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280 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



officers, and crews of vessels, and among them I noticed the 

 well known name of " Coffin, Nantucket.''^ 



20th. — Mr. Paty and myself spent the day in traversing the 

 extensive forests of this island, in search of birds, but with very 

 little success. The walking was extremely difficult, and some- 

 times dangerous, in consequence of a thick undergrowth of 

 bushes, intermixed with large masses of rough, porous lava. 

 There is here a small species of crow, said to be numerous at 

 times, but we did not see any, as, in consequence of a long 

 drought, they, as well as most other birds, have retired back into 

 the mountains to procure water. We returned to Mr. Forbes' 

 house late in the afternoon, and found him preparing his baggage, 

 &c., for a passage to Oahu in our brig. He takes his wife and 

 two children with him. 



22d. — We sailed out of Karakakua last evening with the periodical- 

 land breeze, and this morning, at 9 o'clock, anchored offKawaihae. 

 This is a barren and most unattractive looking place, a rambling 

 sort of village, containing about fifty houses, but no vegetation 

 except a iew scattered cocoanuts, and an occasional kou, and 

 tutui tree. The soil is composed entirely of volcanic earth, or 

 the pulverization of lava and basalt. I observed none of the 

 handsome taro patches here that form such a relief to the eye 

 when scanning this rugged country in other places. From our 

 anchorage we have a view of several of the colossal mountains 

 and peaks of this island, among which the majestic point of 

 Mauna kea stands pre-eminent. I have not yet seen Mauna roa, 

 except from a considerable distance at sea, and I suppose that 

 now the gratification of a nearer view will not be afforded me. 

 I cannot too much regret that I have had no opportunity of visit- 

 ing this celebrated and stupendous volcano. 



23d. — Yesterday morning I went on shore with Captain 

 Hinckley and others, and called upon Mrs. Young, widow of the 

 late John Young, the oldest foreign resident of the Sandwich 



