SPOUTING OF WATER THROUGH THE LAVA. 99.

in this place, this day was probably the first time they ever heard of Jehovah the living God, or Jesus Christ the Saviour. We could not but desire and pray, that the Holy Spirit would make the word spoken in this distant and desolate part of the earth, the power of God to the salvation of many that heard it.

CHAPTER V.

Beautiful spouting of water through the lava.Inland route.-Fertile appearance of the country.-Description of the taro.-Account of a congregation of natives.-Vale of Waiohinu.-Conversation with the natives.—The guide objects to visiting the volcano.-Account of the defeat and assassination of Keoua. -Pebbly beach at Ninole, and superstitions connected with it.-Hospitality of the natives. -Distant indications of the volcano.-Singular favourite of two Hawaiian females.-Burning chasm at Ponahohoa.

JULY 28th. During the whole of yesterday, a most beautiful spouting of the water attracted our attention, which we found was produced in a manner similar to that we had witnessed at Kairua. The aperture in the lava was about two feet in diameter, and every few seconds a column of water was thrown up, with considerable noise, and a pleasing effect, to the height of thirty or forty feet. The lava at this place was very ancient, and much heavier than that, which we had seen at Kona. The vesicles in it were completely filled with olivine.

The trade-winds, blowing along the shore very fresh and directly against us, obliged us to leave our canoe at this place. Mauae and his companions, having drawn it up into an adjacent shed, took off the out-rigger, and left it, together with the mast, sails,

and paddles, in the care of the man at whose house we had lodged. As he was desirous to see the volcano, and, after an absence of several years, to revisit Kaimu, in the division of Puna, the place of his birth, he prepared to accompany us by land.

Hitherto we had travelled close to the seashore, in order to visit the most populous villages in the districts, through which we had passed. But here, receiving information that we should find more inhabitants a few miles inland, than nearer the sea, we thought it best to direct our course towards the mountains.

Makoa, our guide, procured men to carry our baggage, and at 9 A. M. we left Tairitii. Our way lay over a bed of ancient lava, smooth, considerably decomposed, and generally covered with a thin layer of soil.

We passed along the edge of a more recent stream of lava, rugged, black, and appaling in its aspect, compared with the tract we were walking over, which here and there showed a green tuft of grass, a straggling shrub, or a creeping convolvulus. After travelling about a mile, we reached the foot of a steep precipice. A winding path led to its top, up which we pursued our way, occasionally resting beneath the shade of huge overhanging rocks. In half an hour, we reached its summit, which we supposed to be about 300 feet from the plain below.

A beautiful country now appeared before us, and we seemed all at once transported to some happier island, where the devastations attributed to Nahoaarii and Pele had never been known. The rough and desolate tract of lava, with all its distorted forms, was exchanged for the verdant plain, diversified with gently rising hills and sloping dales, ornamented with shrubs, and gay with blooming flowers. We saw, however, no stream of water during the whole of the day; but, from the luxuriance of the herbage in every direction, the rains must be frequent, or the dews heavy.

UNIV. OF

THE MOUNTAIN TARO.

101A

About noon we reached Kalehu, a small village about four miles from Tairitii. The kind cottager brought us some fine watermelons, which afforded us a grateful repast, while we rested during the heat of the noonday sun.

Between 60 and 70 persons collected around the house in which we were, and Mr. Ellis, who was so far recovered as to be able to preach, addressed them from Matt. i, 21.

They seemed interested, and afterwards said, that they had heard good news. We remained about an hour, conversing on some of the first principles of the religion of Jesus Christ, and then resumed our journey over the same beautiful country, which was partially cultivated, and contained a numerous, though scattered population. The prospect was delightful. On one hand, the Pacific dashed its mighty waves against the rocky shore, and on the other the kua hevi [mountain ridge] of Kau, and snow-topped Mouna Roa, rose in the interiour, with lofty grandeur. Our path led us through several fields of mountain taro, [a variety of the arum,] a root, which appears to be extensively cultivated in many parts of Hawaii. It was growing in a dry, sandy soil, into which our feet sank two or three inches, every step we took. The roots were of an oblong shape, generally from ten inches to a foot in length, and four or six inches in diameter. Seldom more than two or three leaves were attached to a root, and those were of a light green colour, frequently blotched and sickly in their appearance. The inside of the root is of a brown, or reddish colour, and much inferiour to that of the arum esculentum, or low land taro. It is, however, very palatable, and forms a prime article of food in those parts of the island, where there is a light soil, and but little water.

