177 
‘‘The  woods,”  he  said,  “are  very  largely  cleared  away ; and 
you  would  find  it  hard  to  realize  where  you  were.” 
Think  of  it ! Those  splendid  forests  gone,  or  nearly  so ; and 
we  thought  they  were  inexhaustible. 
Already  the  well-wooded  States  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and 
Minnesota  are  trembling  with  anxiety  over  the  diminution 
of  their  glorious  forests.  Lumber  has  advanced  in  price  till 
the  cost  of  home  building  has  become  a serious  question  with 
young  men  starting  in  life,  and  the  open  wood  fire,  which  we 
used  to  enjoy  so  thoroughly  in  long  winter  evenings,  has 
grown  to  be  too  great  a luxury  for  the  poor  man  to  enjoy, 
while  the  loss  to  the  whole  land  is  becoming  a matter  of 
serious  consideration  to  which  the  country  is  only  just 
awakening. 
Again,  we  had  a dear  friend  and  neighbor  once  in  the  late 
Dr.  Baldwin,  formerly  missionary  and  physician  at  Lahaina. 
1 recall  many  enjoyable  conversations  with  him,  he  taught  me 
many  valuable  lessons.  I remember  once  his  telling  me  about 
the  beautiful  coconut  groves  of  Lahaina.  He  said  that  he 
once  held  a conversation  with  the  high  chiefess  at  Lahaina 
in  which  he  advised  her  to  plant  coconuts  that  the  older  trees 
might  be  replaced  as  they  died  out.  “What  is  the  use?”  said 
the  easy  going  old  lady,  “I  would  never  live  to  eat  of  the 
fruit.” 
“True,”  said  the  doctor,  “but  how  about  your  children?” 
The  thought  of  planning  and  working  for  posterity  was  a 
new  one  to  this  excellent  lady,  but  she  arose  to  the  occasion 
Hundreds  of  coconuts  were  planted  by  her  command  that 
year  and  the  beautiful  groves  north  and  south  of  Lahaina 
stand  today  as  a memorial  of  the  high  chiefess  Kinau. 
One  more  little  story  only-  Some  years  ago  I was 
talking  with  a gentleman  of  a remarkably  heavy  rain 
which  we  had  just  experienced,  when  he  said  to  me,  “Mrs. 
Hall,  I don’t  believe  in  the  accuracy  of  that  rain  gauge  of 
Mr.  Hall’s — why  a rainfall  like  that  would  lay  the  Sacramento 
valley  under  water;  and  look  at  this  place,  no  water  standing 
anywhere !” 
“You  are  undoubtedly  right,”  I replied,  “as  concerns  the 
Sacramento  valley,  but  will  you  please  consider  the  difference 
in  the  lay  of  the  land.  Pouring  water  from  the  mountains  into 
that  great  valley  is  like  pouring  water  into  a huge  bowl,  while 
here  it  is  like  pouring  water  upon  an  inverted  bowl — the  water 
runs  off  into  the  sea  leaving  us  high  and  dry.”  All  this 
tremendous  rainfall  tumbled  into  the  Pacific  ocean,  which  is 
well  supplied  already,  and  our  cattle  dying  for  want  of  water 
enough  to  drink  only  a few  months  later ; and  the  land  drying 
up  and  blowing  a way,  in  spots,  at  least. 
And  yet,  in  upper  Nuuanu  valley  is  a great  depression  which 
is  capable  of  being  made  into  a series  of  great  reservoirs  which 
