SCENES IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND CALIFORNIA. 

BY MARY E. ANDERSON. 

"The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. "

 ISAIAH II. 5. 

BOSTON: THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. Instituted 1814. DEPOSITORIES, 28CORNHILL, BOSTON, AND 13 BIBLE HOUSE, ASTOR PLACE, NEW YORK. 

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, byTHE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District ofMassachusetts. 

CORNHILL PRESS:DAKIN AND METCALF, BOSTON. 

NOTE BY THE PUBLISHERS. 

In the year 1863, Rev. Rufus Anderson, D. D. , senior Secretary of theAmerican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, visited theHawaiian Islands on official business connected with the missionary workof that institution. He was accompanied, in that visit, by his wife anddaughter, the latter of whom preserved some memoranda of the journey andthe scenes to which it introduced her, for the gratification of herfriends. From these notes the present volume has been prepared. Theinterest which the friends of missions in this country have longcherished for that people--youngest born in the family of Christiannations--will lead them to welcome these unpretending sketches, asaffording both instruction and entertainment to themselves and theirchildren. 

CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. --FROM NEW YORK TO ASPINWALL. 

The Bargain. --Our Steamer and Staterooms. --A Schoonerin a bad Place. --Porpoises. --Pirate Alabama. 9

CHAPTER II. --ISTHMUS OF DARIEN. 

Baggage. --Wreck. --Isthmus Toilets. --Aspinwall. --TropicalScenery. --Huts. 17

CHAPTER III. --PANAMA. 

Tiled Houses. --Emigrants. --"Nice Lomonard. "--First-ClassHotel. --Mud Pies and Clean Clothes. --Crabs. --Aquaria. --Borrowed Houses. --Cathedral. --At Anchor. --Toboga. --Accommodations. --Dessert. 24

CHAPTER IV. --FROM PANAMA TO SAN FRANCISCO. 

A Rocket. --Acapulco. --On Shore. --Adobe Houses. --Market-Place. --No Breakfast. --Boys Diving. --Devil-Fish. --A realSunday. --Manzanilla. --Golden Gate. --Baby Afloat. --LivesLost. --Backbone of America. --Inspecting. --"Baa. "--Billof Fare. --At the Wharf. 33

CHAPTER V. --SAN FRANCISCO. 

Lick House. --At Church. --Mission Dolores. --Street Cars. --ARide. --Hills. --Surf. --Old Church and Burying-Ground. --TheOne Rose. --Good-bys. --Union Jack. --"Dropped Down. "--TheBar. --All Sails set. --Racks. --Rolls. --Bell Buoy. 45

CHAPTER VI. --HONOLULU. 

Desolation. --A Delightful Contrast. --Boats Alongside. --Hurrah!--Farewells and Greetings. --A Home on Shore. --Friends. --Cousins' Society. --Fairy-Land. --TheSerenade. --Church Bells. --Native Church. --Native Industry, Liberality, and Perseverance. --Dress. --"Aloha. " 54

CHAPTER VII. --HONOLULU CONTINUED. 

A Dinner Party. --Punch Bowl. --An extinct Crater. --TaroPatches. --Ovens. --Poi and Raw Fish. --Fingers betterthan Spoons. --A Donation Party. --Prince William. --Tombof the Kings. --Prayer-Meeting. --Examination. --A GreenRose. --Home Letters. --The Palace. --The Queen. --Riding ina Royal Carriage. --Horseback-Riding Party. --Native WomenRiding. --Church. --Native Pews. --A Quarter of a Dollar. 64

CHAPTER VIII. --FROM HONOLULU TO HILO. 

Steamer's Deck. --Hair Decorations. --The Queen and her Suite. --The Queen's Guard. --Singular Accommodations. --Lahaina. --ABreakfast on Shore. --Kind Natives. --Cocoa-nuts. --Lessons inHawaiian. --The King and his Greeting. --Where Captain Cook waskilled. --Such Roads!--Dinner on Shore. --Orange-Trees. --Precipices. --Cascades. --Waipio. --Hilo. --Landing in theSurf. --Spiders. 76

CHAPTER IX. --THE VOLCANO. 

Gipsies. --Up Hill and Down. --Lame Horse. --An AccommodatingFamily. --House Inside and Outside. --A Lowly Table. --Prayers. --Calabashes. --Native Men. --Started again. --A Rain. --GiganticFerns. --Volcano House. --A Table again. --The Crater and itsWonders. --A Lake on Fire. --Lava. --Blow Hole. --"There, there, "a grand Chorus. --Aa. --Ohelo Berries. 86

CHAPTER X. --A STORY ABOUT KAPIOLANI. 

A Christian Princess. --A Heathen God insulted. --The TrueGod worshiped. --Tabu. --A Gallop. --A Dingy Hut changed to aFairy Bower. --Hard Riding. --Rest. --Departure. --Surf Boards. 97

CHAPTER XI. --KAU AND JOURNEY TO KAAWALOA. 

Waiohinu Boarding-School. --Familiar Hymns and Tunes. --FlowerWreaths and Wands. --Preaching to Foreigners. --Saddle-Bags. --Aa. --Pahoihoi. --Candle-Nut. --Rest at Night. --Tapa. --Arrivalat Kaawaloa. --Kapiolani's House. --Bonaparte. --Kindness. 106

CHAPTER XII. --KAAWALOA. 

City of Refuge. --Lava Falls. --Kaahumanu's Rock. --GreatChief. --Captain Cook. --Monthly Concert. --Cook's Death. --Meager Monuments. --Oranges. --Breadfruit. --Food. --Cockroaches. --Ants. 116

CHAPTER XIII. --KAILUA. 

Carriage Broken. --Cocoa-nut Milk. --"Pilikia. "--"Maikai. "--Prickly Pear. --Thorns. --Century Plant. --Wonder at theCarriage. --Fear of the Horses. --Donation. --Anniversary. --Communion. --Steamer arrived. --Carried by the Natives. --Children. --Arrival at Honoipu. --Ugly-Horse. --White Mule. --Showers. --Welcome. 127

CHAPTER XIV. --KOHALA AND WAIMEA. 

Rain. --Large Shrubs. --Fruit. --"Keika Wahine. "--"ThePromised Land. "--Enthusiastic Meeting. --OriginalHymns. --Address by Timotao Nalanipo. --Shaking Hands. 137

CHAPTER XV. --MAUI. 

Horseback Journey from Waimea to Kowaihae. --A HeathenTemple. --Sacrifices. --Steamer. --A Storm of Sand. --ADeluge. --Gifts. --Singing. --Iao Valley. --Shelling. --Precipices. --A Novel Sketch. --The Needle. --War. --ARace. --Ravages of a Waterspout. --Sail in a Whale-Boat. --Lahaina from the Sea. --Lahainaluna. --Examination. --Generals. --Commencement. --Dinner. 150

CHAPTER XVI. --LAHAINA--KAUAI. 

Ride. --Cocoa-nut Grove. --American Consul's House. --SugarMill and Making. --Dust. --Communion. --Singing old Tunes. --Exhibition. --Love Tokens. --At Honolulu again. --Callson the Father and Sister of the King. --"Annie Laurie. "--Sea-Sickness. --Arrival at Kauai. --Princeville. --ABeautiful Bouquet. --View. --Journey. --A Fall from a Horse. --Lunch. --A Resting-Place. --A Bluff. 163

CHAPTER XVII. --KAUAI AND OAHU. 

Flowers. --A Coach and Four. --Lassos. --Lihue. --Wailua Falls. --Koloa. --Spouting Horn. --Church. --A Large Cavalcade. --AnArid Place. --Waimea. --"Old Jonah. "--Sandboats and Forts onthe Beach. --Garden. --Koloa again. --A Dinner. --Another Tripin the Annie Laurie. --A Salt Lake. --Ewa. --Lunch at Kahuku. --A pretty Bathing-Place. --Peacocks. --Idols. 174

CHAPTER XVIII. --OAHU. 

Native Pastor. --Dinner. --Lassoing. --Falls of Ka Liuwaa. --The Canoe. --Kaneohe. --A Runaway. --The Pali. --DefeatedWarriors. --Return to Honolulu. --Missionaries. --GeneralMeeting. --Examination at Oahu College. --Exhibition. --Flags. --President's Levee. --Harmony. --Number of Converts. --Cousins' Meeting. 185

CHAPTER XIX. --HONOLULU AGAIN. 

General Meeting. --A Fine Garden. --Mangoes. --Apple-Tree. --Decorations for the Schoolhouse. --Cousins' AnnualMeeting. --Laying the Burden down and Taking it up. --Lizards. --Scorpions and Centipedes. --Farewell Party. --Gifts. --A Donation Party. --Diamond Head. --Natives onHorseback. --Rat. --Ordination of Mr. H. H. Parker. --Candy-Pull. --Fourth of July. --An Oration. --A Picnic. --Farewell Address. --"Aloha. "--The Islands left behind. 197

CHAPTER XX. --VOYAGE TO SAN FRANCISCO. 

Calms. --A Patient Captain. --"All Serene. "--Flying Fish. --Porpoises. --Whales. --"Skip Jacks. "--Peanuts. --ColoredWater. --The Farallone Islands. --Birds, Seals, and SeaLions. --A Train of Cars. --Golden Gate and Fort Point. --Alcatraces Island. --Arrival in San Francisco. 208

CHAPTER XXI. --CALIFORNIA. 

A Drive. --Seals. --Portuguese Men of War. --Little Birds. --Steamer Yo Semite. --Shipping. --St. Paul's Bay. --SuisunBay. --Benicia. --Monte Diablo. --Sacramento River. --Arrivalat Sacramento. --A Long Bridge. --Journey to Folsom. --WillowSprings Mines. --Fair Grounds. --High Prices. --A Ride aroundSacramento. --Levees. --Two Floods. --New Capitol. --WarmWeather. --Departure. --A Slough. --Watermelon Seeds. --Oakland. --A Long Ride. --A Fine Orchard. --Nectarines andApricots. --Sailing on the Golden Age. --Farewell. 217

CHAPTER XXII. --HOMEWARD BOUND. 

At Sea again. --A Cozy Room. --A Choir. --Sermons. --BeautifulEvenings. --A Hurricane. --Dangers and Discomforts. --A Crashand Crashes. --"My Father rules the Storm. "--A Meeting forThanksgiving. --Acapulco Harbor. --Arrival at Panama. --Articlesfor Sale. --Telegraph Posts. --Concrete. --"The Flower of theHoly Ghost. "--Matachin. --Iron Bridge. --Sensitive Plant. --Steamer Champion. --West India Islands. --A Privateer. --GulfStream. --Lighthouses. --At Anchor. --Our Voyage Ended. --AHymn. --The Lord's Prayer in English and Hawaiian. 227

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

I. 

From New York to Aspinwall. 

"Tell us a story, aunty, --tell us a story, " came in pleading tones froma group of children; and they watched my face with eager eyes to see ifI looked willing. 

"A story, children; what shall it be about?"

"About the places you went to while you were gone, and the people yousaw. "

"Now, aunty, " said Carrie, who was one of the older ones, "we are goingto be here a whole month, and if you will tell us a story every day, weshall know all about your journey. "

I thought the matter over for a few minutes. "Well, children, " said I, "I'll make a bargain with you. If you will promise to get your work donenicely every day by four o'clock, I will tell you a story untiltea-time. "

"A bargain! a bargain!" shouted the children. 

 * * * * *

It was winter when we went away, you remember, though there was no snowon the ground. We went on board the steamer Ocean Queen, in New York, onthe 12th of January. Uncle George went down with us, and what a crowdthere was on the wharf, --men and boys, coachmen and porters! It was sometime before our carriage could get inside the wharf-gates, and when Igot out, it seemed as if horses' heads were all about me; but seeingUncle George was not afraid, I took courage, and keeping close behindhim, soon left the horses. I found the people were worse than thehorses; but after many jostlings and pushings, I got into the saloon, safe and sound, all but a rent in my dress. 

Grandma and I stayed there, while grandpa and Uncle George went to lookafter the baggage. Strangers were all around us, and we couldn't tellwho were our fellow-voyagers, and who not. Soon one and another of ourfriends came to say good-by. It was all very much confused, and we wereglad finally when we were actually off. 

Then I took a look at the stateroom where we were to spend ten nights. What a little box, almost too small to turn round in!--and our berthshad so little space between them that we couldn't sit up at all. We wentto bed early, quite disgusted with sea-life to begin with, and werewondering how we could get along for ten days thus cooped up, with hardbeds, and not much to eat; for we had had no dinner that day, when--crash! a shock--and the machinery stopped! What could it be? Headswere popped out of staterooms, and "What's the matter?" was in everymouth. We had run into a small schooner, which had imprudently tried tocross our bows. For an hour there was noise overhead, --men runningacross the deck; and then all was still, only the thump, thump of ourengine; so we went to sleep, thanking our Heavenly Father that no worsething had happened to us. 

"Aunty, " said Harry, "what became of the poor schooner?"

We gave her one of our boats, and the captain thought he could get herinto port; but she leaked badly, and I afterwards heard he had to runher ashore on some beach just out of New York. 

Next morning, in my forgetfulness, I attempted to sit up in my berth, and gave my head a great bump on grandma's berth. On the third night outwe had a heavy gale, and one of our sails was blown away with a noiselike that of a cannon. 

"Aunty, " said little Alice, "do steamers have sails?"

Yes, we always had a sail on the foremast; it steadies the ship, and ifthe wind is right helps the vessel. Almost every body was sea-sickduring that gale, for it lasted two days. We went scarcely a hundredmiles, and were off Savannah when it cleared up. 

"Oh, I know where Savannah is, " said Harry; "it was in my last geographylesson. "

When Sabbath came, it was very rough, so we could not have preaching. Wesung a few hymns, but were rather quiet, when the cry, "Porpoises!porpoises!" made us run to the side of the vessel; and sure enough, there was a whole school of them rolling along in great glee. They arelight brown fishes, varying in shade, some four feet long, some less. The female and young keep side by side, and leap out of the water at thesame time. They jump out of the white crest of one wave into the next, racing along, seeming to try and keep up with the ship. It was veryexciting, and the passengers shouted; for, excepting a few birds, theywere the first living thing out of the ship we had seen for six days. All the rest of that day we were running so near the Florida coast thatwe could see the green trees on shore. We could hardly believe it wasmid-winter. The water looked shallow, and we grazed the end of asand-bank, after which they kept the vessel farther from the shore. Wesaw some great green sea-turtles that day; they were about three feetlong. Our wheel turned one over on his back. I wanted to watch him; butwe soon left him far, far behind. 

We went round by the west of Cuba, to keep out of the way of the pirateAlabama. Monday morning, about nine o'clock, we came in sight of agunboat. Soon after passing her, boom! went her cannon, and we came to astand-still. She sent her boat with an officer, who came on board andgot newspapers. That gunboat is stationed there to give warning ofpirates, I suppose, and she is required to stop every vessel. The finalexcitement was left for Tuesday morning, when we were near Cape SanAntonio, Cuba. While at breakfast, word came that there were twosteamers ahead. It was whispered about that the larger was the Alabama;so we all went on deck to get a good look. Though they showed the Unionflag, we were rather suspicious of them; and when they both started inpursuit and fired their cannon, our captain steamed in toward the land;for if vessels get within three miles of a neutral shore, no hostilecraft can touch them. We came to anchor in plain sight of Cuba's greenhills, and waited anxiously for our pursuers, who had fired a secondcannon. They both lowered a boat. We feared we should see the rebel rag, but were joyful when our own stars and stripes were unrolled to thebreeze. The vessels proved to be the Wachusett, Com. Wilkes's flag-ship, and the gunboat Sonoma, Capt. Stevens. So there ended our fright aboutpirates. For the next two days we were sailing across the Caribbean Sea, and on Friday, Jan. 23, about eight o'clock in the evening, went up NavyBay to the wharf at Aspinwall. It was too dark to see the groves ofcocoa-nuts on shore; so I had to wait for my view of tropical treesuntil morning. 

There is the tea-bell; so we shall have to pause here until to-morrow. 

II. 

Isthmus of Darien. 

As soon as the clock struck four, Carrie, Alice, Willie, and Harryreminded me of my promise, and having all finished their work, wereready for story Number Two. 

"Aunty, " said Carrie, "Alice and I have finished our squares ofpatchwork, and Willie and Harry have weeded that flower-bed for grandpa;so you see we have done our part of the bargain, and now we have comefor your part. "

I'm all ready for my part, said I. 

Before we arrived at Aspinwall, old travelers told us that if we gotthere before ten at night, we should have to leave the steamer and go tothe hotels. We were, therefore, selfishly relieved to find that all thehotels had been burned to the ground about Christmas time. So we stayedon board the steamer that night, and how glad we were to think it wasour last night there. We heard that the steamer upon which we were toembark on the other side was a very large one, and about five in themorning, after a comfortless breakfast of poor coffee without milk, andhard bread, we turned our back on the Ocean Queen, without regret. Astout, half-naked negro shouldered our baggage, and we were actuallytreading the soil of the Isthmus of Darien. 

"Did he carry your trunks, aunty?" said Willie. 

Oh, no, dear, we had our trunks all weighed the day before. We wereonly allowed fifty pounds of baggage apiece, and for all over that wehad to pay ten cents for every pound. They gave grandpa checks for thetrunks; so the man only took our bags and deck chairs. He took what weourselves couldn't carry. 

On the beach near us, was the stranded wreck of the British ship Avon, alarge, noble vessel, lying on her side. In a gale some time ago, shedragged her anchors, I believe, and was blown by the wind far up on thesand. 

It was quite a picturesque scene at the cars, in the early morninglight. We passed through a small grove of cocoa-nuts. I really wasdisappointed in them; but these were dwarf-trees, and not good samples. The passengers were standing in groups with their bags at their feet, oron the head of some native near by. The cars were before us, and nativewomen passed about with their waiters of fruit and cakes. They weredressed in white or light-colored muslin or calico skirts, flounced, torn, and dirty; a white chemise, with a ruffle round the neck trimmedwith lace, and a bandanna handkerchief tied round the head completedtheir toilet. In a picture it would look very well; as it was, onedreaded too close a contact, they were so dirty. Some of their attitudeswere very graceful. The men had on shirts and pantaloons, the formergenerally worn as a sack. After much scrambling, we were seated in thecars, hot and disgusted. 

"Hot, aunty, and in January too?" said Carrie. 

If you look on your map, you will find that Aspinwall is not very farfrom the equator. They have no winter there, and the sun is verypowerful. 

Soon after we started, all other feelings were lost in intense delightat the luxuriant tropical verdure about us. Aspinwall is on a coralisland close to the shore, and is low and unhealthy. The name of theisland is Manzanilla. The natives call the town Colon, from Columbus orChristoval Colon, as his name is in Spanish. The railroad was five yearsin being built, under almost unheard-of difficulties; and any persongoing over it might learn to appreciate some of them, after seeing therich, tangled, luxuriant vegetation in the low, wet grounds. How Ilonged to know the names of the beautiful flowers fringing the road; butno one could tell me. First we passed through a swamp of purple andwhite azaleas; then one of snowy callas; then near a bank hidden fromview by heavy morning-glory vines in bloom, still dripping with dew. Wesaw a great many specimens of what I was told was the "long palm;" itlooked to me like a kind of brake or fern, with drooping branches twentyfeet in length. There were trees with hardly a leaf; but each branchand twig crowned with orange-yellow blossoms. Again we would see a treecovered with feathery, purple flowers. Along some parts of the way, wasa profusion of "Indian shot, " so called, I suppose, because the seedsare black, hard, and round, looking like large shot. Here and theredrooped a vine with brilliant scarlet blossoms. Once in a while we wouldsee the deep green of the orange-tree, or the lighter foliage of thelemon, and finally a banana-tree, with its bunch of fruit, gladdened myeyes. There were many trees with parasitic plants growing on them, looking as if ropes were hanging from them. It is said that if one ofthese groves of ferns on the Isthmus is cut down, in three months thevegetation has grown so rapidly as to look as if no human hand had everinterfered with them. One wanted several pairs of eyes to take in allthe beauty of the scene. 

[Illustration: PANAMA VEGETATION. --Page 22. ]

There were various way-stations upon the railroad, having neat whitehouses, with a piazza upon both stories. Before and around some of themare pretty gardens, with bright flowers, conspicuous among them beingour fragrant roses, such as rarely bloom with us except in green-houses. We passed many native huts grouped in small villages, with theirinhabitants sitting in the doorway or lounging about the premises, thechildren running round half naked or entirely so. Most of these peopleare freed Jamaica slaves. They seemed to be a happy but indolent race. Fruits grow about them with such prodigality as to require but littleexertion to obtain the necessities of life. Their huts are made ofbamboo rods, thatched with palm-leaves. 

But there is the tea-bell. 

III. 

Panama. 

"Come, come, aunty, " shouted Willie, "the clock has struck four; so putdown your sewing, and tell us about Panama. We've finished our workbeautifully, grandma says. " So I began. 

