392 HONOLULU. 
dulum observations, and some in the local surveys of the islands; so 
that, although our stay at Honolulu had the name of relaxation, I 
found it myself one of the busiest parts of the cruise. 
The house, though convenient, was seldom occupied by its owner: 
they invariably prefer the grass-houses, which are more convenient for 
their mode of life, and better adapted to the climate ; and if they could 
be preserved in the state they are when first built, they would be 
exceedingly pleasant residences. 
The chiefs have much ambition to own an European house, which 
are built of coral blocks, taken from the reefs to the westward of the 
town: of this there appears to be an inexhaustible supply. It is found 
in layers of from one to two feet in thickness, and by cutting through 
them, a block of almost any dimensions may be obtained. I understood 
a foreigner had obtained a lease of this profitable source of revenue 
from the government. 
In my first interview with the king, he spoke of the decrease of the 
depth of water in the harbour, imagining the quarrying of the coral 
had been in part the cause of it, and asked me to direct my attention 
to it, and to point out a remedy if possible to obviate it; for they were 
very desirous to preserve the harbour as it was, free from obstructions. 
Within these last fifteen years much alteration has taken place, by the 
deposit of mud, which will in time close it entirely up, if not removed 
or prevented. The stream coming down the Nuuanu valley, though 
small, makes a considerable deposit; this, with the wash from the 
town, and the dust and earth that are daily in motion from the 
violence of the wind, though imperceptible, will in time produce effect: 
much of this may be obviated by the construction of a wall on the 
reef, near the inner edge of it, which would intercept a great part of 
it, and prevent the deposit from taking place in the deep water, which 
it now does. It will be very easy to direct the discharge of the 
Nuuanu in a direction towards the sea, by damming, and this could be 
done at very little expense. 
The naturalists were not idle, but usefully employed in rambling 
over the islands, so that we had every opportunity of becoming 
acquainted with the productions, soil, climate, and inhabitants. 
We had a good opportunity of observing the advance they were 
making in civilization under the new organization of the government 
and laws, and the amount of good the missionaries had done; of which 
I shall speak hereafter. 
From my long stay at the different islands of this group, many 
opportunities were afforded me of examining their establishments in 
