Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/48

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THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN AUSTRALASIA.

CHAPTER II.


IN AND AROUND HONOLULU.—PUBLIC BUILDINGS.—THE THEATRE.—ROAD TO THE PALI.—A MAGNIFICENT VIEW.—VILLAS NEAR THE CITY.—GIRLS ON HORSEBACK.—TARO-FIELDS.—THE WATER SUPPLY.—MOUNTAIN-PASS.—HAWAIIAN COW-BOYS.—HILO AND THE VOYAGE THITHER.—APOCHRYPHAL STORIES ABOUT THE RAIN.—SURF-SWIMMING.—THE GREAT VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.—OVER THE LAVA-FIELDS.—DIFFICULT ROADS.—THE VOLCANO HOUSE.—A DISTURBED NIGHT.—BURNING LAKES.—SIGHT-SEEING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.—TERRIFYING SCENES.—KILAUEA AND MAUNA LOA.—THE GREATEST VOLCANO IN THE WORLD.—HISTORIC ERUPTIONS.—CRATER OF HALEAKALA.—SUGAR CULTURE IN HAWAII, ITS EXTENT AND INCREASE.—OTHER INDUSTRIES.—RETURNING BY SCHOONER TO HONOLULU.—LEPER ISLAND OF MOLOKAI.—A DAY AMONG THE LEPERS.


THE next day was devoted to excursions in the immediate vicinity of Honolulu, a carriage-drive through the principal streets of the town, a visit to the palace and other Government buildings, and two or three calls to present letters of introduction. The visit to the palace included an introduction to the King, Kalakaua, who received his visitors politely and devoted a short time to their entertainment. The conversation referred mainly to the United States, and barely touched upon matters connected with the islands.

In their drive about the city Frank and Fred found that Honolulu is a well-built town with narrow streets. The houses are mostly of wood, dropped down rather carelessly in many places, with little attempt at uniformity, and not much decoration. The amount of tropical verdure, which almost concealed many of the villas and detached residences in the side streets and outskirts of the place, recalled Ceylon and other regions near the equator which they had visited in their former travels. Frank thought he could readily imagine himself in the suburbs of Colombo, while Fred was inclined to close his eyes for a moment and think he had been transported on the enchanted carpet of the Arabian Nights to Batavia or Buitenzorg, in Java. In many of the court-yards fountains were playing, the drops of water sparkling in the bright sunshine, and adding materially to the beauty of the scene.