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Journal of a residence in the Sandwich islands, during the years 1823, 1824, and 1825, ... / C.S. Stewart ; With an introduction and occasional notes by William Ellis
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SCENERY AT OiHB.

305

In such an hour he turnsand on his viewOceanand earth and heaven burst before him.

Clouds slumbering at his feet, and the clear blueOf summers sky, in beauty bending oer him.

From this place we turned our, steps homeward, bya path leading directly along the top of the mountain,as it stretched towards the sea, and gradually softeneddown to the level of the plain at a distance of threeor four miles. In several places, there was barelyroom for us to pass, one by one, on the very ridge ofthe mountain, while on either side there was an almostperpendicular descent of many hundred feet. Wewere surrounded by a variety of beautiful shrubs andflowers of most exuberant growth. The brake was ofastonishing size, I never saw any in America morethan two or three feet high, but here its long leavesnodded gracefully over our heads, and in many placesarched and overshadowed our path. It was near sixoclock when we reached home; but we felt muchless fatigue than we could have expected, and weremore delighted by the excursion than we had evenhoped to be.

The only trees and plants known to us, which wesaw, and, which I have not yet mentioned, were thekoa, acacia, a large and beautiful tree oT dark, hard 1wood, of which the canoes of the natives are. formed;the Ohia, eugenia malaccensis , bearing a beautifullytufted crimson flower, and a fruit called by foreigners,the native apple, from its resemblance to our fruit ofthat name, juicy and refreshing, but rather insipid tothe taste: and the castor tr ee, palma chrisii. Of2 b 2