3 
ue 
| 
traced for several miles in length, with oc- 
casional holes of different sizes in the roofs, 
screened sometimes with an overgrowth of 
large Trees and Ferns, which renders 
. walking highly dangerous. At other places, 
the tops of the vaults have fallen in for the 
space ofone hundred or even three hundred 
yards, an occurrence which is attributable 
to the violent earthquakes that sometimes 
visit this district, and which, as may be 
readily imagined from the number of these 
tunnels, is not well supplied with water. 
The inhabitants convert these caverns to 
use in varióus ways; employing them oc- 
casionally as permanent dwellings, but 
more frequently as cool retreats where they 
carry on the process of making native cloth 
from the bark of the Mulberry ,Tree, or 
Where they fabricate and shelter their 
canoes from the violent rays of the sun. 
They are also used for goat-folds and 
pig-styes, and the fallen-in places, where 
fhere is a greater depth of decomposed 
vegetable matter, are frequently planted 
with Tobacco, Indian Corn, Melons, and 
other choice plants. At a distance of ten 
miles North of Kapupala, and near the 
edge of the path, are some fine caverns, 
above sixty feet deep. The water, drop- 
ping from the top of the vault, collected 
Into small pools below, indicated a tempe- 
Tature of 50°, the air of the cave itself 51°, 
. While in the shade on the outside the ther- 
Pc radand Stood at 82». The interiors of 
the moist caverns are of a most beautiful 
appearance; not only from the singularity 
of their structure, but because they are 
delightfully fringed with Ferns, Mosses, 
m Jungermannie, thus holding out to 
hs Botanist a most inviting retreat from 
overpowering rays of a tropical sun. 
ned at Kapupala, at three p.M., I 
that the chief or head man had pre- 
las house for me, a nice and clean 
me With abundance of fine mats, &c., 
hear it there stood several large 
canoes filled with water, containing Mul- 
Bi ue in a state of fermentation, and 
offensive, as also a large pig-fold, 
ava-wall, and shaded with 
Ricinus communis, altoge- 
large bushes of 
SANDWICH ISLANDS, AND THE ASCENT OF MOUNA ROA. 
171 
ther forming an unsuitable station for mak- 
ing observations, to say nothing of the din 
and bustle constantly going on when 
strangers are present, besides the annoy- 
ance from fleas, I caused my tent to 
be pitched one hundred yards behind 
the house. The chief would have been 
better pleased if I had occupied his dwell- 
ing, but through Honori, I had this matter 
explained to his satisfaction. He sent me 
a fowl, cooked on heated stones under- 
ground, some baked Taro, and Sweet Po- 
tatoes, together with a calabash full of de- 
licious goat’s-milk, poured through the 
husk of a Cocoa-nut in lieu of a sieve. 
As strangers rarely visit this part of the 
island, a crowd soon assembled for the 
evening. The vegetation in this district 
can hardly be compared with that of Hido, 
nor are the natives so industrious: they 
have no fish-ponds, and cultivate little else 
than Taro, which they call Dry Taro, no 
Bananas, and but little Sugar-cane or other 
vegetables. Flocks of goats brouse over 
the hills, while fowls, turkeys, and pigs are 
numerous, and occupy the same dwellings 
with their owners. 
Honori, my guide, interpreter, purveyor, 
and, I may say, friend (for in every de- , 
partment of his omnifarious capacity he is 
a good sort of fellow), preached to-day, 
Sunday the 26th, in his own | , to 
an assembly of both sexes, old and young, 
nearly two hundred in number, both morn- 
ing and evening. I did not see him, but 
from my tent-door I could hear him in the 
School-house, a low small edifice, expound- 
ing and exhorting with much warmth. 
Having made so bold afterwards as to ask 
him where he took his text, he readily re- 
plied, that he “chose no text, but had 
taken occasion to say to the people a few 
good words concerning Paul when at 
Rome.” He was evidently well pleased 
himself with his sermon, and seemed to 
please his audience also. I visited the | 
school in the interval, when Honori had 
retired to compose his second sermon, and 
found the assemblage under the direction 
of the chief, who appears to be a good 
man, though far from an apt scholar; they 
