KAUAIANDOAHU. 71 



yield of the latter is fine and of a pale yellow or orange silk ; of the 

 former the colour is white, and much coarser. 



Indigo is produced in the valley of Halelea, and grows well. Mr. 

 Alexander had some growing, but his plants, from being allowed to get 

 too high, have become woody and scraggy, and produce very indifferent 

 foliage. The manufacture of indigo is not understood in the Sandwich 

 Islands, although the plant flourishes so well there that it has run wild, 

 and with proper knowledge and attention, in the opinion of our bota- 

 nists, might produce a profitable crop. 



The tutui-nut tree (Aleurites triloba) is very abundant, several thou- 

 sand acres being covered with forests of it. The island abounds in 

 very many excellent Avoods for the cabinet-maker, joiner, and ship- 

 builder ; of which I received a large number of specimens, presented to 

 the Expedition by Mr. Ladd, of Oahu, who was kind enough to order 

 the collection to be made by his partner at Koloa. 



The rivers, as well as sea, abound in excellent fish, and afford a 

 plentiful harvest to the fisherman. 



Goats, hogs, and poultry of all kinds are raised, but there is no 

 market nearer than Koloa or Oahu for their sale ; these, whenever 

 possible, are resorted to. 



The climate, as to temperature, is about three degrees cooler than 

 the other side of the island : the range of the thermometer, from 

 January to May, was from 56° to 82° ; sometimes it has been known 

 to fall as low as 52°, and rise as high as 87°. The inhabitants never 

 suffer from heat, and the rains are so frequent as to clothe the country 

 in perpetual green. It rains nearly nine months in the year, and, 

 from the rainbows formed by these passing showers, it has obtained 

 its name, which signifies the land or place of rainbows, Halelea. A 

 few days of dry weather are quite unusual. During three months, 

 included in the above nine, rain fell on fifty-two days ; fourteen were 

 cloudy. During the remaining twenty-four the weather was clear, but 

 it rained occasionally at night. 



Our gentlemen made several excursions back of Halelea with Mr. 

 Alexander, and endeavoured to ascend the peaks; but the rain pre- 

 vented their doing so. They obtained many interesting specimens of 

 plants and birds, among the former of which were a number of ferns. 



On the 1st of November they attended Mr. Alexander's church. 

 The congregation was composed of about four hundred. They were 

 all much struck with the dress of the native women, its unusual neat- 

 ness and becoming appearance. It seemed remarkable that so many 

 of them should be clothed in foreign manufacture, and that apparently 



