blossom its plant life may not be beaten on the surface of the globe. Who that has traveled the fastnesses of Hawaii or of Maui does not remember the great fronded palms and ferns, the strange clinging vine with its deep red blossoms, the Lehua, covering the tops of trees as with a scarlet mantle. The Lehua is the poet's flower, the blossom that is celebrated in song and story: ever since love landed on these islands, and love was the first discoverer, 'way back before the days when the great navigators came from Samoa and settled on these shores.

The mountain apple, with its red and white blossoms, is another of the wonderful native flowers and when this is in blossom the sight is one that once seen is never forgotten. The honey-suckle vine is to be found in all its luxuriance, and the air is laden with its perfumes. Of course, there are thousands of the imported vines and flowers, and these do better in Hawaii than on their native heath. The Bougainvilliers vine, named after an admiral of the British navy, and a native of India, grows in profusion, and its queer flower, seemingly but the ends of boughs turned pink, cover walls and trees in a glory of color.

Of ferns of the tree and the ordinary variety there is an assortment that is positively bewildering. The screw fern is one of the indigenous varieties, and is of great beauty. In the island of Hawaii there are ferns that resemble the finest of feathers, and, in Maui, the tree fern is gorgeous. The lantana is to be found everywhere in the islands, and in the olden times I am told that the native Kahunas or witch doctors used the bruised leaves and the juices of this viburnum in cases of rheumatism or neuralgia. If this be so, it indicates that experience had really taught the Hahuna a certain knowledge of botany—for in the Bermudas the lantana is used for the same purpose and is credited by many with sovereign qualities in disease.

Guava grows in great abundance all over the islands, and it is only a question of time when this delicious fruit will be

The pineapple plant in its various stages from field to market. The Hawaiian pineapple is the finest in the world in point of size and flavor

made one of the big commercial factors in his reluctance to attack it, despite its odor, the islands, and the jellies of guava from which is about twenty times stronger than Hawaii will have achieved as great a re- the most fragrant limburger cheese. pute in the markets of the world as the The cocoanut has a most musical name Hawaiian pine apple, the monarch of all in the native tongue, suggestive of cats pine appies.

and catterwauling—Miu. The cocoanut The Papaya tree grows in great abund- thrives best along the shores of the islands, ance, and is esteemed as furnishing one and I am told that it will not grow at any of the best of breakfast foods. Of wild place at an altitude of over two thousand bananas there are many varieties, among feet. them the Chinese, the native or Popolou, The natives use the cocoanut in many of the Australian and the lady-finger. Near their favorite dishes. The Kulolo and the Honolulu, and, in fact, near every town of Koelepolu are all flavored with or boiled any importance in the islands, where con- in cocoanut milk or with cocoanut water. ditions lend themselves to the growing of The Kulolo is cooked under water, and is the banana, there are large plantations of made of cocoanut and taro. this luscious fruit.

From taro, the poi, the celebrated Mangoes grow in great quantities, and national dish of the native Hawaiian, is the tree is of great beauty. The Hawaiian made. This is a

very palatable and mango is not as rank in taste as that of the healthy food, and it is said that it has Orient, and is not productive of boils and not its equal as an infant food and as a eruptions as is the same fruit when eaten builder up of tissue for the convalescing in gourmand quantities in the Philippines. invalid. The Durian is one of the Orient's most succulent fruits, which is but occasionally It is of interest to the tourist to know found in the Hawaiian Islands. It is a that on the island of Hawaii there are delicious morsel, when one has mastered two railroads. One of these extends from

Mahukona to Niulii, in the district of eastward of Paia. North Kohala, and it handles the freight On Oahu, the island on which is situtraffic for five large plantations. The ated Honolulu, there are two railroad length of the road is 20 miles. Track companies. The Oahu Railroad and Land gauge is three feet.

Company operates a line from Honolulu The Hilo Railroad Company extends to Kahuku and beyond by connection with from Hilo to Kapoho, Puna, and, from the Koolau line and with several branch here, there is a branch line from Olaa to lines. Glenwood, a total of 52 miles. This road This railroad runs through some of the is built on a gauge of 4 feet 812 inches. most interesting sections of Oaliu. While this railroad was built originally This is a 3 foot gauge line. This road for carrying supplies to and from

one

skirts the shores of Pearl Harbor for ten plantation, it runs through a most pic- miles and follows the coast line along the turesque country. On the island of Maui southern, western and northern end of there is one railroad, the Kahului Rail- the island. For the year 1908 the numroad Company. This, too is a

ber of passengers carried was 446,318. gange line, 3 feet. This railroad serves The Koolau Railway Company four plantations and one fruit and plant nects with the Oahu road at Kahuku, and company (pine apples.) The passenger runs to Kahaua about 12 miles. This road carrying record for 1908 was 55,000 peo- is developing quite a

a large territory ple. Considering that this road is but a through which it passes. little more than 26 miles long, this is not Railroading and railroad building is as bad, even in a passenger way. Of course, yet in its infancy in the Sandwich Islands the sugar tonnage carried by the railroads but the year 1909 has seen many new proof the territory ranges high and forms one jects suggested, and it is more than likely of the main elements of freight. This that the trackage in operation at the end railroad is being rapidly extended into the of 1909 will nearly double that of 1908. pine apple lands being developed to the While the railroads have not been built

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