The Traveller. RAMBLES IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1449, 30 August 1879, Page 5

The Traveller.

RAMBLES IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

(by "dolly varden," in the otago daily TIMES.) Cruising among the Sandwich Islands, I was tempted into a tour to the great island Hawaii, to visit its groves of tropical trees, its waterfalls, and mountain- clef ted canyons, whose counterpart is found only in the rocky chasms of the Yosemite, and to stand on the brink and gaze inte the crater of the largest living volcano in the world. Hawaii is one vast tropioal garden, covered with a rich luxuriance of blooming flowers, whose sweet fragrance and dainty colours gladen its island shores perpetually. There is no winter in its temperate clime. The leaves rustle, the vines twine their trailers among ever-green forests, the fruits ripen, and blossoms open their fragrant mouths, and a green coat of grass covers the island every day in the year. Many groves of coffee trees clad in green berries, and opening flowers grow along the mountain side, and oraage trees in their shining leaves and golden balls, pine-apples with their yellow fruit, mangoes and native apples, among the tall-stemmed groves of cocoanuts, with their round tops, grow in wild profusion along the crater slopes. Plantations, and cane-fields and sugarmills cover its valleys. Villages of native huts and grass-thatched cottages sit among the shade of the cocoanuts along the reefbound shores. Three tall fountain peaks — the Mountain Brothers — ritfe over the island to a height of 15,000 feet, capped in a helmet 1 of snow, on whose white crowns the tropical sun looks down in unveiled splendour. Wild hogs and ferocious bulls infest the dense forest up along their mountain heights. Many heathen temples of imperishable masonry, but rude design, still stand along the seashore, on whose altars, in olden days, the untutored natives offered up to their imaginary gods, pigs or natives, whichever came handy. The missionaries have now overthrown their ancient idolatry, and by their ruined temples and broken altars erected many noble churches and cathedrals, whose slender spires can be seen with their white fingers pointing into the heavens, oh every mountain side, and through every native hamlet for miles along the sea. On the western shores of this island Captain Cook, the famous navigator, was slain. A monument stands at the spot where he died, as a tribute to his memory. The native islanders have now attained a nigh scale of civilisation, I are most courteous and kind, and the most ! universally educated race on the face of the earth. The young native women are, Borne of them, beautifully formed, and wear long tresses of black hair, _ and loose flowing gowns, wreaths of wild flowers around their heads, and garlands of green leaves about their aeoks. They are of a warm religious temperament, and enter into their church services with the ardour of enthusiasm. I know of no more soul- stirring music than echoes of the oho ruses welling up from the lava churches among the wild woods of Hawaii. While the natives possess but little energy of character (as they have ! allowed the great body of their landed property to slip into the hands of foreigners) they levy heavy charges on travellers passing through their beautiful islands. An old plug of a horse is charged as much for a day's ride as his bones and hide would bring at public sale. But these extravagant charges art instigated by dissolute whites. The natives still hold the reins of a limited monarchical government, but the policy and administrative functions of the Government are engineered aad shaped by the foreign residents. The island capital is located, »t Honolulu. Here King Kalakaua resides, in a little palace. Honolulu numbers about 30,000 people. It is beautifully Bituated at the base of fern-covered mountains, along a coooanut- bordered beach, with waving groves of palms covering its squares. The American Government has a Minister and consul resident here, and all the European courts and South American republics have representatives at Kalakaua's court. The Native Government have an elegant parliament- house at Honolulu, with spacious grounds and commodious halls. The Government also have one of the best-appointed hotels of modern days at their pretentious little capital. Every comfort and convenience of domestic life are found at this island caravansary. A great number of pas- J sengers to and from the Colonies and Great Britain stop over a month at this midway house in the Pacific for a season of tropical repose and island ramble. The inflated young monarchy of Hawaii has made raany