Kauai | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

September 25, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kōloa Landing

Hawaiians along the Kōloa shore were the first to see the white man in Hawaiʻi. It was in 1778, along Kauai’s South Shore, that Captain James Cook first traveled, landed and made “contact”, introducing Hawaiʻi to the rest of the world.

Cook named the archipelago the Sandwich Islands in honor of his patron, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Earl of Sandwich. Cook’s crew first sighted the Hawaiian Islands in the dawn hours of January 18, 1778.

His two ships, the HMS Resolution and the HMS Discovery, were kept at bay by the weather until the next day when they approached Kauai’s southeast coast.

On the afternoon of January 19, native Hawaiians in canoes paddled out to meet Cook’s ships, and so began Hawai‘i’s contact with Westerners. The first Hawaiians to greet Cook were from the Kōloa shore.

The Hawaiians traded fish and sweet potatoes for pieces of iron and brass that were lowered down from Cook’s ships to the Hawaiians’ canoes. Cook continued to sail along the coast searching for a suitable anchorage.

His two ships remained offshore, but a few Hawaiians were allowed to come on board on the morning of January 20, before Cook continued on in search of a safe harbor.

As they stepped ashore for the first time, Cook and his men were greeted by hundreds of Hawaiians who offered gifts of pua‘a (pigs), and mai‘a (bananas) and kapa (tapa) barkcloth.

Cook went ashore at Waimea three times the next day, walking inland to where he saw Hawaiian hale (houses), heiau (sacred places of worship), and agricultural sites.

At the time, the region was thriving with many thatched homes as well as lo‘i kalo (taro patches) and various other food crops such as niu (coconuts) and ‘ulu (breadfruit).

After trading for provisions, gathering water and reading for sail, Cook left the island and continued his search of the “Northwest Passage,” an elusive (because it was non‐existent) route from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.

From the time of contact, until the end of the century, ships called at Waimea nearly every year for water and provisions. For a time, it was the favored port of call on the island.

However, captains learned that the exposed anchorage at Waimea was dangerous with ‘kona’ winds came up ((south‐westerly, versus the typical north‐easterly tradewinds,) threatening to ground the moored ships.

Ultimately, it was this occasional weather pattern that caused the decline of Waimea as the favored port on the Island of Kauai and the rise of Kōloa Landing to take its place.

Goods and people were transferred by hand and small boat to ships in Hanakaʻape Bay. The cove is at the mouth of the Waikomo (entering water) Stream on Hanakaʻape (headstrong) Bay.

Between about 1810 and 1820, the major item of Hawaiian trade was sandalwood. King Kaumualiʻi held the sandalwood monopoly on Kauai and Niʻihau, Kōloa Landing served as a prominent port of export. Kamehameha I held the monopoly for the rest of the island chain.

Ships calling to Kōloa Landing steadily increased and by 1830 it became widely recognized as the major port on the island. Ships had the ability to maneuver in and out of the anchorage, whatever the wind direction.

Whalers, seeking water and food supplies, called at Kōloa Landing, the Island’s foremost port. Kōloa was a center for agriculture and, as such, became the center of activity for Kauai. The whaling industry was the mainstay of the islands’ economy for about 40 years.

Likewise, Kōloa Landing was situated near a source of good water, near crops grown in the Kōloa field system, close to salt beds and had an abundance of firewood and beef from mauka regions.

In the mid-1800s, Kōloa Landing was the third largest whaling port in all of Hawai‘i (behind Honolulu and Lāhainā) and the only port of entry for foreign goods.

The first commercially‐viable sugar plantation, Ladd and Co., was started at Kōloa on Kauai. On July 29, 1835, Ladd & Company obtained a 50‐year lease on nearly 1,000‐acres of land and established a plantation and mill site in Kōloa.

It was to change the face of Kauai (and Hawai‘i) forever, launching an entire economy, lifestyle and practice of mono-cropping that lasted for over a century. A tribute to this venture is found at the Kōloa Sugar Memorial in Old Kōloa Town,

Traveling salesmen, also known as drummers (‘drumming up business,’) who worked for large mercantile agencies on O‘ahu would arrive at Kōloa Landing after an often rugged ocean trip by steamer and rowboat.

