The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-22
BOTAN|ST PRIEST
FINISHES SEARCH
Father Faurie Has Discovered
Many New Specimens in
the Various Islands.

Able Urban Faurie, the celebrated
French botanist, who has been in the
Territory for the past year, engaged
in the scientific collection of specimens
of Hawaiian flora, is back in Honolulu
from Kauai, preparing to leave for
France. In Kauai, reports the Garden
Island, Father Faurie has been located
in the mountains back of Waimea,
which he has found very rich in the
tropical plant life for which he is
searching, His first point of visitation
was along the Olokele ditch and in the
mountains of that vicinity. Here he
was very much delighted with the fora
to be found, as there are many rare
species in the vicinity, and he discov-
cred a number of new varieties. AS
showing the richness of that section in
new species, he states that he found
over sixteen varieties of mokihana, the
sweet-smelling plant whose leaves and
berries the natives use for their
wreaths. Some of these have never
been named as yet.
While up in this district, Able Faurie
had narrow escape from death one
day, for which he must thank his lucky
stars. He CHANGED to observe some fine
specimens of mokihana hanging down
from a hala tree, and as he was anxious
to get them he crawled out on the tree,
which hung out over a cliff a thousand
feet deep below him. But when almost
within reach of the prize he was hor-
rified to feel the tree slowly beginning
to bend out with him as its roots were
forced by his weight to loose their hold
in the thin earth everything the rock.
covered ledge. So he speedily slipped
down to the ledge again and saved him
self just in time.
Olokele valley and the. Napali table
lands are the best places in the Terri
tory for beautiful plant growth as well
as scenery, and here the sc:sntist as
well as the artist may revel in the
wealth of material to be found, as M
qualification.
In spite of his sixty-four years, NJ
Faurie is a great walker, and proves
by his activity that the life of {
lbotanist is conducive to the best o.
health. One day, recently, he walked
from Lihue, as far as the top of tn,
ridge at the edge of Hanalei Valley :
distance of thirty miles, where h
camped with some Of his Japanes,
friends and returned the next morning
by the same route, to Lihue, bringing
back with him certain materials which
he had left at Hanalei.
He has now travelled over all tn,
Islands except Molokai, in the searcl
of his botanical specimens, and tina
island he expected, when he left Kau
lai, to cover this month. He has gath
Tered an immense variety of specimen
lup to date, and has already sent por
lions of them to the museums of Der
lin, Paris, Leipsic, and others in Eu
rope, as well as to several of the scien
ltific centers of the United States. An
lin addition he has been in correspond
ence with several of the European au
thorities for the purpose of determin
ling the names of certain new specie
which he has found, and has sent then
specimens also.
M. Faurie expected to be throug
with his examination of Molokai las
week, and when he left this island h
planned to start on his return journe
Ito his mission work in Japan som
time in this month. He has only word
of praise for the hospitality shown b
, the people of Kauai, and for the Walt
able assistance they have given hiI
in the accomplishment of the splendi
, results he has succeeded in obtainin
! here. He says that Kauai is a mas
| nifcent field for the botanist, and h
plans to come back here for furthe
E operations in that line, as soon as h
| can get another leave of absence froI
his mission work.