The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-11
In HAWAII
LONG AGO
.RecoIlections Of
Rev. Serene
Bishop.
MEMORIES OF
OLD KAILUA
Something About the Surround
ings of Early Missionary
Families.
(From the Friend.)

trTO1n the fTlenQ.)
Before transferring the locality of
these "reminiscences from Hawaii to
Oahu, a number of incidents and items
have suggested themselves to be add
of vegetation in our rather barren
yard at Kailua. There were two or
three young kou trees. perhaps ten to
fifteen feet high, which we children
would climb. The bright orange-hued
flowers held trace Of honey, and their
rather fieshy texture was not unpalat-
able to chew. The large, glossy, cor
date leaves formed a thick and beau
tiful foliage. The small nuts contain
ed sweet kernels which repaid some
effort to extract by pounding between
stones. The kou used to be the most
beautiful tree in the Hawaiian Islands.
as well as supplying the choicest of
ornamental woods. Lahaina was once
fringed with these massive spreading
trees. One of the finest was in the
yard of Mr.. Richards, on whose great
low boughs in which we boys loved to
climb. About 1860, a minute insect
called "red-spider,'' came to infest the
under side of the leaves to such an
extent, as in the course of a year, to
destroy every kou tree, NOT only IN
Lahaina, but throughout the group.
The timber of the dead trees was cut
and used for furniture, much being
sent to Germany. The chiefs great
calabash bowls Of kou are now rare
and choice. Young trees of the spe-
cies exist here and there. They have
always succumbed to the insect pest
before attaining any considerable size.
Perhaps Professor Koehele might dis
cover lady bug antidote.
Another climbable tree in our yard
was a castor-oil of unusual size,
which lasted four or five years. This
Palma Christi was common weed in
the group, although an imported plant.
A number of papaya trees flourlshed
and bore their melon-like fruit. Among
the rocks were pockets of soil, through
which certain trees and pants sent
down deep roots so as to survive the
long dry seasons. We had two healthy
shrubs called Pride of Barbados"
whose rich plumy blossoms resemble
those of Ponciana RegIa, or Flame
Tree" Of other flowers, I remember
tiful damask roses at Kaupehu. On
reaching the Atlantic States in May,
1910, the variety and brilliance of the
garden flowers was an endless marvel.
kona shore was never land OF flow
ers. Yellow ilimas We're the brightest.
hard strueole to thrive on Oahu, ex-
cept in high attitudes, where they do
flourish wonderfully. Exceptions are
the lantana, and the tropical Ponciana
and Bougainvillia, with some luXuriant
creepers, which often form great cur
tanning splendors.
Kailua was quite exempt from dust.
Strong wind was rare, and the great
stone heaps absorbed any loose earth
that might be flying. On the lower and
dryer uplands, perhaps a mile distant,
were a few clumps of lauhala. One
of these, conspicuous in the distance
from our back door, simulated in the
twilight the shape of a lion, and was
an object of childish uneasiness, de-
spite the knowledge that it was only
a tree. High on the mountain laid
the great forest of tall trees, as they
seemed to us, and below them the up
lands checkered into patches enclosed
in heavy walls or piles of rocks. In
the distance to the south, laid long
slope on which were many scattering
trees. South Kona looked as If a fine
region. 1 have never visit
ed it except along the coast. Once IN
the evening 1 saw huge meteor sweep
past overhead and apparently plunge
into those southern lands.
We were taught little astronomy,
although in those days the nature Of
Shooting stars and comets was I'M
known. The Thurston children repeat
adly came down, and in the early even
ing we picked out on a globe and in
the sky a number of consultations, and
learned to know the larger planets and
stars. At Honolulu we saw and stud
led a fine orrery, with a full assort-
nent of moons in lively revolution. DR..
Judd had there also a little electrical
cylinder machine, from which PersIs
would bravely lead off in taking small
y, Fr,~ CO, - oI,s
ng hands. The connection of electric
ty and magnetism was then unknown.
believe the doctor had Leyden jar. (
IF geology we never heard. The globe
lad been created in six ordinary days, /
and there was no mystery about ii. /
Still we got grounding in scientific
IDEAS which opened the way for the {
broader modern outlook. We had some
lotion of spacial immensityrev by !
but none of the immensely
If time as now disclosed. Six thou
sand years was the limit of past earth /
Y chronology.
Speaking of mountain fruits, we
children had met with wild strawber- |
les on the high slopes of Mauna Kea. |
also with ohelos at Kilauea. My ac-
luaintance with the akala or mountain |
'aspberry came later. In 1867 seven !
Or eight miles above Kailua, in the |
vet depth of the luxuriant forest, I /
,aiie upon giant cane OF raSpDerrleS !
orty feet in length hanging through a |
-ree-crotch. On the end hung a clus-
-er OF berries that occupied the space |
IL nearly a bushel basket I picked !
one raspberry which measured over |
seven inches in circumference. This |
.ruit was of fine flavor but absolutely |
ievoid of sweetness. I fancy that the |
seeds OF these berries had been at
some time transported from the |
abounding berry fields of the American |
coast by migratory geese or other |
birds to whose feet or feathers they
had become attached. Violers also have |
been found on the extreme summit of
West Maui. In 1886 1 saw a sumach
thicket in remote Hamakua which
must have preceded Cooks discovery.
Breadfruit, taro, bananas. sweet pota-
toes and sugar cane were doubtless
imported by the early Hawaiian immi-
grants.
Among the familiar objects at Kali
ua were the wide strips of white bark
of wauke or paper mulberry, which
were often spread out upon the black
lava, or upon beds of pebbles, in the
process of preparation for poundinp