The would take their samples to each plantation camp store and sometimes even fan out from house to house in outlying communities.

Kōloa Landing was the trans‐shipment point from which ships were off‐loaded with mercantile goods and livestock for Kauai, and where trade‐goods, fresh produce and livestock were loaded on ships from Kauai. It was also linked to Kōloa Town, two miles inland, by the purveyor’s cart path (Hapa Road.)

Shipping in and out of Koloa Landing increased until 1912 (up to 60 ships a year anchored there to stock provisions and take on passengers.) However, better facilities became available at Nāwiliwili and Port Allen.

The landing left and Hanakaʻape Bay is now a popular dive site, especially for SCUBA instruction. Further out is an offshore reef that provides several surf breaks that are quite popular with local surfers.

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August 8, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Humehume’s Rebellion

Humehume was born on Kauai in about 1797. His father, King Kaumuali’i, suggested he be called George (after King George of England.) (Warne) Kaumuali‘i decided to send his son to America, at least, in part, to receive a formal education.

George was about six years old when he boarded the Hazard that ultimately sailed into Providence, Rhode Island on June 30, 1805 after a year-and-a-half at sea. Over the next few years he made his way to Worcester, Massachusetts and other parts of New England.

On October 23, 1819, the Thaddeus carried the Pioneer Company of American Protestant missionaries to Hawai‘i. There were seven American couples sent by the ABCFM in this first company. With them were four Hawaiian, including Humehume. They arrived in Kailua-Kona on April 4, 1820. On May 3, 1820, Humehume returned to Kauai.

King Kaumuali‘i died on May 26, 1824; Humehume was sick, too. “When I was at Oahu, I never expected to see Kauai again. The old woman gave me a dose; and I had the same sickness that my father had. … The old gentleman was poisoned, just the same as I was. I must have got it at Lahaina, where I ate once or twice with Ka‘ahumanu.”

“I have been up almost every night since I returned from the windward. Four nights ago, I and another chief sent out to meet a party from Waimea, who were coming to take us. I met them, and drove them back.” (Humehume; Bingham)

Humehume reached O’ahu only to learn that his father’s body was already on its way to Lāhainā for burial. He had missed the funeral in Honolulu and now would arrive too late for the final service on Maui even if he left immediately.

In Lāhainā, Humehume ate with the kuhina nui, Ka‘ahumanu, and other dignitaries, who most likely told him that Kaumuali‘i had spoken about his will shortly before his death.

According to them, the islands of Kauai and Ni‘ihau – including all lands, ships, fortifications, munitions, and property – would be transferred to the commander-in-chief Kalanimōku for him to administer until Liholiho returned from England. (Warne)

Tension mounted throughout the islands following Kaumuali‘i’s death. Kauai was especially tumultuous: people indulged in various forms of excess and lawlessness, which were considered displays of intense grief. These acts often signified the beginning of periods of great upheaval and were common following the death of a chief, especially for one as beloved as Kaumuali‘i. (Warne)

Kalanimōku sailed to Kauai to proclaim the will of the dead chief and settle government affairs and land disputes. At Waimea Kalanimōku examined the fort. He then called a council of all the chiefs and announced to them that it was determined to give the governorship of Kauai and Ni‘ihau to Kalanimōku nephew, Kahalaiʻa Luanuʻu.

