("Laau Paakiki", Ka Hae Hawaii, November 18, 1857)
Dear Hae Hawaii:
Greetings. Here is a new tree I have seen that grows in the uplands of Nuu, in Kaupo. The name of this tree is kea. It is an excellent tree. You readers may ask, “Why is it so good?” Here is why it is useful: because it is hard, extremely stiff, the hardest of any wood growing in these islands. Its trunk is black and strong. Its leaves are like that of the uhiuhi. This tree is good for building houses. If this wood is placed in dirt it does not rot. The natives of Kaupo say that houses 25 years old show no rot. Some are 40 years or older. This tree is native to Kaupo. This wood is harder than iron. If iron is put in dirt for many years, then it deteriorates. Not so with this wood. The reason I am writing this is so that my friends know that this is a good wood for building in dirt areas such as Lahaina, Honolulu, Hilo and other areas.
The locals say that Kaupo is the only place the tree grows, nowhere else on Maui. There are other strong woods known such as kapua, mamani and aalii, but none are like this. Farewell.
BENIAMINA
Kipahulu, East Maui, Nov. 5, 1857
Below is the text of the original article:
Laau Paakiki
E ka Hae Hawaii e:
Aloha oe; eia kekahi laau hou a'u i ike ai, aia mauka o Nuu, i Kaupo, kahi i ulu ai keia laau. O ka inoa o keia laau he Kea; he laau maikai, e ninau mai auanei paha oukou e ka poe heluhelu, "heaha ka maikai o ia laau?" eia kona maikai, o kona paakiki, oolea loa, o ka oi keia o na laau paakiki i ulu ma keia pae aina, o kona kino ua eleele a oolea loa, o kona lau ua like me ka lau o ka Uhiuhi; maikai keia laau no ke kukulu hale, ina komo keia laau i ka lepo aole popopo, ke olelo mai nei na kamaaina o Kaupo, he 25 makahiki o kekahi hale, aole nae he popopo, kanaha a keu ko kekahi, he laau kamaaina keia ma Kaupo; aka, no ka paakiki loa o keia laau; ua oi kona paakiki mamua o ka hao, ina e hookomo ia ka hao iloko o ka lepo a nui na makahiki i hala, alaila, ano e kona, aole pela keia laau; oia hoi ke kumu o ko'u hoolaha ana i ike ai ko'u mau makamaka, kupono keia laau ke kukulu ia ma na wahi lepo, e like me Lahaina, Honolulu, Hilo, me na wahi e ae.
Ua olelo mai na kamaaina, ma Kaupo wale no i ulu ai keia laau, aole ma na wahi e ae o Maui nei, he mau laau oolea e ae no kekahi i ike ia, Kapua, Mamani, Aa'lii, aole nae kekahi o lakou i like me keia. Aloha kaua.
BENIAMINA.
Kipahulu, Maui H., Nov. 5, 1857.