 * * * * *

When we reached Panama, about nine o'clock, it was very warm and sultry. The soil is sandy. Though the present city of Panama is not more thantwo hundred years old, it has an ancient and dilapidated appearance. Theclimate is such that even the stones decay, and worms destroy the wood. The houses are all tiled and look oddly enough. The tiles resemble thehalf of an earthen water-pipe, and are of a light brick-color. We hadquite a laugh on the wharf at our grotesque appearance, likeningourselves to emigrants; for our bags, chairs, shawls, and umbrellas wereall laid in a heap, and grandma and I sat on them, while grandpa wentoff to make arrangements for going on board the steamer, or spending theday in the city. The natives bowed before us with their baskets offruit, which they offered for sale. 

"What fruit was it, aunty?" asked little Alice. 

Mangoes, pineapples, limes, oranges, and bananas. They had also rolls, cakes, and pies. Then some came with the native wine, and with milk andlemonade, which the man said was "nice lomonard!"

We decided to stay in Panama until afternoon, when a small boat wouldtake us off to our noble steamship, the Constitution. We left ourbaggage at the station, and took the railway omnibus, drawn by mules, which were driven by a negro, up to the "first-class hotel, --theAspinwall House. " He took us a distance of half a mile, perhaps, at themoderate charge of fifty cents apiece! The streets of Panama are verynarrow, and the driver had to call out every once in a while to clearthe road, so that we might pass. The hotel is built round a court. Theparlor is in the third story, and is quite comfortably furnished, whilefrom the walls hang oil paintings, which, with their frames, might inNew York be worth two dollars and a half apiece. Two long windows openedout on a balcony, and commanded a view of the hoary tiled roofs of thecity. There was a center-table in the room, which interested me much. Ithad pictures pasted under the varnish, some colored, some not. There wasa pair of scissors, a pen, a needle-case, wafers, --all looking just asif you could pick them up. What a nice breakfast we had there! everything tasted so good on shore. 

"Aunty, " said Harry, "tell us what you had for breakfast. "

Let me see if I can remember. First we had fish and eggs, with friedpotatoes and bananas. Then we had beefsteak, coffee, tea, and icedclaret, as it isn't safe to drink the water there. 

After breakfast, we sallied out to see the sights. We walked across thepublic square, down to the fortifications, and there gathered somebeautiful yellow flowers, which I pressed. We saw plenty of natives intheir scant dresses. One little black fellow I was particularly amusedwith. He had on a little blue shirt, which his mother had tied up in aknot in the middle of his back; and there he was enjoying his mud pies, and keeping his clothes clean too. We walked down on the beach outsidethe city walls; for Panama is a walled town. Here we picked up shellson the sand. The little crabs were very thick, and scampered away fromunder our feet to their sandy holes, the opening of which looked asround and even as if made by a cane, --just such as I used to make when Iwas a little girl, after a hard rain, with the tip of my umbrella. As wewandered over the rocks, for it was low tide, we found an exquisitelittle natural aquarium, all stocked with its tiny inhabitants. It was acircular rock, with two irregular terraces, and at its top a littlebasin, deep here and shallow there; its bottom was all covered withlittle spots of pearly whiteness, looking as if inlaid. The littleshell-fish clung lovingly to its side; the crabs, in their borrowedtenements, crept securely about; and the funny little fishes dartedthrough the cool, clear waters. Many a wealthy nobleman would like tohave that treasure of nature in his garden; yet perhaps no human eyehad ever noted its beauty before. 

"Aunty, what do you mean by the borrowed tenements of the crabs?" askedCarrie. 

There is one kind of crab that likes to live in a shell; so if they findone empty, they take possession of it; they are called "hermit crabs. "We often used to pick up a shell with a crab in it. 

At three o'clock we went to the cathedral, which was open at that hour. The front of it is rather imposing; but the doors are roughly boardedup, and do not look as well as our common barn-doors. We went in at aside-door. There are many shrines adorned with tinsel and cotton lace, but neither beautiful nor pleasing. There was a little girl, a child ofone of our fellow-passengers, in the cathedral; and knowing that grandpawas a minister, she walked up to him and said, "Do you preach here?"The chief features of interest to me were the pointed towers at eitherside of the front, which are roofed with pearl shells. Pearls of greatbeauty are found on various parts of the coast, and there are storesparticularly devoted to the sale of them. We visited the ruins of aJesuit college, also the old church of San Domingo. Some of the archesin the latter are well preserved, and are crested with beautiful shrubsand vines in full bloom. The natives called us "Americanos" as wepassed. About four, we took our places again in the omnibus, and in alittle while were at the wharf, where we bought a supply of bananas, oranges, and pineapples. Embarking again on the little steam-tug, weenjoyed a pleasant sail across the Bay of Panama, with the city and itscrumbling walls behind us. In about half an hour we came in sight of alarge fleet of steamers; for it is here the company keep their sparevessels. Among them were the St. Louis, California, Guatemala, and ourown beautiful Constitution, --larger and finer than any of the others, with our old voyage companions smiling their greetings over its side. Itseemed a long while since we had seen them, and it was quite likegetting home to have them about us. 

We lay at anchor all night, and the next morning, Jan. 25, at sixo'clock, our Pacific voyage commenced. We passed in the bay themountainous island Toboga, with a pretty little village lying snuglycradled at its base. From this island's cool, clear, springs, thedrinking water of Panama, is obtained. 

"Don't they have wells in Panama?" inquired Carrie. 

Yes; but the water is brackish and warm. 

"What is 'brackish, ' aunty?" said Alice. 

Having a salt taste, --not pure. Our Constitution was very differentfrom the Ocean Queen, it being very clean and sweet. When we went onboard, the dinner-table was set in the long saloon, and every thinglooked as in our best hotels. We occupied a nice stateroom, having aFrench bed with curtains, a sofa, a mirror on the wall, and some veryconvenient shelves. We had, also, good washing arrangements; so that wewere well settled for a two weeks' voyage. There were three waiters toeach table, while there was but one on the other steamer. The dessertwas prettily arranged, on tables at either end of the saloon. All theorders were given by a bell. The waiters went together to thedessert-tables, and each took a dish of pudding, or cake, or fruit andnuts, perhaps. The bell struck, and they moved in procession to theirplaces, when at another signal they placed the dishes upon the table. 

Ah! there is _our_ bell, and we must go. Carrie, you may head theprocession. 

IV. 

From Panama to San Francisco. 

"Aunty, where are you?" cried little Alice, and then a gentle knock onmy door reminded me that it was four o'clock. "We are all ready waitingin the sitting-room, and Fanny Mason is there, too, because she wants tohear our stories. You are willing; an't you, aunty?"

Oh, yes, Alice, any of your friends may come that wish. So I took mylittle pet's hand, and went down to my waiting group to tell my story. 

 * * * * *

We had beautiful summer weather, and quite forgot that it was January. On the 29th we passed a distant volcano, and early in the morning sawthe smoke at its summit. The name of the volcano is Colenso, and it isin Guatemala. It was first seen in the night, and our men sent up arocket as a signal, supposing it to be the light of another steamer, butthey soon saw their mistake. 

The coast is mountainous all the way to San Francisco; we kept it insight nearly all the time except when crossing the Gulfs of Tehuantepecand California. The sea was almost invariably smooth. 

We arrived at Acapulco, in Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 31, at daybreak;having sailed 1, 440 miles in six days. As grandpa and grandma were notgoing on shore, I had not thought of doing so; but quite a party of ouracquaintance went, and I was invited to join them. I was glad to go; forI longed to step on Mexican soil. 

We had a native boat and four rowers. The sail was a very pleasant one, and we were soon on the low, sandy beach. Part of the town was destroyedby an earthquake two years ago; but the adobe houses are so simplyconstructed that they can be rebuilt with little difficulty. 

"What are _adobe_ houses?" asked Carrie. 

Houses built of hardened clay. They take a mold like the sides of a boxwith the bottom out, and press it full of mud; when turned out, it lookslike a great mud brick, and is left for the sun to dry. 

We went up to the market-place, where the Mexican women, children, anddogs were all huddled together, with their wares spread out in mosttempting array; coral, colored with most brilliant dyes; shells ofvarious kinds, some on long strings like necklaces, and some single andhighly polished. Fruits were plenty, --bananas, granadas, oranges, andlimes. We had our chocolate and eggs ordered; but just at that moment, boom! went our ship's cannon to recall us, so we had to go back withoutour breakfast; but we took some beautiful flowers and a few shells. Theforts had been bombarded by the French about a month before, but lookedas if they were little injured. The harbor is small, but one of thefinest on the whole Pacific coast. The native boys swam out to the ship, and would dive for silver coin thrown to them. It was astonishing to seehow far down in the water they would go for it, and almost invariablyget it. Then they would put it in their mouths, and be ready foranother. One boy, the quickest of the lot, must have had a dozen piecesin his mouth at one time. 

A shark and a devil-fish came near the ship--

"A _devil-fish!_" the children all exclaimed; "_why_, what sort of afish is that?"

It is very large, having a pointed head with projecting fins of greatbreadth, triangular and resembling wings, making the fish broader thanit is long, even including the tail. The encyclopędia says one wascaught in the Atlantic, off Delaware Bay, in 1823, which was so heavy asto require three pairs of oxen, a horse, and several men to drag itashore. It weighed about five tons, and measured seventeen and a quarterfeet long, and eighteen feet broad; the skin was blackish-brown, andunderneath, black and white; its mouth was two feet nine inches wide, and the skull five feet. One was captured in the harbor of Kingston onthe island of Jamaica, which had strength enough to drag three or fourboats fastened together at the rate of four miles an hour. The mouth ofthis one was four and a half feet wide, and three feet deep, largeenough to contain the body of a man. 

The day after we left Acapulco was the Sabbath, and we had service inthe saloon in the morning, which made it seem quite like a homeSabbath, and many were delighted to have a "real Sunday. " A table wascovered with an American flag; this was the pulpit. The Bible was laidon it, and grandpa preached. We sat around on the saloon sofas. Thecaptain could not attend, as we were nearing the town of Manzanilla. Just as the sermon was finished, we stopped before that picturesquevillage. I believe the town proper is inland. The few houses on theshore looked very neat, being white-washed, making a very prettycontrast with the deep green of the lofty hills beyond. 

After two hours' sail from Manzanilla, we passed the wreck of thesteamer Golden Gate, which was burned some time since, causing the lossof so many lives. Vessels are stationed there to procure treasure fromthe wreck, and we received from them more than two hundred thousanddollars to carry to San Francisco. 

One of our officers was on the Golden Gate when it was burned, and hetold some thrilling stories of the disaster. A great many strong, grownpeople were drowned in the terrible surf; yet one little baby, only sixweeks old, floated safely to the shore. God took care of her, you see. The men carried her by turns, as they walked their weary way over themountains to Manzanilla, and fed her with scraped potato, a barrel ofpotatoes having washed ashore. 

How many sorrowful feelings were called up by the sight of that onewheel lying on the beach; for that is all that is left of the ill-fatedGolden Gate! How many lives were lost in those peaceful waters overwhich we were sailing so pleasantly! Our officers told us that it wasjust such a bright, beautiful day; but the surf here is very high, andwith our glass we could see it foaming and tossing on the beach. In ourhearts many of us thanked God for our present safety, and prayed him tosave us from such a fate. Just before we neared the wreck, we passed bysome rocks on the coast, looking just like a ruined castle, withbeautiful green trees all around them, as if it were a nobleman'sgarden. 

It is not easy to keep the Sabbath properly on one of these oceansteamers; for little distinction is observed in the days by the crew. Wedid, however, the best we could. It seemed more like the Sabbath in theevening, when a goodly number of us collected together in the saloon, and sung hymns and tunes, just as many of us would have done were we inour loved homes, so far away. That night we commenced crossing the Gulfof California, and all day Monday we saw no land. Almost every eveningwe walked upon the upper deck, which was a very fine promenade threehundred and seventy feet long. 

Tuesday we saw Cape St. Lucas, which you know is the end of the longpeninsula of California, and were in sight of the shore all the wayafter that. I was constantly surprised at the grandeur of this westerncoast, with its magnificent chains of mountains, rising peak above peak, and fleecy clouds resting on their summits. There was no break in thesechains all the way to San Francisco. I heard them called the backbone ofAmerica, and they are among the grandest works of the Creator. Afterpassing Cape St. Lucas, we had colder weather. 

But I must not forget to tell you of my going around the ship, with thecommodore, when he was "inspecting" it. Grandma was not well enough togo, but grandpa and I went. How I wish you could have peeped with meinto all the cupboards and utensils, and have seen how neat every thingwas, --the dishes were so white, the glasses so clear, and the tins sobright! The commodore rubbed his fingers inside of a kettle, and if theywere the least bit soiled, it would have to be done over again. On oneshelf was a great pile of loaves of bread. We went into theslaughter-room, to see the butcher's establishment; it was as clean andsweet as a kitchen. The little lamb, three days old, was brought out formy amusement, and doubtless pleased its mamma very much by showing off, and saying "baa, " like a dutiful child! What a funny party we were, theportly commodore with your small aunty leaning on his arm, he slidingthrough narrow doors sideways, pulling me after him; then tall grandpa, and our little thin surgeon following in his train! I asked the headsteward to tell me how much he cooked every day for all on board. We hadabout five hundred passengers, beside officers and crew. He told mefifty gallons of soup, fifty pounds of mutton, ninety pounds of pork, four hundred and seventy-five pounds of beef, sixteen pounds of ham, twenty-four chickens, ten turkeys, eight hundred pounds of potatoes, two barrels of flour, making two hundred and twenty-five loaves ofbread, fifty pies, forty-five pounds of butter, five pounds of lard, five pounds of cheese, and ten gallons of milk. Just think what a greatboarding-house our steamer was!

On the 7th of February, we entered the "Golden Gate" of California, andabout four o'clock were at the wharf at San Francisco. 

"The _Golden Gate!_" said wee Alice, in astonishment, "They don't reallyhave a golden gate; do they?"

We all laughed at the little one's earnestness, and then I told her itwas only a narrow entrance to San Francisco Bay, perhaps a mile widebetween the headlands. 

"Well, what do they call it so for?" said she. 

I suppose because a great many who went to California thought they wouldget a great deal of gold, and as they all went through that narrowentrance, it was called the Golden Gate. 

"Supper, supper, " here cried grandma. "Don't you hear the bell?" andagain it sounded its merry summons to tea. 

V. 

San Francisco. 

"Aunty, " said Willie at my elbow, "we are waiting for you. You know wearrived at San Francisco yesterday, and we want to hear about it now. "So I went down to my little flock of listeners. 

 * * * * *

We stayed at the "Lick House" on Montgomery Street, --

"_Lick House!_" cried Harry. "What a funny name! What made them call itso?"

It was named for a Mr. Lick, who built it. It is a very nice hotel, andwe were very glad to be again on land. 

It took our friends but a short time to find out we were there; for wereceived some calls before we had our bonnets off, and they continued tocome until bedtime. Beds!--how delightful to get into a real bed againafter being so long in berths; for though, on the Constitution, grandpaand grandma had a bed, I had my narrow shelf. 

The next day was the Sabbath. We attended Rev. Mr. Lacy's church in themorning, and heard Rev. Mr. Bartlett of Santa Cruz preach. In theafternoon, we went out to the "Mission Dolores, " to the installation ofRev. Mr. Beckwith. We were glad to arrive in California in time to seehim installed, and it was pleasant for grandpa and Mr. Beckwith to meetagain; for the latter was once the President of Oahu College in theSandwich Islands. All day Monday, friends came to see us, and were socordial and kind that it did our hearts good. 

Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a kind friend, we went to ride. Howdelightful it was to be in a carriage again, on a good road, with finehorses, after our imprisonment on board ship! Some of the streets arepaved with planks, some partially so; others are very sandy, while someare hard and smooth. We rode over the hills southwest of San Francisco, where we got a fine view of the city and parts of the bay. I hadexpected to find San Francisco a level place; but it is just thereverse; for it is built on several very high hills. They have beenslashed and cut into unmercifully, which greatly injures the looks ofthe older part of the city. We had a fast trot on the beach near theOcean House. What a surf! White-crested billows came roaring andtumbling in, seeming as if ready to ingulf us. We passed a poorshattered fragment of a recent wreck, now almost imbedded in the sand, and it made me shudder to think of being wrecked on that cruel shore. It was a vessel but a little smaller than the one we were to sail in;and I sent up a silent petition to our heavenly Father to save us fromsuch a calamity. Our good friend often stopped the carriage to pick uswild-flowers, which were beginning to fringe the roadside, and told usthat only a few weeks hence these hills would be rainbow-hued withcountless blossoms. Roses grow here in the gardens all the year round, and bouquets graced our table while we remained. On our way back, werode through the "Mission Dolores, " the seat of an old Catholic mission, and stopped at the church, an ancient looking adobe building, with atiled roof like the Panama houses. We peeped in; then walked through theburying-ground adjoining, where bloomed a great variety of flowers, among them some beautiful tea-roses. I wanted very much to pick justone; but I saw a notice as I went in, asking us not to do so; and Ithought if every visitor plucked even one rose, there would soon be noneleft. Late in the evening, a beautiful bouquet was handed me, and besideit was one fair, white, exquisite rosebud, which my kind friend said hebrought me because I was so good at the burying-ground. You see how muchmore enjoyment I had over my beautiful flowers, because I refrained fromdespoiling the grave. 

The next day, February 11, we bade good-by to our friends, and went downto the wharf. Some of our fellow-voyagers still continued with us, goingon to China, after leaving us at the Sandwich Islands. We went off in aboat to our clipper ship Archer, and were hoisted over the vessel's sidein a chair, with the Union Jack wrapped round us. 

"What's the _Union Jack_?" asked Willie. 

It is a blue flag with white stars. How strange it seemed!--the littleboat below me, and the black ship's side near, while I went up, up, up, swung over the rail, and was let down on deck, landing in a group of myfellow-passengers. That was the way they all came. The wind blew hard, and we dragged our anchor; so the vessel "dropped down, " as the sailorssaid, to the lower part of the city, near Meig's wharf. Here we remainedtwo days, while a storm raged outside the Golden Gate. 

Friday, February 13th, we started again, and just after the pilot leftus, we were becalmed on the bar, just opposite the terrible breakers Ihad seen while riding. Here we anchored. The sea was rough anddisagreeable, and our captain longed for a stiff breeze to take us out;for it was not a very safe place to be in. Early in the night, we wereglad to hear the chain-cable taken on board, and to know that we wereactually on our voyage after so many delays. 

"Aunty, " said Carrie, "I have frequently read of ships 'crossing thebar;' what does it mean?"

There is often a place at the mouth of a river, or at the entrance of aharbor or bay, where the sand is washed up in a sort of bank, making thewater shallow just there, so that large ships have to wait until hightide, or when the water is deepest over those sand-banks or bars, tocome in. 

There were seventeen passengers on board; but we were not all of us ondeck together for six days, because the sea was so very rough inconsequence of the storm, by which we had been detained in San FranciscoBay. On the 19th of February, we got into the trade-winds, which gave usa steady breeze in the right direction, and for two days we hadtwenty-eight sails set most of the time. I longed to be where I couldget a good view of the ship with so many sails out; for I thought shemust look finely. 

We had a Chinese steward on board--

"What does a _steward_ do on a ship?" interrupted Harry. 

He takes charge of the table and provisions, and often acts as cook. Hehad a hard time in securing the dishes; for notwithstanding the racks, the vessel rolled so that knives and forks slipped off as if they hadwings. Racks are narrow strips, an inch or two high, upon each edge ofthe table, and two in the middle, with about a foot's distance betweenthem. These keep the dishes in place when it is rough. It really didseem as if the worst rolls came while we were at meals; I suppose wenoticed them more then. Sometimes there was a general slide, and thepassengers would seize a tea-cup with one hand, or a vegetable-dish, ora chicken, while all held on by the table with the other. 

Thursday night, the 26th of February, found us off a headland on theisland of Oahu, and there we spent our first quiet night since leavingSan Francisco. There was a buoy near us, marking the channel. It lookedlike a square plank, and was anchored with a bell upon it, which, as thewaves rolled it back and forth, tolled with a mournful sound. 

But there's a bell that doesn't sound mournful. It says, "Come to tea!"

VI. 

Honolulu. 

The clock had hardly finished striking four, when I heard Harry comingup-stairs two at a time, and "Hurra for the Sandwich Islands!" soundedat my door. So I laid down my work, and was soon in my usual seat. 

