At last we came to a romantic situation where there were a few huts on the verge of the forests : here under a small shade they spread a mat for us on which we threw ourselves down to rest till some refreshments were got ready and till the heat of the day was partly over. After taking our meal the Priests consecrated our shade by planting Taboo sticks round it, on account of our eating Pork, Cocoa Nuts and other prohibited provisions in it: this deprived us entirely of the society of the ladies, for though they set down on our mat before breakfast and were very chatty and cheering, yet nothing would induce them to approach it after their rods were stuck up: such is the powerfull influence of priest craft amongst these people.
In the afternoon we continued our journey by the same path which still led along the upper Plantations, preserving nearly the same distance from the sea-coast, and was excessively rugged and woody, with here and there some intervening plantations arranged alternatively with these rugged forests which seemed to mark the latter courses of the Lava down the side of the Mountain. We stopped in the evening at a Plantation belonging to Tamaika maika, called Poonaroo.
/2th. Next day we continued our journey through the same kind of picturesque country, and soon after setting out from Poo naroo we crossed a Plantation belonging to Trailooevee the Chief whose hand had been so badly wounded at Karakakooa before we came away, and the following circumstances will show the good ness of his heart and how thankfull he was for our attention towards him on that occasion. He had, it seems, sent before us particular orders for his Steward to wait upon us as we passed and make an offer of whatever his Plantation produced. The Steward executed his Master's mandate in the most friendly man ner, and even pressed us with tears of gratitude in his eyes, to accept something, as otherwise his Master would think that he had not done his duty. This induced us to take a few things from him, after which we assured him that if we should stand in need of a further supply we would send back to him for it, with which he appeared quite satisfied. Little acts of hospitality and kindness are acceptable in all places and on all occasions, but nowhere more particularly so than to the way-worn travellers in remote regions and amongst uncivilized tribes where those little civilities may be considered as the spontaneous offerings of the heart and cannot fail to touch the feelings of those on whom they are conferred, with a more than common sense of gratitude and admiration.
Though we had much reason to be satisfied every step we went with the kind attentions and unbounded hospitality of the natives, yet we could not help being now a little out of temper with them at the great distance they were taking us, as it were, round the foot of the mountain till, in the afternoon we reached a fine Plantation, called Tepapala, belonging to the King, from which, they told us, we were to ascend the Mountain, and as the Chief had here to provide his last supplies of provisions for our journey up we were obliged to stop for the night, to allow him time for that purpose.
In the evening we sent back one of the natives to Karakakooa with a note to Capt. Vancouver, to relieve any anxiety he might be under respecting us and to acquaint him with the distance we had come and the probable time it would still take us to accom plish our object.
We were now within a few miles of the Volcano of which there seemed to be, this day, a considerable eruption, and as the wind blew from that direction, the smoke dust and ashes arising from it proved very troublesome to our eyes in travelling with our faces towards it.
.r3th. Before we set out on the morning of the 13th I observed the Barometer at eight, when the Mercury stood at 28in 2opts, which made our height at this place i800 feet above the level of the sea. The Thermometer was, at the same time, 67°.
After breakfast, everything being got ready, and the party arranged, we continued our march through the Plantation for two or three miles further and then began our ascent up the South East side of Mauna-roa, in an easy slanting direction, passing through groves of trees and clear spats, alternately, by a narrow rugged path without meeting any more cultivated ground, after we quitted the Plantation of Tepapala, or any houses till, towards sun-set, when we came to two or three old huts where our guides told us we must encamp for the night. The Chief no longer depended on his own knowledge of the path but brought men with him from the last Plantation to conduct the whole party up the Mountain which now lay between us and Karakakooa : we had the Volcano to our right most part of this day and in the forenoon the smoke and ashes arising from it made the air very thick, which at times proved very tormenting to our eyes.