The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-09-04

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" to LAY off" | can easily name a nu
~ Der of more desirable places in viii
- to labor, but the islands are the gree
good place" in which to refrain fro
labor. And this is evidenced by the growing nj
Der of retired" folk who are taking up residen
here; though witnessed much more emphatically
the Hawaiians themselves; than move on earth
more reposefull, superior truly aristocratc being
Plenty" snobs there are in Honolulu but the unf
saably superior souls are the natiyeborn. the natl
race, who, aloof from the harried hustling haol
tWhites) walk in unmoved calm and philosophy.
And this air of large leisure worn by goodly
part of the population, the low latitude Of the
islands, with other temptations of nature, invite
all to lettering or play.
For play too Is one of the persuaSiOns OF the
land and though at sealevel the temperature re-
mains ever at summer reading the upiands and
far heights are brisk and breezy and every one
of the eight islands is mountainous. Hawaii has
the highest mountains of any islands in the
world, and her lesser ranges, also. offer to the
mountain climber no little of hazard and excite
ment as well as infinite beauty. Certain persons
return year after year to the little island world;
in the ambition to explore still unknown valleys,
scale unforgotten battling pals (precipicesJ, es-
say again path to a painless summit.
On the largest island Hawaii, there are three
mountains one of which is over eight thousand
feet In height and each of the others more than
thirteen thousand. On the much smaller island
of Maui, old Haleakala bulks large and towers
high; few grander sights are to be studied than
the view from the top of this mountain; the bat
ting of the clouds below the narrow isthmus of =
Maui joining on to those West Maui mountains
that upraise noble wall opposite the greater
n{op fho
ing in the water On clear day from the sum-
nit may be seen all the islands of the group ex-
cept Kauai; over on the big island Hawaii, snow
capped Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa stand forth,
though distant hundred miles; the entire is
land of Maui lies revealed.
The people who say one can do" Hawaii in
very short order, are very likely the people that
declare the Hawaiian language is easy to learn.
To do" them takes considerable time and con-
siderable effort. But they very worth while,
they are as responsive as the race whose name
they bear-or who bears their name. Seashore
or mountanside, bride path or trail the tramper
cuts for himself, auto highway or cowpath on the
wide ranch lands all lure and give rich return to
those that respond to their call.
The horse not so very long ago was king In the
island ruled supreme, riChman, poorman, beggar-
man. thief, all were dependent on equine carry
ing Everybody knew how to ride, everybody had
a horse planter and Pake (Chinamanl meeting
in this on certain equality. But now, for one
reason and another, horses are getting scarce and
cost a good deal more to keep than they used to.
And while the expense of riding has increased,
the pleasure has decreased-owing to automobile
and motorcycle But for mountain trips the
horse still holds its own, and l know no better
way to play in Hawaii than to travel mauka
(mountain-ward) with willing steed, climbing
up and up and up to where the trail is narrow
and the path Is dm"-but no panther clings to
the arching limb" The mountain forests are of
much beauty and interest both the reforested
heights and the slopes still in possession of the
native trees Giant ferns greatleaved, aspiring
vines, wild bananas and tall shrubbery, help make
q tropical jungle, though the cool air, the energy
of horse and rider, do not bespeak the tropics
Birds are few, but one would rather see none
than be accompanied by the bold, raucous multi
tudinous mynahs of the lower levels These
pests, as one ascends the mountain, give place
to occasional skylark, whose song and soaring
fit in we'll with holiday mood Occasionally in
the wilds the little native olivegreen bird sepa-
rates itself from the protecting foliage; and once
in a while that other son of the soil rose
coloTed sOngster is heard and seen. But bird life
is not feature of the islands; the forests are
almost silent almost destitute Of animal life
Wild flowers are as scarce as native birds
One occasionally comes upon the Hawaiian be.
gonna, dropping. largepetaled, pink and gold,
very lovely Sometimes the bloom of the jasmine
shines out white and starlike and sheds its fra.
GRANGE far abroad The flowers of the wild GIN
ger, one kind pure white the other creamy yell
low fin the air with Intoxicating sweetness. But
the dominant mountain odors come from the
Kreenery; perhaps from the trailing male, myr