“(T)hose of the chiefs who hold land, they are well off; the commoner who holds property is fortunate; the chief or commoner who has no portion is unfortunate. The lands shall continue as they now stand. Our son, Kahalaiʻa, shall be ruler over you.” (Kalanimōku; Kamakau)

A blind chief of Waipouli in Puna, named Kiʻaimakani, said, ‘That is not right; the land should be put together and re-divided because we have a new ruler,’ but Kalanimōku would not consent to this. On Friday most of the chiefs gathered at Nihoa, one of Kaʻahumanu’s houses at Papaʻenaʻena, and urged the redistribution of the land, but Kalanimōku again refused. (Kamakau)

Kahalaiʻa accordingly sailed to Kauai as governor together with several chiefs. “The day after his arrival, he examined the state of the fort, which mounted about fifty guns, larger and smaller, and furnished a guard with muskets, bayonets, and swords, and put them in motion on different parts of the walls.” (Bingham)

A general uneasiness spread among Kauai chiefs who feared the loss of their lands and positions of leadership as a result of Kaumuali‘i’s death. The island’s ali‘i split into two factions: those who supported the authority of Liholiho against those who supported the interests of the Kauai chiefs.

As the firstborn son of Kaumuali’i and a recognized high-ranking ali‘i, Humehume may have represented the preservation of an independent Kauai. (Warne)

In the late afternoon of August 7, 1824, the chiefs under command of Kalanimōku relaxed. Kahalai‘a was in charge of Pa‘ula‘ula o Hipo (what many now refer to as the Russian Fort or Fort Elizabeth.) He left a few young warriors to sleep inside the fort but took most of his men across the river. There they planned to spend the night on the sand with his uncle Kalanimōku and his entourage.

Humehume summoned his men to a council of war.

Humehume and the chiefs worked out a plan. They realized that they were unarmed and stood little chance against the larger forces of Liholiho’s army. The ranks of opposing warriors included many with recent battle experience. (Warne)

Humehume knew that Kaumuali‘i had secretly accumulated hundreds of muskets at Pa‘ula‘ula o Hipo, as well as kegs of powder, field cannons and other armament. These were stored in the basement of the armory, in the middle of the fort.

If the Kauai men could enter the fort by stealth, break into the armory, and equip themselves before being discovered, they just might be able to capture the fort-the strongest military position on the island-from the inside. Then they could aim the fort’s cannons on Kalanimōku’s men, camped on the beach below, and force them to retreat or die. (Warne)

On Saturday night the Kauai Chiefs seized their digging sticks and attacked the fort, which they found manned by the men of Hawai‘i with guns.

Sometime after midnight (August 8, 1824) the Kauai men entered the fort undetected. Humehume broke the lock on the armory and went below to hand out muskets and powder to his men.

Then … disaster. The intruders were discovered before the distribution of arms was completed. Instead of responding silently with a bayonet, a cutlass, or a traditional club or spear, one rebel fired his newly acquired rifle. (Warne)

Kahalaiʻa and his men were awakened by the ringing of the bell and the shouts of a woman warrior who cried, ‘Here come the Kauai warriors after the arms! here come the rebels! the men of Hawai‘i still hold the fort! it is not taken for Kauai!’ (Kamakau)

Humehume “entered the magazine, supplied his men with powder and broke open two houses where the arms were deposited and armed part of his men, but …”

“… instead of securing the remainder of the fort, which they might have done with the greatest ease with their bayonets and cutlasses, they commenced firing their muskets …”

“… the contest was doubtful for about half an hour when George’s party retreated for about eight miles, leaving ten men and two women dead in the fort. They carried off a few casks of powder and about 100 muskets.” (Hunnewell; Warne)

Kalanimōku sent the ship, Paʻalua, to Honolulu after reinforcements and Mr. Bingham and Mr. Whitney and their families took passage for fear of the war. (Kamakau)

Humehume and his surviving warriors made a hasty retreat to regroup at Wahiawa. In addition to the muskets, they managed to procure a brass field cannon, probably drawn on its wheels by the retreating men.

In the aftermath of the skirmish, ten of Humehume’s followers lay dead. Three from the opposing army had also been killed, including the chief Ni‘au and the Englishmen Towbridge and Smith, who had shared the misfortune of sleeping at the fort. Kalanimōku had not taken part in the fighting.

The rebels’ aborted attack had left about one-fifth of them dead, but there was no time to waste – a second battle was inevitable. If Humehume had taken control of the fort, he would have been in a much better position to stage a defense.

