358 CHARLES WILKES. 



continued to gaze upon the scene about an Lour, 

 and then returned to our lodgings, where we soon 

 had opportunity of observing another phenomenon 

 of a character not less grand and splendid. We 

 were reclining on our mats, with our eyes directed 

 toward the largest of the lakes, when a portion of 

 the bank forming one of its sides was seen to give 

 way and fall into the liquid lava beneath with a 

 frightful crash. The whole surface was in the most 

 violent agitation; billows were formed as high 

 apparently as any we had ever seen on the ocean, 

 and dashed against the side of the crater with such 

 violence as to throw the fiery spray sixty or seventy 

 feet high. The sight of this spectacle alone would 

 have repaid us for the trouble of coming thus far. 

 "When the surface of the fiery stream became quies- 

 cent again, we wrapped ourselves in our blankets 

 and sought repose. 



" When breakfast was over, we proceeded to visit 

 the bottom of the crater. After a brief walk in the 

 direction of the Sulphur Springs, we turned to the 

 left, and suddenly commenced descending by a steep 

 and rugged path : columns of vapors smelling 

 strongly of sulphur were issuing from crevices and 

 pits lining either side of the road. We estimated 

 some of the latter to be upward of two hundred 

 feet in depth. After a descent of about one-quarter 



