66 KAUAIANDOAHU. 



whole route. Wild dogs are said also to exist in bands. During the 

 day, a storm of wind and rain came on. After passing this fertile 

 region, they reached the table-land, which is a marshy district, filled 

 with quagmires, exceedingly difficult to travel through, and in which 

 they frequently sunk up to their knees in mud and water. This table- 

 land was supposed to be upwards of twenty miles square. Here the 

 natives were inclined to turn back ; but, as they afterwards said, they 

 considered themselves bound to proceed " on so unusual an occasion." 

 Their fears arose from the report that natives had been lost in crossing 

 by this path. At about 3 p. m., they reached the Pali or precipice, 

 which is like that of Oahu, having a very abrupt, though not danger- 

 ous, descent. Many interesting plants were gathered on this route, 

 such as Acsena, Daphne, Pelargonium, Piantago, Drosera, with seve- 

 ral interesting grasses. 



At the Pali they neglected to make observations with the sympieso- 

 meter, but their impression was that the height was six or seven hun- 

 dred feet more than the situation of the half-way house, which would 

 give an altitude of about four thousand feet. Mr. Alexander, the mis- 

 sionary at Halelea, informed them that he had made it that height by 

 triangulation. 



The descent of the Pali was found to be very steep and fatiguing ; 

 but by slipping, tumbling, scrambling, and swinging from tree to tree, 

 they reached the margin of the river Wainiha, at its foot. The stream 

 was in this place about six hundred feet above tide. They were 

 obliged to ford it ; and in consequence of the heavy rain of the day 

 before, it was so much swollen as to be almost impassable, the water 

 reaching to their breasts. This, together with floundering through the 

 taro-patches, as the darkness set in, made tnem consent to take up their 

 lodgings in a native hut. In the morning they passed down the valley 

 of Wainiha, which here forms a glen. The sides of the mountains, 

 that rise abruptly about fifteen hundred feet on each side, are covered 

 with vegetation in every variety of tint ; whilst the tutui tree (Candle- 

 nut), the bread-fruit, orange, banana, plantations of Broussonetia papy- 

 rifera, and taro-beds, together with pandanus trees, w 7 hose blossoms 

 scent the air for miles, filled the valley with luxuriance. This prolific 

 vegetation, with numerous cascades falling over the perpendicular sides 

 of the rock, combine to form one of the most picturesque scenes on this 

 island. 



About noon they reached Halelea, most of the distance to which 

 was travelled along the sea-shore. On their way they crossed the Lu- 

 mahae, a river similar to the Wainiha, and running parallel with it. 

 The foot of the Pali is about five miles from the coast. 