substantial imptovements over their little kingdom. Good roads and attractive drives intersect the islands. Many attractions are found to interest the tourist ; but I may say their public improvements are not yet paid for, while their hotel is a bone of contention with the Government, whose vexatious and rivaling complications resulted in a late dissolution and dismissal of the King's Ministers. But a traveller cannot find a more interesting spot to spend a month's holiday. The novel, new, and strange objects in natural and human contrast attract the eye, and leave a long and pleasing impression on the mind. The amount of side and bustle, the governmental blow-outs put on here, and the noise and libel the newspapers can create astonish even the Natives. Two journals have their being here, and their hands are at each other's throats continually. When they exhauat their powers in traducing each other, and members of the profession generally, they traduce the Courts. To explore the Lower Archipelago I sailed from Honolulu and landed on the south-western promontory of Hawaii. Owing to the turbulent state of the sea, lashed into tempestuous fury by a violent hurricane off the southern coast, I was landed in a boat at the foot of a precipitous bluff 300 feet in height, at whose base the sea raged, and roared in savage tumult. I was hoisted with ropes up the black rugged walls by some Natives above. I mounted an island pony, and rode over the green, (lava■town plain to the pretty littye town of

Waiohenu (shining water). I entered the umbrageous avenue of this sequestered tropical village as the cocka crowed for midnight. 1 was kindly entertained by the lion. Mr Martin, a Hawaiian noble, a high chief, and member ef Parliament, with whose acquaintance I had been previously favoured. At his hospitable residence I found an interesting family. The venerable chief is a worthy representative of the native gentleman, who invokes divine blessing at his table, and assembles his household for morning devotions. Bright and early I vaulted into the saddle of my prancing young pony, equipped for a hard mountain journey, and turned his head toward the volcano and rode out of the beautiful island village, nestling among the shadows of vine-clad hills, amid a green grove of tropical trees, bright with gardens of flowers, and fresh with evergreen shrubbery, with the spire of the white wooden church piercing the dense growth of foliage in the centre. My route lay eastwatd, over the southern slope of Mauna Loa. On the left lay, in rolling Jundulations, immense swells of sugar-cane, spread out over the mountain side for miles around, robed in rustling blades, whoße green leaves the mountain winds bowed, tosaed, and curved into emerald waves, like the Bwell of a liquid sea. la the midst of the green cane-fields stood the sugar-mill, belching forth black volumes of smoke. It was a balmy sunny morning, a charming tropical day, such a one aa only these fair islands of the ocean can beautify her wave washed world. A misty haze spread over the wide rolling sea, and an azure sky was bending over the mountain tops its ethereal blue. A breeze fresh from the snow-hooded mountain heights swept down to the sea and cooled the air. My way, hewn out of the rock bound shore, led for 10 miles along the sea coast. On the right lay the deep blue ocean, stretched to the far distant horizon, with its glossy surface burnished with sunbeams. Right under my saddle roared the wild mad breakers, that rushed in a hundred successive parallels of white-crested rows of curling rollers, that broke on the black, rugged lava shore with terrific force and frightful boom, and shivered their waves into a white cloud of spray, hurled their frothy scud in glistening sheets of foam 200 feet into the air, pelted the lava stones with their green waves, and leaped in green fountains into the yellow sunlight, then fell in dripping showers, that caught the blended shades of little rainbows, and glowed with the hues of their brilliant bars. The coast is a continuous ledge of tblack, jagged, ill-shapen lava rooka, that bind the shore in a frightful rugged beaoh of smelted granite and fused iron, that extend out into the sea their sharppronged tongues of lava, pierced with inlets, tunnelled with dark caves, that undermine the lava capes for unknown depths below. Against this bleak, barren coast of contorted rocks, the heavy sea vents its wrath, plunges, splashes, howls, and moans with a terrible uproar. Its boom can b» heard a dietanoe of 20 miles away. My narrow road branched off into a solidified lava flow of molten rocks, heaved, and tossed, and curled, tumbled, shivered, heaped, piled, rolled, upheaved, and