La Junta tribune., 1909-10-16

sounded strange to us, but before
we left We could handle it pretty
well. Natives came aboard every
day with fruits and cards. They are
about the most ignorant set Of people
that could be found. They won't
take money for their goods but want
to trade II for soap and clothes. A
person can get large piece of coral
or a basket Of shells for a five cent
bar Of soap, but II they were offered
dollar for the same thing they
wouldn't take It. And for an under
shirt they would give about a bushel
OF lemons. II really Is q shame to
take the money. But some Of them
are OF q higher class, and they like
to show 1t. They have . very peculiar
dress. They wear a short Jacket Of
bright colors. and q cloth around the
waist that comes down to the knees
They all go barefooted. They think
more OF their hair than anything else.
1t Is coal black and very kinky, and
they wear 1t so that 1t looks like
large round ball. The women are not
near SO proud as the men, but they
all wear rings in ears and nose and
bracelets on their arms. Before We
left the English gave us an enter
tainment, and we all had a time that
will ha rpmam harad
On July 22d we left Sura for Pago
Pago, Samoa. arriving there on the
2ith. New sights were awaiting us.
1t Is Just small native village, and
the people live In wild state, but
they sure know how to make a sailor
welcome. They live in huts made of
bamboo. The floor Is dirt covered
over with rock and pounded down
smooth. They make mats and cover
II over. There is one large apart
ment without partitions. When they
see white man coming they do all
In their power to get him In. The
first thing they do is to offer him a
drink Of Kara. II is made from the
root OF the Kara tree. drank some
OF II Just to make them feel good but
didn't like II much. II tastes more
like soap suds than anything else.
There are some of the finest Ian
anas there ! ever saw. They get to
be eight or ten inches long. and they
certainly are swell. They also make
a kind OF cloth called tappa cloth
which is very valuable back In the
States. This ship carried off great
quantities OF II. Some OF the boys
took some ashore at Honolulu and
got as high as s. yard for 1t.
have n piece about six by eight feet
and only gave fifty cents for 1t.
We left for Honolulu July 2sth, ar.
riying there on the morning OF August
7th. We only made about ten knots
There we took on coal and started
August 18th for Hilo to visit the Kill
auea volcano. II lies about forty
miles inland In the island OF Hawaii.
the largest one OF the group. We took
train for twenty-five miles and then
took a stage for the Volcano House
hotel. We had TO 20 about three miles
on foot before we reached the volca-
no. The crater Is about a half mile
across. and the lava space about 600
yards. It is $50 feet from the top
the crater. We got right up to the
edge and looked down. II was one Of
the most beautiful and also one Of
the awfulest sights | ever saw. The
boiling lava was shooting up In the
air and looks Just like melted iron.
On the way to II there are large
cracks In the ground. and the heat
that comes out In something fierce.
A person can't bear to hold his hand
down In one Of these cracks more
then Hix inches. The hotel II quite
. swell affair. II has all the latest
Accommodations. They burn mahogany
for fuel. There IL q strip Of II con.
Aaining about 10000 acres. but Il u
located 10 Il can't be got.
We only spsnt one night At the
volcano. and going back TO the ship
isft for Frisco II noon. We brohs
the record for speed Of warshiDs.
making the run fron Hilo 70 Frisco
In four days and twenty-five hours.
We viii stay here until the oh and
then procssd 10 Los Angeles. Aftss
. fsw days W viii come back herr
70 attend Tie Portola Festival o.
tobsr 18th 70 the ~. TAses vi1l
b. sAips q ail natieas hses thsa ~
We sxpset - havs . Oee1 ti0s.
u Yeueu truly, ~