letter xxvi.] THE CLIMATE OF HILO. 



211 



Hilo, Hawaii, May 24th. 



Once more I am in dear, beautiful Hilo. Death entered my 

 Hawaiian " home " lately, and took " Baby Bell " away, and I 

 miss her sweet angel-presence at every turn; but otherwise 

 there are no changes, and I am very happy to be under the 

 roof of these dear friends again, but indeed each tree, flower, 

 and fern in Hilo is a friend. I would not even wish the 

 straggling Pride of India, and over-abundant lantana, away 

 from this fairest of the island Edens. I wish I could transport 

 you here this moment from our sour easterly skies to this end- 

 less summer and endless sunshine, and shimmer of a peaceful 

 sea, and an atmosphere whose influences are all cheering. 

 Though from 13 to 16 feet of rain fall here in the year the air 

 is not damp. Wet clothes hung up in the verandah even 

 during rain, dry rapidly, and a substance so sensitive to damp 

 as botanical paper does not mildew. 



I met Deborah on horseback near Onomea, and she told me 

 that the Austins were expecting me, and so I spent three days 

 very pleasantly with them on my way here. 



I. L. B. 



The old Kilauea has just come in, and has brought the 

 English mail, and a United States mail, an event which sets 

 Hilo agog. Then for a few hours its still, drowsy life becomes 

 galvanized, and people really persuade themselves that they 

 have something to do, and all the foreigners write letters 

 hastily, or add postscripts to those already written, and lose the 

 mail, and rush down frantically to the beach to send their late 

 letters by favour of the obliging purser. The mail to-day was 

 an event to me, as it has brought your long-looked-for letters. 



