KAUAI AND O A H U. 



77 



included in the above nine, rain fell on fiftj-two days; fourteen were 

 cloudy. During the remaining twenty-four the weather was clear, but 

 it rained occasionally at night. 



Our gentlemen made several excursions back of Halelea with Mr. 

 Alexander, and endeavoured to ascend the peaks ; but the rain pre- 

 vented their doing so. They obtained many interesting specimens of 

 plants and birds, among the former of which were a number of ferns. 



On the 1st of November they attended Mr. Alexander's church. 

 The congregation was composed of about four hundred. They were all 

 much struck with the dress of the native women, its unusual neatness 

 and becoming appearance. It seemed remarkable that so many of 

 them should be clothed in foreign manufacture, and that apparently 

 of an expensive kind; but on a closer examination, the dresses proved 

 to be tapas, printed in imitation of merino shawls, ribands, &c. 



The tender making her appearance in the harbour, our gentlemen 

 received notice to repair on board in the evening. Mr. Knox had 

 circumnavigated the island, and made surveys of its small harbours : 

 there are none of these fit for a vessel to ride in. That of Waimea, as I 

 said before, is the safest, but Halelea is frequently used ; and although 

 much exposed to the winds, it has more pretension to the name of a 

 harbour, than the rest. It is remarkable from having been the place 

 where the pride of Salem, " Cleopatra's Barge," was wrecked. The 

 west coast of the island was found destitute of harbours or anchorage, 

 havnig a perpendicular cliff rising from the sea for the greatest part of 

 the distance. 



The Halelea river is navigable for canoes about three miles ; it is 

 from one to two hundred feet wide, has but little current, and is 

 slightly affected by the tide near its mouth. 



The highest point of the island, which is estimated at six thousand 

 feet, is called Wailioli. Mr. Alexander stated, that it had been 

 ascended on its eastern side from Waioli. I regretted afterwards I 

 had not despatched officers to ascend it, but our naval duties were so 

 pressing upon all, that I found it impossible to spare any one at the 

 time I ordered the party to Kauai. I also partly indulged the hope, 

 that those who were to cross over the centre of the island, would have 

 been led near it, and thus tempted to make the ascent. From the 

 information I have received, it is supposed to have a crater on its 

 summit, like many of the other high mountains in the group. It is 

 said, that when the weather is clear, the natives ascend it for the 

 purpose of getting a view of Oahu, one hundred miles distant. 



VOL. IV. 20 



