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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There is something fearful in the isolation of this valley, open at
one end to the sea, and walled in on all others by palis or
precipices, from 1,000 to 2,000 feet in height, over the easiest of
which hangs the dizzy track, which after trailing over the country
for sixty difficult miles, connects Waipio with the little world of
Hilo. The evening is very sombre, and darkness comes on early
between these high walls. I am in a native house in which not a
word of English is spoken, and Deborah, among her own people, has
returned with zest to the exclusive use of her own tongue. This is
more solitary than solitude, and tired as I am with riding and
roughing it, I must console myself with writing to you. The
natives, after staring and giggling for some time, took this letter
out of my hand, with many exclamations, which, Deborah tells me, are
at the rapidity and minuteness of my writing. I told them the
letter was to my sister, and they asked if I had your picture. They
are delighted with it, and it is going round a large circle
assembled without. They see very few foreign women here, and are
surprised that I have not brought a foreign man with me.
There was quite a bustle of small preparations before we left
Onomea. Deborah was much excited, and I was not less so, for it is
such a complete novelty to take a five days' ride alone with
natives. D. is a very nice native girl of seventeen, who speaks
English tolerably, having been brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Austin.
She was lately married to a white man employed on the plantation.
Mr. A. most kindly lent me a favourite mule, but declined to state
that she would not kick, or buck, or turn obstinate, or lie down in
the water, all which performances are characteristic of mules. She
has, however, as he expected, behaved as the most righteous of her
species. Our equipment was a matter for some consideration, as I
had no waterproof; but eventually I wore my flannel riding dress,
and carried my plaid in front of the saddle. My saddle-bags, which
were behind, contained besides our changes of clothes, a jar of
Liebig's essence of beef, some potted beef, a tin of butter, a tin
of biscuits, a tin of sardines, a small loaf, and some roast yams.
Deborah looked very piquante in a bloomer dress of dark blue, with
masses of shining hair in natural ringlets falling over the collar,
mixing with her lei of red rose-buds. She rode a powerful horse, of
which she has much need, as this is the most severe road on horses
on Hawaii, and it takes a really good animal to come to Waipio and
go back to Hilo.
We got away at seven in bright sunshine, and D.'s husband
accompanied us the first mile to see that our girths and gear were
all right.
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