Now, however, with Kapule and other local chiefs allied against him, additional warriors from O‘ahu and Maui could land unmolested. His only hope was to find sufficient support from the remaining chiefs on Kauai.

Before Kalanimōku’s reinforcements arrived, Humehume decided to try his hand at diplomacy. With a pencil he started a letter to Kalanimōku in Hawaiian. Frustrated at being unable to write clearly in his own language, he turned the paper over and wrote in English.

The message shows him thinking rationally in a desperate situation. His request to let Kauai chiefs settle things among themselves was honorable, not based on a desire for revenge against Ka’ahumanu or for war at any cost.

“Dear Sir: We wish not to hurt any of the people from the windward islands, but those chiefs belonging to Atooi. Therefore I hope you will separate your men from them, and let the Atooi chiefs fight the battle, for we wish not to hurt any oo you from the windward.”

“Our lives have been threatened by Tapule (Kapule,) by Haupu, by Kumakeha and Wahine. These are the chiefs we want to go against. But your people we wish not to trouble. Send me your answer as soon as you can. Yours, &c GPT.” (Humehume; Warne)

He waited in vain for a reply; Kalanimōku was not about to negotiate. Humehume’s situation grew increasingly serious when few if any Kauai chiefs from outlying districts offered to join him. Determined to fight even in the face of impossible odds, his men built a rock barricade as a line of defense for their prized cannon.

According to Kamakau, more than ten ships were dispatched from Oahu and Maui, crammed with warriors and weapons. ‘When the warships anchored at Waimea, Kauai, the Waimea residents said, We thought Hawaii had men to summon, but there are so many they sway en masse.’

The attack began. Hundreds of warriors marched uphill toward the rebels in a curved line, their muskets loaded. Humehume’s cannon fired several times, but the single small-bore field piece could not stop the massive advance.

A fierce gun battle ensued as the warriors reached the top of the ridge. Outnumbered ten to one, the Kauai forces were quickly routed by the overwhelming number of troops they faced. (Warne)

When further resistance was futile, Humehume shouted for his people to flee for their lives. Under a hail of musket balls, he mounted a horse, snatched up his wife and two-year-old daughter, and galloped toward the mountains. Others from Humehume’s group scattered into the forest, and were killed or captured.

Fearing that his wife and child would be killed if they were captured with him, Humehume told Betty that they must not continue on together. After a hasty farewell, he struck out alone on foot into the rugged mountains.

Humehume was eventually captured and imprisoned. The closing year and a half of Humehume’s life were spent in Honolulu under the custody of Kalanimōku, prime minster of the kingdom. A victim of influenza, George died on May 3, 1826, six years to the day of his return to Waimea, Kauai.

His final resting place is not known. (Spoehr) Lots of information here is from Spoehr, Warne, Bingham, Stauder and Damon.) (Imagery shows an artist’s reconstruction of Pa‘ula‘ula o Hipo from work by Alexander Molodin and Peter Mills.)

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August 3, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Kong Lung Store

The formation of Kilauea Plantation on Kauai goes back to the 1860s when American settler Charles Titcomb bought the ahupua‘a of Kilauea from Kamehameha IV for about $3,000 and moved there from Hanalei in 1863.

He had been growing sugar in Hanalei, but gave it up and built a homestead and cattle ranch at Kilauea which grew into the town of Kilauea. He later bought the adjoining ahupua’a of Nāmāhāna.

Kilauea Plantation began in 1877 with the planting and purchasing of mill equipment. EP Adams and Robert A Macfie Jr. (son of a Liverpool sugar refiner) were majority investors. William Green and Sanford B. Dole (later governor of Hawai‘i) held minority
interests.

In 1880 the four men incorporated the Kilauea Sugar Company as a Hawai‘i corporation, just a few years after the Reciprocity
Treaty between the Hawaiian Kingdom and the U.S. created a boom in sugar plantation development. (MacLennan)

Plantation life throughout the islands was centered on a landscape of buildings that reflected the system of tight control over workers and production. Typically, beyond the fields and mill, there was a plantation store, housing, medical, recreational facilities for the workers.