overturned, and thrown into an indescribable chaos of wild, shattered crags and blades, sharp as whetted scythes, spikes pointed aa bristling bayonets, with horrible boulders, contorted, charred, moulded, and formed into diabolical forms, hurled into a frightful, hideous scene of desolation, that lifted the very hairs of my head on end with horror at the awful array of terrible and unearthly deformity. Brigadeß of lava- skulled scarecrows were mounted over the jumbled mass of ruins— horrible-looking imps, warped, bent, and wrenched, like a storm-swept wilderness of ugliness and ruin. Even my little pony trembled at the diabolical forms that ro»e in terror around him. I was now in the sterile domains of a bleak, dark lava field that has deluged the mountain side with its molten flood for many miles around. Before and behind, as far as vision went, stumps and blocks and heaps of lava, black and blurred, stooi up amid the dark spikes like horns and spires of black lava; while jagged peaks, jutting crags, and broken hills and mountains of molten stone rose dark and grim over the lava-piled plain. Riding along among this terrible volcanic wreck, I confronted a scene resembling a menagerie of wild beasts in deadly combat, suddenly turned into stone ; at other spots, a fleet of masted ships jambed together into a shattered mass of destruction, and thu3 petrified appeared. It appeared as if all London had been shakea down, piled in heaps, and turned into coal. Anon it resembled a dug-up and overturned mining region of California in 1849. Again, a drift of icebergs piled and crushed into fantastic heaps appeared turned to charcoal. The wreck and fragments of every conceivable ruin were crowded together. At one time a ruined castle with towers, chimneys, and turrets, with black, defiant soldiers with sabres drawn, and uplifted arms raised into the air, were mounting guard on its ruined parapets, like gricning devils brandishing their lava pitchforks. Again, a smashed chariot with skeleton steeds and mounted brigade of lava- cavalry stood ready to charge. Temples, cathedrals, towers, and a multitude of nameless forms stood, some leaning, some upright, some Jiort de combat, as they were moulded when poured out of the mountain in a liquid flood. For fifteen dreary mile 3 this diabolical procession of monstrous forms haunted me. Far as eye could see, a black region of darkness and gloom met my weary gaze. The dark forms sat like black witches, grimacing me with their hideous shapes. I had only these ghastly demons of darkness grouped over this wild, weird, unearbhly scene for company. The bats, and owls, and lizards had left the scene. No sound came to the e*r, or movement broke the solitude of this dreary prison-house of silence, as stillness reigned king over the plain. The black crags sat confronting each other as they were thrown when out of the fiery caverns they were formed. My flesh crawled at such a gloomy aspect. No birds! were to be seen not even a cricket or grasshopper broke the monotony with his song. An ant, orsoorpion, oould not find a living here. Loneliness of the most! wearisome nature sat heavily on me,

Thiß great lava-flow burst out of Mauna Loa in '68, and went coursing down to the sea, deluging a fertile plain, covering up hundreds of terror-stricken cattle, and burying villages of natives 50 feet beneath its fiery waves, and left this horrid wreck, as gravestones to mark their sepulchres, over the theatre of its devastation. At this great eruption five acres fell in and disappeared out of sight, and the red molten lava, like a boiling river of fire, burst out of the great gap and ran down twelve miles into the sea, and overspread the shore with its fiery flood. For five consecutive days these flaming vents poured forth a stream of lava a mile in width. The lava was thin as water, and ran over the mountain and leaped into chasms in crimson cataracts of liquid fire. Streams of lava a mile loDg were spouted from the mountain, and thrown like red water into the sky to a height of 600 feet, then fell in teeming showers to mix with the roaring flood tearing down the mountain side. Solid wavßS of fluid lava, a league in lengbh, shot up like Bheets of fire 100 feet into the air. The sea boiled around the coast of Kau, and hundreds of fish were cooked to death. The island waa at noonday wrapped in a black pall of darkness, and the sea was beclouded with smoke for miles around. Coasting vessels were enveloped, lost, and bewildered in the dense haze that hung like dark curtains over the sea. The sky was a dark blank, distance was void ; and dense masseß of mist rolled over the ocean. Farther on I came to the site of