The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-05-14
BURROUGHS MAY
WRITE OF HAWAII

81 came down here for a kind of
vacation, with no special end in view.
L expect to travel around the various
Islands, take life easy, and, of course,
study nature, to some extent while 1
am here
John Burroughs, the famous natural
list and author, with his long wnite
hair flowing almost to his shoulders
and his face burned from the sun of
Southern California, arrived here yes
terday morning on the liner Mongolia
He had intended to remain here about
two weeks, but the steamer on which
he expected to return to the mainland
with his friends is already booked full
and as consequence he will probably
be in the Islands for nearly a month.
81 have been across the Atlantic
Ocean and return twice, have been to
Alaska, to Bermuda, and to many other
places where the travel has been by
sea, but l must say that the voyage
which l have just completed has been
the pleasantest, from every point of
view, l have ever taken. | didn t miss
meal from the time we left San
Francisco until we arrived here, and
L enjoyed every moment of the trip.
Now, as matter of fact con-
tinued the venerable naturalist, slyly,
81 really didn't want to come to the
Islands. But my friends wished to
make the trip, and l acceded to their
invitation. And l can t say that l IN
bit sorry, either. OF course, haven't
had much of a chance to see Honolulu
as yet, but everything that has come
before my eye SO far is beautiful.
Igl., do
them and from what L have heard, are,
| think, good deal the same as the
Bermudas from the naturalist IS stand
point. Here, however, the mountains
appear somewhat bare, while they are
covered with trees and shrubbery in
Bermuda. Nature S gifts also are
different here than anywhere else, prob
ably, and as to the extent of this l
shall probably make some study.
"Will / write of Hawaii Well, L
don t know, and don t suppose l will
know for considerable time. am al.
ways the same way. l never make up
my mind as to what / shall write
about until the mood strikes me- When
| want to write, / do So The bee does
not get honey from each flower visited.
So it is with me. L shall, however,
make notes regarding Hawaii's plant
life and study the Islands just as /
do every other place / visit.
my stay will probably be more ex-
tended than / had at first planned, and
/ will thus be given more of an OPP
portunity for research work. My plans
are not developed at all as TO what
disposal i shall make of my time while
here, but 1 shall without doubt visit
the islands of Hawaii, to see the vol
cano, and Kauai, the Garden Island"
Although now in his seventy-second
! year, "'The Master of Slabsides," walks
with as springy and light step as
many man twenty years his Junior.
With Mr. Burroughs are Dr.. Barris, on
her first trip here from New York, and
Mrs. Ashley. The books which have
been written by the famous naturalist
are many, some of which are Leaf and
Tendril, Ways Of Nature, Camping and
Tamping with Roosevelt, Far and Near,
Literary Values, The Light of Day,
Whitman, A Study, A Year in the Fields,
Bird and Bough verse;, Winter Sun
shine. WakeRobin, Squirrels and Other
Fur Bearers, Signs and Seasons, River
bv. Locusts and Wild Honey, Fresh
Fields, and Indoor Studies.