Ethnic groups included Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Korean workers, and haole managers and supervisors. (MacLennan)

Lung Wah Chee was among the first group of Chinese immigrants that arrived on Kauai in 1876 to work for the Kilauea Sugar Company. He was born in Cheong Kong, China, September 15, 1860.

During 1894-1895 he had a contract with the Kilauea Sugar Company to load cane into cars with his own laborers. He was also required to furnish houses and firewood for the laborers. (NPS)

In the 1890s, Lung Wan Chee (aka LC Achee) operated a general merchandise store on the site of the Parish Hall (Japanese Language School) in Kilauea.

In 1902, Kilauea Sugar Plantation Co. decided to get out of the retail business and rented Chee their building; a bill of sale dated November 4, 1903, indicates that the plantation company sold to Kong Lung and Company a partnership for the sum of $8,534.29, including ‘all … the goods, wares and merchandise, stock-in-trade, show cases, scales, and Implements, in, upon and about the store.’ (NPS)

Later, Kong Lung Store moved into a former plantation building, it was the last of the stone structures built by the Kilauea Sugar Company. It was constructed around 1941 to replace an older wooden frame building at the same site.

The building measures 117-feet by 67-feet and is constructed of field stone up to the lower portion of the gable. The upper section is built of wood and has five ventilating jalousie windows at each end.

The store and the lanai are on a concrete slab. The front elevation is of five bays. The two end bays step forward, while the central three are an Inset lanai. The lanai has three stone piers which help to support the roof. Entrance to the store is through two screen doors.

The 1941 and later Kong Lung Store contained general merchandise, a barbershop, butcher shop, and post office. During the war, there was a lunch counter/diner to serve the many soldiers in the vicinity. Wages for store employees were about $40/month.

Workers for the store were said to have awoken at 2 am to work in the store. Then, at 5 am, they would go to work in the fields. Merchandise for the store arrived in the cane cars returning from Kahili Bay after delivering cane to freighters.

The raw sugar which was processed and bagged into 125 pounds at the mill was shipped to Honolulu by way of Kahili bay (or Kilauea Bay). The train hauled the sugar to Kahili then it was transferred on small boat then onto the Freighter which was anchored out in the bay.

The supplies for the Sugar Co and merchandise for Kong Lung Co. which was the only store in Kilauea at that time, came back by way of the empty cane cars. (Gushiken)

“Customers in the supermarket were plantation people. Groceries and dry goods, general hardware is what we went into. In those days, people were working six days a week, nine and ten hours a day. They would have no time for shopping. We had a delivery service then. No frozen goods.”

“The Sugar Plantation had its own dairy, between the store and the lighthouse. The slaughter was done there too. We had raw milk, no pasteurized. Everyone had their own vegetables, and rice was grown down in Kahili and Kalihiwai Valley and all the families made their own bread, raised their own chickens and pigs.” (Chow Lung, NOS)

The Store was managed by Kwai Chew ‘Chow’ Lung (son of the founder) and a partner. In 1955 they bought the building from the plantation and operated the business until 1979 when the property was sold to Tim King and Kelsy Maddox-Bell.

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July 20, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Bishop Bank – Waimea

Charles Reed Bishop was born January 25, 1822 in Glens Falls, New York; his father was a toll collector who worked on a toll booth in the middle of the Hudson River. Glens Falls was later known as “Hometown USA,” a title given to it by Look Magazine in 1944.

Shortly after his brother was born (1824,) his mother became ill and died a few weeks later. Her older sister, Lucy, takes the two-year old to Fort Ann, New York to live with her awhile.

He then went to live with his paternal grandfather, Jesse. He didn’t have much schooling, attending Glens Falls Academy for 7th and 8th grades, his only years of formal schooling.

