The Hawaiian Archipelago - Six Months Among The Palm Groves, Coral Reefs, And Volcanoes Of The Sandwich Islands By Isabella L. Bird
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They Have No Place In Our Beautiful
Group, Which Rests Like A Water Lily On The Swelling Bosom Of The
Pacific.
The heaven is tranquil above our heads, and the sun keeps
his jealous eye upon us every day, while his rays are so tempered
that they never wither prematurely what they have warmed into life."
{296} The kindness of my hosts is quite overwhelming.
They will
not hear of my buying a horse, but insist on my taking away with me
the one which I have been riding since I came, the best I have
ridden on the islands, surefooted, fast, easy, and ambitious. I
have complete sympathy with the passion which the natives have for
riding. Horses are abundant and cheap on Kauai: a fairly good one
can be bought for $20. I think every child possesses one. Indeed
the horses seem to outnumber the people.
The eight native girls who are being trained and educated here as a
"family school" have their horses, and go out to ride as English
children go for a romp into a play-ground. Yesterday Mrs. S. said,
"Now, girls, get the horses," and soon two little creatures of eight
and ten came galloping up on two spirited animals. They had not
only caught and bridled them, but had put on the complicated Mexican
saddles as securely as if men had done it; and I got a lesson from
them in making the Mexican knot with the thong which secures the
cinch, which will make me independent henceforward.
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