THROUGH HAWAII. 
11 
scenery, several of the Society Islands,—lies nearly 
west-north-west of Morokai, from which it is between 
twenty and thirty miles distant. This beautiful island 
is about forty-six miles long, and twenty-three wide ; 
its appearance from the roads off Honoruru, or Waititi, 
is remarkably picturesque : a chain of lofty mountains 
rises near the centre of the eastern part of the island, 
and, extending perhaps twenty miles, reaches the plain 
of Eva, which divides it from the distant and elevated 
mountains that rise in a line parallel with the north-west 
shore. The plain of Eva is nearly twenty miles in length, 
from the Pearl river to Waiarua, and in some parts 
nine or ten miles across : the soil is fertile, and watered 
by a number of rivulets, which wind their way along the 
deep water-courses that intersect its surface, and empty 
themselves into the sea. Though capable of a high state 
of improvement, a very small portion of it is enclosed, or 
under any kind of culture ; and in travelling across it, 
scarce a habitation is to be seen. The whole island is 
volcanic, and, in many parts, extinguished craters of 
large dimensions may be seen; but, from the depth of 
mould with which they are covered, and the trees and 
shrubs with which they are clothed, it may be presumed 
that many ages have elapsed since any eruption took 
place. The plain of Honoruru exhibits in a singular 
manner the extent and effects of volcanic agency ; it is 
not less than nine or ten miles in length, and, in some 
parts, two miles from the sea to the foot of the moun¬ 
tains : the whole plain is covered with a rich alluvial 
soil, frequently two or three feet deep ; beneath this, a 
layer of fine volcanic ashes and cinders extends to the 
depth of fourteen or sixteen feet; these ashes lie upon 
a stratum of solid rock by no means volcanic, but evi- 
