82 KAUAI AND OAHU. 



very succulent, which enables them to withstand the severity of the 

 droughts ; the quantity of rain that falls here being very small. 



They endeavoured to make an ascent on one of the ridges, but 

 found themselves obliged to give it up, when they had reached half 

 the altitude of the mountain. 



Travelling here, they witnessed an economy of time that would 

 have been remarkable in any country. At a house, one of the natives 

 who accompanied them procured a chicken and some hot stones from 

 a fire ; he then tied them up together, and carried them along : when 

 they arrived at the next stopping-place, the chicken was produced 

 ready cooked ! 



On the plain behind the village, they found the Agati grandiflora 

 growing in a wild state ; the flowers were smaller and of a darker 

 orange than those seen cultivated. 



They left Waianae after being two days with the chief, who 

 charged them four dollars for their lodging, which will give some 

 idea of native prices. Passing the mountain range by a different 

 route, their collections of plants were but little increased. A new 

 species of Morus, a singular plant belonging to the Violacese family, 

 a Dracaena of robust growth, and a few ferns, were all that they 

 obtained. 



Mauna Kaala has the appearance of being a flat-topped mountain ; 

 but this is not the case, the evenness of the ridge alone giving it that 

 appearance. 



The salt lake, so much spoken of, was visited many times ; it has 

 excited a great deal of curiosity, being supposed to be fathomless, and 

 to ebb and flow with the tide. 



I landed with my friend, Dr. Judd, of the mission, near the foot of 

 the hills which enclose the salt lake, and levelled from low-water 

 mark upwards, over the hill, and down to the lake. The result gave 

 one hundred and five feet rising, and one hundred and three feet 

 falling, which proves it to be on the same level as half-tide. Dr. 

 Judd engaged some natives to carry over a canoe to the lake, in 

 which we embarked, well provided with long sounding-lines, to ascer- 

 tain its reputed great depth ; after much search, no fathomless hole 

 was to be found, and no greater depth than eighteen inches ! To find 

 out if it ebbed and flowed was the next step ; for this purpose, sticks 

 were placed on the shore, which is so shelving that a small perpen- 

 dicular rise and fall would be quite evident. There was no tide 

 perceived after several hours' watching. A little rise above the tide- 

 sticks took place, but nothing beyond what would be occasioned by 