After leaving school, he was a clerk for Nelson J Warren, the largest business in Warrensburgh, New York. He learns bartering, bookkeeping, taking inventory, maintenance and janitorial duties.

At about the age of 20 (in 1842,) the younger worked as a bookkeeper and head clerk for Charles Dewey in the Old Stone Store in Sandy Hill.

He then sailed (February 23, 1846) for the continent’s west coast aboard the ‘Henry,’ however the ship needed extensive repairs and landed at Honolulu Harbor on October 12, 1846.

He became ‘Hawaiʻi’s First Banker’ and formed Bishop & Co Bank in 1858. The Bishop Bank Building at 63 Merchant Street was the earliest of the Italianate (or Renaissance Revival) structures on the street, built in 1878 and designed by Thomas J. Baker (one of the architects of ʻIolani Palace.)

In 1895, Samuel M Damon bought Bishop & Co. from founder Charles Bishop. After the turn of the century the bank started opening neighbor island branches, including the Waimea branch on Kauai in 1911.

The Waimea branch at one time served the entire island of Kauai. As the economy of the island developed, however, additional branches on that and other islands were opened. The Bank incorporated as Bank of Bishop & Co. Ltd in 1919.

(After some mergers, in 1956 it was renamed Bishop National Bank of Hawai‘i; in 1960, First National Bank of Hawai‘i; then, in 1969, First Hawaiian Bank.) (FHB)

“One of the oldest and most reliable banking institutions in the Territory is Bishop’s Bank. With head offices in Honolulu, it has branch banks in Waimea, Kauai, and Hilo, Hawaii, both of which are conducted in the same prompt and highly satisfactory manner.”

“The bank issues Commercial and travelers’ Letters of credit, available to all parts of the world. All business entrusted to this institution or to either of its branch houses, receives prompt attention.” (The Garden Island, April 29, 1913)

On December 29, 1929, construction was completed on the Bishop National Bank of Hawaii’s Waimea Branch. It replaced an earlier structure on the same site which had been built in 1911.

Its eclectic style and solid, imposing appearance is typical of post-World War I banking architecture. It is designed to give an aura of permanence and stability a visual assurance to Waimea’s inhabitants that the bank was ‘here to stay.’ (NPS)

Like many buildings in Waimea, the first floor was constructed three feet off the ground to protect against flooding. This presented an opportunity for the architect to create an important entry porch.

Stairs lead up to the main entry, which is flanked on each side by two classic columns of simple Ionic order supporting an entablature above which a dental cornice with crown mould surrounds the building, topped by a partially balustraded parapet.

Although a small structure, it contributes a sense of permanence and solidity. The exterior has retained most of its original appearance; however, extensive remodeling to the bank interior has altered the appearance from the typical 1920s era banking structure.

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June 30, 2017 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Canoeing Nāpali in 1845

“The full moon was flooding with its light the grand mountains, the valley and the bay. Not a sound broke the stillness save the gentle splashing of the waves as they broke on the beach. A short walk brought me to the house where the crew of my canoe were sleeping.”

“At was with some difficulty that I roused them up, and got them to move along. … After a delay of an hour and a half, we shoved off through the surf and directed our course toward Waimea.”

“A light breeze sprang up, and the houses and beach of Hanalei were soon lost in the distance. The coast which we were passing was too dim for us to distinguish objects on shore, but as I had ridden past it shortly before, I did not particularly regret this.”

“The sun was just rising when we reached the point where the great Palis or precipices begin. These precipices are one of the grandest wonders of the Islands, but the danger of examining them on the passage deters many persons from visiting them.”

“There are those who will travel by land sixty miles around rather than sail these fifteen by canoe, and I was warned not to try. But with me curiosity was stronger than caution.”

“I must confess that when we passed the last landing, and were fairly entering on the dangerous part, I felt a little timid, for if any accident should happen, there was no help for us. The rocks rose perpendicularly from the water without any landing place, and if upset, the only hope would be the chance of being picked up by some passing canoe.”