 * * * * *

I had been told by some persons from the islands that I must not expectto find every where a green and tropical verdure; for much of thecountry was barren, unfruitful lava. I was up on deck bright and early, to see this far-off part of the world. There was "Diamond Head" beforeme, an extinct volcanic mountain, of a sort of reddish dust-color, withits top fallen in, and without a tree or spear of grass. Ah! I thought, with a sigh, if all the islands are like this, it is well to warn peoplenot to expect too much. Soon we moved our position, and sailed towardthe port of Honolulu. Then we neared the land, and the pretty littlevillage of Waikiki, with its thatched cottages snugly reposing in a tallcocoa-nut grove; then the green trees of Honolulu, and the extinctcrater of the "Punchbowl, " its summit fallen in too. But a rent in itsside showed us that it was bright and green within, forming a hugemeadow with its ragged sides. All these opened before us, in delightfulcontrast to the desolated crater first seen. 

We passed "Telegraph Hill, " and soon, in answer to a signal, our flagswere hoisted, and it was known in Honolulu, that the clipper shipArcher, from San Francisco, was outside with a mail; and in less thanan hour the postmaster's boat was alongside. Mr. Whitney, the editor ofthe "Pacific Advertiser, " came, also, in his boat to get news andpapers. The captain gave the passengers leave to go on shore, and staytill three o'clock, and most of them by the courtesy of Mr. Whitney wentin his boat. But the captain claimed two good missionary ladies, whowere on their way to Japan, and ourselves as his party; so we waiteduntil he was ready; then we took our seats in the chair, wrapped againin the Union Jack, and were hoisted over into the boat. Just as thispushed off, and we were looking up to the vessel's side, over which wereleaning the smiling, kind-hearted sailors, the captain called out, "Boys, can't you give three cheers for the doctor?" Off came every cap, and three rousing hurras filled the air, bringing tears to our eyes, through which we took our last look at the beautiful ship Archer. Thenwe turned with curiosity to see these islands, so new and strange. Iwas in quite a puzzle to know how we were going through the surf withoutupsetting our boat, but there was a break in the coral reef whichafforded us a safe entrance. On the wharf were a good many peoplewatching our approach, and we recognized the familiar faces of somemissionaries together with those of our fellow-passengers who had landedbefore us. Many a hearty hand-grasp was given us as we jumped upon thewharf, the passengers saying "Good-by, " and our missionary friendsgiving their warm welcomes to the islands. 

After thanking our good captain for his kindness to us, we rode to Rev. Mr. Clark's where our home was to be for a time. We were now actually atthe end of our long voyage; and we thanked our heavenly Father forpreserving us through dangers seen and unseen. The house itself lookedhospitable, --a two-story white building, with a double piazza, allcovered by a vine resembling the grape, its bunches of brown seedsmaking the deception more complete. The doors and windows were all open. I was shown up to a quiet room with white curtains and bed-draperies, from which an open door led out upon the upper piazza and its greenfestoons of vine. What a relief to eyes that had so long gazed only onthe boundless sea!

The missionaries had heard of the arrival of grandpa and grandma, andsoon we were told there were callers below; so down we went. What ascene! enough to repay us for all our long journey. There were many whomwe had known at our own house, but whom we never dreamed of seeing intheir missionary home. Heart met heart then; some were so happy thatthey cried, and tears were in our own eyes too. Thirty-seven called thatday, and we were very weary when night dropped her curtain. Saturday wasthe same, --callers all day. 

The children of missionaries on these islands have formed an associationamong themselves which they call the "Cousin's Society. " There was to bea meeting of this society on Saturday night at Oahu College, Punahou; sowe all went, starting about dark. After driving up a windingcarriage-road, there burst suddenly upon us a fairy scene. The principalbuilding was low, with trees and vines about it, and it seemed one blazeof light. The rooms were decorated with exquisite flowers and ferns, andthe young ladies and gentlemen were in their gala dresses. Forty"Cousins" were present that night. Grandpa made an address to them, after President Mills had welcomed us. They edit a paper in theirsociety called the "Maile Wreath. " Maile [My-le] is a beautiful vinethat grows on the islands, and is often used for wreaths. We had somefine music that evening; for many of the "Cousins" sing and playbeautifully. After we had been home awhile, about a dozen of these, ontheir return, stopped and serenaded us. 

The next day was the Sabbath, --our first Sabbath in what used to be aheathen land. The church-bells rung just as sweetly as in our belovedAmerica, and the same stillness reigned throughout the town. It was likea home Sabbath. What a change in forty-three years! We went to themission-church in the morning. It is a large stone edifice of blockcoral, one hundred and forty-four feet long and seventy-eight wide, andwas one of the first objects we saw after passing Diamond Head. It wascommenced in 1838, and was five years in building, at a cost of aboutthirty thousand dollars. Just think of people, who, only twenty-fiveyears before, were in the depths of heathen darkness, building such achurch, and by voluntary contributions too! They had a public meeting, and the king subscribed three thousand dollars, and others gave theirpledges until the sum reached six thousand dollars. We should think thatdoing very well in one of our own enlightened Christian assemblies. Notwithstanding their poverty, they subscribed willingly. We, with allour conveniences for building, can hardly realize the labor bestowed onthat church. The timber had to be cut in the mountain forests, anddragged by hand down to the coast. The stone was dug out of the coralreefs, and a quantity of coral had to be gathered and burned for lime. All this the people did willingly, and without pay, and the carpentersand masons gave their work freely. It was done unto the Lord. 

In that church, which will doubtless stand for ages, we met a large bodyof natives. Grandpa made a speech to them which Rev. Mr. Clarkinterpreted. The church was very full. The natives are fond of brightcolors, and dress in red and yellow a great deal. The women's dressesare made just like yoke night-gowns, falling to the feet without beingconfined at the waist at all. The men often wear their shirts outside oftheir pantaloons like a sack, and sometimes a coat is put on above that, making the effect rather ludicrous. Bonnets the women wear of all kinds, but principally small ones of very old styles. These were perched on thevery top of the head, and were sometimes trimmed with ribbons of five orsix colors. In the afternoon we went to church again. The preacher was ablind native, Pohaku, and he preached so easily, naming the hymn andrepeating it just as if he was reading it, that one would never imaginehe was blind. 

We shook hands with four or five hundred natives that day, saying"aloha, " which means "love to you, " "good-will, " and is their commonsalutation. They crowded around us, and sometimes two would get hold ofmy hand at once. A hand would come over a shoulder, another under anelbow, and round unheard-of corners, all expressing joy and friendship. 

But we must hear the rest of Honolulu to-morrow. 

VII. 

Honolulu continued. 

The first great event of the week was a dinner-party at Mr. Wyllie's, the minister of foreign affairs. He is a Scotchman, and wore hisofficial badges: a broad blue band crossing his vest, with the royalcoat of arms fastening it together on the hip just below the waist ofhis dress-coat; also a star on his breast, and two long streamers ofcrape hanging from his left arm in memory of the young Prince of Hawaiiwho died last year. 

At either end of the dining-hall hung three banners from astandard, --his Scottish manorial flags, I presume; they gave a showylook to the room. On the center of the table was a magnificent standardof silver with a lovely bouquet of flowers. When the dessert was broughtin, this was replaced by a branching standard filled with fruit, moreelegant still. After the dessert, came a rich and chaste drinking-bowlof silver lined with gold, from which each was desired to sip a littlewine to the health of Lady Franklin, who had once been his guest, andwho presented him the cup. 

In the evening, about a dozen young people took a moonlight walk upPunchbowl, the extinct volcano just back of Honolulu. It is apparently around cone, about five or six hundred feet high. The side we ascendedwas steep, ragged, and rocky; but the view of Honolulu from thatelevation is very fine. The taro patches were of a deep green, the coralreefs in the harbor snowy white. The town with its thatched houses layquiet beneath us, while old Diamond Head loomed up in solitary andbarren grandeur in the distance. We had some fine singing from membersof the party, and the air was so clear and the night so still that itwas heard at a long distance. 

"_Taro patches_, aunty? What are they?"

Taro is a vegetable somewhat resembling the calla-lily, the roots ofwhich are good for food. 

There are two kinds of it, --wet and dry. The wet is grown under water. Square beds are made, two or more feet deep, in which the taro isplanted; then the water is let in at one end, and flows out of theother, thus keeping running water upon the bed all the time. It requiresabout a year for the plant to get its growth. The natives bake the rootin their stone ovens, which are large holes in the ground. They place atthe bottom of the oven a quantity of wood and over it a heap of stones, which are heated thoroughly by the burning wood; then the pig, chicken, potatoes, or whatever else they wish to cook, are laid on the stones, leaves being wrapped around them to keep them clean, a little water isthrown on, and the whole is covered with earth. The water comesgradually in contact with the stones, and is converted into steam, which, with the heat of the stones, in a few hours cooks the food. 

After the taro is baked, they peel it with a shell, and pound it with astone pestle in wooden trays, mixing with it water; then they set itaway to ferment. When ready for use, it has a sort of lavender color, and is acid. They call it _poi_; it tastes like yeast or sour flourpaste, and is eaten with coarse salt. The natives eat with it raw fish. This is the favorite Hawaiian dish. 

"_Raw_ fish, aunty?" said Carrie. 

Yes, raw fish; they say raw fish tastes much better than cooked; but Icould not believe it. Yet we eat raw oysters; perhaps that is no worse. Taro-tops are very good greens. The natives usually sit round a largecalabash, and dip one, two, or three fingers, according to theconsistency of the _poi_; then by a peculiar movement they take it fromthe calabash, and convey it to the mouth. That is their favorite mode ofeating, and they say it does not taste so well when eaten with a spoon. 

Next morning, some native women called on us. There were about twenty ofthem. They were cordial and kind, and their "aloha" was very hearty aswe shook hands with each. Some were fine-looking, tall and portly. A fewcould talk English a little. They welcomed grandpa, making a shortspeech in Hawaiian, and presented us with some fowls, onions, cabbages, potatoes, eggs, squashes, and taro. Grandpa thanked them, and spoke ofthe interest he and Christians in America had always felt in them. Mr. Clark was interpreter, and their faces lighted up with evident joy. 

The following day we called on Prince William Lunalilo, and his fatherKanaina. Prince William is one of the highest chiefs in the kingdom, therank here being determined by the mother. In the reception-room was abeautiful table, inlaid with specimens of native woods. The furniturewas covered with red plush. On the walls were oil paintings of theprince and his father and mother, taken about fifteen years ago. 

Prince William took us to the royal cemetery, a small square stonebuilding in the spacious yard. In the center of the one room on a table, was a crimson velvet cushion trimmed with gold fringe, on which lay theHawaiian crown. Unfortunately, I did not notice it particularly. Oneither side were enormous coffins, that of Kamehameha II. Being thehandsomest, and covered with a pall of green brocaded silk; others werecovered also with silk palls, or draped in black. Some of the coffinswere long and large, the high chiefs having been, as a general thing, tall and stout. One could not help thinking that here was the end ofearthly grandeur; the monarch and his lowest subject must alike die. 

We went to a prayer-meeting at Oahu College, Punahou, on Wednesdaynight. It was a pleasant thing to meet with twenty or thirty missionarychildren for prayer and praise. 

Thursday morning we listened to some very creditable recitations, andexamined some beautiful drawings by the young ladies and gentlemen, andafter lunch heard compositions, and saw the ladies practicecalisthenics; all of which would have done honor to one of our homeinstitutions. In the afternoon, we drove back to Honolulu, and attendeda sewing-circle at the house of one of the foreign residents. It reallyseemed like one of our home circles, the profusion of exquisite flowersand the absence of our cold March weather only dispelling the illusion. We reveled in the lovely roses, our green-house favorites blooming herewith such rank luxuriance. I saw here for the first time in my life a_green_ rose. 

"Green rose?" asked little Alice. "I never heard of such a thing. "

Yes, a veritable green rose of just the same shape as the common rose, only a deep genuine green. It had a very odd look. Many of ourgreen-house plants grow to be extremely large here, as there is nochilling wind or snow to nip their growth. 

That night our first letters came, two months after we left home. Whatjoy to hear from the dear ones, even though the letters were writtenonly a fortnight after our departure. It takes six weeks for letters togo from New York to Honolulu. 

Friday morning, her majesty the queen gave us a private reception; theking was out of town. We were notified, the day before, that the queenwould be pleased to see us informally, and would send her carriage forus. So at eleven o'clock a barouche was before the door, drawn by a spanof dark horses. A coachman and footman in a livery of green and goldcompleted the establishment. When we arrived at the palace gates, theguard opened them wide for us, and we passed on to the rear of thepalace where was the queen's own suite of rooms. On the steps we weremet by the minister of foreign affairs, who escorted us to areception-room, and a few minutes later to the drawing-room. There wewere met by the queen in a ladylike manner, she taking our hand, andexpressing pleasure at meeting us. She was in deep mourning for theprince, her only son, who died last year. Her dress was black, trimmedhalf-way up the skirt with a heavy fold of crape, headed by abox-plaiting of the same. We here met the Princess Victoria, a sister ofthe king. The queen gave to each of us a lithograph likeness of the lateKing Kamehameha III. The chancellor of the kingdom, Chief Justice Allenand his lady were present. We returned home in the queen's carriage. 

In the afternoon, we had a very pleasant dinner-party at the chiefjustice's. In the evening, I accepted an invitation to ride with a largeparty of young people, all on horseback; there were seventeen couples, composed entirely of foreigners, more than half of whom belonged tomission families. You would be amused to see the native women ride likethe men, with a strip of bright calico wound round their waist andlimbs, falling off like a skirt on each side; the color is usually red, or red and yellow, and they look decidedly gay, sitting so erect in thesaddle, and riding at full gallop. 

On Sabbath morning we attended at Mr. Smith's church, a large squarehall, with a thatched roof. We sat in a wealthy native lady's pew. Itwas painted a brilliant scarlet, and the cushion was covered with astriped magenta-and-yellow calico. The one in front of us was painted anintense green. Grandpa made an address during service, and afterward, tothe children of the Sabbath-school. Every seat was full, and the peoplevery attentive. There was an old native man, with only one arm, whoacted the part of sexton, and sometimes waked people up. I fancy therewould be fewer sleepers in American churches, if there was anybody toperform a similar office. We shook hands with a great many natives afterservice. They are very fond of this ceremony, and we were glad to givethem that expression of our good-will. Three of them, as they shookhands, left a quarter of a dollar each in mine. I could not return them, for that would give offense, and as I was unwilling to keep them, I putthem into the missionary-box. 

To-morrow we will leave Honolulu. 

VIII. 

From Honolulu to Hilo. 

"Come, aunty, " said Willie, "we are all ready for our journey. " So Ibegan. 

 * * * * *

We rode down to the steamer Kilauea about four o'clock Monday afternoon. A great crowd was on the wharf; among them many of our good friends tosee us off. Indeed, we could not feel that we were strangers in astrange land. The sight of the steamer was a novel one; the deck wascovered with men, women, children, and dogs, with mats, calabashes, etc. It is quite a fashion here to trim the hair with flowers, and to wearthem strung about the neck. Many of these people were so decorated, andit made quite a lively scene, with their gay calico dresses. The womengenerally have their hair divided into two long braids behind; thesethey bring up on the top of the head with a round comb, and slip theflowers in about the comb. 

The queen and her suite came on board last. She was going to join theking at their country-seat at Kailua, on Hawaii. A salute of twenty-oneguns was fired by Her Majesty's guard, who then formed in a line on thewharf and gave three cheers. The royal company preferred to sleep ondeck, so that nearly all who occupied the saloon were foreigners. 

To us Americans, it seemed a strange thing to have both gentlemen andladies occupy the same saloon at night, and it was rather embarrassingto mount into an upper berth with half a dozen gentlemen looking on. But we soon became accustomed to it, and learned not to be alarmed atfinding a Chinaman asleep on the transom below. 

"What is a _transom_, aunty?" asked Harry. 

A sort of cushioned bench, running along both sides of the saloon justoutside the under berths. 

At half-past four in the morning, we reached Lahaina, Maui. The steamerstopped here some hours; so Dr. Baldwin came off for us, and took us tohis house to breakfast. Many friends, new and old, called, and somebeautiful flowers were sent from Lahainaluna, about two miles distant, where there is a seminary for native young men. After breakfast, a largecompany of natives escorted us to the shore, carrying our shawls andbags, seeming eager to do something for our comfort. I wanted to take aphotograph of grandpa, as he stood surrounded by natives, he looked somuch the picture of happy contentment. 

On the steamer we tried our first cocoa-nuts. They are very differentfrom those we get at home, the meat not being half so thick, and quitesoft. There is more than as much again liquid, and it is sweeter, andcolorless like water. 

A few hours' sail brought us to Kalepolepo. Rev. Mr. Alexander hadridden over from Wailuku, ten miles distant, and came on board, andstayed with us some hours while the steamer took on board a supply ofwood. It was good to see his beaming face, and receive his cordialwelcome. He gave me a lesson in Hawaiian. 

"What was it, aunty?" asked Willie. 

One sentence was, "He olu olu anei oe?" Are you well? You would sayperhaps, "Aole au i ike. " I don't understand. 

"How funny!" said little Alice. 

The next morning, just before we reached Kailua, we discovered theking's barge, and in a few minutes he himself came on board with someof his attendants. The meeting between himself and his queen wasaffecting; she, not having been to their country-seat since the death ofthe young prince, was quite overcome. His Majesty was dressed in a lightmixed suit, with drab buskins buttoned to the knee, white boots, and adrab felt hat, with about two inches of crape on it. His buskins, setting off his fine form, gave him a very noble appearance. Indeed, heseemed to feel himself every inch a king. After the queen had becomesomewhat composed, he came to where we sat and, with a hearty shake ofthe hand, welcomed us to his country. He spoke of his visit to America, some years ago, and conversed very agreeably for some little time. Atleaving us, both he and the queen again shook hands, with the samepleasant manner. 

At noon we arrived in Kealakekua Bay, on the west side of Hawaii, whereCaptain Cook was killed. Rev. Mr. Paris was on the beach, with horsesto take us to his house, about two miles distant. As the steamer was toremain till night, we went. Our landing was almost on the very spotwhere Cook was killed. Grandma and I donned our riding-skirts, mountedour horses and started on our ride. Such hills and roads, so dusty andsteep, never before entered my imagination! It was the first timegrandma had been on a horse for forty years. Sometimes we were a littleafraid; but as our horses were not, we gathered courage. At times aprecipice rose above us three or four hundred feet on one side, and onthe other descended perhaps a hundred feet. The rock was of lava, muchbroken, sometimes looking like the waves of the sea, or like a streamrolling over the precipice. A portion of the road was cut out of theside of the rock. Mrs. Paris's cordial greeting repaid us for our hotand dusty ride. Here, for the first time, I saw orange-trees in fullbloom. They were large and elegant trees, with blossoms and green andripe fruit growing at the same time. How we enjoyed the fruit, lusciousand juicy, and so refreshing after our ride! The arbutulum grows herelike a large tree, and blossoms profusely. In the garden we saw youngpine-apples, green mangoes, and Chinese oranges, --a perfect orange inminiature, but acid as a lemon. 

Toward sunset, we returned to the ship. Darkness covered us beforereaching the shore; but our sure-footed horses took us down without amishap. At the head of the bay rises a pali, or precipice, six or sevenhundred feet high, and it is said to go down perpendicularly into thewater perhaps as much more. 

[Illustration: VALLEY OF WAIPIO. --Page 83. ]

On Thursday, we sailed all day along grand precipices rising from theocean, some of them seven hundred or a thousand feet high, withwaterfalls leaping the whole distance, or broken into smaller cascades. Sometimes the streams seemed like a silver ribbon, bordered with greenmoss; these steeps being generally covered with verdure. Here and therewas a deep gorge or gulch, as they are there called. The first and onlyvalley of importance we saw was Waipio, whose sides rose exceedinglygrand and beautiful, with zigzag mule-paths up the slopes. Far in thedistance, amid its shadows, fell a ribbon-like cascade, said to be twothousand four hundred feet high; behind it lay mountains with theirsummits resting in the clouds. A village with its pretty church nestledin a grove of cocoa-nuts on the beach. After this the precipices grewlower and lower, until finally the scene changed to undulating hills, and a rain storm notified us that we were approaching Hilo. We reachedthat place about ten o'clock at night, and landed through the surf;that is, the little boat stopped about fifty feet from the shore, and aman waded out and took grandma in his arms; but there being a littledelay in getting ashore, the wave rolled in upon her and gave her quitea wetting. When the man came back, and said, "Come, come, " I startedimmediately. The surf roared in the darkness, and I was afraid, but wasvery soon set down safely on the shore. Dr. Wetmore met us on the beach, and escorted us in the rain to Mrs. Coan's house. Mr. Coan was away upona tour; but they sent a messenger after him, and he returned home onSaturday. 

Hilo is celebrated for its heavy rains, and I should think also for itsgigantic spiders. I was afraid of them, though it is said they areharmless unless molested. 

Sabbath we passed in the usual manner. Grandpa addressed the nativecongregation in the morning, and told them of his visit to the HolyLand. They seemed delighted to see one who had looked upon Jerusalem, and walked by the shores of Gennesaret. 

There is the supper-bell; so we must wait until to-morrow for anotherstory. 

IX. 

