At the ranch there was great festival of cattle-
driving, branding, and horse-breaking. Overhead Ukiukiu and Naulu
battled valiantly, and far above, in the sunshine, towered the
mighty summit of Haleakala.
CHAPTER IX - A PACIFIC TRAVERSE
Sandwich Islands to Tahiti. - There is great difficulty in making
this passage across the trades. The whalers and all others speak
with great doubt of fetching Tahiti from the Sandwich islands.
Capt. Bruce says that a vessel should keep to the northward until
she gets a start of wind before bearing for her destination. In his
passage between them in November, 1837, he had no variables near the
line in coming south, and never could make easting on either tack,
though he endeavoured by every means to do so.
So say the sailing directions for the South Pacific Ocean; and that
is all they say. There is not a word more to help the weary voyager
in making this long traverse - nor is there any word at all
concerning the passage from Hawaii to the Marquesas, which lie some
eight hundred miles to the northeast of Tahiti and which are the
more difficult to reach by just that much. The reason for the lack
of directions is, I imagine, that no voyager is supposed to make
himself weary by attempting so impossible a traverse.
