w 



tion. This layer varied in color from snow white to rich iron- 

 snlphate green ; in texture from very iine-grained "rice paper" 

 texture up to flat knife-edged crystals several millimeters broad ; 

 &ni\ in thickness from thin bubbles that shattered at the merest 

 breath, to stout crystalline stalactites the size of one's thumb. It 

 required close inspection to make cut the full beauty and delicacy 

 of this "living" ceiling (Fig. 4). All of this crystalline material 

 was quite moist with the water of percolation. It undoubtedly 

 has been formed wholly through the seepage of surface water 

 down through the lava sheets, and ultimate deposition on the 

 ceiling of this cave. The extensive ceiling deposit thus gave us 

 the clue to the impalpable powder that covers the floor ; for the 

 latter is evidently the fragment a, accumulating through long 

 periods of time, from the crystalline growth above it. 



Professor Frank T. J3illingham of the College of Hawaii 

 kindly made a chemical examination of this material, and reported 

 as follows : 



The deposits found as stalactites or coatings on the roof of the 

 caves proved to be composed almost entirely of gypsum. There 

 were also found to be present small quantities of iron, magne- 

 sium, silica, phosphoric acid and organic matter. 



These deposits proved to be almost entirely soluble in hydro- 

 chloric acid. 



The deposit found on the floor of the caves was light brown 

 in color, and dry and powdery in consistency. Crystals of gyp- 

 sum could be detected in it. 



This deposit was found to contain considerable gypsum, and 

 small amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphoric acid and organic 

 matter. It appears to differ fromi the first mentioned deposits 

 chiefly in containing a large quantity of matter insoluble in hydro- 

 chloric acid. 



Apparently this deposit is derived from material brought down 

 from the roof by disintegration or by percolation and subsequent 

 evaporation. 

 Statement of results nf analysis of the floor deposit : 



1. Moisture 11.06% 



2. Insoluble residue 48.35 



3. Gypsum 21.40 



4. Combined iron and aluminuni as oxides (FcOg 



AI2O3) '. .; 8.80 



5. Total phosphoric acid (P^Og) 0.51 



6. Undetermined (organic matter, magnesium, and 



silica) '. V 9.88 



100.00% 



7. Total nitrogen 12 



