Show ale LAIE lale AIE sandwich islands april 11 1868 editor deseret news mews dear brother I 1 give you a few items this morning that perhaps will be interesting to yourself and the readers of the NEWS rumors mara have been in circulation for the last few days that the island of hawaii the largest of the group was undergoing a tremendous shaking with a series earthquakes yesterday the coasting steamer arrived with corr correct Pt news so far as ai has been ascertained and the rumors prove to be too true and the facts appear to be of a much more serious nature than the most fearful anticipated it seems that the of march the people began to experience what they thought to be heavy shocks bof earthquakes which followed in quick succession until the 2nd and of april when the most violent shocks and the most powerful ow eruption took place that have t been een placed laced on record for centuries and the large island of hawaii with her mountain peaks fifteen thousand feet from their base did in reality reel to and fro like ilke a drunken man 1 or a ship at sea the ebb and flow of the sea were wonderful and can be truly said to have been beyond their bounds I 1 send you some papers that will give the particulars the vast clouds of smoke arising from the crater brater and lava flowing through the green forestA forests have spread the heavens over with smoke and the sun when seen appears as a ball of fire it has a sad bad and gloomy appearance and reminds me of an indian summer in the western states there have been one hundred or more lives lost and even herds of stock have been destroyed it is to jo be hoped that the worst is oyer over but thelast the baat news is that hat the is island land is yet trembling the brethren and sisters in our settlement are all reasonably well and in good spirits during our late conference of the oth dinst there was a good and andl L lively interest manifested by our native lve ive brethren and the business of the conference was transacted and the priesthood sustained by a unanimous vote as heretofore much valuable 11 instruction st was given by the elders the reports show 40 members added to the church since last october napela is with us and george ray hay same others who were the first fruits of the gospel here they have hive been bein seeming indifferent to the work until recently they are aret now full of faith and gpo goo d works so far they have formed trie tile themselves m selves into a 6 company to work in the sugar business and are plowing and planting cane our crop looks promising I 1 have purchased amill a mill to crush the cane and we are now commencing our buildings and if the lord will we will commence making sugar as soon as our crop is ma will be in october or november next times rire are very dull and business men downcast our labors here and the mission are in ampre a more healthy condition than they have been at any previous time bros A 1 smith E green and C boydon expect to s tart start home in the early part of may next neit I 1 am arn respectfully your brother in the gospel 11 ni 1 1 ul geonet NE benen DEKEn L |