SANDWICH ISLANDS. 217 



and who accompanied him on the present occasion, is a native 

 of New England. 



February 9th. To-day I visited the town. It is built near 

 the sea-shore, and the principal street is about a mile long. 

 Near the landing-place is a fort in good repair and well adapted 

 for defence. Many of the houses have gardens attached 

 to them, in which are growing taro, plantains, bananas, 

 cabbages, onions, and a great variety of other vegetables. 

 The king's palace is not yet finished, and he resides at pre- 

 sent in a grass house built after the native style. The ma- 

 terial employed in the construction of the new building is 

 coral, brought from the neighboring reefs. The town contains 

 several stores, a chapel, and a reading-room. It has con- 

 siderable trade with whaling vessels. 



The inhabitants are numerous, and as well-dressed and well- 

 behaved as any we have seen in the group. The surrounding 

 country is very romantic and beautiful. The whole valley in 

 the rear of the town is a perfect garden. The habitations of the 

 natives are seen peeping through the leaves of the trees ; a fine 

 stream takes its course from one end of the valley to the other 

 in some places flowing along gently and smoothly at others, 

 rushing down a fall of several feet, and dashing and breaking 

 against the rocks that intercepts its progress ; while the sides 

 of the hills which bound the valley towards the interior, are 

 covered with verdure. An excellent view may be obtained of 

 this charming landscape from the summit of the hill on which 

 the high-school is located. There, as you stand, nearly three 

 hundred feet high, you behold in one view the whole scene in 

 which there are beauties that words cannot describe. 



'* But who can paint 



Like nature ? Can imagination boast 



Amidst its gay creation, hues like her's ? 



