HAWAII. 237 



blistering up, and remaining hollow : when struck, they give a deep 

 sound, not unlike that from a large drum. The cave is said to have 

 been much curtailed in its dimensions about a century ago. 



At all the small places along the coast, there are some petty 

 officers, mostly connected with and appointed by the missionaries. 

 Besides the religious duties they perform, they are likewise tax- 

 gatherers, have a good deal of authority over the people, and were 

 found to be the greatest extortioners our gentlemen met with. 



At some of the houses, the natives were seen to be very much afraid 

 of the tax-gatherers, and when any of them made their appearance, 

 all merriment would cease ; those who were indulging in a pipe or 

 cigar, would at once put them aside, and all seemed under restraint. 



The native women are generally found employed, either in plaiting 

 hats from the flowering stock of the sugar-cane, or making mats from 

 the bleached leaves of the pandanus. 



At some of the houses where Mr. Drayton stopped, the women 

 were dressed as they are represented when dancing, in the figures of 

 Cook and Vancouver's voyages ; they are still permitted to dance, but 

 the song called Hoori-hoori is forbidden on account of its indecency. 



Dr. Pickering was the last who visited the crater of Kilauea. He 

 passed towards the lava stream by the way of Pahuhali, having John 

 the pilot as his guide, and spent the first night about three miles to 

 the south of that place. The inhabitants were found to have returned 

 to their places of residence, and were again cultivating the ground. 



He crossed the recent lava near its upper part, and found it over- 

 lying the soil, about twelve feet in thickness, having a surface resem- 

 bling the " black ledge," with the friable vitreous crust before 

 remarked. Towards the margin of the stream he found many trees, 

 two feet in diameter, which the lava had flowed around and burnt off. 

 The road passed between two patches of lava, and had not been burnt, 

 as the natives had reported ; crevices, however, passed across, and 

 divided the road. After exploring these parts, Dr. Pickering pro- 

 ceeded to Kaimo, which was found to be a large village, scattered 

 along the beach for one and a half miles. Cocoa-nut trees were ob- 

 served to be more numerous here than at any other place on the island. 



They here found a well-built school-house, kept by a native teacher. 

 This place has seldom been visited by foreigners, and the consequence 

 was a very great curiosity to see the strangers. The proportion of 

 children was larger than usual. 



VOL. IV. 60 