The Volcano. 

"Now, aunty, what are we to see to-day, and where are we to go?" askedWillie, as we assembled in the sitting-room. 

We'll go to the volcano to-day, Willie, I answered. 

 * * * * *

Tuesday morning, we started on our first real horseback journey. Theparty numbered seven, --three elderly people and four younger ones. Twoof our friends escorted us a few miles on our way, and then, as it beganto rain, they turned back. I could think of nothing but a party ofgipsies, as we rode out of Mr. Coan's yard. You would have laughed tosee our fitting out. Grandpa had on rubber overalls, a long rubber coat, and a drab felt hat tied upon his head. I doubt if you would have knownhim. Grandma wore a dark riding-skirt, an oil-cloth cape over hershoulders, and a felt hat, decidedly slouchy, trimmed with green ribbon. I had on an old drab skirt, my water-proof cloak, and a venerable strawhat trimmed with green, with a blue barege veil falling from its brim. The rest were dressed in similar style. We rode in single file, and theroad was so bad, if road it could be called, that we advanced barely twomiles an hour. Every few minutes we had to go up or down some steepplace, or through mud nearly a foot deep. Swamps and streams alternatedwith our short hills. At length we came to a wood of tropicalluxuriance, where the road was just a mule-path, the branches oftenmeeting before our faces, so that we had to raise our hands to partthem. It rained as it always does here. While we young people wereventuring on a short canter, my saddle turned completely, and I landedon my feet in an oozy place, fortunately unhurt. A few miles short ofthe half-way house, --miles are not measured by feelings there, --my horsegave out. For some time he had walked lame in all his feet, and at lastrefused to go at all. One of the young gentlemen lent me his horse, andled mine. We reached the half-way house about five o'clock, wet through. This was a native house, the occupants of which at once turned out, bagand baggage, the latter consisting, however, of only a few calabashesand pillows, and removed into a smaller hut. We found our house neatlylaid with mats, and looking comparatively inviting. The firebrands hadbeen carried out, leaving only the coals in the center of the floor, surrounded by stones to protect the matting. The house was of thatchedsides and altogether looked very much like the native houses we saw onthe Isthmus. 

We made a temporary curtain of a blanket, put on dry clothes, hangingour wet ones up to dry; then laid a table-cloth on the matting, and frombuckets and calabashes brought out our dinner. Our service was of tin;but we made a hearty meal, sitting Turk fashion on the mat. After ourdinner and tea together, the natives came in, and we had prayers. Mr. Coan read a few verses in English and then in the native language, whichwas followed by two prayers, one in English, the other in Hawaiian, bythe head of the family. We then lay down to sleep; but cockroaches, fleas, and a strong cup of tea drove slumber from our eyelids, and therewas more sighing than sleep. The men who brought our calabashes walkedor dog-trotted it all the way barefooted, and got on faster than we did. The calabashes are fastened one at each end of a pole four or five feetlong, and the bearers don't seem to mind the weight, balancing themeasily on their shoulders and carrying them safely. We never missed thesmallest article, and nothing was injured by jarring. 

We mounted our horses the next morning with good courage, though it wasdubious weather, and we had a long ride before us. After a while, weyoung folks headed the procession and cantered when we could, which wasseldom, as a great deal of the way was like riding in the bed of abrook. It had rained so much that a puddle of water was met every fewfeet. Part of our way was through a beautiful growth of gigantic ferns, mingled with other trees. The ferns were of a beautiful species, growingtwenty or more feet high, and crowned with waving feathery branches. Other trees had their bark almost hidden by velvety moss or tiny ferns. 

We arrived at the volcano house wet and tired, about three o'clock, butwere much comforted by the cleanly appearance of the house, so nicelymatted were the floors, with a raised place for sleeping. Outside, undera roof like a veranda, was a blazing fire, and it was needed for dryingour clothes, and sending warmth through our chilled limbs. 

We ladies retired behind our curtain, and soon appeared in completeBloomer costume. We set our table in more civilized style, having arough board whereon to lay our cloth, while benches saved the necessityof our sitting again in Turk fashion. We rested better than the previousnight, rousing ourselves once in a while from our lowly matted couch togaze through the mist at the light from the crater, which looked like anenormous fire. 

About nine the next morning, we took our winding way to the edge of thebluff, commanding a fine view of the crater; and there it lay beforeus, a huge, blackened, fire-desolated gulf! Steam issued from fissuresin various parts, while a dense rolling volume marked the place of thereally burning lake: We ladies, in our Bloomer dresses, --for it isn'tsafe to wear long skirts, --started down the precipice. At some of thesteep places, our gentlemen tied ropes to the shrubs, and, with jumpingand careful walking, we were soon down upon the lava floor. 

"How did it feel to walk on the lava, aunty?" said Willie. 

It seemed like walking on a snow-crust. Once in a while a foot wouldsink through, and this at first alarmed us; but we soon got used to it. There were many deep fissures in the lava, from some of which issuedsteam; these we used to jump over. 

"How wide were they?" asked Harry. 

[Illustration: THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA. --Page 92. ]

One or two feet wide; and no one knows how deep. Mr. Coan seemed tothink that forty feet below us might be liquid lava. The lava hadflowed in countless shapes and ways. Sometimes it had hardened incircles, or parts of a circle, or it was all crumbled and broken. Thislast they call a-a [ah-ah]. Often a piece of the thin crust crackedunder our footsteps, and turning it over, there would be upon the undersurface all the colors of the rainbow. 

After a walk of two and a half miles, we came to what is called the"blow hole, " where steam rushes out with great force and a loud report, like many factory pipes. It seemed as if some angry goddess dwelt below, whom we had insulted by coming into her domains, and that she wasbelching out her fierce anger, and vowing vengeance. 

But the final wonder was when the fiery gulf came into view. It musthave been half a mile square, and was about fifty feet below the levelof where we stood. It was boiling up all over its lead-colored surface. Toward the center, it would blacken over, and the blacker it grew, themore intently we watched, until finally it rose in a huge dome thousandsof tons in weight, red and fiery, and fell as suddenly. It was so hot, that we had to cover our faces or turn away. There were several red-hotfountains in various parts of the lake, throwing up jets of lava. Onewas near a shallow cave, from the edges of which, the lava hung inbeautiful flame-colored stalactites. 

"What are _stalactites_?" asked little Alice. 

An icicle is a stalactite of frozen water; these were of lava, shapedjust like large icicles. 

All the while, the lake was boiling up in some places, and wrinkling andfolding over at the edges. It was a terrible and exciting sight. One ofthe party would shout, "There, there, the boiler is going to throw upnow!" and as it rose into the air, a grand chorus of "_There_" wouldannounce the end of that discharge. It is impossible to describe to youthe grandeur of the scene. It is one of God's most wonderful works. Wefelt weak and powerless before it. 

We took our lunch on the shore of this fiery lake, and afterwards spentan hour in gathering specimens of the different kinds of lava. 

Not far from the lake is a peak of lava which is called the "GothicCathedral" from its shape. Some of the party passed by a block lookinglike a lion. There were huge fields of "a-a" where the lava was thrownup into rough heaps, as if some one had tried to knead up blocks a footsquare, and given it up as a bad job. We walked nearly six miles in thecrater, going and coming, which will give you an idea of its size. It isnine miles in circumference. Our young gentlemen we left behind, as theyhad discovered a new cave where they could see many valuable specimens. When we reached the house, we were wet and tired; for it rained while wewere in the crater, and we had to change our clothes. We ladies saw theyellow sulphur beds in the distance, but were too weary to visit them. 

During our absence, the native men had gathered a quantity of oheloberries, resembling cranberries, but tasting like blueberries, not sosweet perhaps, but like them seedless; they were very nice with sugar, so we added them to our bill of fare. Remind me of those berriesto-morrow, and I'll tell you a story about them. 

Now for supper. 

X. 

A Story about Kapiolani. 

As I entered the sitting-room, I was greeted by a chorus of voicessaying, "Aunty, the berries, you know!" So I began. 

 * * * * *

A good while ago, when the missionaries first went to the HawaiianIslands, a princess lived there named Kapiolani, the daughter ofKeawemauhili. She was a portly person, as most in high rank were, havingan engaging countenance, a keen black eye, and black hair put up by acomb. She dressed in a civilized fashion, and used chairs and tables. Her husband's name was Naihe. In the year 1825, only five years afterthe mission was commenced, Kapiolani was living at Kaawaloa. Many of hercountrymen still supposed that the volcano was the abode of a powerfulgoddess, whose name was Pele. They were very superstitious, andreverenced and feared to anger this goddess. 

Kapiolani had become a Christian, and felt sorry for her poor people whowere still in the darkness of paganism, and determined to break thespell that bound them. So she announced her intention to visit thecrater of Kilauea, and call upon the goddess to do her worst. Herhusband and many others endeavored to dissuade her, but she was not tobe moved from her purpose. She traveled, mostly on foot, over a roughand desolate road, a distance of about a hundred miles. 

As she drew near the volcano, she was met by one who claimed to be aprophetess of Pele, and threatened her with the displeasure of thegoddess, should she come into her domains on this hostile errand. Shewas told that she would certainly perish if she went to the crater. Kapiolani disregarded the impostor, and went on. Those ohelo berrieswhich I spoke of in my last story were sacred to Pele, and no one daredto eat them unless they had first offered some to the goddess. ButKapiolani gathered and ate them. "She and her company of about eighty, "said Mr. Bingham, "accompanied by a missionary, descended from the rimof the crater to the black ledge. There, in full view of the terrificpanorama before them, she threw in the berries, and calmly addressed thecompany thus: 'Jehovah is my God. He kindled these fires. I fear notPele. If I perish by the anger of Pele, then you may fear the power ofPele; but if I trust in Jehovah, and he shall save me from the wrath ofPele when I break through her tabus, then you must fear and serve theLord Jehovah. All the gods of Hawaii are vain. Great is the goodness ofJehovah in sending missionaries to turn us from these vanities to theliving God and the way of righteousness!'" Then amid the horrid belchingand bellowing of the crater, they sung a hymn of praise, and prayed tothe God of heaven and earth. 

Now wasn't it a grand, a noble thing for this woman, who had beeneducated in the grossest idolatry, who had only heard of the true Godwithin a very few years, thus to come out and defy her nation's deity, this Pele? Why, even we, brought up in the light and power of thegospel, could not wonder that those benighted savages feared andworshiped. We silently thanked God in our hearts, that we knew him asour Creator and the Maker of this wonderful volcano, instead of awicked, revengeful heathen god. 

"You spoke of Pele's _tabus_; what is a tabu, aunty?" said Carrie. 

Anything forbidden by their law or customs was called "tabu. "

Now we will go back to our journey. The day after we descended thecrater, we started for the half-way house on our return. It was adreary, rainy morning, but cleared up soon, though no sun was visible. The roads were dryer, and we young people cantered off, leaving the morestaid portion of the party behind; and reached our resting-place twohours or more before the others, and before our native men too. We werehungry, but our calabashes of food were far behind us, so we fell todecorating the house, in order to occupy our time. It was a simplethatched hut, with no windows and only one door. We built an arch overthe doorway of two gigantic ferns, with a bouquet of red roses in thecenter, and made thence a continuous wreath of ferns and red leaves tothe end of the house, and down to the ground each side. The bright redleaves were brought us by the little kanaka [native] children. Inside, opposite the door, we made another arch, and twined a wreath around thecenter pole supporting the roof. Our native men, as they entered, exclaimed "nani, " handsome, or "maikai, " good. And Mr. Coan's face, ashe came up the hill, smiled approval. It really had entirely transformedthe dingy hut into quite a fairy bower. All night, fleas and cockroachesdisputed with us for its possession, and we rose in the morning, unrefreshed, to a day's ride in the rain. The road was worse than on theday we first came over it. It had stormed incessantly, the streams wereswollen, the mud was deeper, and our horses stiff and weary, not tomention ourselves as in the same predicament. At times it rained so hardthat our horses turned their backs to it, and refused to move, and therewe had to sit until the violence of the shower was over. We often wadedthrough streams up to the saddle-girth. Part of the way, the road wasmade of the trunks of fern-trees laid crosswise, not more than two orthree feet broad. They were worn and broken, and in some places decayedentirely away. We considered it, however, a good road, and cantered overit, our sure-footed horses never once stumbling. Glad indeed, were we, to see the white spire of the Hilo church, and more glad to reach Mr. Coan's hospitable house, where hot baths and a good dinner in somedegree enlivened us. Grandma was tired, but a night and day's rest madeher quite herself again. We felt amply repaid for any amount of fatigueor discomfort, by our view of the crater and burning lake. It was ascene for a lifetime; no pen could describe it, no pencil portray it;one must see it with one's own eyes, to appreciate its wonders. Godalone could create it; and his power only could say to this surging, fiery torrent, "Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther. "

March 24th, we took the steamer Kilauea. It rained as we sailed out ofthe bay, --Byron's Bay as it is called. The surf rolls in hereterrifically, and beats upon the shore with an incessant booming sound. The view of Hilo, as you enter the bay, is said to be very fine; but wewere so unfortunate as to come in, in the night, and to go out in arain-storm. The natives play in the surf a great deal. They have what iscalled a surfboard perhaps four or five feet long. With this board, theyswim out perhaps a mile, and then lying on it, ride in on the top of thesurf-billows. I was sorry not to see this amusement; but the littlechildren, with their small boards, I often saw trying to imitate theirelders. 

"Don't they ever get hurt, aunty?" asked little Alice. 

Not often. The natives are perfectly at home in the water, and can swimlong distances. The women are about as good swimmers as the men. 

Ah, the bell! the bell! we mustn't keep grandpa waiting. 

XI. 

Kau and Journey to Kaawaloa. 

At half-past six in the morning, we landed in Kau, --that is grandpa andI did; grandma went on in the steamer to Kealakekua Bay. Rev. Mr. Gulickmet us as we stepped on shore. Horses were in waiting, and we were soonin the saddle ready for our seven miles' ride to Waiohinu. Mr. And Mrs. Gulick have here a boarding-school for native girls. They had ninepupils of various shades and sizes. Some of them seemed very bright andintelligent, and were quick and handy about their work. Besidetheir studies, they are beginning to learn to make their ownclothes and to do housework. 

Sabbath morning we visited the Sabbath-school. As we entered, thechildren were singing in Hawaiian the hymn, "I want to be an Angel, " andsoon after "I have a Father in the Promised Land, " both of them to thefamiliar tunes the children sing with us. It quite carried me back inassociation to our home Sabbath-schools. The Hawaiians love to sing, andthe children sing with all their hearts, just as our children do. 

Grandpa gave them a short talk, and then we went into the church, and headdressed the native congregation, --an intelligent and well-dressed bodyof men and women. The Hawaiians as a race are excessively fond offlowers. Some of the girls wore wreaths of rosebuds round their necks;some had flowers in their hair, and others held a few in their hands. The judge of the district, who had a little daughter in Mr. Gulick'sschool, brought her a wand of roses, wreathed round a stick, which hehanded to her with a smile as she came into church. 

In the afternoon, grandpa preached to the foreign residents. Every whiteperson but one in the district was present, making sixteen in allincluding ourselves. There were only four ladies, most of the men havingnative wives. The shoemaker, the blacksmith, the missionary, theplanter, all met in that little parlor, to hear a sermon in their nativetongue. It made no difference what was their religious belief; they camedressed in their best, and some of them joined in singing the hymns, thetunes doubtless familiar to them long ago, before they left theirfather's roof. 

Monday morning we started on our journey across the island, to wheregrandma was staying. Our baggage was packed on a mule, and thesaddle-bags filled with our eatables. 

"What are _saddle-bags_?" asked Willie. 

They are two bags fastened on a broad strip of leather, made to fit onthe back part of a saddle, so arranged that a bag will hang on each sideof the horse, the two thus balancing each other. 

Mr. Gulick accompanied us, and quite a number of natives traveled a partof the way. We started in a rain; six or seven miles of the road weregood; the rest was bad enough to make up for it. The first half-day wepassed over that kind of lava called "a-a, " the whole tract, as far asthe eye could reach, looking as if a mountain of lava had been thrownthousands of feet in the air, and fallen, crumbled and broken, intoirregular ridges and heaps, blackened and barren. In riding, we passedover an apology for a road, reminding me of our American roads whenfilled in with broken stone before being covered with the gravel. Someof the ridges were fearfully steep and jagged. Here it seemed as if--asa friend remarked--"we were out of sight of land. " Hardly a bush or treewas to be seen. I never knew the meaning of desolation before. We grewweary of the dull black scene, and it rained and rained, but we kept on, up one steep place and down another. The last part of our day's ride wasthrough woods, over hard lava, which they call "pahoihoi;" but it wasalong a mountain side, and the same steep ridges followed us. Darknesscame just as we neared the native village where we were to spend thenight. We had passed over a hard road of thirty-five miles, and been tenhours in the saddle. We were, of course, not sorry to dismount, which wedid at the largest native house. The man of the house was down at thesea-shore; the family were of course not expecting foreigners. In thecenter of the house was a fire of glowing coals, and near it sat an oldwoman stringing candle-nuts upon a cocoa-nut fiber, which were theironly lamps. 

"What are _candle-nuts_?" asked the children. 

They grow on a beautiful tree called "kukui, " or candle-nut tree. Thenuts are about the size of a walnut, and are so oily as to burn quitewell. 

Some one went over to the church, a simple thatched house like the rest, and brought us the only two chairs the village possessed. We set out oursimple meal on the mat, and by twos and threes the natives dropped in tosee us, bringing children and babies; so that by the time our supper wasover, almost all the village were present to see the "houris" orforeigners. After we had finished, we had family worship, Mr. Gulickacting as interpreter. Then Mr. G. Asked where we were to sleep. Ourlandlord and his wife had one corner of the room, another man and hiswife another corner, our native men a third, and we the fourth. Learning that our shawls were wet, the son brought out a large bed tapafor our covering. Taking our bags for pillows, we lay down torest, --_sleep_, I can not say, for fleas and cockroaches were tooabundant to permit this. 

"What is _tapa_, aunty?" asked Willie. 

Tapa is their native cloth made from the bark of trees. They take theinner part of the bark, I believe, and beat it with mallets of very hardwood until it is soft and flexible, wetting the bark from time to time. It looks like a kind of paper, rather than cloth. These cloths thenatives dye with various colors, in patterns to suit their own fancy. The bed tapas are from three to five large sheets placed one aboveanother, and are very warm and comfortable. 

Early next morning, we started on our journey through field and forest, and reached Mr. Paris's house about half-past two, having accomplishedour journey of sixty miles in eighteen hours. We were cordiallywelcomed by the family, and were glad indeed to be with grandma again. 

We walked one evening to the house near by, where Kapiolani and herhusband Naihe lived. You remember Kapiolani was the brave princess Itold you of. It was a stone house, built of solid coral rocks, the wallsthree feet thick, and is on an eminence commanding a fine view of thesea. No one was now living in the house; but quite a number of littlekittens, wild as they could be, scampered in terror from room to room, as we went through the apartments. 

Next morning, Mr. Paris took us out to ride. We visited a native churchabout two miles from his house, a pretty stone building, nicely finishedoff inside with koa wood, much resembling mahogany. The horse grandparode was a handsome black fellow; mine was a large sorrel calledBonaparte. Both horses had a decided aversion to going through puddlesof water. Bonaparte had been broken in by a native, who hurt him aboutthe head, after which, he had a great antipathy to natives; indeed, hehad a dislike to any strangers. After a time, he got to know me; but ifa native tried to touch him, he became almost frantic. He was a veryeasy horse for riding, and I became quite fond of him, and used to feedand give him water. One day we were all out riding, and as we cametoward the house, I galloped into the yard and dismounted on the stonewall, which we used as a horse-block. They called to me that they weregoing on, so, as I had the bridle in my hand, I prepared to mount, whena good native deacon came forward to help me. The horse's nostrilsdilated, and he plunged about almost drawing me off the wall, and wasthe perfect image of anger. I succeeded in making the good manunderstand that he must go away, then talked soothingly to the horse, patted his head gently, and finally, as he came near enough, threwmyself into the saddle, and had a good ride. Now you see, children, whatkindness can do. If I had ever been rough with the horse, or unkind tohim, he would not have had such confidence in me, and I could not havesoothed him down, and so should have lost my ride. 

XII. 

Kaawaloa. 

My little flock of listeners were sure to get their work done punctuallyby four o'clock, thus fulfilling their part of the bargain, and usedlaughingly to talk about their travels, making believe that they werejourneying, as I told them what I saw and had passed through. 

 * * * * *

On Saturday, April 4, Mr. Paris, grandpa, and I, started off on a longride, to visit Hoonaunau, the city of refuge, a place to which peoplecould flee, if they had committed any crime, or displeased any chief, and be protected by the priests. This was in old pagan times; they arenot used for that purpose now. 

"Aunty, " asked Carrie, "didn't they have such cities in Old Testamenttimes?"