a native village, that with all its inhabitants was earned away by a tidal wave that followed this memorable eruption. Rushing in from the ocean in a wave 40 feet high, it plunged inland for miles, and receding far out to sea, bore the grass thatched huts of the poor natives, 100 of whom were drowned. A grove of cocoanut trees stands among the old foundations. A high bluff overlooks this saddeningscene, on whose brow the trembling natives, who escaped a watery grave and a burning casket from the sudden messenger of destruction above, gathered from the east and from the west. On its highest top, filled with consternation, they collected together from miles around, without previous appointment, agreement, or any bulletin notice whatsoever, but by universal instinct that it was the highest and safest resort. Some natives who were up in the mountains, contrary to the statutes, secretly distilling native spirits, roused by the earthquake, simultaneously fled, and came tearing down the mountain side with suspicious-looking implements in their hands On this knoll they met, and under the excitement, the few dissenters and frightened pagans forgot their idols and Buperßtifcious deities, and even the staunchest followers of Pele, the volcanic goddess, let her existence slip their momory, and all prayed aloud to the God of heaven fer refuge. A native minister, who witnessed the scene, informed me that a great number of old idolatrous natives who scorned the religion*of the church, and never darkened his sanctuary with their presence, disowned his God, and clung to the old Hawaiian heathenism, — when this great test came to try their hOri« sty, they all with one unanimous accord joined the Christian natives in earnest, and even led in the universal chorus to heaven for protection, and had ever since been conducting themselves with becoming propriety. Passing this noted promontory, I at length emerged from this gloomy world of cinders, and rode out upon the green grass-coated slopes of Kau, where leagues on leagues of luxuriant meadows mantled in a rich growth of verdure, as prolific as the famous plains of Texas or the pampas of Brazil, lay sleeping in waving beauty for 20 miles eastward, and extended up to the black tim-ber-belt high up on the mountain top, and spread in one grand and magnificent sweep of greenery down to the blue ooean, that lay below in sheets of indigo stretohed out in the misty distance beyond. This immense plateau resembled a mammoth meadow verdant with waving grass, covered with herds of romping cattle with tinkling bells, and thousands of bearded goats bounding about, and grazing up to their flanks in the heavy blades of grass. As I rode on among the thick verdure, beauties after beauties multiplied, — grottoes of leafy tree 3 dotted the mountain slope, viney arbours hung with fairy-coloured blossoms bent their swinging trailers on the breeze. Flowers richly hued and fair to behold beautified the way. What a glorious prospect ! how lovely! I thought, as my enraptured eyes dwelt on the picture. Coming out of fcthat dreary lava-flow, the scene was refreshing to the soul. Beyond, all was beauty and loveliness — bthind, all was desotion. These black lava-flows, with theirtrenchant gloom, contrasted with the cool shady groves and green lawns, blooming with wild flowers and sweet-scented blossoms — like a fallen depraved woman, serve as the background to reflect the divine beauty of " the guilelass" and pure. Up the green slope I passed a remarkable break in the mountain side — the site of an immense landside, caused by an underground reservoir of water, caught from the mountain above, which, moistened the hillside into mortar, and, jarred and jolted, by a violent earthquake three years ago, broke out of the mountain above and plunged down the mountain side, carrying an avalanche of mud on the slopes below, covering up 40 natives and their cottages in a flow of slush 50 feet in depth and three miles in length. The grass is now growing above the hamlet, whose huts aud natives are buried 40 feet beneath ; and the night cricket sings his twilight songs ovar their grave. The turf over which I rode resounded under my horse's hoofs like a drum, indicating that the ground-shell was indeed thin. The whole island and mountain is a hollow cone, filled with boiling lava, with a crust of ea^bh formed over the vast fiery cavern, with the volcanic craters as valves, through which it spouts continually. When the craters get choked, or a surplus of lava is boiled up, it breaks out through the crust of the earth, runs down the mountain, and pours in avalanches into the sea. The island is only a cooled crust of lava, covered with vegetation, and occupied by the natives, and during a throb of the surging volcano any part of the island is liable to open and deluge its slopes with a river of molten fire. As I perambulated over the plain, I waj in

