208 Transactions. — Geology. 



but the flow lasted much longer, and added a new promontory 

 to Hawaii. These magnificent overflows, however threaten- 

 ing, had done little damage to cultivated regions, and none to 

 human life ; and people began to think that the volcano was 

 reformed. But in 1868 terrors occurred which are without 

 precedent in island history. While Mrs. L. was giving me 

 the narrative in her graphic but simple way, and the sweet 

 wind rustled through the palms, and brought the rich scent of 

 the ginger-plant into the shaded room, she seemed to be 

 telhng me some weird tale of another world. On the 27th 

 March (five years ago) a series of earthquakes began, and 

 became more startling from day to day, until their succession 

 became so rapid that ' the island quivered like the lid of a 

 boiling pot nearly all the time between the heavier shocks. 

 The trembling was like that of a ship struck by a heavy 

 wave.' Then the terminal crater of Mauna Loa (Mokua- 

 weoweo) sent up columns of smoke, steam, and red light ; and 

 it was shortly seen that the southern slope of its dome had 

 been rent, and that four separate rivers of molten stone were 

 pouring out of as many rents, and were flowing down the 

 mountain-sides in diverging Imes. Suddenly the rivers were 

 arrested, and the blue mountain-dome appeared against the 

 blue sky without an indication of fire, steam, or smoke. Hilo 

 was much agitated by the sudden lull. No one was deceived 

 into security, for it was certain that the strangely pent-up 

 fires must make themselves felt. The earthquakes became 

 nearly continuous ; scarcely an appreciable interval occurred 

 between them ; the throbbing, jerking, and quivering mo- 

 tions grew more positive, intense, and sharp ; they were 

 vertical, rotary, lateral, and undulating, producing nausea, 

 vertigo, and vomiting. Late in the afternoon of a lovely 

 day, 2nd April, the climax came. ' The crust of the earth 

 rose and sank like the sea in a storm.' Eocks were 

 rent, mountains fell, buildings and their contents were 

 shattered, trees swayed like reeds, animals were scared 

 and ran about demented, men thought the judgment 

 had come. The earth opened in thousands of places, 

 the roads in Hilo cracked open, horses and their riders and 

 people afoot were thrown violently to the ground ; ' it seemed 

 as if the rocky ribs of the mountains and the granite walls 

 and pillars of the earth were breaking up.' At Kilauea the 

 shocks were as frequent as the ticking of a watch. In Kau, 

 south of Hilo, they counted three hundred shocks on this 

 direful day ; and Mrs. L.'s son, w'ho was in that district at tlie 

 time, says that the earth swayed to and fro, north and south, 

 then east and west, then round and round, up and down in 

 every imaginable direction, everything crashing about them, 

 ' and the trees thrashing as if torn by a strong rushing wind.' 