Yes, dear, they did. You may get your Bible and turn to Numbers xxxv:vi. And read the passage to us. 

"And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, there shallbe six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the man-slayer, that he may flee thither. "

It seems singular that this heathen people should have a custom likethat sanctioned by God through Moses in the Old Testament days; but soit was. This city of refuge was a "heiau, " or heathen temple. It has amassive stone wall varying from six to ten feet in hight, and as manyfeet in thickness, inclosing a large space of ground, and having, ofcourse, no roof. The sea washes its base on one side. Here we saw arock, under which Kaahumanu, the favorite wife of the great conquerorKamehameha I. , is said to have hid herself when her royal husband wasangry with her. It is called by her name. 

"Did the king have more than one wife?" asked Harry. 

Yes, almost every chief had several, if he could afford it. But now thatthey are a Christianized people it is different. 

We stood on the altar where human sacrifices had been offered. It washard to believe that such a quiet place was ever used for so dreadful apurpose. 

We saw a flat rock, on which one of the great chiefs was said to haverested while his subjects were fishing. The native story is, that thechief was so tall that his feet hung over one end, and his head theother. The stone was fourteen feet long!

"Aunty, " said little Alice, "it wasn't a true story; was it?"

No, Alice; but probably he was a very tall man. 

We passed over the battle-field of Kaei, the scene of the last greatfight on Hawaii, which placed the island under the rule of KamehamehaII. 

About half a mile beyond the City of Refuge is a high bluff, over whichare solid lava falls, looking just like a waterfall, only black. Theyare hundreds of feet broad and more than a hundred feet high. You canwalk between the bluff and the fall, and look up a hundred feet. We wentinto a cave, which is an eighth of a mile deep, leading to the sea. Itprobably was once a channel through which a lava stream flowed into theocean. 

Coming back we rode into the village of Kealakekua, and went to the spotwhere Captain Cook was worshiped, and had sacrifices offered to him. Just think how wicked it was in him to allow those poor ignorantnatives to believe he was a god, and to receive offerings and sacrificesas such! It must have been very displeasing in the sight of God to havea man brought up in a Christian land do such a thing. It was only alittle while after, across the bay in sight of that very place, that helost his life. We saw two cocoa-nut trees with their trunks perforatedby cannon-balls which were fired from Cook's ship. 

The next day we attended the native church at Kealakekua, and saw theirmanner of collecting monthly concert money. One or two deacons, or"lunas" as they call them, sit at a table in front of the pulpit, andthe people bring up their gifts. Three old men had no money, andbrought, respectively, a broom, some dried fish, and two fowls. Thefowls amused me very much. They had their feet tied together, andoccasionally fluttered their wings and clucked during the sermon. Oneof the hens, I have since learned, was of Japanese breed. All herfeathers curled up the wrong way, making her look as if she had been outin a gale of wind. 

Monday we rode down to Kaawaloa, stood on the rock where Cook fell, gathered some coral where his boat rested, and walked over the stoneswhere he led the king when endeavoring to take him as a hostage. 

"What did they want him for?" asked Harry. 

The natives had stolen a boat from Captain Cook, and the latter wastaking their king to the ship to keep him there until the boat should bebrought back. The natives could not bring the boat back, because theyhad already broken it up to get the iron in it; and they were notwilling their king should be taken away. So one of the chiefs seizedCook roughly by the shoulder, and held him so painfully that he criedout. The people said, "Can a god groan? Is a god afraid?" Their beliefthat he was a god was broken, and he was immediately killed. We wentinto the king's house, which is still standing, and saw some beautifulmatting lining the walls, taking the place of our house paper. It waswoven in figures. We sat down on a board, and drank some young cocoa-nutmilk from trees which existed in Captain Cook's time, and now shade thespot. Near the shore is a dead trunk of a tree about three feet high, onwhich several plates of copper, inscribed to the memory of Captain Cook, have been nailed by officers of British men-of-war. Not a very sumptuousmonument this! On one side of the road, about half a mile above thebeach, is a pillar of wood erected on a heap of rough lava. On this is asmall plate, bearing this inscription:--

In MemoryOFCAPTAIN JAMES COOK, R. N. , WHO DISCOVERED THESE ISLANDS, INTHE YEAR OF OUR LORD1778, THIS HUMBLE MONUMENT IS ERECTED BYHIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN, INTHE YEAR OF OUR LORD1825. 

Captain Cook named the group of islands from his patron, the Earl ofSandwich. The natives always call them Hawaiian Islands, or as they say, "Hawaii Nei!"

This portion of Hawaii is the orange district, and we had deliciousoranges every day. It seemed sometimes as if the fruit, after peeling, would drop to pieces in our hands, from very juiciness. 

"Oh, how I wish I had some!" said Harry. 

This is a bread-fruit country too. We didn't learn to love that fruit. We sometimes had it baked for dinner. I think it is never eatenuncooked. The tree is fine-looking; its leaves are large, and of a verybrilliant green. The fruit is round, has a rough outside, and to meseemed rather mealy and tasteless. 

"How large is it?" asked Carrie. 

About the size of a cantelope-melon. 

We tasted here, too, the root of the ti [te] plant. It was baked, andwhen sent in it was still hot. It looked like brown-bread, only finergrained, and when shaved off in slices had a very sweet and notunpleasant taste. Many of the natives are quite fond of it. The planthas a small trunk four or five feet high, surmounted with a tuft ofleaves resembling corn-leaves. In various parts of the islands, whenthere is a scarcity of food, the natives eat the root of the fern-tree, baked. It reminded me in appearance of tobacco, was tasteless, anduninviting in its looks; but I saw native men cut off great slices ofit, which they ate as if they liked it. But as I told you before, theirfavorite food is poi, and, with a good supply of that and raw fish, anative is as happy as a plenty of good food can make him. 

We saw here for the first time enormous cockroaches. They came out aftera rain, and were very annoying, as all large bugs are that can fly orrun fast. One night I killed seven in my room. If I left one dead on thefloor overnight, in the morning it would be surrounded by hundreds ofsmall brown ants. It was really very interesting to watch the littlecreatures. They would saw off a leg, or a part of one, then several ofthem would drag it away to their hiding-place; and, piecemeal, theywould, if given time, carry off the cockroach, leaving not a particle. Now there is a lesson for you, children. 

Perhaps you have something to do. It may seem like a mountain, as youlook at it; but if you work diligently, doing perhaps only a little ata time, it will grow less and less until it is all done; and as you lookback upon it, you will be astonished to think how easily you have doneit. 

XIII. 

Kailua. 

"Aunty, " said Carrie, as I came into the room, at four o'clock the nextday, "we have been calling ourselves little ants all day to-day, we havebeen so busy; but now we have finished our work, and are all ready. " SoI resumed my story. 

 * * * * *

On Saturday, April 11, we left Kaawaloa, after a very pleasant visit oftwo weeks, starting about nine o'clock on our twelve miles' ride toKailua. Mr. Paris's family and grandma were in a carriage, which somefriends had given Mrs. P. , and grandpa and I were on horseback. I hadmy horse Bonaparte. The road was good most of the way; no carriage hadever traveled the whole length of it before. Part of the way was downthe mountain, and when about half-way to the foot, a part of thecarriage broke. We all dismounted and took a lunch, then, with someleather, Mr. Paris bound up the broken place firmly, and we went on ourway rejoicing that no worse thing had befallen us; for we were far awayfrom any house, and had still half of our journey to perform, and thisbeing the only carriage on that part of the island, no native knew howto repair it. On reaching the sea-shore, we passed through a grove ofcocoa-nut trees. Here we drank some delicious cocoa-nut milk, and quitea group of natives gathered about us, and shook hands. The Hawaiians asa race are very fond of shaking hands. As the shake of the hand, saying"aloha, " love to you, was often our only mode of expressing ourinterest, we were very particular to do it. 

[Illustration: CATHEDRAL OF KILAUEA. --Page 95. ]

[Illustration: PAHOIHOI. --Page 129. ]

After leaving the grove, the path lay between two stone walls, so neartogether that it seemed impossible for the carriage to go through. Ournative friends said among themselves "_pilikia!_" trouble; for there wasno other road for the carriage. But the carriage did pass, the wheelsjust grazing the stones. How glad we were, and the natives exclaimed, "_maikai!_" good. 

We saw a great deal of rough hard lava, called "pahoihoi, " and pricklypear-trees grew in abundance. They were large, ugly plants. Grandma gaveme one of their flowers which looks like a cactus-blossom. I had on aheavy buckskin glove, and this was filled with small barbed thorns, which, before I knew it, had worked through into my hand, as I held therein. They caused no little pain, but were so small and colorless thatyou could not see them. In some places the people use the prickly pearas hedges, which are unsightly but very strong. We often saw thecentury-plant while on the islands, which, it has been said, blooms onlyonce in one hundred years; but in fact it blossoms at least once intwenty-five years. The stalk of the flower grows very rapidly. Some ofthese stalks are twenty or thirty feet high. I examined one which seemedto be casting its blossoms; they looked like small bulbs just sprouting. If these are planted, they will grow, and this is the way the plant ispropagated. 

We were amused at the excitement of many of the natives about thecarriage. A great number of them had never seen one before. Wholefamilies turned out, men, women, and children, just as people in our ownland once did to see a railroad car, or as they do now to see a caravanwith elephants and camels. Horses and mules all along the road becameunmanageable. They would turn and look, with dilated nostrils and headerect, while trembling in every limb, till the carriage almost reachedthem, then they would break from their fastenings and gallop off, neighing with fear. Then they would turn and look till we nearly reachedthem again, when they darted away as before. 

We reached the house of Mr. Thurston, at Kailua, about three o'clock inthe afternoon. It had a very desolate look, for it had been locked upfor a year. The venerable missionaries were then in California, onaccount of the failure of Mr. T. 's health. There was no white face togreet us, as at the other mission-stations, so we made ourselves ascomfortable as possible. Several natives called to see us, and avenerable deacon sent us two fowls, some very fine watermelons, andsweet potatoes. The melons were delicious, the soil of this part of theislands being well adapted to them. Watermelons are even sent to theSan Francisco market. 

The next day was Sabbath, the 12th of April, the forty-third anniversaryof the missionaries first landing on these islands, which occurred onthis very spot. We were interested in the fact that we should happen tobe there at that time. 

We went to the stone church, a venerable edifice built in the oldstyle, --the pulpit and galleries being very high. Perhaps a thousandnatives were present, and they paid remarkable attention to all that wassaid. After service, we shook hands with a large portion of theaudience. Most of the people came on horseback, and there must have beenas many as five hundred horses tied outside the church. 

It was too far for us to go home before the afternoon service; so wespent the time in visiting the graves of mission families near thechurch. In the afternoon we partook of the communion with thecongregation. Every thing was conducted with great propriety. A nativeevangelist has had the care of this church since Mr. T. Left, and theyhave well sustained their church and prayer-meetings, with very littleoutside aid from missionaries. 

We expected the steamer to call for us at any time after midnight, andso slept with one eye and one ear open. About twenty asses were in apasture near us, and were braying all night long. We had littlerefreshing sleep, and were glad to see the smoke of the Kilauea as shecame round a point in the distance at six o'clock in the morning. Wewended our way to the beach, and amused ourselves by watching littlenative children playing in the water, and by picking up shells, untilthe boat came to take us on board the steamer, when we bade our friendsgood-by. As there was no wharf, a native took us up one by one andcarried us to the boat. It seemed so funny at first for us grown peopleto be taken up like children; but we got accustomed to it, the menlifting us easily, and placing us in the boat as dry and comfortable aspossible. By three o'clock in the afternoon we were off Honoipu, wherewe were to disembark. This is the landing for Kohala. Mr. Bond met us, and a kind German was there with his wagon to take grandma and thebaggage to Mr. B. 's house. The rest of us went on horseback. Beforegrandpa mounted his horse, the natives gathered about him, and asked byan interpreter how old he was. They said, "his face and his form wasyoung, but his hair was old. " They expected to see an old decrepit man, and were quite surprised to find him so fresh and vigorous. We startedon a brisk canter over a good road. My horse was unfortunate in hisdisposition, and would sometimes run across the road to kick another. 

"Why, aunty, what did he do that for?" asked Harry. 

Perhaps he had the same feeling that a little boy has, when he raceswith another boy. The latter runs a little faster perhaps, and the boythat is behind tries to hinder or tease him in some way, so that he maylose the race. I suppose my horse didn't want the other to pass him, andso tried to kick him. 

The trade-wind swept across that part of the island with great force. Itreally seemed as if we would be blown off our horses, and I was gladthat my hat-strings were sewed on tightly. After a while, a suddenshower came up, lasting about five minutes; but the wind soon dried us. Another and heavier one making its appearance in the distance, we turnedoff the road to go a shorter way. Mr. Bond was mounted on a large whitemule; as we were galloping hastily along over the grassy field, hismule stumbled, and over they went. All we could see was the mule's fourfeet in the air. Fortunately, Mr. Bond was not under the animal, as wefeared, but rose from the soft grass a few feet ahead uninjured. Theshower came steadily on, and we were obliged to take refuge in a nativehut. The natives ran out, took off our saddles, and tied our horses forus, so that we might escape the shower. They were always ready to do akind act for us. As I sat in the hut with two women and a pretty littlenative girl about three years old, I longed to be able to talk with themin their own language; but after each of us had said "aloha, " we couldonly sit and look at each other. 

Grandma and Mrs. Bond with her children were waiting on the piazza tomeet us as we rode up. But there is the tea-bell, so we must wait untilto-morrow to hear about Kohala. 

XIV. 

Kohala and Waimea. 

"We are ready to hear about that queer-named place now, aunty, " saidAlice at my elbow as I sat writing in my room. 

Oh, yes, about Kohala. 

 * * * * *

Every thing at Mr. Bond's was the pink of neatness, and though we wereshut in by rain for five days, we enjoyed it. Sometimes, it would looklike clearing up, and we would walk in the garden; but usually we had tohurry in to escape the rain. 

The garden looked beautifully, with some rose-bushes twenty-five feetin circumference, and scarlet geraniums perhaps fifteen feet. It doesone good just to look at them, after seeing only our little dwarf shrubsat home. Kanoa and his wife, the good Hawaiian missionaries toMicronesia, came with their little baby to bid us good-by. 

We had mangoes for the first time at Mr. Bond's, which were delicious. In shape they are like a pear, only flatter, with the large end growingnext the stem. I can not describe the taste, it is unlike any thing wehave. The seed is very large, being nearly two thirds the size of thefruit. Fresh figs, too, we tried for the first time, and to our surpriseliked them. We had some papaias, which grow on trees; the fruit tasteslike a musk-melon, and pies made of them are very much like squash-pies. 

Sabbath morning it cleared up about eleven, so that we could go tochurch. Notwithstanding the weather, a goodly congregation assembled, and listened to grandpa with great respect and attention. After meeting, as usual, they all wanted to shake hands with us. As I was going downthe aisle, thinking I had shaken hands with all, I heard some one call"keika mahine, keika mahine" [daughter, daughter], and looking round, there was an old man standing up on a seat with his hand stretched outto shake hands. Of course I must gratify him. Fortunately for us, Monday, April 20, was a pleasant day, and we started about nine o'clockfor Waimea across the mountain. Grandma rode about twelve miles in Mr. Christianson's wagon, and then as the wagon-road ended, she went theremainder of the way on horseback. The rest of us were in the saddle allthe way. How the wind did blow! It seemed as if I should be carried outof my saddle bodily; but we rode on over fields and barren wastes, andthrough steep and rocky gulches. At noon we reached the house of aforeigner, and were hospitably entertained. Mr. Lyons was waiting for usthere, and Mr. Bond left us. What was more to us than dinner, was afeast of home letters, which Mr. Lyons had brought for us. After restingan hour or more, we were all in our saddles again. As we were riding, onthe summit of a hill, or mountain as we should call it, a beautifulscene opened before us. High above us the fleecy clouds parted, and wecaught a glimpse of what seemed like "the promised land. " There stoodthe peak of a lofty mountain covered with newly-fallen snow, shiningwhite and beautiful in the sun's clear beams. It seemed too high up, toopure and fair in its framework of clouds, to belong to earth. This wasthe summit of Mauna Kea, and we shall not soon forget that vision ofbeauty. It seemed as if angels might flit over its snowy sides withoutany danger of soiling their pure white garments. We arrived at Mr. Lyons's about five, and were cordially met by Mrs. L. And her daughter. 

On Wednesday, we attended a meeting at Mr. Lyons's church. The house wasfilled with nicely-dressed natives. Grandpa and Mr. L. Sat in front ofthe pulpit. At the back of the church was a large choir of men andwomen, who sung well and with animation, beating time with their hands. 

Soon after we entered, they sung an original hymn by a native namedLyana, which the choir sung to the tune of "Hendon. "

 "Nani ke aloha la! Me ka olioli pu I ka malihini hou-- E aloha, aloha oe. 

 "Holo oia a maanei, Mai Amerika mai no, Eia no! ua komo mai-- E aloha, aloha oe. 

 "A, ma keia la maikai, Hui aloha pu kakou, Ma ka Luakini nei; E aloha, aloha oe. 

 "E hauoli, oli pu, E na hoahanau a pau, Kane, wahine, keiki no, E aloha, aloha oe. 

 "Na ia nei i hoouna mai I na misioneri nei, E ao mai ia kakou nei; E aloha, aloha oe. 

 "E ala, oli kakou pu, A kokua aloha no Ka makua o kakou;-- E aloha, aloha mau. "

Mr. Bingham, one of the first missionaries to the islands, has given usthis translation:

 "Wonderful that love sincere! Great our joint rejoicings here, For the stranger guest we see; Cordial welcome, friend, to thee. 

 "Sailing far to reach our homes, From America he comes; Lo! in peace he enters here; Welcome to our hearts sincere. 

 "Now on this delightful day, We, in love, unite to pray: Here beneath our temple spire, We our welcome give thee, sire. 

 "Jointly chanting, now rejoice; Brethren, all unite your voice; Husbands, wives, and little ones, Greet this friend with grateful tones. 

 "This is he who hither sends These true missionary friends, To enlighten our dark mind; Thanks and love to one so kind. 

 "Let us then all rise and sing, And our grateful succor bring; For our sire our love to prove, -- Love, good-will, unceasing love. "

Grandpa then made an address, and told them about the missions inWestern Asia. Then Kanoa, the missionary to Micronesia, made a prayer;after which, he and his wife sung a Micronesian hymn. Grandpa told them, in another short address, about the India missions. Mr. Lyons then aroseand spoke about his own mission, and introduced his senior deacon, Timotao Nalanipo, who made a speech in Hawaiian. Mr. Lyons translatedit, and I will read you the translation. 

"The church-members of the highlands of Waimea, the old men, the agedwomen, the strong men, the youth and children tender, through me, theirsalutation to you, the secretary, your companion, and daughter. Great, indeed, is our joy in being permitted to see you, to welcome you to ourland. You have been sent by the learned Missionary Society of greatAmerica, as its delegate, to see the works of the gospel heralds youhave sent to us. 

"We, the ancient men of Kamehameha's time, were once idolaters, murderers, guilty of infanticide, polygamy, and constantly quarrelingone with another. On the death of Kamehameha, the kingdom devolved onhis son Liholiho. He abolished idolatry, broke the tabus; men and womenfor the first time ate together, and the temples and gods were burned toashes. 

"Still we lived on in poverty and darkness, and in secret worship ofidols, and were without the knowledge of the living and true God. Men, women, and children were promiscuously devoted to the most sordidpleasures, heathenish dances, and revelries, day and night. In the year1820, the missionaries, Mr. Bingham and company, came to these islandsto proclaim the blessed gospel to us, who knew not God, nor had heard ofthe death of Jesus, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. It was you, the Missionary Society you represent, that loved us, and sent the goodmissionaries to our dark land. 

"The king and his premier allowed the missionaries to dwell with us tointroduce a new order of things; to teach us first the twelve letters ofthe alphabet, then spelling, then reading and writing. 

"During the forty-three years the missionaries have resided on theislands, much seed has been sown, much labor performed, and wonderfulhave been the results. We were once all dark, buried in darkness, sunkto the lowest depths of ignorance, roaming about the fields and woods, like wild beasts, without clothing, our naked bodies most shamefullyexposed and blackened by the sun, without books, without Bibles, withoutChristianity, plunging into the darkness of hell. Now we are clothed, like civilized beings; we are Christianized; we are gathered intochurches; we are intelligent; we are supplied with books, Bibles andhymn-books; and are living for God and for heaven; and this through thelabors of the missionaries you have sent us. 

"Our joy is inexpressible in seeing you; and we beg you to carry back toyour associates, to the Missionary Society, to all the American churchesconnected with it, the warmest salutations of the churches of Waimea andHamakua. "

This good old man has since died, and gone, doubtless, to be with hisLord whom he so long loved and served. 

