NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



413 



•in August, and throe days in September, viz., the the curiosity of some of the loungers there, and 

 6th, 7th and 8th. In 1847, ten days in July and 'they set off to examine the summit of Haleakala, 

 one day in August. In 1848, one day in July, the and secure, if any thing of the kind could he found, 

 21st, and three days in August. In 1849, seven the precious metal. A few week since, I stood on 

 days in July the thermometer stood over 90°; one the top of the said mountain, but I saw neither 



In gold nor any signs of digging for gold. You would 



In not expect to hear of gold could you now stand on 



one of the mountains of Hawaii, and see, as you 



day, the 12th, at 96°, and the 13th at 97 

 l <_ i<i, two days in July and one in August 

 1851, one day in July, (the 17th, at 91°.) 

 year (1852) already five days in July 



Thi* 



might do, this very day, a volcanic crater on a 



The thermometer that I use was made by John neighboring mountain, throwing torrents of burn 

 Pool, of the adjoining town of Easton, whose ther- ing lava 500 feet into the air, and descending in 



mometersare noted for their accuracy. It is placed 

 at the north side of the house, and shade trees 

 keep off the reflection of the sun. In mornings 

 and at night, out here in the country, it generally 

 runs lower, than it does in the city. 



Yours, &e., Isaac Stearns. 



Mansfield, July 26, 1852. 



For the. New England Farmer. 

 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



JWakawao, JMuui, Sandwich Islands, 

 March 2b, 1852. 

 Editors N. E. Farmer, Boston, Mass.: 



Gentlemen : — Mr. William A. McLane, a 

 neighbor and friend of mine, requested Sherman 

 Peck, Esq., of Pittsfield, Mass., who had once 

 lived at the islands, and who re-visited us in the 

 autumn of 1850, to procure and send him, on his 

 return to the United States, a good Agricultural 

 newspaper. In compliance with this request, Mr. 

 Peck sent him the New England Farmer. Mr. 

 McLane thought much of the paper, and had he 

 been spared, would doubtless have continued to 

 take it. On his death-bed, he told me to take the 

 paper the remainder of the year, as Mr. Peck paid 

 in advance, and the postage also. Having looked 

 over all the numbers of the Farmer, and feeling, as 

 I do, that such a sheet would be useful among us 

 on Maui, I wrote to Mr. Peck to have it contin- 

 ued. But as he is in California, I write to say, if 

 Mr. Peck has not made arrangements with you on 

 my behalf, please send to my son, J. Porter Green, 

 Makawao, Maui, Sandwich Islands, by mail, via 

 California, as it now comes. Ere I close I will tell 

 you to whom to send your bill for payment. 



But I may not send you blank paper at a time 

 like this, when "many are running to and fro," and 

 thus increasing knowledge. I think you will like 

 to hear occasionally from us at the Sandwich Is- 

 lands, especially on the subject of Hawaiian Agri- 

 culture. I will, therefore, fill a couple of sheets 

 for you at once, and, if spared, I will communicate 

 from time to time, as I may have anything worth 

 your hearing. 



Allow me to begin by saying that among the 

 miscellaneous items in your paper of December 

 13th, 1851, you have the following : — "It is stated 

 that a gold mine has been discovered at the Sand- 

 wich Islands." Yes, gentlemen, before your paper 

 arrived, I had myself heard it so stated. Haleak- 

 ala, the mountain directly above me at this place, 

 the highest land on the island, is the spot where 

 it has pleased some lover of the marvelous to 

 locate this mine. At any rate, some one, about a 

 year ago, wishing to "make the natives stare," to 

 create an excitement, hinted to the people of 

 Wailuku, a village some fifteen miles distant from 

 us, and about thirty from the mountain, that gold 

 might be found there. This was enough to excite 



torrents, forming a river which destroys, in its 

 course toward the sea, everything in its way. Let 

 me tell you what the Hawaiian Islands are made 

 of; 2d, what they are producing; and 3d, what 

 they may be made to produce by the blessing of God 

 on honest, industrious and persevering labor. 



1. Of what the islands are made. Rev. Sheldon 

 Dibble, in his history of the Sandwich Islands, in 

 speaking of their origin, says it is "matter of con- 

 jecture." Some think that where the islands are 

 now, was once nothing but the rolling ocean — that 

 the whole group, with their iron-bound coasts and 

 snow-crested mountains, were thrown up from the 

 depths below, by volcanic agency. The islands 

 are merely masses of lava. Even the soil is de- 

 composed lava. Craters of extinct volcanoes are 

 everywhere to be seen on the islands. Some are 

 partially extinct, continuing to emit smoke ; 

 and one presents a lake of raging fire, with occa- 

 sional eruptions of awful grandeur. Such is the 

 character, not only of the Hawaiian Islands, but 

 of many groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean. 

 From these appearances the opinion is formed that 

 the islands are of volcanic origin. This opinion, 

 however, is necessarily mere conjecture, and is, of 

 course, of very little weight. I by no means agree 

 with Mr. Dibble in this matter. If any portion of 

 the globe we inhabit may be said to be of volcanic 

 formation, I am sure these islands is that portion, 

 or one of such portions. Mr. Jarves remarks, in 

 his history of the islands, "The minerals are few 

 and simple, consisting of the usual varieties of the 

 lavas, from the most solid and granular, to the 

 light pumice stone. No metals have been dis- 

 covered. The soil of the islands is formed of de- 

 composed volcanic rocks, sand, mud and ashes. 

 To be made fertile, it requires constant irrigation. 

 Valleys which receive the debris and rains of the 

 mountains, and for ages have been accumulating 

 deposits of vegetable mould, are exceedingly ricli 

 and productive ; but they are of limited extent." 

 There can be little doubt, if any, that all the soil 

 of the Hawaiian Islands is decomposed lava. This 

 is in different stages of decomposition, scarcely 

 any soil being found in many places, while in others 

 it is considerably rich and strong. 



2. What the islands produce at the present 

 time. The principal article of food is the halo- 

 arum esculentum, used in great quantities by the 

 natives of the islands. This requires a good soil, 

 and does in fact occupy the richest vallies of the 

 country, and quickly exhausts the soil. The sweet 

 potato seems to be indigenous, and is easily 

 raised. The Irish potato was introduced into the 

 country about 20 years since, and has become very 

 plenty. We greatly need, bowever, a change of 

 seed, not only of this, but of all vegetables and 

 grains. Wheat also does well in some sections of 

 the islands, and I see not why a home supply 

 could not be raised. Indian corn, beans, onions, 



