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Summer calm as tranquil as dawn in the Garden of Eden； in place of the
Golden City's skirting sand hills and the placid bay； I saw on the one
side a frame…work of tall； precipitous mountains close at hand； clad in
refreshing green； and cleft by deep； cool； chasm…like valleysand in
front the grand sweep of the ocean； a brilliant； transparent green near
the shore； bound and bordered by a long white line of foamy spray dashing
against the reef； and further out the dead blue water of the deep sea；
flecked with 〃white caps；〃 and in the far horizon a single； lonely sail
a mere accent…mark to emphasize a slumberous calm and a solitude that
were without sound or limit。 When the sun sunk downthe one intruder
from other realms and persistent in suggestions of themit was tranced
luxury to sit in the perfumed air and forget that there was any world but
these enchanted islands。
It was such ecstacy to dream； and dreamtill you got a bite。
A scorpion bite。 Then the first duty was to get up out of the grass and
kill the scorpion； and the next to bathe the bitten place with alcohol or
brandy； and the next to resolve to keep out of the grass in future。 Then
came an adjournment to the bed…chamber and the pastime of writing up the
day's journal with one hand and the destruction of mosquitoes with the
othera whole community of them at a slap。 Then； observing an enemy
approaching；a hairy tarantula on stiltswhy not set the spittoon on
him？ It is done； and the projecting ends of his paws give a luminous
idea of the magnitude of his reach。 Then to bed and become a promenade
for a centipede with forty…two legs on a side and every foot hot enough
to burn a hole through a raw…hide。 More soaking with alcohol； and a
resolution to examine the bed before entering it； in future。 Then wait；
and suffer； till all the mosquitoes in the neighborhood have crawled in
under the bar； then slip out quickly； shut them in and sleep peacefully
on the floor till morning。 Meantime it is comforting to curse the
tropics in occasional wakeful intervals。
We had an abundance of fruit in Honolulu； of course。 Oranges； pine…
apples； bananas； strawberries； lemons； limes； mangoes； guavas； melons；
and a rare and curious luxury called the chirimoya； which is
deliciousness itself。 Then there is the tamarind。 I thought tamarinds
were made to eat； but that was probably not the idea。 I ate several； and
it seemed to me that they were rather sour that year。 They pursed up my
lips； till they resembled the stem…end of a tomato； and I had to take my
sustenance through a quill for twenty…four hours。
They sharpened my teeth till I could have shaved with them； and gave them
a 〃wire edge〃 that I was afraid would stay； but a citizen said 〃no； it
will come off when the enamel does〃which was comforting； at any rate。
I found； afterward； that only strangers eat tamarindsbut they only eat
them once。
CHAPTER LXIV。
In my diary of our third day in Honolulu； I find this：
I am probably the most sensitive man in Hawaii to…nightespecially about
sitting down in the presence of my betters。 I have ridden fifteen or
twenty miles on horse…back since 5 P。M。 and to tell the honest truth； I
have a delicacy about sitting down at all。
An excursion to Diamond Head and the King's Coacoanut Grove was planned
to…daytime； 4：30 P。M。the party to consist of half a dozen gentlemen
and three ladies。 They all started at the appointed hour except myself。
I was at the Government prison； （with Captain Fish and another whaleship…
skipper； Captain Phillips；） and got so interested in its examination that
I did not notice how quickly the time was passing。 Somebody remarked
that it was twenty minutes past five o'clock； and that woke me up。 It
was a fortunate circumstance that Captain Phillips was along with his
〃turn out；〃 as he calls a top…buggy that Captain Cook brought here in
1778； and a horse that was here when Captain Cook came。 Captain Phillips
takes a just pride in his driving and in the speed of his horse； and to
his passion for displaying them I owe it that we were only sixteen
minutes coming from the prison to the American Hotela distance which
has been estimated to be over half a mile。 But it took some fearful
driving。 The Captain's whip came down fast； and the blows started so
much dust out of the horse's hide that during the last half of the
journey we rode through an impenetrable fog； and ran by a pocket compass
in the hands of Captain Fish； a whaler of twenty…six years experience；
who sat there through the perilous voyage as self…possessed as if he had
