•276 MAUI. 



than are the inhabitants of any civilized port we have visited. A 

 number of new species were obtained ; for which I refer to the report 

 on the ichthyology of the cruise. 



At Lahaina, bathing and frolicking in the surf are more practised 

 than in any other place in these islands. The inhabitants take great 

 delight in it ; and it is said that the king himself is extremely fond 

 of it. 



The tide at Lahaina is irregular, being somewhat dependent on the 

 winds : it runs to the northwest generally sixteen hours out of the 

 twenty-four. 



During our stay here on the 14th, a slight shock of an earthquake 

 was experienced. 



After passing Lanai, I hauled up for Molokai, intending, as the 

 day was far advanced, to lie under the lee of that island for the night. 

 Molokai is about forty miles long and nine miles in width. One- 

 third of the island, towards the western end, is a barren waste, not 

 susceptible of cultivation, except in the rainy season ; it has in 

 consequence few inhabitants, who are engaged mostly in fishing. 

 The eastern two-thirds are almost one entire mountain, rising gra- 

 dually from the south, until it attains an elevation of two thousand 

 five hundred to three thousand feet ; while on the north, it is almost 

 perpendicular. 



On the south side, it has a narrow strip of land, not exceeding one- 

 fourth of a mile in width, the soil of which is very rich, and which 

 contaiiis the greater part of the population. Owing to the want of 

 moisture, however, few plants will thrive even here ; resort is there- 

 fore had to the uplands, which are found to be susceptible of the 

 highest degree of cultivation. 



The amount of arable land, or that susceptible of cultivation, is 

 believed by the missionaries to be one-fourth ; but I should be in- 

 clined to reduce it to one-eighth, from the report of others and my 

 ow^n observations. Only about one-tenth of this is cultivated. 



The population of the island was reported as five thousand, in 1840; 

 eight years prior, in 1 832, it was six thousand : during this time, five 

 hundred marriages took place. The data has shown, that the births 

 much exceed the deaths ; and the decrease is attributed to emigration, 

 which has been going on for some time. The inhabitants are all 

 poor, and their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Hitchcock, asserts, that there are 

 not ten individuals on the island who have comfortable clothing and 

 sufficient food ; and he adds, that there has been no improvement 

 in their dwellings for the last ten years. 



