Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/86

 70 Charles Henry Carey poured forth from some heated and active volcano, whose fires had gone out from time immemorial. The soil if soil it may be called, is unproductive. Almost every article of vegetation has to be frequently watered, espe- cially in the dry season. Labor from the natives can be readily and cheaply obtained. Almost every tree, shrub and plant was new to us. We saw the fig tree, cocoanut tree, bananna tree and many others. The valleys a little back from the village where there are frequent rains, are somewhat productive. From these valleys natives daily appear in the streets and certain other places called mar- kets, with potatoes, melons, cucumbers, bananas &c. The manner of building houses was also new. They are built of adobe, a kind of brick made of mud and grass dried in the sun. The door yards and gardens are fenced with the same material. When whitewashed these houses and gardens fences appear very nice. Such is the warmth of the climate that foreigners, especially Ameri- cans and Englishmen, are very much prostrated and have but very little vigor. Our cold winters of the north, I think, contribute very much to make a healthy and vigor- ous people. After spending one week very pleasantly and sharing abundantly in the hospitalities of the people, which often most seasonably appears in choice and well prepared vegetables, we left Honolulu in the morning, Tuesday, May 2nd, 1844, and went on board the barque Brothers of Guernsey, now taking freight to Fort Vancouver for Hudson Bay Company. In this vessel we take passage for Columbia River. At our dinner table, in our new and floating home, brandy and wine plenty. Nothing else very nice. But here we are and must go forward trust- ing the event with him whose ways are equal. About one o'clock P. M. anchor hoisted and the pilot conducts the Brothers out to sea. Three P. M. a good drink crowns the parting scene with our pilot and he leaves us in great cheer amidst