342 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
wards of twenty miles, and had passed not less 
than fifty ravines or valleys, but we had not seen 
a spot where we thought it would be possible to 
land without being swamped; and, although we 
knew we had arrived at the end of our voyage, 
we could discover no place by which it seemed 
safe to approach the shore, as the surf was beating 
violently, and the wind blowing directly towards 
the land. However, when we came within a few” 
yards of the surf, we perceived an opening in the 
rocks, just wide enough to admit our canoe. Into 
this our pilots steered with uncommon address 
and precision; and, before we could look round, 
we found our canoe on a sandy beach, a few yards 
long, entirely defended by rocks of lava from the 
rolling surf on the outside. 
It was one p. m. when we landed, and walked 
up to the house of the head man, where we had a 
few fish and some potatoes, that we had brought 
with us, prepared for dinner. After the people of 
the place had been spoken to on the subject of 
religion, they said they had heard there were 
Missionaries living at Oahu, teaching the king to 
read, and write, and pray* They had also heard 
of Jehovah, but not of Jesus Christ. It was 
compassionate in the great God, they added, to 
think of them, and send his word among them. 
Leaving Laupahoehoe, we ascended the north 
side of the deep ravine, at the bottom of which the 
village is situated. We reached the top, after 
climbing between four hundred and five hundred 
feet, and beheld a beautiful country before us. 
Over this we travelled about five miles.in a west- 
north-west direction towards the foot of Mouna 
Kea, and, after passing three deep ravines, reached 
Humuula shortly before sunset. This retired little 
