. Life in the Sandwich Islands: or The heart of the Pacific, as it was and is. not tobe compared to it as an invigorating and remedialagent; and it is unwise, not to say criminal, in such aclimate, to neglect so natural a way of preservinghealth, as washinsf and swimmins; in the sea. In thosewho live close to the water, and on the leeward sideof the Islands, it is the more inexcusable, for it couldbe enjoyed without exposure in the dewless evenings ;or in some places, a small house might be built onstone abutments over the water, and facilities so con-trived that both sexes could enjoy this gr
. Life in the Sandwich Islands: or The heart of the Pacific, as it was and is. not tobe compared to it as an invigorating and remedialagent; and it is unwise, not to say criminal, in such aclimate, to neglect so natural a way of preservinghealth, as washinsf and swimmins; in the sea. In thosewho live close to the water, and on the leeward sideof the Islands, it is the more inexcusable, for it couldbe enjoyed without exposure in the dewless evenings ;or in some places, a small house might be built onstone abutments over the water, and facilities so con-trived that both sexes could enjoy this great luxury ofa life within the tropics. But we come back to Lahaina, to speak of a charm-ing grove of young cocoanut-trees in the northwesternpart of the town, planted by the excellent chief Iloa-pili,* or Hoapiliwahine. They are not the tall, lank,ghostly-looking things which the full-grown tree is, thatbecomes at these Islands, from the places in which youmost often see it, a synonym of desolation and sterility,but a luxuriant, youthful growth, more beautiful than &M. INDIGNITIES OFFERED TO TREES. 69 any thing in the form of woods, that I have seen sinceleaving America. Six or seven years ago there was a fine grove of largegreen Koii-trees in the opposite part of the town, nearwhere the King lives, covering an acre and a half ortwo acres, and so ancient and shady as to afford amplecovering for all the canoes in Lahaina, and all the peo-ple too. But before any one knew it, and not imtil itwas too late to remonstrate against snch a -piece of sav-ageism, the King took a freak to have them all cutdown to make into bowls, and spittoons, and pounding-boards for Jcalo. Could the outraged trees have weptlike the sacred grove in the ^nead, they would havedropped tears of blood at the indignity. So, on the island of Molokai, there was a fine forestof Kamani-trees, the only ones at the Islands. It is atree of slow growth, and of great value for its beauti-ful wood. But the chiefs a few
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