into ink, and the cold of a winter's day at the poles applied, and every part had become instantaneously congealed in the position where it was just then whirling, tossing, foaming, and tumbling, while millions of flint-like particles, shivered from the mass by the suddenness and intensity of the operation, lay scattered about, it might perhaps present an aspect like that of this old current from a volcano. In attempting to account for it, it seems sometimes as if a new eruption of intensely heated lava had forced and eaten its way under a tract of solidified matter, and at length, by the expansive force of rarefied gases, and steam, and the vast pressure at its fountain, had suddenly burst, and up-heaved into a million fragments the great superincumbent mass. Then let there follow an indefinite period of earthquake topplings and convulsions, and there might be produced the phenomena exhibited. Straight over such a tract, crime itself, under the energetic management of Hoapili, has built a commodious road from Honolulu to Kaupo. Like the old man in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," we almost "blessed it unawares," as our mules safely trotted or cantered by moonlight over the path it had made. The imaginary bridge that Sin and Death built over Chaos for Satan,— Over the foaming deep high-arched, a bridge CONFLICT WITH THE UKULELE. 141 is not to be compared to this real one which Sin has wrought on Maui. It is made by running two parallel walls about twenty feet apart, then partially macadamizing the space between, and covering it with grass or stubble. For fifteen or twenty miles it runs almost like a railroad, only turning a little now and then to avoid some gigantic boulder, or forced into a zigzag to get over some precipitous ravine, which it would seem as if an impetuous after-stream of devouring fire from the mountain had ploughed and eaten through, till it reached the sea. We arrived at half past twelve the first night at a village where we thought to have stayed until day; but the kamaainas (inhabitants) were all away, and so we had to lay down as we were, supperless, (our man with food having fallen behind,) upon the round-stone floor of the meeting-house. Hard as it was, it would have been a grateful resting-place, but for the warfare of merciless fleas, (ukulele,) who, when they found what we were, and what a royal supper they might make on the blood of two haoles, set to so fiercely, that, after many vain struggles, we were forced to enter a nolo contendere, and leave the honors of the field to our insatiate foes. We decamped about three, and rode on to Nuu, in Kaupo, where they hospitably entertained and lomilomied us, and I drowned several flying detachments of the ukulele tribe, by a bath in the sea. We saw there the high-chief Kealiiahonui, of Kauai, one of the former husbands of the imperious Queen Kaahumanu, of whom Stewart writes, as far back as 1823, that "he has a handsome face, and, in the. classic drapery of a yellow satin malo, and purple satin kihci, he presents as perfect a model of manly beauty as ever challenged the efforts of pencil or chisel." Twenty-one years have not altered his fine proportions, nor bent his noble, athletic form, although the classic malo and kihei have given place to European jacket and trowsers. He was there from the Island of Kauai, to oversee the repair of a schooner of his, which, in the drunkenness of all her company, was not long since run upon the rocks. Our last stage for the day was to the chief village of Kaupo, as far as mules could go, where we supped and dined all under one, at the house of the teacher, on a boiled chicken. A little rain, after the setting in of evening, made a beautiful lunar rainbow up among the picturesque hills and mountains, so bright as to show its parhelion, or mock-rainbow. The kamaainas of this place seemed much unused to foreigners. Several of the women were abroad with nothing but a narrow native pau around the waist. The children of the school, upward of a hundred, were interesting, as they always are. Some of the little barbarians set up a hula for my amusement towards evening, which was the first time I had ever seen a native dance. It consisted merely of successive jumps with both feet at once, to a regular harsh sound from PERILOUS SAILING BY CANOE. 143 the lungs, and occasional slapping or drumming of the hands upon the bare breasts and sides, together with distortions of the countenance and gesticulations with the arms. At early dawn of the next day, the fierce trade, which always blows at Kaupo, having somewhat abated, we started to go round a range of high palis (precipices) by a little canoe. She took a wave, on first launching, from stem to stern, that completely drenched my limbs, and was ever after receiving water over the sides, that kept one of us constantly bailing. It was only about fifteen feet long, and fifteen or sixteen. inches deep, and barely wide enough for a man to sit in. We had seen a man on shore, before leaving, whose foot had recently been bitten short off a little above the ankle by a shark at that place; and the idea of being capsized there was by no means a comfortable one. But through the good care of our God, we passed safely around the palis, and, by careful watching on the part of the people where we landed, and of our three paddlers in the canoe, we seized a time between the waves, and were paddled and drawn up high and dry. Having to climb a precipice, limbered per force our nether limbs, which were somewhat stiffened after a two hours' immersion in brine. A ride of six or seven miles on horseback, after getting on dry apparel, brought us safely to Hana, the former home of my missionary travelling companion, Mr. Rice, where the quiet rural beauty, freedom from dust, and grateful verdure, invite to meditation and repose. How appropriate and expressive is that Hymn of Nature by Peabody, written, perhaps, in circumstances like those in which we are now surveying the beauties of Creation in the Heart of the Pacific! God of the fair and open sky! How gloriously above us springs God of the world! the hour must come, Her incense-fires shall cease to burn; Have made man's warmest praises flow; The mission history and statistics of this Station of Hana may be given in a few words. It was first taken in 1838, by Messrs. Ives and Conde, with their wives. They labored under the disadvantage which the first occupants at rainy stations have always incurred, of having to live for several years in native grass houses; by which, together with severe missionary labor in schools, the health of Mrs. Ives was so broken, that they were compelled to remove to the dry Station of Kealakeakua, on Hawaii. |