constant dread lest I should fall into some) deep pits overgrown with grass, which opened on every hand. Subterranean tunnels ran up the mountain slope, whose interior is unexplored. Many rider* have been precipitated into theie caverns, and crushed to atoms. Persons out walking have stepped on a rich growth of vines that went down beneath them, and in these dark wells starved to death. A native girl a few days since, while out collecting ferns for a lady tourist at the volcano, rambling about among the growing vines, fell headlong into one of these caves, and was rescued three days afterwards, an emaciated skeleton, _My little pony seemed to understand the »itu»tion, or had great regard for Mb own safety, as he stepped with care. Farther on I found a company organised and on the grounds preparing to erect a sugar-mill, and bring this favoured region into sugar cultivation. The soil hero is extremely fertile. 14,000 feet above me the majestic dome of Mauna Loa Btood in solemn majesty, with its lofty heights capped in clouda tinted with the gold and purple shades of sunset, which flushed like airy robes let down around the mountain from the fairy looms of Paradise, and dyed with a celestial halo of beauty. Its dark belt of woods, followed by the lighter green of the meadows, lay off against the sky, reddening in the sunset, while its colossal outlines loomed up grand and imposing in its lofty grandeur. In the distance the lurid smoke of the volcano rose into the sky. Red-tongued sheets of flame leaped high in the air. I looked on the ascending flames with pilent wonder. Blue; white, red, and yellow smoke roce in a vast column and drifted off on the sky. I rode on with my eye fixed on that pillar of fire towering in the heavens. The goal of. my ambition was in sight, the long-sought picture rose before me. By early twilight I reached a dairy ranoh embowered in trees in the midst of the vast green plain. I was warmly welcomed by the gentlemanly host, and ushered in to a sump, tuous repast of fresh mountain milk, excellent butter, fat steak, ripe peaohes, and the usual accompaniments. After tea I went out on the verandah to watoh the burning fires and ascending flames of the volcano, that blazed up in ruddy torches high into the sky, like a vast red waterspout, and formed a rosy canopy over the boiling crater that reflected the blinding redness of the glaring fires beneath, and illuminated the star-spangled firmament with a blazing cloud suspended midway in the heavens. Sometimes it burst out like a powder-magazine, touched off— declitiujg fUred up afreah like a burning city, or a great plain on fire, while its red curling smoke rolled off on the heavens like molten ' clouds. I looked long on the light of tlut fire not made with hands, and meditated on the glare of those flames whose furnace burnt forever— whose fires areneverquenchei I sat up late and "gazed upon the fiery picture. I felt as though I was at the door of the world's foundry, and at the fireside of the earth's moulding-furnace, and I pondered on the father of volcanoes with vene« ration and wonder. I finally retired to a downy bed and among fresh sheets, dreamed wondrous dreams of the great volcano and its glories. About 3 o'clock in the morning I wa« roused from the sweet realms of dreamland by loud shaking at my door, clashing of windows, banging of shutters, cracking of floors j the big chair had lent its arm to a small table and begun a waltz, a settee took for its partner the centre-table, while the bookcase joined hands with the sideboard ; the plates downstairs joined in the frolio and set up a clatter; the bells began to clang, and the kettles in the kitchen caught the infection and set up a racket ; the bureau bowed to the cupboard, and began to trip over the floor ; my boots were committing somersaults, my bed got on a spree ; I was on the floor, then on my refraotory couch, then on the surging floor ; the house was in the throes of an ague, while the earth itself was on a tear. I felt that the very ground was slipping from under me. A rushing sound like the clash and roar of many waters, jostled and slashed against the rocks underground, whose noise was like the waves on the seashore, as the subterranean surge rocked and beat against the rocks underneath. Fruitless were my efforts to assume a perpendicular attitude, and finally I lay still and bounced. This was my first earthquake. Quite common here. They have them every morning for break* fast.