the wind, which had sprung up, blowing the water to the lee side. Large quantities of salt were seen, piled in heaps on the hills to allow it to drain: this is the property of the king, and yields him a considerable annual income. It is considered as the best for salting provisions, and therefore commands a higher price than other salt manufactured on the island; it is also used as table-salt at Honolulu. In the lake it is found crystallized, and crystals are readily formed on branches of trees that have been put into the water.

The deposit in the lake is mud of a blue-black colour, and exceedingly tenacious, almost as much so as an unctuous clay.

Some small particles of salt were found on the hill-side, adjacent to the lake, which might lead to the inference that the soil was impregnated with salt; but the habit of the natives has been, from time immemorial, to carry the salt to the tops of the hills to drain, which will readily account for its appearance there. The opinion, however, was entertained by some that it proceeded from the soil. The lake is about one-third of a mile in diameter, and has the appearance of having been the basin of a crater. If this should be the case, If this should be the case, it must necessarily be admitted that there are two others in juxtaposition with it to the west, with partition walls between; the latter are not as distinct in their outline as the salt lake. All of them, however, appeared to me very different from the coast craters of the island. Within a short distance inland from the salt lake, is a deep ravine or valley, that shows the formation to be the compact limestone before spoken of, with the stratification of pebbles, &c. All these appearances united, give me the idea of the basin having been caused by an action different from that by which craters are formed.

The lake, after the discovery relative to its being but knee-deep, was the subject of much discussion at Honolulu. It was visited on several occasions afterwards, to ascertain if it had an ebb and flow, and simultaneous observations were made at the shore and in the lake; but all the trials confirmed the first observations.

On the east end of the island are numerous caves, which Messrs. Drayton and Dana visited: they are situated in a bluff of three hundred feet elevation, and the mouths of them are at about twothirds the height. Most of these caves are accessible by ascending along the sides of the bluff obliquely. The natives formerly used them. for the burial of their dead, and at times they are still so appropriated. One was walled up, and a strong pole was lying against the rock, which the natives said had been used to bring the body to the place. In the centre of the wall which closed the mouth of the tomb, was a piece of white tapa, the deposit of which in tombs is

one of their ancient customs that is still adhered to on this side of the island.

These caves are the effect of volcanic action, and were called by the natives Kaualahu. Their guide having provided them with torches of the tutui-nut, they ascended to one of them, two hundred feet above the sea, where, having lighted the torches, they entered to the distance of about one hundred feet. Here they found deposited a number of bones, among which were only two skulls. On another side was a heap of stones, covering more bones and some entire skeletons: to remove these stones would have occupied more time than they had to spare, or than their feeble lights would allow.

Taking up the two skulls, they returned to their guide's house. Thence they made a visit to two hills, very near to the sea, called Kaalau Pele and Kuamuakuai. These hills are composed of yellow and brown sand, interspersed with pieces of lava, and have a resemblance in colour and shape to the Punchbowl Hill, back of Honolulu.

The height of the hill nearest the sea was estimated at five hundred feet. At its base are several old craters, one of which is entirely in the sea, and shows its perpendicular walls on the side next the hill.

There are also here extensive fish-ponds, belonging to the king, in which the usual fish are kept-mullet.

There are also a number of ponds where the natives manufacture large quantities of salt.

Kaneohe is the mission station for the north side of the island; it is in the district of Pali-Koolau, and includes the eastern part of the north side of the island, about twenty-five miles in extent. Kaneohe is situated in the centre of it, and lies just beneath the Pali, back of Oahu, heretofore spoken of.

The harbour opposite to Kaneohe is called Waialai, and was surveyed at the request of the king. At its entrance it was found to have only nine feet of water, a depth too little except for the small vessels of the island. This harbour is formed by the peninsula of Mokapu.

This district contains four thousand five hundred inhabitants, among whom it was said that a decrease had taken place; but as this assertion seemed unsupported by any satisfactory evidence, it is not entitled to much attention.

The productions of this district are the same as those of the island generally; the natives seem to be directing their attention to the raising of sugar and coffee, and being within a short distance of Honolulu, they resort to it with their produce for a market. The climate is cooler by a few degrees than that of the opposite or leeward side of the island. Frequent showers keep up a constant verdure.

There are eleven schools in the district, which give instruction to about five hundred children. The church has increased in four years to two hundred members. Of marriages, there are about seventy annually.

On the 6th of November, the Flying-Fish returned to Honolulu.