At the close of the Hawaiian address, another original native hymn wassung, composed by Samuela, and sung to the tune of "Farewell, farewellis a lonely sound. "

 "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka malihini hou Ma keia la hauoli nei Ua hui pu kakou. 

 "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka malihini hou A eia la ua komo mai Ka luakini nei. 

 "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka malihini hou A na ia nei i hoouna mai Na misionari nei. 

 "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka ekalesia nei Kane, wahine, kamalii Kokua pu kakou. 

 "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka makua a kakou Aloha a mahalo pu Ka malihini hou. "

Mr. Lyons translated it for us:--

 "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, The stranger we now greet. This is a gladsome day, sire; For we together meet. 

 "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, The stranger of whom we've heard; Lo! now with us you enter here, This temple of the Lord. 

 "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, The stranger to our land; 'Twas you who loved and sent to us The missionary band. 

 "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, Say all the brethren here, Men, women, and the children, sire, Unite in love sincere. 

 "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, Our father and our friend; Our best respects and wishes has This stranger to our land. "

After this was sung, we shook hands with nearly all in the church. Many, to our embarrassment, brought little tokens of good-will in money, amounting in all to ten dollars. With this we bought Hawaiian Bibles tobe distributed among the people. Imagine a man, coming up to shakehands, but stopping before he did it diving his hand into the pocket ofhis pantaloons, taking out a quarter of a dollar and laying it on thetable, then shaking hands as if he had paid for it! They have, however, none of that feeling. 

The tea-bell! the tea-bell!

XV. 

Maui. 

Four o'clock came, and with it my little folks, all ready for a story. So I commenced. 

 * * * * *

We left Waimea on the morning of April 23, and rode on horseback toKowaihae, a distance of twelve miles; there we were to take the steamerKilauea. 

On our way down to the shore we visited a heiau [hay-ow], or heathentemple. It was built by Kamehameha I. At the time he was going over toconquer Maui [Mow-e]. This was the last temple built on Hawaii. All theinhabitants of the island, men and women, were commanded to come andhelp build it, and none dared to stay away. It is about two hundred feetsquare, twenty-five feet high, and as many feet thick, of solid stone, just like a massive wall. Within we saw where the sacrifices were laidovernight, and the pit where they were thrown in the morning, --a placecalled by the natives hell. 

"What were their sacrifices, aunty?" asked Willie. 

Human beings, --generally lame or maimed persons. Before Kamehameha I. Left for the conquest of Maui, thirteen human sacrifices are said tohave been offered on this altar to insure him success. 

After being hospitably entertained by a son of Judge Allen at Kowaihae, we went on board the steamer about eight o'clock in the evening, andsoon Hawaii was left behind in the darkness. We had finished our tour ofthat island, and saw it no more. 

We had a rough night, and did not arrive at Kalepolepo, Maui, untiltwelve o'clock. We went on shore in a high wind, and landed in a stormof sand. 

"A storm of _sand_, aunty! What do you mean?" asked Carrie. 

Just what I say, --a storm of sand. The wind was so strong that the verysand was blown up in our faces with such force as to make the skintingle. 

Mr. Alexander met us, and we started in this same storm and high windfor Wailuku, ten miles distant, where he resides. Even the gentlemen hadveils over their faces, and hats tied on with handkerchiefs. The air wasso thick with sand that we could hardly see, but we pushed bravely on. We were all on horseback, our baggage coming on more slowly in anox-cart. 

We had just got within sight of Mr. Alexander's house, having only aride of perhaps ten minutes before us, when, to our dismay, there camea deluge of rain. My veil in a moment became like ground glass, thewater making it impossible for me to see through it. Of course I couldnot guide my horse, but he followed the rest of the company; and gladindeed were we to change our soaked garments for others kindly furnishedby the mission family, and thankful that our baggage did not arriveuntil after the shower was over, so that it escaped getting wet. 

The next day we had a visit from many native men and women, who broughttheir gifts of eggs, onions, cabbages, fowls, and melons. They allseemed so genuinely happy to see us that it was a pleasure to meet them. 

On the Sabbath we attended church all day, with a well-dressed anddecorous congregation of Hawaiians. They had a melodeon and a very goodchoir. Mr. Alexander told us that six of the choir could play on theinstrument, and they all take turns, one playing in the morning, anotherin the afternoon. They hired a teacher to come over from Lahaina once ortwice a week. This they planned entirely among themselves, I believe. 

Monday morning we made up a party to go into Iao [E-ah-o] valley. Wewere all on horseback, --nine of us, --and a happy company we were. Thevalley was so narrow that we crossed a swollen and rapid mountain streamfive times. The ascent the last part of the way, before reaching theplateau, was very steep. But oh, what a magnificent valley we were in!It was about three miles long, and from one to two broad, while allaround us, excepting the side we entered, were precipices from four tosix or seven thousand feet high, in many instances perpendicular. It wasa grand sight, to be remembered for a lifetime. 

We dismounted from our horses, and the younger portion of the companyrambled in the woods in search of tree-shells. 

"_Tree-shells!_ What are they, aunty?" asked Harry. 

They are snail-shells. I think I was told that over a hundred varietiesare found on the islands, every valley and each hundred feet ofelevation having a different species. We used to notice the kind of treethat seemed to have the most, and then searched for that tree. Theyprefer the under sides of the leaves; so we would peer up in thebranches, and when we found one, would pick it off and drop it in ourpocket-handkerchief. After we were tired of "shelling, " we came back towhere our elders were quietly chatting, and had a nice picnic lunch, sitting on the grass, with fern-leaves for plates. What a sight wasbefore our eyes!--these majestic works of God rising thousands of feetabove us, apparently resting in clouds!

Towards the entrance of the valley is a very peculiar peak, called "TheNeedle, " from its being so sharp and pointed. I wanted very much tosketch it, but started off without my materials; however grandpa had anote-book and pencil, and I knew that he would be willing to give me aleaf; but while we were off shelling, he left the valley and went backto Wailuku with Mr. Alexander, they having no time for picnicking; sowhat was I to do? Some of the lunch had been wrapped in white paper, which I smoothed out, and relied on some of the party for a pencil. Whenwe got opposite "The Needle, " I stopped my horse, and prepared myselffor sketching, but not a pencil could be found among all the party. Whatdo you think I did? I took a pin, and pricked the outline, and placeswhere the heavy shading was to be, and after I got home drew thepicture. This "Needle" has an historical interest. You remember I toldyou that the heathen temple near Kowaihae was built by Kamehameha I. Before he left for the conquest of Maui. It was in this Iao valley thatthe people of Maui met the king's forces. A band of warriors with theirfamilies took refuge on this "Needle, " which is accessible at suchplaces only as could be easily defended against a large number. Theenemy tried to starve them out, but failed. They then made believe theyhad left the valley, but at night hid themselves on the banks of themountain stream where the warriors would go down to drink. As these poordeluded people came to quench their thirst, they murdered them all, men, women, and children. The stream flowed red with blood for two hours. That was heathen warfare, cruel and bloodthirsty, and this was the lastbattle fought on Maui; for the island became subject to the rule ofKamehameha I. 

[Illustration: BEARING BURDENS. --Page 89. ]

[Illustration: THE NEEDLE. IAO VALLEY. --Page 156. ]

At six o'clock Wednesday morning, we started on horseback for Maanea'sLanding, seven miles off, on the opposite side of the bay fromKalepolepo, expecting to take a whale-boat to Lahaina; but no whale-boatwas there, so we had to return, bag and baggage, to Mr. Alexander's. Werode back the distance of seven miles in an hour, which we thought wasdoing very well, as grandma kept her place in the cavalcade all the way. 

We passed over miles of land desolated by a waterspout which broke onthe mountains, rolling down a flood of water with vast quantities ofearth and stone into the valley below. 

"What is a _waterspout_?"

It is a sort of whirlwind at sea; a body of water is caught up by thewind, sometimes joining the cloud above it, and rolling on until itmeets with some obstacle, when it breaks, and washes away houses andtrees, or anything movable. It will sink a ship if it strikes it. 

The next morning we went down again to the shore, and were moresuccessful, for the boat was there waiting for us. As the wind was fair, the boat-boys raised their sail, and we danced over the waves swiftlyand merrily. After an hour's easy sailing, the wind left us, and our mentook their oars for a two hours' rowing to Lahaina. For a part of thetime we passed through shallow water over a coral reef, where we couldlook down upon forests of coral, shaped like branches of trees, white, or tinged slightly with red or green. It was a beautiful sight, and Ilonged to get some to bring home. We came safely through the surf. Lahaina looks beautifully as you approach it from the sea. It has somevery pretty houses, and they seem to be embowered by cocoa-nut and othertrees, so that the whole scene is more tropical in its appearance thanany other place on the islands. We landed at the same spot where we haddone six weeks before, and found our friends all ready to greet us, having seen our boat approaching. Our three hours' sail had been a verypleasant one, and the only sail we had had in a whale-boat. 

After dinner, without stopping to rest, we mounted our horses, and spedup the hill to Lahainaluna, a distance of two miles, over a hot, dustyroad, to attend the examination of the native seminary or college there. Most of the services were conducted in an unknown tongue, but theanswers were prompt, and seemed to be in most instances satisfactory. After sitting and hearing recitations for about three hours, we left, and visited some of the rooms of the students. They looked very neat andclean, many of them having gay patchwork quilts on their beds, and quitea number of them had our illustrated newspapers pinned on the wall, withtheir favorite general occupying a conspicuous place. 

The first of May was commencement day. The exercises were held in thechurch at Lahaina. We went down about nine. The alumni walked in aprocession to the church, and were a fine-looking, intelligent set ofmen. The addresses were very creditable. The audience were attentive andquiet, and were well-dressed. The singing was very good, --Hawaiian wordsset to some of our familiar college tunes, which were sung with a greatdeal of spirit. 

After the exercises in the church, the alumni had a dinner in the yardof the church, under a grove of cocoa-nut trees. The foreign guests werehonored with a table by themselves, and were served by students. At theend of the table was a pig roasted whole, stuffed with greens, bakedwith hot stones in one of their ovens in the ground. This dish they call"luau" [lu-ow]. Besides whole pig, they had other pork, veal, poi, bread, cake, and cocoa-nut water. The whole dinner was well-served, andthe white guests showed their appreciation of the good things by makinga hearty dinner. 

But we must wait for our ride in Lahaina until to-morrow. 

XVI. 

Lahaina--Kauai. 

"Come, aunty, " called Alice, "we want to take our ride in Lahaina. "

 * * * * *

We started soon after the alumni dinner, and rode down towards thebeach, where we saw the American consul's residence, a cozy, thatchedhouse, then turned off upon a road leading to the hospital. Here is thefinest grove of cocoa-nut trees to be seen anywhere on the group ofislands. Soon after the arrival of the missionaries, they perceived thatno one planted cocoa-nuts, and that there was danger of the trees dyingout. A missionary was talking to a high chief woman, and said to her, "Why don't you plant cocoa-nuts, so that trees may grow?" "Oh! I shallnever live to eat them, " she carelessly remarked. "True, " said themissionary, "you may not live to eat them, but your children may liveand enjoy the fruit. "

She thought a few moments; a new idea seemed to have entered that mindjust coming out from the darkness of heathenism into the light ofChristianity. She had been accustomed only to think of herself, and whatshe might enjoy. It had never occurred to her that she could do anythingfor those who came after her until now, and she said, "It shall bedone;" and within twenty-four hours, a schooner was sent off, whichbrought a load of cocoa-nuts, and these were planted where now is thatbeautiful cocoa-nut grove. 

On returning from this grove, we passed by fields of sugar-cane, andvisited Mr. Spencer's sugar-mill. It was a sweet place, and sticky too!They have a mill turned by twelve or fourteen mules in spans, whichgrinds the cane and presses out the juice. Then there are several vatsin a row, with fires under them, where the juice is boiled. The sugar isclarified by lime-water; it is then put into round sieves which turnwith great rapidity, and through which the syrup is pressed, leaving aclean-looking, dry, brown sugar. That is the process as near as Iremember it. They make barrels in the same building, so that the sugarleaves the mill all ready for exporting. 

Lahaina is a very dusty place, the earth is red and sticky. If we stayedthere long, it seemed as if not only our clothes, but we ourselves, mustbecome copper-colored. 

On the Sabbath, May 3, a large assembly met at the church, and grandpaaddressed them. They listened as usual with great attention, and afterthe service was over, they all flocked about him, wishing to shakehands. The communion service was in the afternoon, and all the ministerspresent took part. It was an interesting service, natives and foreignerssitting together around their Lord's table. Several friends in themission coming together in the evening, at Dr. Baldwin's house, we sunghymns for an hour to our dear home tunes. It recalled to some of us ourown loved America and the family circle where in years gone by we hadsung with these friends the same tunes. 

On Monday we attended an exhibition of Mr. Dwight Baldwin's nativeschool. It was very interesting. The dialogues were exciting, eventhough in an unknown tongue and spoken by little boys; for they actedthem out thoroughly, seeming to forget the spectators entirely. Thesinging was spirited and in good time. There was none of that painfulshyness and hesitation which we sometimes see in our American schools, and we greatly enjoyed the scene. 

Tuesday being our last day in Lahaina, a great many natives came to seeus, bringing little love-tokens, --one or two shells such as they wearfor bracelets, or a pretty wreath of yellow feathers such as are wornfor a necklace. At seven in the evening, attended by quite a cavalcadeof natives and other friends, we went on board the steamer Kilauea, andsoon had our last view of Maui, as we slowly steamed away, and thedarkness came on. 

We entered the port of Honolulu at about ten the next morning, havingbeen absent on our tour of the islands of Hawaii and Maui fifty-eightdays. Our welcome from the friends in Honolulu was very hearty. Thecalls upon us commenced as soon as we reached Mr. Clark's, and each daywe dined or took tea or lunched with some one of the mission families. 

Saturday morning, May 9, was spent in calling on the old GovernorKekuanaoa, and his daughter, the Princess Victoria, the father andsister of the present and late kings. They live in a very pretty-lookinghouse, with a garden attached to it. The governor has a grapery, andpresented us with some fine bunches of grapes. There were some very longcanoes being made on his premises, consisting each of the trunk of atree, scooped out and prettily finished. 

Monday afternoon we went on board the little steam-schooner, AnnieLaurie, bound for the island of Kauai [Kow-i]. Hon. R. C. Wyllie was onboard, and a band of music accompanied us for a short distance. Music ismusic the world over, but this was the only brass band on the islands. 

One of the gentlemen on board was asked, the next morning, how he felt, and replied, "I feel as if I had swallowed a kitten and a mouse, and thekitten was after the mouse!"--the best description I have ever heard ofsea-sickness. 

We arrived at Hanalei, Kauai, about twelve on Tuesday, and were met onthe beach by the missionaries, Messrs. Johnson and Wilcox, who escortedus on horseback to the house of the former gentleman. The next morningwe breakfasted at Mr. Wilcox's, then at twelve had a meeting in thechurch, where a goodly number of natives were assembled; among themKanoa, the governor of Kauai, who afterwards dined with us. 

At three o'clock, Mr. Wyllie sent down a boat for our party, to take usto his estate, called Princeville. It was a delightful row up the river, the foliage on either bank was the richest and most luxuriant we hadseen. There was hardly a ripple on the water, and no sound was to beheard but the gentle dip of the oars. 

First, we visited the sugar-mill, which is the finest and mostexpensive on the islands. There we witnessed the whole process, from thegrinding of the cane to the grained sugar. After that we went up to theagent's house, and were cordially welcomed by his family, and shown overthe beautiful garden surrounding the house. There was a hedge of lovelyroses, with a profusion of fragrant blossoms. They gave us strawberries, peaches, pine-apples, and sugar-cane to take with us, --a citron, too, such as our preserved citron for cake is made of. It looked like anenormous lemon. Besides this, we had an elegant bouquet of flowers, --amagnificent fragrant magnolia, that queen of flowers, looking so waxenwith its heavy white leaves, and in beautiful contrast with it thescarlet pomegranate blossoms: a fair white lily and snowy japonicacompleted a bouquet fit for a royal gift. 

The view from the piazza is exquisite. Mountains rise peak above peak inthe distance, while a beautiful valley, with its meandering stream, lies at your feet. Tropical trees and lovely flowers are all around you. I do not wonder that Mr. Wyllie is proud of Kikiula valley, with itswaving fields of sugar-cane. He called his estate Princeville after theyoung Prince of Hawaii, who is now dead. 

On Thursday morning, bright and early, we started on our travels again. The roads of Kauai are better than on any of the other islands. Severalmembers of the party started a little before the others, and rode upKikiula valley through Princeville. After a ride of about two and a halfmiles, we dismounted, and ascended a little eminence. What a scene wasbefore us! Far below was the river with its rapids, the course of whichwe could trace down the valley for some distance. Around us were themountains, on the left a bluff, and before us the Twin Peaks, withcascades in the distance. We galloped back, and soon overtook ourcavalcade. We had a fine ride that day through groves oftropical-looking lohala-trees. Verdant valleys and lovely cascades, winding streams and wooded precipices, abound. After fording a narrowarm of the sea, grandma's horse gave himself so violent a shake that thegirth of the saddle broke, throwing both her and the saddle to theground. Fortunately, no bones were broken, as where she fell the sandwas quite deep, but she felt the shock for several days. We lunched atthe house of a German, who kept a small store, and then rode on severalmiles to Kealia Park, the residence of Mr. Krull, a kind Germangentleman, who hospitably entertained us overnight. Mr. Krull has alarge dairy, which in part supplies the Honolulu market with butter. Hehas a well-conducted, elegant, and tasteful establishment; indeed, itwas difficult to imagine that no lady's hand was employed in it. Thegrounds about the house are prettily laid out, and two walks lead to apicturesque summer-house, called "Bellevue, " from which one looks offover an extensive plain to the sea. We slept in a nice grass house, withmatting on the side instead of paper. Familiar engravings adorned thewalls, and the beds, with their pretty muslin mosquito-curtains, lookedinviting enough to the weary traveler. 

We saw many kinds of tea-roses, with their delicate tints. The gardenabounded in a variety of vegetables, and we feasted on strawberrieswhich were hanging on their stems in the morning. Within sight was afine bluff extending down to the sea. About fifty feet from the top ofthe ledge was a round hole, through which we could see the sky. Thebluff was very steep and thin, and exceedingly bold in its outlines, asalmost all the ranges of hills are here. 

But now we must go to tea. 

XVII. 

Kauai and Oahu. 

"Come aunty, come!" said Alice; "Willie and Carrie sent me to call you. "So I went with my little messenger. 

 * * * * *

We left Mr. Krull's on the morning of May 15, and had a sandy anduninteresting ride until noon. The only pleasant thing about it, besidegood company, was an exquisite bouquet of beautiful tea-rosebuds, fromour kind entertainer's garden. At noon a carriage met us, kindly sent bya foreign resident at Lihue, and the older members of the party got intoit. It was a heavily-built English barouche drawn by two horses. Twonative outriders, when a steep hill was to be ascended, attached lassosto the carriage, which were fastened to their saddles, so that, with theaid of their horses, the carriage went steadily and quickly over theground, and the occupants had the satisfaction of riding in a coach andfour. 

[Illustration: WAILUA FALLS. --Page 175. ]

"What are _lassos_?" asked Alice. 

A lasso is a long rope, sometimes made of leather. It is generally usedto catch wild horses or cattle with; but it did excellent service in theway in which it was used that day. 

We arrived at Mrs. Rice's, Lihue, in good season, and stayed thereovernight. We visited another sugar-mill there, and found it like theothers, --a _sweet_ place. 

Early on Saturday morning, I started on an excursion to Wailua Falls, about six miles distant. We rode over field and meadow, when suddenly mycompanion reined in his horse, and came for me to dismount. "But whereare the falls?" said I. "You will see soon. " A few steps brought me tothe brink of an abyss. What a beautiful scene burst upon my astonishedeye! Right before me was this huge sheet of water, pouring into a darkcircular pool beneath. One side of the fall was heavy, the other so thinthat it seemed as if every drop fell by itself; while covering the blackrocks beneath, as if with emerald velvet, were delicate ferns andmosses. How pure and fleecy it looked! while far, far below us the rivergleamed like silver through the leaves. The hight of this fall is onehundred and eighty-six feet, and it is fifty feet broad. Two milesfarther up the river is another fall nearly as high, but divided intotwo cascades, one about one hundred feet, the other perhaps seventy. 

There is a fine estate not far from the falls that seemed more like anAmerican country-seat than any I saw on the islands. A large squarehouse is built upon the edge of what was once an old crater, but whichis now transformed into a fine garden, abounding in flowers. This is adairy-farm, and is well kept. Our sixteen miles' ride was performed inless than three hours, which we thought fast riding, there being no roadmost of the way. 

We left Lihue at ten o'clock, and rode over to Koloa, ten miles, in thebarouche, arriving there in time for dinner. 

