaneohe and when
the storm broke the boat crawled into
| Honolulu harbor, loaded down to he
waters edge with cargo of salt water,
which had with great exertion been kept
from extinguishing 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
~ by the Wilder and Inter-Island Com
panies. The principal passenger boats
are the kinau and Claudine of the Wilder
company and the Mauna Loa and Mikax
hala, belonging to the Inter-Island COM
pany. The Kinau makes 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-
mediation of which only the chronic
GROWER will complain.
| passenger bound for Hilo must he
aboard the Kinau at noon on Tuesday As
the boat leaves the harbor and approaches
Diamond Head, a fine view is presented
or the mountains rising behind Honolulu,
and the successive vallies by which the
range is cleft of Nuuanu, Pauoa. Manoa
ard 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 boat 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 it there has lately
been erected what, viewed from the boat
appeared to be a flagstaff reaching TO
. heaven. 1t IL for the wireless telegraphy
Under the lee of Molokai smooth water
i; enjoyed for two hours, and a fine view
of the Island is obtained The steamer
sometimes puts in to Kaunakakai a boa
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
draught has to lie two miles off 1t was
here that the American Sugar Company
attempted to establish large sugar plan
tatlon. AT hrSt the prospects were most
favorable, but. finally, the project had to
be abandoned for want of a sufficiency OF
water. Among the permanent improve
ments made by the company is a wharf
running out three quarters of a mile. &c
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 or
the opposite side of the Island can he
visited. II may be remembered how Ste.
venson describes the Settlement as "a
; bracket against n WALL From Kauna
= kakai you go Up to the Meyers ranch al
kalae and continuing to ascend from
there you come to the top of this wall
and find a zigzag path leading down K
the sea-girt bracket below To come bacl
again is quite climb
Leaving Kaunakakai Tire steamer /,
abreast with the western end of Lanai
Wiiich IS now Kept on your right at severa
titles distance until Lahaina is reaches
AS the shore of Mololxai recedes the fore,
OF the trade wind sweeping between Mau
{ and Molokai is felt for a little while bu
the boat soon runs into calm water unde
the lee of the mountains of West Maui
, at the base of which is the rich suga
}, land of Lahaina If the sun has not sc
I before the anchorage is reached. a yer-
I beautiful view viii be obtained The lin
e OF surf breaking over the reef the shor
lringed with cocoanut palms, the brigh
green of the sugar fields. contrasting witt
ing into the clouds, are some of the fea
lures OF tho landscape.
Ii VIII probably be dark when tn
steamer gets away from Lahaina, ain
:. only the outline of the high mountains. a
;. you Keep along the coast of Maui. will b
y dlscernible. 1t takes little over an hou
:. L" reach Maalaea Bay, the port for Wal
II luku This bay lies under the mountain
or West Maui at one end of the isthmu
between East and West Maui Across tl,i
lsthmus the wind rushes with pecuiia
rSrce, making the landing at times yer
difficult, the sailors being unable I
make headway against it, There hav
heen some curious experiences here. @
one occasion newly married couple wer
coming up 10 spend their honeymoon G,
MAUI. The bridegroom handed his brid
INTO the first boat. but was not Above
10 follow, the lady having made up tn
boats complement So he followed in IN
second boat, which after a two hours
struggle, landed him at the wharf abou
a. m. But the first boat had not bee
heard of, and IT was a pitch dark nient
Dawn was approaching when the Disco
solate husband met his bride safe n
shore. The boat had been driven out I
: sea. and finally made the land in a cree