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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It Is A Gruesome And Dowie Den, But Well Worth A
Visit.
We mounted again, and rode as far as we could up the valley, fording
the river in deep water several times, and coming down the other
side.
The coffee trees in full blossom were very beautiful, and
they, as well as the oranges, have escaped the blight which has
fallen upon both in other parts of the island. In addition to the
usual tropical productions, there were some very fine fig trees and
thickets of the castor-oil plant, a very handsome shrub, when, as
here, it grows to a height of from ten to twenty-two feet. The
natives, having been joined by some Waipio women, rode at full
gallop over all sorts of ground, and I enjoyed the speed of my mare
without any apprehension of being thrown off. We rode among most
extensive kalo plantations, and large artificial fish-ponds, in
which hundreds of gold-fish were gleaming, and came back by the sea
shore, green with the maritime convolvulus, and the smooth-bottomed
river, which the Waipio folk use as a road. Canoes glide along it,
brown-skinned men wade down it floating bundles of kalo after them,
and strings of laden horses and mules follow each other along its
still waters. I hear that in another and nearly unapproachable
valley, a river serves the same purpose. While we were riding up
it, a great gust lifted off its surface in fine spray, and almost
blew us from our horses. Hawaii has no hurricanes, but at some
hours of the day Waipio is subject to terrific gusts, which really
justify the people in their objection to visiting the cascade. Some
time ago, in one of these, this house was lifted up, carried twenty
feet, and deposited in its present position.
Supper was ready for us - kalo, yams, spatchcock, poi, coffee, rolls,
and Oregon kippered salmon; and when I told Halemanu that the
spatchcock and salmon reminded me of home, he was quite pleased, and
said he would provide the same for breakfast to-morrow.
The owner of the mare, which I have named "Bessie Twinker," had
willingly sold her to me, though I told him I could not pay him for
her until I reached Onomea. I do not know what had caused my credit
to suffer during my absence, but D., after talking long with him
this evening, said to me, "He says he can't let you have the horse,
because when you've taken it away, he thinks you will never send him
the money." I told her indignantly to tell him that English women
never cheated people, a broad and totally unsustainable assertion,
which had the effect of satisfying the poor fellow.
After Halemanu, Deborah, Kaluna, and a number of natives had eaten
their poi, Halemanu brought in a very handsome silver candlestick,
and expressed a wish that Deborah should interpret for us. He asked
a great many sensible questions about England, specially about the
state of the poor, the extent of the franchise, and the influence of
religion.
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