206 HAWAI I. 



party. At Puahai they were permitted to occupy the school-house, 

 and remained over Sunday. 



The coast to the north of Hilo is somewhat peculiar : it is a steep 

 bluff, rising about two hundred feet; this is cut into small breaks, 

 called here " gulches," within which the villages are generally situ- 

 ated, and the natives grow bananas and taro. In some places they 

 cultivate small patches of sugar-cane, which succeed well. 



These gulches are ravines, from eight hundred to one thousand feet 

 deep, which have apparently been worn by water-courses : they 

 extend back to the woods, and have made the country impassable for 

 either vehicles or riders on horseback, for no sooner is one passed 

 than another occurs. There is no landing for boats, for all along the 

 shore the surf beats on the rocks with violence. 



Mr. Castle's residence was reached the next day : it is about seven 

 miles from Hilo. He has been turning his attention to the cultivation 

 of coffee, and has now a plantation of several thousand trees in and 

 among the coast-craters, which is in a fine condition. 



Mr. Castle is a carpenter, and has erected and owns some of the 

 mills on the island. 



They walked the next day to Hilo. On approaching it they saw 

 many bread-fruit trees, with the fruit lying under them rotting : for the 

 natives never think of eating it so long as they can get taro, or the 

 sweet-potato ; and, seemingly, it has lost its value in their eyes. 



On my return to Hilo, finding the survey of the bay had not been 

 begun, we commenced it immediately. Lieutenant Alden, whilst 

 putting up a signal on the north point was upset in the surf, and 

 narrowly escaped being drowned. He was saved by the Kanakas, 

 who were part of the boat's crew. The surf, as I have before re- 

 marked, is too heavy to allow a boat to land on this shore. 



An accident also occurred to the launch, while watering, during our 

 stay. Mr. Vanderford, who had charge of her, was passing out of the 

 Wailuku river, off the point of which the boat entered the breakers, 

 and a heavy roller capsized her : being heavily laden with water, she 

 sunk, and drifted out, leaving those who were in her in danger of 

 drowning. Mr. Vanderford could not swim, but a native came at 

 once to his assistance, who, however, would do nothing until he was 

 promised two dollars, which of course a drowning man was not 

 long in doing, when he acted promptly and rescued the officer from 

 drowning. 



In order to give the native a lesson as to his conduct in demanding 

 money in such a situation, he was told that he would have received 

 twice as much if he had not made the demand. It is due, however, to 



