THROUGH HAWAII, 
61 
course of the trade-winds being intercepted by the 
high lands of Maui and Ranai. 
It is not unusual for vessels, passing that way, to 
be becalmed there for six, eight, or even ten days. The 
natives, with the small craft belonging to the islands, 
usually keep close in shore, avail themselves of the 
gentle land-breeze to pass the point in the evening, and 
run into Lahaina with the sea-breeze in the morning; 
but this is attended with danger, as there is usually a 
heavy swell rolling in towards the land. One or two 
vessels have escaped being drifted on the rocks, only 
by the prompt assistance of their boats. 
At day-break, on the 4th, we found ourselves within 
about four miles of Lahaina, which is the principal dis¬ 
trict in Maui, on account of its being the general resi¬ 
dence of the chiefs, and the common resort of ships that 
touch at the island for refreshments. A dead calm pre¬ 
vailed, but by means of two large sweeps or oars, each 
worked by four men, we reached the roads, and an¬ 
chored at 6 A. m. 
The appearance of Lahaina from the anchorage is 
singularly romantic and beautiful. A fine sandy beach 
stretches along the margin of the sea, lined for a consi¬ 
derable distance with houses, and adorned with shady 
clumps of kou trees, or waving groves of cocoa-nuts. 
The former is a species of cordia; the cordia sebas - 
tina in Cook’s voyages. The level land of the whole 
district, for about three miles, is one continued garden, 
laid out in beds of taro, potatoes, yams, sugar-cane, or 
cloth plants. The lowly cottage of the farmer is seen 
peeping through the leaves of the luxuriant plantain 
and banana tree, and in every direction white columns 
of smoke ascend, curling up among the wide-spreading 