“In fact a canoe making the passage was capsized a few days before and her cargo lost. The natives, however, are so expert that they have little or no fear at such times; the canoe was soon righted, and the man’s escape with his life was considered hardly worth talking about.”

“We had not sailed far along the pali, when we came near sharing a similar fate. By some careless maneuver of the natives, the out-rigger, which serves to balance the canoe, rose clear out of the water. In a moment more, if all hands had not thrown their weight on that side, we should have been in the sea. …”

“As the canoe passed on, the cliffs grew more and more lofty. The sea was smooth and there being no wind, our passage was pleasant, giving us an opportunity to examine the varying appearances of the pali. The sea was dashing up against the base of the precipice, and roaring through the caves, which have been worn by the constant action of the waves.”

“The summit of the mountain took the most wild and fantastic shapes. Sometimes sharp spires shot up hundreds of feet, and again a rounded battlement would present its front like a turreted citadel of feudal days, and then a deep valley but a few rods wide might be seen, shut in by steep walls.”

“It is no wonder that the natives give credence to the wild legends which are connected with various points of this range.”

“A few of these I will relate as they were repeated to me, while we sailed along, and served to beguile the tediousness of the voyage. As the canoe was passing a rock that seemed blackened by volcanic fires, the captain gave orders to stop, and to paddle close in to the rocks.”

“As we drew near, he pointed out an arch large enough to admit a small canoe. The water within, being confined, was agitated so that I did not care to venture in, but went near enough to see that it was a kind of volcanic chimney.”

“Its inner walls showed the effects of the mighty fires, and from an aperture on the top of the bluff, the light came straggling down, giving the place a weird look.”

“The tradition is that Pele came to these Islands from some foreign land, that Kauai was the first island that she visited, and that she landed at the very spot that I have just described. She tried the foundations of the Island, to ascertain if there was a sufficient quantity of food to be obtained, and this pit or chimney is the place where she descended.”

“She commenced her operations, but soon found that the water was in too close proximity for her convenience. For she and old Neptune were deadly enemies, and in their contests exhibited the fiercest rage, to the destruction of all who might be involved in it. Not liking this situation, she moved on from island to island, till she finally settled on Hawaii.”

“In another place two small, upright rocks are called “the children,” who, it is said, wandered up to the heights, and there perished from thirst, were deified, and became objects of worship.”

“When we had passed about two-thirds of the pali we came to a little bay making in between two arms or points of land, on the shore of which we noticed several canoes, and a few miserable huts.”

“As the morning was well advanced, I consented that the men should land to refresh themselves with rest and food, and while they were doing this I strolled around to see the place. It would answer well for a place of detention, for there is no visible way of ingress or egress except by water, and yet there is a way for those who have sufficient nerve to brave the danger.”

“As we came along, I had noticed a sort of ladder placed against the face of the cliff, for the purpose of reaching the heights above. A native presented himself as a guide, and I let him lead the way. Starting off, I had no doubt that I was going to ascend the ladder at once, but I had taken but a few steps before I found myself halting and reconnoitering.”

“The way which had appeared so easy, now showed itself full of danger. The path has been excavated by the natives with their rude tools, from the face of an overhanging cliff. It is not a level, but is formed like a gouge turned edgewise, so that one’s hold is very precarious.”

“It is also too low to dmit of any other than a stooping posture, and I was obliged to shuffle along with the utmost caution. My guide seemed quite at home, as he stood upright outside of me, with his body projecting beyond the surface of the cliff, and encouraged me on.”

“I had taken off my shoes, and by degrees had worked myself two-thirds past, when I rested for a survey. There I was, my chief support a little projecting stone, not sufficient to afford a hold for my whole foot, and my hands clinging with a death grasp to the rock, and in this situation overhanging a gulf, that was foaming and boiling, as the surf broke over the rocks some sixty or seventy feet below me, and which would have proved my death place, if I had made the least mistake or slip.”

