View of honolulu harbor, 1849, watercolor painting by robert elwes (1819–1878), a wealthy young british gentleman from norfolk. Elwes depicted a view of the town seen from a slightly elevated section of the shallow protective reefs known as sumner's island. He arranged the background hills and mountains into a pleasing pattern, translating the somewhat more rugged shapes of the hills into undulating curves. The golden brown of the parched slopes of punchbowl contrasts attractively with the light green hues, deepening to violet, of the peaks that partially enclose nuuanu valley. The enormous ship in the foreground is the amphitrite on which elwes traveled from callao, peru, to honolulu and which was, at the time, the largest ship to navigate its way through the narrow harbor entrance. The masts of the ship screen the barren slopes now known as pacific heights; to the left opens the fertile valley of nuuanu. Behind the ships at anchor the town stretches from the modest, tree- shaded huts at the left as far as honolulu fort at the right. In between, steeples of the seamen's bethel church near the waterfront and the catholic church are distinct landmarks. Beside the catholic church is the two- story house of charles brewer, the merchant and partner of the pioneer company that still bears his name. Robinson and company, a combined ship chandlery and boat yard, occupies the two-story step-gabled building on the waterfront, and the view is completed by the government buildings, including the crenellated wall of honolulu fort. [1]. Date: 1849.
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