The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-24

Z :
the brawling stream rushing down the
canyon was very cold and we were
apparently in the temperate zone ex-
eept for grand treeferns and moses
that could not survive frost. The
kettle singing at the camp fire and the
unusually pleasant notes of the noun
tain birds, the ever present rush of
the stream, the scent of the forest
mingling with that of the beef stew
gives change enough for any office tir-
ed man. After the exhilarating horse
back ride up the mountain from Ke-
kaha, and along the crest of the west
wall of the wonderful Waimea grand
canyon the rest is a perfect delight.
''The Grand Canyon about 5000 feet
deep has much of the color of the
Grand Canyon of the Colorado, and
gives the same sense of awful grand
eur to the traveller who has seen both.
The dimensions of the world renowned
canyon are greater out the effect here
of the red canyon backed by the dark
green of the Waimea mountains is
equally grand.
"The new road built by the Knud-
sens for the purpose of making it easy
for travellers to go from Kekaha to
the high mountains winds along the
edge of this gorge with many grand
vistas. 1t is nearly complete. When
finished one can drive a four horse
team up to their mountain house at
Halemano. From there, horseback trails
enable the camper to go for miles up
toward the summit through wild re,
gion heavily wooded with old ohia and
lehua trees. The cattle have trampled
the forest and destroyed the young
trees until the country is passable and
comparatively dry.
"The woods shelter wild cattle and
pigs, and the bare steep red cliffs of
the canyons in and about Waimea are
cropped bare of every accessible green
thing by the goats that run along the
steep cliffs. These goats are the de-
scendants of those left on the island
by Vancouver.
"'For climate, scenery and hunting
these mountains are ideal for the Ho-
nolulu people, especially, who have no
four thousand feet elevation to which
to resort in hot weather.
F'The point that is of general inter
est is that this whole region can be
preserved for all time for the use and
pleasure of the whole public, and not
for lucky few, if the public realize
the desirability of the place as a for
est preserve
''The land is now leased to cattle
men by the government. The leases
will soon run out and the government
will be free to deal with it's forest
land as it sees fit.
"The use of these uplands for cattle
grazing is of almost no value. Posi-.
bly, two hunters make a poor living
by hunting wild cattle through the for.
est, and selling the meat and hides.
1.-THE benefits then are so small as
to be negligible.
On the other hand, the direct and
indirect damage to the forests from
cattle is incalculable.
IF one stands on the well known
rock sPohakuwaawaa where the dis
tricts of Napali and Waimea meet and
looks southwark, and southeastward
toward the ridge of Waialeale the dam
age to the forest is patent to the most
careless observer. One naturally asks
why ridge after ridge rolling south
ward has gray appearance. The for
est everywhere is dark green, indi.
eating the lehua, with here and there
a hgh green spot where koa tree has
made stand for itself Far back on
the slope of the ridge from Waia' ,aIe
the rolling hills have the gray appear
anee of a middle aged man whose black
hair IS fast being silvered with age
Closer observation shows that it is due
to the fact that the lehua forest of
mature trees is dying out, and that
no young trees are taking their place
The old trees are bearded with moss
and only the very summit branches !
show the Characteristic green of the |
ehua
''The cattle prefer to live on the |
Young shoots of the lehua 1t is the |
habit of this tree to take root in the |
rotten trunks fallen among the MOSES.
One does not see the young sprouts