KILAUEA. 191 



to be attended to was buying our supper. In this traffic, to which Dr. 

 Judd usually attended, many curious scenes occurred, which caused 

 us much amusement. At Keeau, for instance, an old woman brought 

 some eggs for sale, which we were very desirous of obtaining, but she 

 had determined that she must have a pair of scissors, and refused to 

 take any thing else. Unfortunately for us we had no scissors to give, 

 and no persuasion could prevail upon her to take any thing else for 

 them, although three times their value was offered in money, and she 

 was told it would buy a pair; but no! she marched off with her eggs, 

 and we went without them. 



This trait is stronger in the Hawaiians than in the other islanders 

 of Polynesia ; and I heard of another remarkable instance of the same 

 sort. A native woman brought to a friend of mine in Honolulu a 

 large watermelon, and desired to have a needle for it ; the melon was 

 worth far more, and she was told so. With the needle, more was 

 offered, but refused, and possessing herself of the coveted article, she 

 went away, fully satisfied that she had made an excellent bargain. 



Not unfrequently at the markets a native will bring an article for 

 sale, upon which he has fixed an exorbitant price, and he will continue 

 to visit it day after day, until he is quite satisfied it cannot be sold for 

 the desired price, when, instead of offering it at a lower price, he will 

 prefer to carry it away. 



I here learned their mode of reckoning distances is sometimes 

 by lands, which I found to be equivalent to about one-fourth of a 

 mile. 



In some places they have taken great pains to secure a good road 

 or walking path: thus, there is a part of the road from Nanavalie to 

 Hilo which is built of pieces of lava, about four feet high and three 

 feet wide on the top. The largest and best pieces are placed on the 

 top ; but notwithstanding this, the road is exceedingly fatiguing to the 

 stranger, as the lumps are so arranged that he is obliged to take a 

 long and a short step alternately ; but this the natives do not seem to 

 mind, and they pass over the road with great facility, even when 

 heavily laden. 



The lava along this part of the coast was similar to that which has 

 been called old, and in some places I observed the impression of trees 

 that had fallen on it before it was cold : the marks of them are now as 

 fresh as if it had happened yesterday. There is no traditionary ac- 

 count of any flow of lava on this coast, which is a precipitous shore, 

 about fifteen feet high, on which the sea beats with violence at all 

 times. 



On the 23d of January we were up betimes, being desirous of 



