50 Mr Charles Stewart's Account of the 



we might, by a single leap, have plunged into its lowest depth. 

 The hideous immensity itself, independent of the many fright- 

 ful images embraced in it, almost caused an involuntary closing 

 of the eyes against it. But when to the sight is added the ap- 

 palling effect of the various unnatural and fearful noises, the 

 muttering and sighing, the groaning and blowing, the every 

 agonized struggling of the mighty action within — as a whole, it 

 is too horrible ! — And, on the first moment, I felt like one of 

 my friends, who, on reaching the brink, recoiled and covered 

 his face, exclaiming, " Call it weakness, or what you please, but 

 I cannot look again !"" 



It was sufficient employment for the afternoon simply to sit 

 and gaze on the scene, and though some of our party strolled 

 about on the level above, and one or two descended a short dis- 

 tance in the crater, the most of our number deferred all investi- 

 gation till the next morning. 



From what I have already said, you will perceive, that this 

 volcano differs, in one respect, from most others of which we 

 have accounts : the crater, instead of being the truncated top 

 of a mountain, distinguishable at a distance in every direction, 

 is an immense chasm, in an upland country, near the base of 

 the mountain Mouna Roa *, approached, not by ascending a 

 cone, but by descending two vast terraces, and not visible from 

 any point, at a greater distance than half a mile ; a circumstance 

 which, no doubt from the suddenness of the arrival at it, adds 

 much to the effect of a first look from its brink. It is probable, 

 that, originally, it was a cone, but assumed its present aspect, 

 it may be centuries ago, from the falling in of the whole sum- 

 mit. Of this the precipices we descended, which entirely encir- 

 cle the crater in circumferences of fifteen and twenty miles, give 

 strong evidence : they have unquestionably been formed by the 

 sinking of the mountain, whose foundations had been under- 

 mined by the devouring flames beneath. One-half of the pre- 

 sent depth of the crater has been caused, in the same manner, 

 at no very remote period. About midway from the top, a ledge 



• The height of Mouna Roa has never been accurately measured, but va- 

 riously estimated from 16,000 to 18,000 feet, being thus 1000 or 2000 feet 

 higher than Mont Blanc, and 5000 or 6000 feet higher than the Peak of Te- 

 nerifFe. 



I 