After tea the young people of the mission went down upon the beach tosee the "Spouting Horn. " Through an underground channel, the waves aredriven in with so much force as to make, through a small hole in therock, a fountain forty or fifty feet high, with a sound that is heardfor some distance. There is also a blow-hole, reminding one of thevolcano, and a "boiler, "--a round cavity where the waves sink, and thensuddenly boil over. 

On the Sabbath, grandpa addressed the natives in the morning. Thegovernor of the island of Kauai was present. In the afternoon hepreached to the foreigners. Quite a party came over from Lihue, making agoodly number in all. Almost all the native churches on the SandwichIslands are pretty and neat. The people seem to take a great deal ofpride in them, and keep them in good repair. All are furnished withbells, so that the sound of the "church-going bell" is heard in everyvillage. 

Monday morning we started for Waimea with a large cavalcade, our friendswishing to see us safely over the first half of our way. Mr. Rowell, ofWaimea, met us. The country as we neared Waimea grew desolate. They hadhad no rain there for a year, and nearly all vegetation had dried up. Not a blade of grass was seen, and only a few green trees relieved theeye in that arid region. The reason of the drought is that Waimea is onthe leeward side of the mountains, which are a barrier to the clouds andrain. 

"What is _leeward_?" asked Harry. 

On the opposite side from that upon which the wind blows. We were metwith great cordiality by the entire family. "Old Jona" came to see us, an aged Hawaiian of Kamehameha I. 's time. A very interesting old man hewas too. 

The next morning there was a meeting at the church, and grandpaaddressed the natives. "Old Jona" sat in front of the pulpit, and whenanything grandpa said pleased him particularly, he would turn round tohim, smile, and nod his head. It was amusing to observe his evidentenjoyment. 

Some of us went down to the beach. The tide was coming in, and the boysmade what they called sandboats. They built a bank in the shape of aboat, and watched to see the waves wash it away. At length they made aheavy sand fort, which they called Sumter, that seemed strong enough todefy the assaults of the water. Wave after wave dashed against and overit, and finally it, too, disappeared like the others. 

In the afternoon we rode up into the valley, where Mr. Rowell's gardenis. There everything was green, in striking contrast with the scene nearhis house. We found some nice peaches, and brought home a pretty bouquetof white roses and nasturtions. The next day, Wednesday, we started forKoloa. Dr. Smith and party met us at Wahiawa. We stopped to dine at Mr. Duncan McBride's, a Scotchman's, where we were sumptuously entertained. After tea at Dr. Smith's, we embarked on the steam-schooner AnnieLaurie, and soon after seven, took our farewell look at the island ofKauai. 

Two nights and a day were spent on the deck of that schooner, with achopped sea, a head-wind, and sea-sickness, --a weary, dreary time. Wewere somewhat comforted about three o'clock on Friday morning by hailingthe bark Young Hector, just outside of Honolulu harbor; for we knew thatbefore long home letters would be in our hands, and we had received nonefor a month. About five o'clock, our steamer reached the wharf, and wewere soon in our comfortable quarters at Mr. Clark's. About eighto'clock our letters came. 

We had little time for rest; for the next day, Saturday, May 23, westarted on our tour around Oahu. 

We saw among the Moanalua hills a curious little salt lake, as salt asthe sea. Here a slight shower dampened our clothes, but not our spirits. About fifteen miles from Honolulu we stopped at Ewa, where grandpa wasto hold a meeting in the church. Quite a number of natives came, and wehad a pleasant greeting. The lunch was served for us at Mr. Bishop'shouse, and we then resumed our journey over a good road, and finishedour ride of thirty-five miles about five o'clock. We stayed at Mr. Emerson's, Waialua, and had two services in the native language on theSabbath. We really enjoyed these meetings with the natives, andconstantly exclaimed, "What hath God wrought!" Only a few years ago, these islands were in the depths of barbarism and idolatry; now, what achange! The people are well dressed; in the house of God they arerespectful and attentive, have their own deacons, their own choir, areintelligent. Most of them can read, and when the text was given out, ora chapter read, often the Bible would be opened to the place, and theywould follow the reading with great apparent interest. 

On Monday the younger members of the party rode to a grove about eightmiles distant to get tree-shells, and brought home quite a number. 

Tuesday morning we started for Kualoa. Grandpa and grandma rode in Mr. Emerson's wagon drawn by two horses; the rest of us were on horseback. The roads were good, our spirits excellent, and the weather fine; so, ofcourse, all was well. Mr. Charles H. Judd met us with his double teamabout five miles out, and we lunched at Mr. Moffatt's. Mr. Moffatt is anEnglishman, who has here a fine place, and large herds of cattle. He hasa pretty bathing-place near the house, perhaps twenty feet in diameter, half in sunlight, half in a grotto, with delicate ferns almost hidingthe rock. 

There were several peacocks sunning themselves on a wall near thehouse; but none of them condescended to spread their beautiful feathersfor us to admire. Before the house are two large stone idols, the onlyones we saw on the islands. 

"Are they worshiped, aunty?" asked Alice. 

No, they are placed there as curiosities. 

Grandpa and Mr. Judd had an engagement, and started before us. Grandmarode in Mr. Judd's wagon, and we left Mr. Moffatt's about two. 

XVIII. 

Oahu. 

The next day at four, I took my customary seat, surrounded by my littlegroup, and resumed my narrative. 

 * * * * *

About ten miles from Kahuku, at Hauula, is a church with a nativepastor, --Mr. Kuaia. We attended a meeting there, and afterward dined athis house. He is a well-educated and gentlemanly man, and his wife aninteresting woman. They live in a neat grass house, furnished simply butcomfortably in American style. The dinner passed off in a verysatisfactory manner. They had pretty wreaths prepared for us; some weremade of a small orange-colored apple, others of yellow marigolds strungon a cord. After dinner we rode another ten miles, and were tired enoughwith our long day's ride to sleep well. 

The next morning we rode over to the house of a friend to see thelassoing of cattle. The house was on quite an eminence, so that we had agood view of a level plain before it. A herd of cattle were driven intothe valley, and three gentlemen on trained horses, with lassos in theirhands, each selected their animal, and started in pursuit. It seemed asif in an instant the creature knew it was hunted, for it would move fromplace to place, and then start on a run, endeavoring to elude itspursuers; but the horseman, never for a moment losing sight of his prey, galloped on, turning this way and that as the creature did, until nearenough, and then the lasso sped through the air coiling round and roundthe poor animal's legs, generally throwing him on his knees. Then thehunter leaped from his saddle, the intelligent horse standing still, andthe lasso was drawn tighter and tighter until the animal fell on hisside. Finally, a rope was tied round the hind legs, and the work wasdone. It was very exciting, as once in a while a horse would stumble andfall, sometimes throwing his rider; and oftentimes the chase was long, the animal eluding the hunter's grasp just as he thought he had corneredhim. 

"Oh, I wish I had been there!" said Harry. 

Yes, I don't doubt that you would have enjoyed it; but I felt so sorryfor the poor cattle that it tired me. 

In the afternoon, we young people went on an excursion of about twentymiles on horseback to see the Falls of Ka Liuwaa. After passing abouteight miles on the beach, we turned up a mountain ravine; two miles morebrought us to the end of our ride. We dismounted and had a lunch, sitting in the branches of a fallen kukui-tree, and drinking water froma cup made of a taro leaf. We took off our riding-skirts, threw themover the saddle, and leaving our horses in the care of a native man, walked up the narrow gorge, or gulch, as they call it here, seldom morethan one or two hundred feet wide, with precipitous sides risingsometimes a thousand feet above us. At times we were just on the edge ofthe stream, but as often jumping from rock to rock in the very bed ofthe brook. Towards the termination of the gorge, is a place in the rockcalled "The Canoe, " a half-circle gouged right down the precipice assmooth as if chiseled out, about fifty feet wide, and a thousand feetdeep. 

"Why do they call it '_The Canoe_'?" asked Willie. 

There is a story connected with it, as with everything on these islands. One of their gods was angry with another god, and sought to kill him. Ibelieve the latter, who was running away, slipped his canoe down therock, making the groove I have described, and escaped to the sea. 

Soon we came to the fall itself, and here the precipices on each sidewere one and two thousand feet high. The fall is about a hundred feet, running through a narrow gulch from a lake above, and probably never wasseen by a foreign eye. It was a lovely and romantic place. The waterfell into a small, but deep, circular pond. Exquisite varieties of fernsand mosses grew upon the rocks lining its sides, and no sound was heardbut the plashing of water. 

Some of the natives are said to have a superstitious fear of the place, the remains of their old religion; and the way up was lined withofferings, consisting of a leaf with a few stones piled on it. I don'tbelieve they are much afraid, for they laughed if the stones were thrownover. 

The next day we rode on fifteen miles to Kaneohe. Here we met Rev. Mr. Parker's people. On our way we passed several rice-fields. Rice is grownin wet places, like the taro. It looks very much like grain as you seeit in the distance, but it is of a very brilliant green. 

Early the next morning we left for Honolulu. Soon after we started, ourbaggage-horse ran away. One of the bags which he bore got loose andfrightened him. Our horses saw him coming with one bag swinging back andforth under his body, and began to be uneasy, so we turned them off tothe side of the road, and he rushed past us. The gentlemen and nativesstarted in pursuit. The poor horse crossed a river, and was finallycaught in a taro-patch. Our bags were torn to pieces, and many of theircontents scattered over the plain; some were wet through or stained withthe green mud from the taro-fields. 

"Did you find all your things?" asked Harry. 

Almost everything; the poor horse looked sadly jaded and tired, but hehad to carry the baggage the rest of the way. 

We rode up a precipitous ascent two or three thousand feet high, by azigzag road cut into its sides. The adjacent precipices are some of themmuch higher. Over one of these Kamehameha I. Drove the defeated warriorsof Oahu, in his last battle on the island. That was savage warfare. Theprecipice up which we rode is called "The Pali, " or precipice; it is atthe head of Nuuanu valley. The finest approach to it is from Honolulu. Masses of rock rise high above you on either side, while a beautifulpanorama of hills, valleys, cottages, winding streams, and verdantplantations all opens to your astonished eye, and bounding the distantview is the ocean. 

Riding down Nuuanu valley, we were again surrounded by our Honolulufriends. Our tour of the Hawaiian Islands was ended. 

The next day, May 30, the steamer Kilauea came into port, bringingmissionaries from the other islands to attend the general meetingappointed to be held in Honolulu in the month of June. 

The meeting opened June 3, and every morning and afternoon there werebusiness meetings until the 16th, when the examination of Oahu Collegeat Punahou commenced. It was a fine examination, --the same studies as inour New England academies. It lasted through two days, and on the thirdday there was an exhibition in the evening at the stone church. Thehouse was prettily decorated, the king lending his royal reception-flagfor the occasion, an enormous banner forty feet long. This was suspendedby the four corners from the ceiling, forming a sort of canopy over theplatform. There were also American, French, British, Spanish, andHawaiian flags, together with wreaths, mottoes, and bouquets. The churchwas crowded with foreigners and natives. The speeches were good, theyoung men doing themselves credit, and the singing was fine; indeed, there are some superior singers in Honolulu. Commencement ended, as inour own country, with the president's levee. Everybody seemed to bepresent, and to enjoy themselves, and did ample justice to the abundantcollation spread in the college hall. The evening closed with patrioticsongs, and thus ended the college year of 1863. 

General meeting was resumed after the exercises at Punahou wereconcluded. Almost every missionary was present, and had brought a partor the whole of his family. The Pastor of the Foreign Church, theSeamen's Chaplain, President of Oahu College, native pastors anddelegates were all present. It was delightful to witness the harmonypervading this large body, and to see how strong the Christian andmissionary tie that bound them together. There they sat day after day, exchanging their opinions, discussing questions, and settling matters ofgreat importance to them and the people, meeting and praying together, and it seemed as if the spirit of Christ rested upon them; for no jar ordiscord was allowed to enter. 

The work of the Lord in those islands is very great. There are now only67, 000 inhabitants, and yet in these forty-three years in which themission has been in operation there have been 52, 413 converts, and19, 679 are now connected with the churches. Surely, this may be called aChristian nation. There was another "Cousins' Meeting" on the evening ofJune 6th. I wish you could peep in upon one of these gatherings. Thirtyor forty young people together, all united by the missionary tie, theladies wearing light or white muslins, with gay belts and sashes, flowers in their hair, and happy, joyous, faces; the gentlemen with arose in their button-hole, in summer dress; windows, doors, and blindsall open; and after the business of the meeting is over, numerous happycouples promenading to and fro on the piazza. All this gives a festivelook, and one has a feeling of interest not felt in gatherings in ourown land. At parties there, one never expected a greater variety ofrefreshments than cake, coffee, and strawberries; so they can beconducted without much expense, and little companies are the order ofthe day. Then it is so easy getting about; no cold winter snows totrudge through, no chilling wind to guard against; everybody has a horseor vehicle of some kind, or his next neighbor has, and is willing to beneighborly. 

But we must leave Honolulu parties, and go to an American supper. 

XIX. 

Honolulu again. 

Wee little Alice came for me, with her bright face, at four o'clock nextday, to lead me to my accustomed seat in the sitting-room, where myhappy little group were always awaiting me. 

 * * * * *

The general meeting occupied most of the days until three o'clock, andwe ladies took our sewing and listened to the grave debates. It was aninteresting season to all present. 

Half a dozen of us started on horseback one afternoon, to visit Kalihevalley, one of the beautiful gulches near Honolulu; but when we reachedthe entrance of the valley, it rained so that we could not explore itscharms. But we turned off to the residence of an aged blind man, andrambled in his garden among peach, orange, and mango-trees, and then saton the piazza eating mangoes and chatting for an hour. One of the mostvalued trees in this whole garden was a little dwarf apple-tree, withtwo good-sized apples on it. Those were some of the first ever grown onthe islands, I believe. After our mango feast, we had a brisk gallopback to the town. 

One day we occupied in making wreaths and mottoes to decorate theschoolhouse, where the annual meeting of the Cousins' Society was to beheld in the evening. Over the middle window, opposite the door, were theletters "X L C R" [Excelsior], and below were a wreath and festoon, with pendants intermixed with beautiful flowers. On either side, was"UNITY, 1852" [when the society was formed], and "HARMONY, 1863. " In thearch of each window hung a wreath of maile, a pretty green vine. Betweeneach window was a tin candle-stand, trimmed with the vine and flowers. Over the door were four small American flags intertwined with oneHawaiian flag. The reports of the officers were read, and variousaddresses made, and "Unity" and "Harmony" were the watch-words of themeeting. We had one more meeting at the schoolhouse, when grandpaaddressed the Cousins, reminding them of the responsibility resting onthem; that as their fathers laid the burden down, they must take it up, and be to the Hawaiian people a help and support. They answered thatthey were ready and willing, and, God helping them, they would try andbe faithful to the people committed to their care. 

The last part of our stay in Honolulu we spent at the hospitable houseof Mrs. Chamberlain, one of the oldest buildings in Honolulu. The housewas in a very sunny spot, and was of stone. Pretty little lizards usedto come out of their hiding-places and sun themselves, and I oftenwatched them as they played about. 

"Wouldn't they hurt you?" asked timid little Alice. 

Oh, no, indeed! they are perfectly harmless. They are very small anddelicate; I seldom saw one more than three or four inches long. 

"Do they have snakes on the islands?" asked Harry. 

No, not one; the only poisonous reptiles are scorpions and centipedes. Isaw only one scorpion. That was at Punahou. I was sitting in the parlorone day, and saw a small peculiar-looking creature creeping towards meon the floor. Some movement of mine, made it throw its tail up over itsback; then I knew it was a scorpion; for I had read that the sting wasin the tail, and when frightened, it would throw its tail over its backready to strike. One of the gentlemen killed it. 

I saw only two live centipedes. They are ugly-looking creatures. Onedreads a close contact with them. They run and twist about as if theyfelt they were unwelcome guests. 

We had a very pleasant farewell party at Dr. Judd's, where we metmissionary friends and some of the foreign consuls and their wives. Oncemore I explored the extinct crater of Punchbowl, this time on horseback, and admired the beautiful landscape before me when tinged with thesetting sun. 

On the afternoon of June 26th, the native women brought us gifts oftapa, necklaces, corals, etc. It was a suggestion of their own. Theywished us to take home mementoes of them, and had been planning it forsome time among themselves. Some of the necklaces were made of beautifulyellow feathers. Only two of that color grow on the bird, one under eachwing; so the necklaces are very valuable. Others were made of hundredsof small braids of human hair, from which is suspended a hook made ofwhale's tooth. Those were worn in former times only by chiefs. 

My last excursion was a ride round the old crater of Diamond Head. Werode through the fine, cocoa-nut grove of Waikiki, drinking from itsrefreshing fruit, and then cantered along the sea-beach, nearing thedesolate mountain at every bound. Just before we reached its base, --anarrow belt of sand only separating it from the sea, --a party ofgayly-dressed natives came one by one round a projecting point on thefull gallop. All wore their red and yellow kehaes, or riding-suits. There were twenty or more of them, and it seemed like a streak from arainbow as they flitted by. 

The nearer we came to Diamond Head, the more forbidding it looked. Nothing green is seen upon it; old decaying, crumbling lava extends fromits summit to its base. Beyond the volcano is a very ancientburying-ground on the sea-shore, and as we rode over it, bones wereoften seen. We completed the circuit of Diamond Head, riding a distanceof twelve miles in two hours, and returned quite refreshed by theexcursion. 

I then bade adieu to my little horse, who had served me so faithfullyand well. He bore the name of "Shakspeare, " though usually called by theundignified title of Rat. Never did a little horse more deserve abetter name. But then, "What's in a name?"

On Sabbath afternoon, June 28th, Mr. Henry H. Parker, the son of amissionary, was ordained pastor of the congregation worshiping in thestone church. The services were very interesting to witness, but wereall in Hawaiian. We had become quite familiar with the native sentence, "E pule kakou"--"Let us pray. " The right hand of fellowship was given byRev. Mr. Kuaea, a native minister, and it was an affecting sight to seethose two young men, one white--the other dark-skinned, --clasp hands inChristian fellowship. 

The 30th of June I attended my last "candy-pull. " This is a fashionableamusement there. The candy is made from sugar, and is whiter and lesssticky than molasses. 

Saturday, July 4th, opened in quite a patriotic manner with the firingof thirteen cannon. At ten, we went to Fort Street church, and heard afine oration from the pastor, Rev. Mr. Corwin. The church was decoratedwith flags. Over the pulpit was laid a very large and elegant Americanflag, --a silken banner. It seemed like an American assembly on ournation's birthday. Early in the afternoon we attended a picnic on thegrounds of Oahu College, Punahou. Those assembled sat in groups on thegrass, while our Declaration of Independence was read. Then theyadjourned to a long tent, under which were two tiers of tables, abundantly laid with a tempting array of good things, while "the feastof reason and flow of soul" were supplied by several patriotic speechesand songs. Thirteen cannon were fired at noon and night, and fireworksclosed the evening. So you see how patriotic Americans are abroad. 

July 5th was our last Sabbath in the islands. Grandpa had a farewellmeeting at the stone church in the morning, at which about twenty-fivehundred natives were present. Grandpa bade them good-by, and Judge Ii[Ee], one of themselves, expressed their farewell. Many crowded round tosay their last "aloha. " It really made us feel sad to part from thisinteresting people. We longed to labor among them, and continue the goodwork so favorably begun. 

Monday morning, July 6th, we went on board the bark Comet. Farewellswere said; our visit at these islands was ended; and we were homewardbound. 

What happy memories cluster around that little group of islands in thePacific! We received only good deeds and kind words while there. Thehouses of missionaries and foreigners were ever opened to us inhospitality, and the natives were ready with a hand-grasp and a hearty"aloha. "

It is only about forty-three years since the missionaries first wentthere, and nobody could read or write, nobody had ever written in theirlanguage, and now--thanks to our heavenly Father and themissionaries--almost all the natives can do both. 

What should we be, if only a little over forty years ago, our parentshad been degraded heathen, knowing nothing of God, wandering about asnaked and as wicked as those poor Hawaiians were? We ought to thank God, both for them and for ourselves, --for ourselves, because we were notborn thus, and for them, because the light of the gospel and ofcivilization has dawned upon them. 

XX. 

Voyage to San Francisco. 

"Now, aunty, tell us about your homeward voyage, " said Willie as I mademy appearance in the sitting-room at the usual time. So I began:--

 * * * * *

Our voyage was a tedious one, for we had a succession of calms all theway. It was very discouraging, for we would be sailing with a goodbreeze, our sails all filled; then the wind would die away, and thesails would flap lazily against the mast. 