In the neighbourhood of Honolulu, there are a number of fish-ponds belonging to the king, in which are bred several kinds of fish. There are many other ponds belonging to individuals. The taro-patches are used occasionally for this purpose, and not unfrequently are seen to contain large fish; thus poe and fish, their principal food, though of such opposite natures, are raised together.

They have several modes of taking fish, with the net and hook, and sometimes with poisonous herbs.

They likewise take shrimps and small fish by forming a sort of pen in the soft mud, in one corner of which a net is placed; the shrimps and fish leap over the enclosure of the pen, which is gradually contracted towards the net, which acts like a large seine.

The most conspicuous point about Oahu, is the noted crater on its east end, called Lealu or Diamond Hill. This lies about four and a half miles from Honolulu, and forms a very picturesque object from the harbour. It is the largest coast-crater on the island, and was visited by many of us. The rock, for the most part, consists of vesicular lava, very rough and black. The ascent to it is somewhat difficult. On the margin of the crater, calcareous incrustations are formed. It is quite shallow, and between a half and a third of a mile in diameter. There is no appearance of a lava-stream having issued from it. Its surface is thickly strewn with lava-blocks, which were also found embedded in the coral rock along the shore. The raised coral reef was also seen here, where it is partially decomposed, so as to resemble chalk, and had been quarried. This rock was found to contain fossils of recent species.

At the foot of this hill, on the western side, are the remains of a heiau or ancient temple. Certain ceremonies were performed on the consecration of these temples, a description of which my friend Dr. Judd obtained for me, from the best native authorities, and for which I must refer the reader, who may be curious in such matters, to Appendix III. The mode of building these structures, if so they may be called, was for each of the inhabitants, both high and low, to bring stones by hand. They are usually quadrangular. The one above noticed was on the hill-side overlooking the plain lying towards Honolulu, on which is the village or town of Waikiki.

Off the village of Waikiki there is an anchorage, and the reef

H

between it and Honolulu is extensive. The natives derive great advantage from this reef in the way of food.

Between Waikiki and Honolulu there is a vast collection of saltponds, and I was greatly surprised to find the manufacture of it so extensive. It is piled up in large heaps, in which there was, when I saw them, from one to two hundred tons. The salt is now exported to California, China, Oregon, Kamtschatka, and the Russian settlements at Sitka. The natives use it for salting fish and pork, an art which it is said they have long practised.

The women are also frequently seen collecting, in the salt-ponds. Confervæ and Fuci (sea-weed) for food.

The repairs of the squadron were, by the 10th of November, rapidly drawing to a close. In examining the bottoms of the vessels we had made use of a diving-dress of India-rubber with which we were provided. This apparatus excited a great deal of curiosity among the natives and inhabitants of Honolulu. With it we succeeded in repairing a few places in the copper that had been injured on those occasions when we had struck.

On the 16th of November, the Porpoise being ready, sailed for the Low Archipelago or Paumotu Group. The orders given on this occasion to Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, will be found in Appendix VII.

CHAPTER III.

CONTENTS.

THE TENDER IS DESPATCHED TO HAWAII-THE PORPOISE SAILS ON A SEPARATE CRUISE-PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASCENT OF MAUNA LOA-KEALAKEAKUA-NAPOLO -FACE OF THE COUNTRY-ITS PRODUCTIONS-ITS CLIMATE-ITS IMPROVEMENTSITS POPULATION-SCHOOLS-DISEASES-MONUMENT TO MARK WHERE COOK WAS KILLED - DISTRICT OF KAILAU-ITS CLIMATE - ITS POPULATION — DWELLINGSSCHOOLS-KUAKINI, OR GOVERNOR ADAMS-INDUSTRY OF THE NATIVES OF KAILAU -TRADE-USEFUL ARTS-COTTON MANUFACTURE-VICES-DISEASES-MISSIONARIESPLANTS EXCURSION OF THE NATURALISTS-TEMPLE OF KAILI-MOUNTAIN GEESELAVA STREAMS-OLD CRATERS-GRAZING LANDS-ARRIVAL AT HILO AND RETURN TO HONOLULU-PLAN FOR THE FURTHER OPERATIONS OF THE SQUADRON-PEACOCK AND FLYING-FISH-CASE OF GIDEON SMITH-CASE OF CAPTAIN DOWSETT-PROPOSED EMPLOYMENT OF THE VINCENNES SAILING OF THE PEACOCK AND TENDER.