FOWKE] ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 191 



IN THE lAO VALLEY 



The deepest valley on Maui is that of the lao River. The sides, 

 nearly vertical in places, have an elevation of about 3,000 feet. About 

 2 miles above the town of Wailuku, well within the mountain, are 

 walls made of stones of varying sizes up to half a ton or more. 

 They extend over several acres of land and their structure is quite 

 complicated. Mostly, they are borders of taro patches, thouo;h some 

 of them mark house sites or gfarden inclosures. One wall, supportinj^ 

 a terrace, is 8 to 10 feet high and contains very heavy stones. 



Near the head of the lao Valley there are fully 40 acres of taro 

 beds. A trail formerly led from this spot to the south shore of the 

 island, near Lahaina. It can not now be traced, being obliterated 

 by slides. 



Residents of Wailuku say these places were in use only 50 or 60 

 years ago. 



Many evidences of former occupation have been destroyed in 

 operating the extensive sugar plantations. 



KAUAI ISLAND 



There seems to be less evidence of Hawaiian occupancy on Kauai 

 than on any other of the five principal islands. Comparatively few 

 heiaus are reported. Some of those which were in existence when the 

 whites came have been destroyed or defaced to such a degree in estab- 

 lishing sugar plantations that their original form is uncertain ; while 

 others are so covered with vegetation, either natural or due to culti- 

 vation, that nothing definite can be ascertained as to their size or 

 structure. 



The site which might be considered as possessing the greatest inter- 

 est is an aboriginal quarry and workshop where material for stone 

 implements was obtained and shaped into desired forms. There can 

 be no doubt as to the existence of such a place ; but no one now knows 

 its location, unless it be some of the older Hawaiians, who, however, 

 profess entire ignorance in regard to it. Mr. William H. Rice, of 

 Lihue, once induced some natives to conduct him to the spot. He 

 believes that if he alone had gone his guides would have fulfilled 

 their promise; but unfortunately several other men joined him, and 

 the natives, either suspicious of their intentions, or not wishing the 

 premises to become publicly known, pursued a devious and wearisome 

 journey through the jungle, crossing gulches and clambering up and 

 down cliffs until the white men were thoroughly bewildered and 

 exhausted ; then announced that they "couldn't find it," and led the 

 party home. 



