which overlooks Honolulu are the remains of an old fort,
which commands the Hawaiian capital.

Speaking of fruits, we were informed that on the neighboring island of
Maui, one of the most spacious and mountainous of the group, is the
largest apple-orchard in the world. The natives call this fruit _ohias_.
The forest of apple-trees stretches from sea to sea far up the
mountains. The trees vary from forty to fifty feet in height, yielding
their harvest from July to September, during which period they are laden
with a fair-sized, wild, white apple, which is not unpalatable to the
taste, though not equal to the cultivated fruit. This orchard is
estimated to cover an area of over ten miles wide and nearly twice as
long. The trees, we were told, will average over twenty-five barrels of
apples each. No commercial and little domestic use is made of them, but
the fruit ripens, falls off the trees, and there decays annually. One
peculiarity of the product is that when ripe the apples will keep sound
but for a few days, as is the case with ripe bananas. The natives eat
them to a moderate extent, but make no great account of them. We took
the liberty of suggesting the possible advantage of a cider-mill, but
our informant said, with a shrug of the shoulders, that there was not
sufficient local enterprise to start the business.

The six inhabited islands of the Hawaiian group are Kauai, Oahu,
Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii, the last containing the largest active
volcano on the globe; namely, that of Kilauea, to visit which many
persons cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, besides the continent of
America, which lies between the two. Oahu, of which Honolulu is the
capital, was chosen as the principal harbor because it is the only one
presenting all the marine necessities, such as sufficient depth of
water, space, and a secure anchorage for ships. In the olden days of
Hawaiian history, Lahaina, on the island of Maui, was the city of the
king, and the recognized capital. This was in the palmy days of the
whale fishery. It has a sheltered roadstead, but will not compare with
the present capital in this respect. The settlement is now going to
ruin, the palace tumbling to pieces by wear and tear of the elements,
and all the surroundings are a picture of decay. Should the Panama canal
ever be completed, it would prove to be of immense advantage to these
islands, as they lie on the direct course which a great share of
navigation must f