The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-28


i could be seen but the endless exnansa Of
| the ocean and the thought struck US.
what terrible place it would be for
I ship-wrecked mariners
/ mere IS very little water on the ISL
| anu In the ravines can be found in
! ene Eoiiows OF tie rocks, small pools of
| water, BUT this water is so saturated
with Suano that 1t is impossible TO use II
Tor drinking purposes
| mere are on several parts of the ISL
and heiaus. These heiaus or stone en-
closures must have been erected MANY
i years ago by natives visiting the island
either Tor the purposes of sacrifice or for
| nshing- The dirt and guano have filled
many or them So that nothing but the
top of the stone wall is visible In 9th
ers can be seen slabs Of stone, TO all
appearances erected for burial monu-e
ments or as affairs. We explored these
| carefully. hoping to find some idols or
images or possibly some works of the
ancient visitors but were unable to find
| anything of that nature
| Some members of our party brought
shotguns and we shot quite number
of bo'sons. These blossoms have two red
| feathers IN their tails These feathers
We're used by the ancient Hawaiians for
making royal kahilis and are very rare
| we succeeded in shooting quite a number
OF the birds and capturing feathers from
| a large number of the female birds sit
ting on their nests amidst the brush oe
/ the island. As We passed along through
the brush. scattered all over were nests
I of some OF the larger birds These nests
are made of shrubbery interviewer and
resting on the tops of the underbrush
Each female bird lays one egg. and
matches but one bird. These birds are
about the size of an ordinary full grown
fowl and are covered with a fuzz of
snowy white or of gray according to the
species of the bird and as you pass by
them they snap their bills ferociously at
you and il you We're unfortunate enough
TO be caught in their grip, the mark
would be permanent reminder of the
trip to the island Among this under
brush I've a large number of canaries
very similar to the Laysan Island canary
only more gaudily feathered and a little
smaller in size. We succeeded in captur-
ing few of these birds and brought
them home with US. After thoroughly
exploring the island we gathered under a
group of loulu palms for lunch. Unfortu-
nately however, we found our supply
of water had run out and many of us
who had been separated from the main
body of the party were almost dying of
thirst consequently We decided to make
for the shore and signal the steamer to
send a keg of water to US. After the
water came and we had rested some
along the rocks at the base of the cliffs
to explore the sand beach on the leeward
side of the bay, the rest of us remaining
near the landing place. amusing our
selves by bathing in the natural basins
just within reach of the surf, or fishing
from the cliffs. Fish abound in large
numbers in the holes and caves skirting
the island and 1t is very easy with
hook and line to secure large number
of them. We succeeded in capturing and
landing baby shark, some three feet in
length.
About half past four, we started TO
embark on cur return to the steamer.
The sea was running rather high and
it was ticklish job to reach the shore
in boat without damage to it. How
ever. through the careful and efficient
management of Captain Gregory, we all
succeeded in reaching the boat in safety
and without mishap.
Those of our party who had been TOO
sea-sek to make the trip ashore, remain
ed on the vessel and some of tt ern anus
ed themselves by catching sharks. Dur
ing the morning several sharks varying
in length from four to six feet were
caught Their fins and tails were chop
ped off and they were then thrown over
board In the afternoon a shark some
fourteen feet in length was captured
and when his stomach was cut open 1t
. found 10 contain Two OF the Sinai
sharks which had been captured in the
morning and whose fins and tails had been
cut off The large shark had evidently
swallowed them as they were lying near
" side by side in the stomach of the
shark, intact, and just In front OF them
. was the body of seabird shot by some
. member of our party.
After hosting up the boats We made
circuit OF the island. Through one side
!
enough 10 allow boat to row through,
provided the weather was calm and 1t is
POSSIBLE for one to look through, seeing
water on the other side. This island APP
pears to have been thrown up from the
bottom of the sea by Some volcanic force
and in that action to have been split into
MANY sections these sections being filled
: mn with molten lava which has cooled
into solid rock and shows in vertical lay
. ers from base to summit, whereas the
sections between are in horizontal layers
I've left the island fer Eleele. Kauai
about twenty minutes to six sunday
evening and sighted the islands of N,tnau
and Lehua about o'clock Monday morn
ing The captain very kindly took US
between these two islands on our way
hack TO Eleele The island of Lehua Is
said 10 be inhabited by tribe OF RABBITS,
however. as it is separated from the ISL
and of Niihau by an expanse of water
il is hardly necessary for the ponce 70
take cognizance of this fact
We reached Eleele about a quarter 10
four Monday afternoon after enjoying
| a very novel and exciting experience
Most of the party were little sea-sichi
Some few of them were unable TO Visit
the island at all on account OF the ei
fects IF the rough passage. All appre-
ciated the attention and kindness SHOWN
to us by the genial Irish Admiral Gre
CORY"
This island was visited by a party
some fifteen years ago. among them were
Governor Dole. Queen Lfiuokalahi, MT
A. Jaeger and Mr.. W. w hah- 80
,bs, NO one has visited the place until
this present trip