43^ Ascent and Measurement of W/ia-ra-rai, 



their aerial shapes and situations, and presenting the most 

 beautiful prospects of picturesque scenery, over which the eye 

 could eagerly wander without weariness, and continue impart- 

 ing to the mind new-felt pleasures. In the afternoon, these 

 clouds drew in towards the island, and bedewed it with re- 

 freshing showers. 



On the other side, the inland country presented extensive 

 valleys, and two immense mountains capped with perpetual 

 snow; of these, Mowna-kaah is the most rugged and peaked; 

 it bore E. N. E. of us. Whilst Mowna-roa appeared like an 

 immense flat cone, and bore S. E. by E., seemingly at no very 

 great distance ; but, perhaps, the rarefaction of the air at this 

 height made it appear to us much nearer than it really was. 



We kindled a fire ; and, after partaking of some refresh- 

 ment, the natives took us to see a small crater of a volcano on 

 the north side of the peak, a little below the summit. It 

 formed a rugged hole of 7 or 8 yards in diameter, and appa- 

 rently of immense depth, as a stone thrown into it was heard 

 striking against the sides, in its descent, for some time after ; 

 and it did not appear to have been long extinguished, as the 

 ashes and cinders round the mouth of it were quite fresh. 



We found that the natives regard volcanoes as the habit- 

 ations of evil spirits, who, when any-wise enraged, throw up 

 fire and hot stones ; and, to appease their wrath, they conceive 

 it necessary to make some offering to these demons, by throw- 

 ing cloth, hogs, and vegetables into the volcano; and, on 

 particular occasions, as we understood, they even sacrifice 

 their criminals, by disposing of them in the same manner. In 

 this visit to the crater, we observed that none of the natives 

 came empty-handed, but brought pieces of cloth, taro, yams, 

 or plantains, which they threw down at the mouth of the 

 crater, among the rotten remains of former offerings ; and they 

 earnestly requested us to leave something too, which we did, 

 such as nails, beads, and pieces of tape, that greatly pleased 

 them, and they seemed to think such offerings would be highly 

 acceptable to these demons. 



We remained this and the following day on the top of the 

 mountain, traversing the peak in various directions, every one 

 pursuing his own amusement, and making the summit our 

 place of rendezvous, where we met at meal-times, and reposed 

 at night in small caverns, which the natives soon converted 

 into neat and comfortable habitations, by strewing the bottom of 

 them with long grass, overlaid with mats, and by thatching the 

 exposed parts with plantain-leaves, which had been brought up 

 from the lower parts of the woods for that purpose. So, what 

 with the pure air, the temperate climate, and novelty of our 



