HAWAIIANDOAHU. 97 



departure would have to be deferred uutil Monday, as it would be 

 impossible to prepare the food necessary for the journey in a day, 

 and the next being Sunday, no natives could be persuaded to travel 

 until Monday. On the nights of their stay with Mr. Forbes, they 

 distinctly saw the heavens lighted up by the fires of the volcano of 

 Kilauea Pele, although at the distance of forty miles. This mission 

 station is on the west side of Hawaii, and on the south side of the 

 bay of Kealakeakua. 



Almost the whole coast of this district, extending forty miles, is 

 one line of lava. This frequently lies in large masses for miles in 

 extent, and is in other places partially broken, exhibiting perpendi- 

 cular cliffs, against which the sea dashes with fury. This formation 

 extends half a mile into the interior, and as the distance from the sea 

 increases, the soil becomes richer and more productive. The face of 

 the country, even within this rocky barrier, is rough and covered 

 with blocks and beds of lava, more or less decomposed. The land in 

 places reaches the altitude of two thousand feet, and at a distance of 

 two miles from the coast begins to be well covered with woods of 

 various kinds of trees, which are rendered almost impassable by an 

 undergrowth of vines and ferns. In these woods there are many 

 cleared spots, which have the appearance of having been formerly 

 cultivated, or having been burnt by the descending streams of lava. 

 In some places, these strips of wood descend to within a mile of the 

 shore, having escaped destruction. These are in no place parallel to 

 the shore, but lie always in the direction which the streams of lava 

 would take in descending from the mountains. 



Cultivation is carried on in many places where it would be deemed 

 almost impracticable in any other country. There are, indeed, few 

 places where a plough could be used in this district, although there is 

 a strip of good land from three to five miles wide, having the barren 

 lava-coast on one side and the forest on the other. This strip pro- 

 duces, luxuriantly, whatever is planted on it, the soil being formed of 

 decomposed lava, mixed with vegetable matter. The natives, during 

 the rainy season, also plant, in excavations among the lava rocks, 

 sweet-potatoes, melons, and pine-apples, all of which produce a crop. 

 They have little inducement to raise any thing more than for their 

 immediate wants, as there is no market, except one of limited extent 

 at Kailau, which is fifteen miles distant. Two or three whale-ships 

 touch here during the year, and take in a few provisions and wood, but 



VOL. IV. 25 



