LETTER X.] 



< BESSIE TWINKER. 



99 



the blight which has fallen upon both in* other parts of the 

 island. In addition to the usual tropical productions, there 

 were some very fine fig trees and thickets of the castor-oil 

 plant, a very handsome shrub, when, as here, it grows to a 

 height of from 10 to 22 feet. The natives, having been joined 

 by some Waipio women, rode at full gallop over all sorts of 

 ground, and I enjoyed the speed of my mare without any appre- 

 hension of being thrown off. We rode among most extensive 

 kalo plantations, and large artificial fish-ponds, in which hun- 

 dreds of gold-fish were gleaming, and came back by the sea 

 shore, green with the maritime convolvulus, and the smooth- 

 bottomed river, which the Waipio folk use as a road. Canoes 

 glide along it, brown-skinned men wade down it floating bundles 

 of kalo after them, and strings of laden horses and mules follow 

 each other along its still waters. I hear that in another and 

 nearly unapproachable valley, a river serves the same purpose. 

 While we were riding up it, a great gust lifted off its surface in 

 fine spray, and almost blew us from our horses. Hawaii has 

 no hurricanes, but at some hours of the day Waipio is subject 

 to terrific gusts, which really justify the people in their objection 

 to visiting the cascade. Some time ago, in one of these, this 

 house was lifted up, carried 20 feet, and deposited in its pre- 

 sent position. 



Supper was ready for us — kalo, yams, spatchcock, poi, coffee, 

 rolls, and Oregon kippered salmon ; and when I told Halemanu 

 that the spatchcock and salmon reminded me of home, he was 

 quite pleased, and said he would provide the same for break- 

 fast to-morrow. 



The owner of the mare, which I have named " Bessie 

 Twinker," had willingly sold her to me, though I told him I 

 could not pay him for her until I reached Onomea. I do not 

 know what had caused my credit to suffer during my absence, 

 but D., after talking long with him this evening, said to me, 

 I He says he can't let you have the horse, because when you've 

 taken it away, he thinks you will never send him the money." 

 I told her indignantly to tell him that English women never 

 cheated people, a broad and totally unsustainable assertion, 

 which had the effect of satisfying the poor fellow. 



After Halemanu, Deborah, Kaluna, and a number of natives 

 had eaten their pot, Halemanu brought in a very handsome 

 silver candlestick, and expressed a wish that Deborah should 

 interpret for us. He asked a great many sensible questions 

 about England, specially about the state of the poor, the extent 



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