0 miles from the islands,
and as we sat on deck in the moonlight we could picture in fancy the
despair of our advance agent, Mr. Simpson, who had gone on ahead of us
from San Francisco and who was still in ignorance of the cause of our
detention.

It was just as the day began to break on the morning of Sunday, November
25th, that the cry of "Land ho!" from the lookout on the bridge echoed
over the steamer's decks, and it was but a few minutes afterward when
the members of our party had assembled next the rail to gaze at what was
then but a faint blur upon the distant horizon. An hour later the green
verdure of the islands and the rugged peaks of the mountains that loomed
up against the rosy tint of the changing sky were plainly discernible,
as were the white buildings of the city of Honolulu and the little fleet
of shipping that was anchored in its bays. The sight was a beautiful
one, and one upon which we gazed with delight as the steamer sailed in
past Diamond Head and slowed down in the still waters of the bay upon
whose shores Honolulu is located.

Nearing the shore we were met by a ship's boat containing Mr. Geoffrey,
the steamship company's resident agent; Harry Simpson, our advance
guard; Mr. F. M. Whitney and Mr. Geo. N. Smith, the latter a cousin of
Mr. Spalding, then residing in Honolulu, together with a party of
natives bearing baskets that were filled with wreaths of flowers called
"Leis," with which they proceeded to decorate each member of our party
as a token of welcome and good will. As the steamer cables were made
fast and we were drawn slowly to our berth at the dock we looked down
from our perch on the rail at a crowd of fully 2,000 people that
assembled there to bid us welcome, the King's band, "The Royal
Hawaiian," with dark complexions and uniforms of white duck, occupying a
conspicuous place and playing for our benefit such familiar tunes as
"The Star Spangled Banner," "Yankee-.Doodle," and "The Girl I Left
Behind Me," each and every one of them bringing out an answering cheer
from the Alameda's passengers.

The morning was a bright and beautiful one and the mountains touched
with the gold: of the sunrise, the plantations lying green and quiet
along the shores, and the rapidly-growing crowd upon the dock, all
combined to make the picture beautiful, and one that will never be
forgotten.

The officers of the U. S. Cruiser "Alert," which lay not far distant,
had given us a hearty cheer as we pas