Our captain was patient and good-natured, and so were we. That showsyou the power of example. If the captain had fumed and fretted, andwondered why we could not have a wind, very likely we should have feltill-natured and looked cross too, and have had a very unpleasant time. As it was, we made the best of our calms, and hoped for a breeze, andrejoiced even if we were "making haste slowly. "

On the ninth day out, we had some variety, for a shoal of fish passedus, called albacoa; we caught a fine large one. A ship hove in sight, too, and we thought she had just the name for our calm sailing, the"All-Serene. " She was an English ship, from Sydney, Australia, and hadbeen sixty days out. She wanted fresh provisions and flour; so ourcaptain gave her potatoes, bananas, and turkeys. Being so much becalmedourselves, our captain did not dare to give them flour, as we might comeshort, and they had plenty of hard bread. It quite revived our courage, for what were our nine days compared with their sixty days? And we hadplenty of provisions and good company. 

We saw a great many flying-fish every day. These are small, and havetheir forward fins so long that they serve them as wings skimming alongon the surface of the water. They looked very silvery in the sunlight, and I thought at first they were little white birds. 

Several times we saw porpoises, and one day a shoal of whales was insight. One big black fellow leaped out of the water; we first saw hisgreat head, then his fluked tail thrown up in the air, as he dived downto depths beneath. Some of them were spouting and playing about us, andone had a young whale with her. 

A large shoal of "skip jacks" surrounded the ship one morning; theremust have been thousands of them!

"What are _skip jacks_?" asked Willie. 

A pretty blue fish between one and two feet long; they were mostly blue, but seemed to change to all colors of the rainbow. The men fished forthem with a hook covered with a rag, which the fish were supposed toimagine a flying-fish, and ten of them were silly enough to be deceived;so we had a chowder of fresh fish. 

The captain had the galley or cook-room cleared up for us one afternoon, and we boiled sugar for candy. He did everything possible for ourcomfort, and often sent in a dish of hot roasted peanuts for us. Thesepeanuts grew on the Sandwich Islands. We saw the plant, the leaf ofwhich is very much like a clover-leaf, and the nut grows underground onthe roots like artichokes. Kind island friends had given us a largesupply of bananas and pine-apples; so we had quite a variety on our billof fare. 

On Tuesday, the 28th of July, we came into water colored and of alighter shade than any we had seen. The cause of this is said to be theimmense amount of mud washed down from the gold-diggings through theSacramento River; I can not say whether this is true or not. We hoped toget into San Francisco in time to dine the next day; but a calmdissipated all such anticipations, and we lay off and on by theFarallone Islands all the night of the 29th. 

We saw a great many diver birds, about the size of pigeons. Whilesailing along on the water, they would all at once dive and disappear, and remain under water a long while. 

The Farallone Islands are a small group of rocky islets, lying in thePacific Ocean, about thirty-five miles west of San Francisco. There aretwo groups of them, the North and South Farallones, about eight milesdistant from each other. The southern islands are the most important. On the summit of the largest rock, which is about three hundred andfifty feet high, is a lighthouse. The only person on the island is thelight-keeper. The islands are one vast menagerie. Birds of manyvarieties make their home here by swarms, and thousands of sea-lions andseals cover the rocks. 

[Illustration: SEA LION. --Page 213. ]

"What are _sea-lions_?" asked Harry. 

A species of seal often as large as an ox, and weighing from two tothree thousand pounds each. They make a very loud noise, a sort ofmoaning cry, like "yoi hoey, yoi hoey. " The young seals are of a darkmouse color, but the older ones are of a light-brown. At a distance thebraying of these sea-lions sounded like the rumbling of a railroadtrain. There is a hole in the rock on one of these islands, where theair is drawn through with a sound like the whistle of a steam-engine. 

Every spot and foothold on these rocks seems to be the abode of a birdor seal; the waters around swarm with life, while large flocks of birdsare coming from every direction. Vast quantities of eggs are taken fromthese rocks and carried to the San Francisco market every year. 

We left the Farallones about three o'clock in the morning, and when wecame on deck, they were fading in the dim distance. 

One of the first objects noticed as we approached the coast was FortPoint, where is a massive fortification, well mounted with heavy guns. Between this point and Lime Point is the celebrated Golden Gate, whichis about a mile wide and is the entrance into the bay of San Francisco. Connected with Fort Point is a lighthouse and fog-bell; the latter isalways rung during foggy weather. 

In the bay just opposite the Golden Gate, and about three and a halfmiles from Fort Point, is Alcatraces Island. It commands the entranceto the great bay of San Francisco. About the center of the island is alarge building which may be used for barracks or a citadel. A belt ofbatteries encircles the island, and it seems to be defended at everypoint. There is a lighthouse and fog-bell on this island also. 

Soon after passing Alcatraces Island, we came to anchor near MissionStreet wharf. We waited for the custom-house officer to come on board. After a short detention we went down the ship's ladder into a smallboat, and were soon on shore. Half an hour's ride brought us to the LickHouse, and the journey to the Hawaiian Islands was among the things ofthe past. Though so far away from home and friends, we were in theUnited States, and under our own beloved flag. 

We did not forget to thank the Father of mercies for his kind care of uswhen on the deep, and beseech him to continue his loving-kindness to uswhile in that far-off part of our great country. Friends gathered aboutus with their warm greetings, and we soon left the hotel and took up ourabode in a quiet family circle. But our hearts began to hasten ourdeparture for our eastern home. 

XXI. 

California. 

We took one day a very pleasant drive out to the Cliff House. Oppositethis hotel, which is just on the beach, are some craggy rocks, which areentirely covered with seals and sea-lions. They are so near that you cansee them playing in the water, which seems to be alive with them, whiletheir mournful cry echoes in your ears, "yoi hoey, yoi hoey. " We tookquite a drive on the beach, and saw many little "Portuguesemen-of-war, " which had been washed up on the sand. They are a sort ofstiff jelly fishes, in shape resembling a wafer, with the half ofanother wafer set up across the center like a sail. We used to seethousands of them floating on the water when at sea. It was quiteinteresting to watch some little birds, which ran along so swiftly onthe sand that they seemed to glide without any movement of their feet. They looked brown, but when they flew, their breasts and the under partof their wings were snowy white; and as their wings vibrated quickly, the sudden alternation of brown and white had a very pretty effect. 

At four o'clock on the afternoon of August 5th, we started forSacramento, on the steamer Yo Semite. The steamer was named for abeautiful valley in California. The first object of interest we passedwas Alcatraces Island, with its circle of batteries; but our chiefattention was bestowed upon the city left behind us and theshipping, --the larger craft lying at anchor, or changing their position, and the smaller boats flitting here and there in the bay. Passingseveral islands, we entered San Pablo Bay [St. Paul]. The scenery oneither side was interesting, but soon, passing through the Straits ofCarquinez, we were in Suisun Bay, and neared the city of Benicia. Anarsenal, barracks for soldiers, and the works of the Pacific MailSteamship Company are located here. While sailing in this bay, we had agood view of Monte Diablo, a high and lonely mountain which seems to bethe landmark for all the country round. We passed the San Joaquin River, and soon entered the Sacramento River, a muddy, turbid stream. All themud from the mines is washed into this river, and pours down into thebay, and from thence to the ocean, coloring the water for a longdistance out to sea. We passed by vast quantities of _tules_ or rushes, which cover the surface of the water for miles. Our arrival atSacramento was about midnight, but we remained on board the boat untilmorning, and then went to the Vernon House. After breakfast we walked ashort distance up the river to a fine bridge about nine hundred feetlong. 

After lunch we took the cars for Folsom, twenty miles from Sacramento, accompanied by a friend. We passed into the mining district, and atFolsom took a carriage. It was warm and dusty riding, as there is norain in the summer in that section of California. After an hour's ride, reached Willow Springs, where were the mines we had come to see. Thiswas an hydraulic mine; that is, it is worked by water. We clamberedabout in the excavation, saw the bed rock, upon which there is a layerof gold-bearing gravel, then one of clay, another of gold-bearinggravel, then of clay again, and one more of gravel. They play with ahose on the gravel, and the water and gravel is washed down through longsluices, the bottom of which is made uneven by blocks of wood placedacross. The bits of gold lodge on the uneven surface. In some placesthey cut down the gravel with pickaxes, and wash it in pans. One manwashed out a spadeful of gravel for us, and we brought home a few specksof gold dust. We returned to Sacramento to dine, and after dinner I rodeout to the Fair grounds, where the great State agricultural fairs areheld. This is the fashionable drive in Sacramento in the afternoon. Hereis a fine drive of a mile, outside of which are stalls for cattle. Agentleman told us that in 1849 he sold flour for three hundred dollars abarrel; and bought potatoes for a dollar and a half a pound. That waswhen California was first known as a gold country, and so many peoplewent thither to seek their fortunes. 

The next morning, Mr. M. , one of our fellow-passengers from New York toSan Francisco took us a delightful drive about the city and suburbs. Wesaw the levees, which were erected to save the city from another flood. 

"What are _levees_?" asked Willie. 

They are heavy banks of earth built along the margin of the stream. Thelast flood took place in the winter, on December 9, 1861, and January10, 1862. The whole city was flooded. The water rose over the table inthe dining-room of the hotel in which we stayed. Houses could be reachedonly in boats, and no one knew how soon his dwelling might be underminedand fall. A great deal of the fertile land about Sacramento was ruinedby the flood, being covered with a deep layer of gravel. 

We saw the new capitol which is in process of erection, and a large, handsome structure it will be. We passed near Sutter's Fort, where itwas first discovered that there were gold mines in this country. 

In 1853, the city spread over about as much ground as it now does, whenit was destroyed by fire. The climate of Sacramento is very differentfrom that of San Francisco, being much warmer. It is so far from thecoast that it escapes the chilling wind that visits the latter city atcertain seasons of the year. 

In the afternoon we went on board the steamer Chrysopolis bound for SanFrancisco. We went through a slough (or, as the people pronounce it, _slew_) in the river about seven miles long. 

"What is a _slough_?" asked Alice. 

There was a long bend in the river, of fourteen miles, so they cut asort of canal across it, and half the distance was saved. This canalthey call a slough. 

Mr. M. Told us that in one of the early years of the gold excitement, there was an old man who had watermelons that were in great demand, sometimes selling for five dollars apiece. The next year a great manypeople wanted the seed to plant; these were sold for sixteen dollars perounce, but not one came up; so they suppose he boiled the seeds beforehe sold them! We arrived at San Francisco towards midnight. At noon onSaturday we took the steamboat for Oakland, which is across the bay fromSan Francisco. It took its name from the number of oak-trees growingthere. They give a green and pleasant appearance to the country round. California College is situated in Oakland. 

On Sabbath we had the pleasure in the morning of listening to a sermonfrom an old friend, and in the evening grandpa told the people of whatGod had wrought through the missionaries in the Sandwich Islands. 

Monday morning we were taken a long ride over the country about Oakland. On our way back, we stopped at Mr. B. 's orchard, and had some very niceplums, white and purple. There were nectarines, also, which have theskin of a plum and the stone of a peach; apricots, which have the skinof a peach and stone of a plum; I never knew the difference in those twofruits before. We had some delicious peaches, and brought away a branchof the almond-tree, with the nuts on it, which looked like greenpeaches. We then took the Oakland boat and were soon at our home in SanFrancisco. California is noted for its fine fruits, and sometimes we sawbaskets of assorted kinds looking like those fine paintings we admire somuch. 

On Thursday, August 13, we bade our kind and hospitable Californiafriends farewell, and went down to embark on the steamer Golden Age. The kindness of our friends did not end when we left their houses, asbeautiful bouquets and baskets of fruit in our staterooms testified. Weparted from them with regret, for we had received nothing but kindnessfrom their hands. Farewells were said, and San Francisco soon faded fromour sight. We were again on the restless ocean, but we were _homewardbound!_

XXII. 

Homeward Bound. 

"Aunty, aunty, please come and tell us our story, " said little Alice;"we are all waiting. You know this is our last story, for we go hometo-morrow. " So down I went. 

 * * * * *

We were fairly at sea again. Our steamer was a very good one, and we hadpleasant accommodations. Grandpa and grandma had a fine, largestateroom, and as there were not a great number of passengers, I, also, had a stateroom all to myself. I had the lower berth taken out, and mytrunks brought up and placed under my berth; then I spread down my rug, and brought in my deck chair, and my room had quite a cozy, homelikeair; and I took a great deal of comfort in it. The officers on the boatwere very pleasant, and we became acquainted with some of thepassengers. 

On Sabbath morning, eight of the younger people met together and formeda choir, practiced sacred music, and sung in the morning service, whenRev. Mr. McMonagle preached. In the afternoon we went to the forwardpart of the steamer, and grandpa preached to the steerage passengers, on"Christ in the ship in the storm. " The choir sung, and the poor peoplelooked so gratified and pleased to have preaching and singing that itdid one's heart good. 

We used to sing songs almost every evening, and it was very pleasant aswe sat on the quarter-deck looking off on the water. The moon cast herradiance over the ocean; the white foam, in a long line back, marked ourtrack; and the brilliant stars, seeming far brighter than they do in ournorthern heavens, looked like diamonds in God's firmament. We sailedalong easily and smoothly until the morning of August 30, when we werewakened early by the rolling of the ship, and found a hurricane upon us. It was almost impossible to dress, but after being tossed against bothsides of my stateroom several times, I succeeded. What a dismal scenemet my eye as I opened my door! Carpets rolled up, sofas and chairspiled in together, the marble tops of the tables taken off and lashed tothe floor, skylights leaking, so that we had to choose our footingcarefully, or the slippery floors and the ship's rolling would soonbring us down to the floor. On every hand crashes were heard fromunlucky lamp-shades, bottles, pitchers, or anything breakable that wasnot properly secured. The waves seemed mountain high, and the wind wasso strong that their crests were blown off in spray. 

After a while the captain ordered us all below. The scene in the lowercabin was dismal in the extreme. Passengers--many of them only halfdressed, most of them pale from sea-sickness or fear--all crowdedtogether on the sofas on one side of the saloon; for the vessel lay overso that we could sit only on one row of sofas. A dozen people, perhaps, were leaning over the backs of the sofas at one time, all sea-sick. Children were crying from hunger or fright. What a scene! We shippedwave after wave with a shock that made the vessel tremble from stem tostern. Crash followed crash. At one time the cases filled with dishes inthe pantry gave way, and what a noise of broken crockery! Three enormousbaskets were filled with the pieces. One of the bulkheads was knockedout, and eleven sheep were washed overboard. The butcher's shop waswashed away, and two barrels of beef, one of mackerel, and one of tablebutter went with the rest. The heavy stoves in the steerage cook-roomwere turned half-way round, and the capping of the huge smokestack wasmoved several inches. The terrible wind lifted the hurricane-deck, sothat six of its props fell out. There was danger of the upper deck andstateroom being blown away. That was a time to try people's souls, tomake them consider whether they were the Lord's or not. It was a blessedthing to feel that we were in God's hands, that even if the water closedover our bodies, it would be only the gate of heaven! What happiness tobe able to feel in one's heart: "My Father rules the storm. " Many of usthought of grandpa's sermon on the Sabbath, when he said, "With Christin the ship, we may smile at the storm. "

The wind was so violent that the men doing duty on deck had to lie down, and pull themselves about, or creep on their hands and knees. For twohours our forward rail was three feet under water, the vessel lay somuch on one side, and for some time the ship would not mind her helm, and lay in the trough of the sea. Finally, they rigged a small sail aft, and that brought her up. He who rules the wind and the sea caused thestorm to abate, and towards evening it was comparatively calm. We hadhad nothing to eat for twenty-four hours, which will give you some ideaof the storm. Staterooms and clothes were in many instances wet; but noone complained, for all felt thankful for our escape. In the eveningthere was a meeting in the saloon, and almost all the passengersassembled with the officers of the vessel to give thanks to God for hispreserving mercy. 

The next morning I rose early, so that I might see the entrance toAcapulco Harbor. This entrance is very narrow, and is surrounded by highwooded hills, forming one of the best harbors on the Pacific coast, south of San Francisco. I went on shore again; but I gave you adescription of the place before. 

August 27 found us at anchor off Panama. We were sorry to leave our goodship and her pleasant corps of officers. When we were in the cars, thenatives brought a great many things to sell. One man would haveear-rings, the next wine, then "nice lomonard, " or little ornaments ofpearl-shell, while others brought fruit and cakes. After a tiresomehour, we started on our journey across the Isthmus. 

One thing that attracted my attention was the telegraph-posts; theylooked like stone, but were made of concrete. 

"What is _concrete_?" asked Harry. 

In this instance, I suppose it was a composition made of pounded stoneand cement cast in a mold. The mold was filled in with concrete and leftfor several days. The reason of their having such posts was that theworms destroyed the wooden ones. 

The natives brought into the cars some beautiful flowers. They were ofalabaster whiteness, in shape not unlike a tulip, and having a strongperfume somewhat like the magnolia. Resting within the cup of theflower, lies the perfect image of a dove, with its beautifully formedwings spread out from its side, its head bent forward, and its tiny billdelicately tipped with red almost touching its snowy breast. No one whohas seen the flower can wonder that the early Spanish Catholicsbelieved the flowers to have had a miraculous origin, and named it"Flor del Espiritu Santo" or "The Flower of the Holy Ghost. "

Matachin is the largest station on the Isthmus. There we procuredoranges, which were unusually fine, also cakes tasting like macaroons, and some bottles of milk. 

Over the Chagres River at Barbacoas, is a wrought-iron bridge sixhundred and twenty-five feet long and eighteen broad, standing fortyfeet above the surface of the water; it is said to be one of the longestand finest bridges in the world. All along the road the sensitive plant, with its feathery pink blossoms, grew in wild profusion. 

At half-past eight in the evening we were on board the steamer Champion. We soon commenced our last voyage, and _such_ a voyage! The vesselrolled, and the ice in the hold gave out, and in consequence the meatwas in no fit state to eat. Every body and every thing seemeduncomfortable. It was a great change from the clean and pleasant GoldenAge. We saw the islands of San Domingo, Narvasa, Jamaica, Cuba, SantaInagua, and Mayo Guano, of the West Indies. 

On the morning of September 3, we were chased by a steamer. She wasunder sail when we first saw her, but commenced getting up steam. Shelost time in that operation, and we outsailed her, much to our joy. Ourcaptain said without doubt she was a privateer. 

Next day we were in the Gulf Stream. It was rough, squally, and rainy, and the steamer rolled worse than ever. But all things come to an end, and the next day was bright and pleasant. We left the Gulf Stream in thenight and were happy in a smooth sea. Six or seven ships were in sight, and in the afternoon we passed Barnegat Lighthouse, then HighlandLight. We saw the lights in the hotels at Long Branch, and finally thelight on Sandy Hook beamed on our delighted eyes. 

At two o'clock Sabbath morning, September 6, we lay at anchor offquarantine, and at five we were at the wharf in New York, --our voyageended. After much delay and confusion, we got ourselves and baggage onand in a carriage, and soon were receiving the greetings of friends. 

Surely, we ought to sing with our whole hearts that beautiful hymn ofAddison:--

 "How are thy servants blest, O Lord! How sure is their defense! Eternal wisdom is their guide, Their help, Omnipotence. In foreign realms and lands remote, Supported by thy care, Through burning climes they pass unhurt, And breathe in tainted air. 

 "When by the dreadful tempest borne High on the broken wave, They know thou art not slow to hear, Nor impotent to save. The storm is laid, the winds retire, Obedient to thy will; The sea that roars at thy command, At thy command is still. 

 "In midst of dangers, fears, and deaths, Thy goodness I'll adore; I'll praise thee for thy mercies past, And humbly hope for more. My life, while thou preserv'st that life, Thy sacrifice shall be; And death, when death shall be my lot, Shall join my soul to thee. "

[Illustration: THE LORD'S PRAYER IN ENGLISH. ]

 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

[Illustration: THE LORD'S PRAYER IN HAWAIIAN. ]

 E ko makou Makua iloko o ka lani, e hoa noia kou inoa. E hiki mai kou Aupuni; e malamaia kou makemake ma ka honua nei, e like me ia i malamaia ma ka lani la. E haawi mai ia makou i keia la i ai na makou no neia la; e kala mai hoi ia makou i ka makou lawehala ana, me makou e kala nei i ka poe i lawehala i ka makou. Mai hookuu oe ia makou i ka hoowalewaleia mai; e hoopakele no nae ia makou i ka ino; no ka mea, nou ke Aupuni, a me ka mana, a me ka hoonaniia, a mau soa aku. Amene. 

Boston: Printed by Dakin and Metcalf, 37 Cornhill. 

 * * * * *

Transcriber's Notes:

Corrected minor punctuation errors. 

Moved The Lord's Prayer in English and Hawaiian to the end of ChapterXXII, as indicated in the Table of Contents. Moved other illustrationsto paragraph breaks. 

Page vi, Contents, Chapter XIII: Changed Honiopu to Honoipu (Arrival at Honoipu). 

Pages 117, 176: Kept original spelling of "hight". 

Kept the following spelling variations:

Page 185: a native pastor, --Mr. KuaiaPage 204: Rev. Mr. Kuaea, a native minister

Page 142: I na misioneri nei, Page 147: Na misionari nei.