Between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, we reached Kauru, a small village, environed with plantations, and pleasantly situated on the side of a wide valley, extending from the mountains to the

10 VIMU

103 DESCRIPTION OF A NATIVE CONGREGATION.

south point of the island. As the men with our baggage had not come up, we waited for them about two hours, when Tuite, the head man of the village, arrived, and pressed us to spend the night at his house. We accepted his invitation, and proposed to him to collect the people of the village together to hear about the true God. He consented, and, a little before sunset, about 150 assembled in front of his house. Mr. Thurston, after singing and prayer, preached to them for about half an hour, and they paid very great attention.

Shortly after the service, a baked hog, with some potatoes and taro, was brought for our supper, of which we made a hearty repast. We afterward conducted family worship with the good people of the house, and then laid ourselves down to rest.

29th. At the request of Makoa, Tuite furnished men to carry our baggage to the next district, and soon after daylight we left Kauru, and, taking an inland direction, travelled over a fertile plain, covered with a thin, though luxuriant soil. Sometimes the surface was strewed with small stones, but in general it was covered with brushwood. The population in this part, did not seem concentrated in towns and villages, as it had been along the sea shore; but scattered over the whole face of the country, which appeared divided into farms of varied extent, and upon these the houses generally stood singly, or in small clusters, seldom exceeding four or five in number.

Be

After walking six or seven miles, we entered the district of Papapohaku. When we had nearly passed through it, we sat down to rest for a few minutes, on a pile of stones by the way side. tween 60 and 70 natives soon collected around us, presenting a motley group. Most of the children were naked, or at best had only a narrow strip of tapa fastened round their loins. Several of the men, on seeing us pass along, had left their work in the fields and gardens, and had come, covered with

DESCRIPTION OF A NATIVE CONGREGATION. 103

dust and perspiration, just as they were, and seated themselves in the midst, with their oos.* Their only clothing was their maro, a narrow girdle worn round their loins, one end of which passes between the legs and fastens in front. The old men were most of them dressed in a kihei,t as were also some of the women; but most of the latter wore only a pau.+ Their black hair was, in many instances, turned up all round the forehead, and painted white, with a kind of chalk, or clay, which is found in several parts of the island. Many also wore a small looking glass, set in a solid piece of wood, and suspended on the bosom by a handkerchief, or strip of native cloth, fastened round the neck, to which was sometimes added another article considered equally useful, and not less ornamental, viz. a small wooden, brass-tipped tobacco-pipe. The looking-glass and tobacco-pipe were sometimes combined in one ornament. Most of these people had, probably, never seen so large a company of foreigners before; and their curiosity, as might be expected, was unusally excited. Their countenances, however, indicated no feelings of jealousy, as to the objects of our visit, but manifested a degree of pleasure greater than ordinary. After conversing with them some time on their ideas of the true God, and the objects of our tour, we proposed to them to listen to his word, and unite with us in worshipping him.

They seated themselves on the grass, we sang a hymn, and Mr. Ellis preached from Ps. cxxviii, 1. At the conclusion of our religious services, we resumed our journey, several of the natives following us to the next village.

Our path running in a northerly direction, seemed leading us towards a ridge of high mountains, but it

The oo is the principal implement of husbandry, which a Hawaiian farmer uses. Formerly it was a sharp pointed stick of hard wood. It is now usually pointed with iron. The best are made with broad socket chissels, into which they put a handle four or six feet long.

† See p. 63.

A piece of native cloth, three or four yards long, and about four feet wide, worn around the loins.