“I had strong curiosity to go forward, but discretion prevailed, and I returned. I was then told that few white men had gone as far as I had, and that none had ever passed up the ladder. Taking a less dangerous standpoint, I took occasion to examine the ladder. It is made of trunks of two cocoanut trees, one of which stands against the cliff, and the other out from it, like planting the side of a ladder against a house.”

“The outer stick is well secured with ropes, and is the only means of communication between above and below. The natives pass up by it, even with a load, as unconcerned as if passing by the best bridge. It is surprising to see even the children pass it free and unconcerned, as if on level ground. I can only wonder that there is not an accident every day.”

“A few rods back from the beach rise the cliffs, in some places perpendicular for 500 feet, forming an amphitheater. Along the base on one side are ranged the houses, which form a striking contrast with the black mass of rock rising behind them.”

“All their food comes from above, where it is said there is a fine valley (Nualolo,) which the feet of white men have never profaned. Here, shut out from all intruders, they live in peace and happiness, such as it is—pleasure today—borrow no thought for tomorrow.”

“When His Majesty passes around the island, he stops here for a part or the whole of the night, to see an exhibition of fire works, got up for his entertainment. It consists in throwing light poles, which have been set on fire, from a lofty peak (Kamaile) overlooking the sea. If skillfully thrown, they will go along distance, making a pretty show. The natives sometimes take a large bird, and set it off with some burning substance attached to it.”

“This little bay is the gathering place for canoes passing between Waimea and Hanalei, as well as for those that go over to the island of Niihau, which can be seen here at a distance of about 25 miles.”

“Having spent about an hour at this place, we again took our seats in the canoe, and continued our voyage towards Waimea. Our company was now increased to four canoes, ours being the largest, and there was something of a contest as to which should lead, but I believe that when so inclined, we could distance the others. The three other canoes were bound for Niihau. “

“One of them was quite small, containing only three persons, a man and two women, who handled their paddles like professional rowers.”

“The top of the canoe was covered with mats firmly secured, with openings left just large enough to admit their bodies, but at best it was a slight affair to stand the rough seas in the channel.”

“As we were passing by a very high bank, I noticed the figure of a native sketched upon it. This was very distinct, its limbs, its brown skin and a white cloth wrapped around its loins, and reminded me of rocks found at home, which had been marked by the Indians. I was quite surprised when a shrill whistle and a beckoning movement of one arm dispelled the illusion. It was a young native who was standing against the face of the rock, watching us.”

“After paddling five or six hours, including stops, we passed the further extremity of the Palis in safety, and the whole appearance of the land immediately changed—from lofty and fantastic peaks and precipices to a barren, uninteresting sand beach, on which we tried to land for water, but found the surf too heavy. … “

“Meanwhile there was not a breath of wind, the sun was pouring down his scorching rays, and the sea like a mirror reflected them with blinding intensity. The men, however, seemed perfectly indifferent as to the length of the voyage.”

“For an hour we had a most disagreeable sail along a monotonous sand flat. At last we came in sight of the cocoanut trees near Waimea, and I urged the men, but in vain. Suddenly a strong wind arose.”

“The sea was soon running very high and covered with white-caps, and every few minutes it broke over us, half filling the canoe. … It having become dangerous to proceed, I ordered that the canoe should be beached, which was done with difficulty and danger, but we were safe. Waimea was nine miles away, and the distance had to be walked.

“About 4 o’clock p. m. I arrived, tired and hungry, at the hospitable residence of Rev. S. Whitney, the missionary of this station, where a most cordial welcome, a good bath and a warm supper did much to refresh me.”

“I had been twelve hours in the canoe, where I could neither lie down nor sit up with any degree of comfort, and as I had expected to be at Waimea to breakfast, I had not brought any food with me except a few dry crackers.”

“Besides, after the wind rose and particularly in getting ashore, I was wet through. But after a good night’s rest I rose quite refreshed. After breakfast Mr. Whitney showed me his vineyard, which is the best on this island.”

“The first plants were introduced by the Russians.” (The information here is completely from an account made by Gorham D Gilman, canoeing across the Nāpali Coast of Kauai, August 19, 1845.)

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