HAWAII AND OAHU. 91 



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 perpendicular 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 

 this is not a sufficient stimulus to induce exertions on the part of the 

 natives to cultivate the soil, or to produce industrious habits. 



The only staple commodities are sweet-potatoes, upland taro, and 

 yams. The latter are almost entirely raised for ships. Sugar-cane, 

 bananas, pine-apples, bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and melons, are also cul- 