been on the euchre…deck of his own ship； and calmly said； 〃Port your
helmport；〃 from time to time； and 〃Hold her a little freesteadyso
so；〃 and 〃Luffhard down to starboard！〃 and never once lost his presence
of mind or betrayed the least anxiety by voice or manner。 When we came
to anchor at last； and Captain Phillips looked at his watch and said；
〃Sixteen minutesI told you it was in her！ that's over three miles an
hour！〃 I could see he felt entitled to a compliment； and so I said I had
never seen lightning go like that horse。 And I never had。
The landlord of the American said the party had been gone nearly an hour；
but that he could give me my choice of several horses that could overtake
them。 I said； never mindI preferred a safe horse to a fast oneI
would like to have an excessively gentle horsea horse with no spirit
whatevera lame one； if he had such a thing。 Inside of five minutes I
was mounted； and perfectly satisfied with my outfit。 I had no time to
label him 〃This is a horse；〃 and so if the public took him for a sheep I
cannot help it。 I was satisfied； and that was the main thing。 I could
see that he had as many fine points as any man's horse； and so I hung my
hat on one of them； behind the saddle； and swabbed the perspiration from
my face and started。 I named him after this island； 〃Oahu〃 （pronounced
O…waw…hee）。 The first gate he came to he started in； I had neither whip
nor spur； and so I simply argued the case with him。 He resisted
argument； but ultimately yielded to insult and abuse。 He backed out of
that gate and steered for another one on the other side of the street。
I triumphed by my former process。 Within the next six hundred yards he
crossed the street fourteen times and attempted thirteen gates； and in
the meantime the tropical sun was beating down and threatening to cave
the top of my head in； and I was literally dripping with perspiration。
He abandoned the gate business after that and went along peaceably
enough； but absorbed in meditation。 I noticed this latter circumstance；
and it soon began to fill me with apprehension。 I said to my self； this
creature is planning some new outrage； some fresh deviltry or otherno
horse ever thought over a subject so profoundly as this one is doing just
for nothing。 The more this thing preyed upon my mind the more uneasy I
became； until the suspense became almost unbearable and I dismounted to
see if there was anything wild in his eyefor I had heard that the eye
of this noblest of our domestic animals is very expressive。
I cannot describe what a load of anxiety was lifted from my mind when I
found that he was only asleep。 I woke him up and started him into a
faster walk； and then the villainy of his nature came out again。 He
tried to climb over a stone wall； five or six feet high。 I saw that I
must apply force to this horse； and that I might as well begin first as
last。 I plucked a stout switch from a tamarind tree； and the moment he
saw it； he surrendered。 He broke into a convulsive sort of a canter；
which had three short steps in it and one long one； and reminded me
alternately of the clattering shake of the great earthquake； and the
sweeping plunging of the Ajax in a storm。
And now there can be no fitter occasion than the present to pronounce a
left…handed blessing upon the man who invented the American saddle。
There is no seat to speak of about itone might as well sit in a shovel…
…and the stirrups are nothing but an ornamental nuisance。 If I were to
write down here all the abuse I expended on those stirrups； it would make
a large book； even without pictures。 Sometimes I got one foot so far
through； that the stirrup partook of the nature of an anklet； sometimes
both feet were through； and I was handcuffed by the legs； and sometimes
my feet got clear out and left the stirrups wildly dangling about my
shins。 Even when I was in proper position and carefully balanced upon
the balls of my feet； there was no comfort in it； on account of my
nervous dread that they were going to slip one way or the other in a
moment。 But the subject is too exasperating to write about。
A mile and a half from town； I came to a grove of tall cocoanut trees；
with clean； branchless stems reaching straight up sixty or seventy feet
and topped with a spray of green foliage sheltering clusters of cocoa…
nutsnot more picturesque than a forest of collossal ragged parasols；
with bunches of magnified grapes under them； would be。
I once heard a gouty northern invalid say that a cocoanut tree might be
poetical； possibly it was； but it looked like a feather…duster