THROUGH HAWAII. 
321 
CHAP. XII. 
Former Customs on Wairuku River—Affecting Instance of In¬ 
fanticide—Extent of Infanticide; Motives to its Practice; 
humane Efforts of the Chiefs for preventing it—-Account of 
the native Methods of curing Diseases—Tradition of the 
Origin of Medicine—Waiakea Bay—Conversation with Na¬ 
tives of the Marquesian Islands—Farewell Visit to Maaro — 
Voyage to Laupahoehoe—Description of a double Canoe — 
Native Hospitality. 
Having been informed by our guide that travelling 
along the coast to the northward would be tedious and 
difficult, on account of the numerous deep ravines that 
intersected the whole extent of Hiro and Hamakua, it 
seemed desirable to take a canoe as far as Laupahoe¬ 
hoe, by which we should avoid some of the most diffi¬ 
cult parts of the coast. As soon as the rain had ceased, 
and the fog cleared off, on the morning of the 12th I 
waited on Maaro, to inquire if he could furnish us with 
one. The chief said, he had not a double canoe at 
his command, or he would cheerfully provide one. I 
therefore walked on to Pueo, on the western shore, 
where, for six dollars, I hired one of Kapapa, chief 
of the place, to take us between twenty and twenty- 
five miles. 
Returning from Pueo, I visited Wairuku, a beautiful 
stream of water flowing rapidly over a rocky bed, with 
frequent falls, and many places eligible for the erection 
of water-mills of almost any description. Makoa and 
2 T 
