OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 389 



" On the 8th of August last a new eruption was seen on the western slope of Ma una Loa, 

 a few miles from its summit. All we could see at Hilo was a white pillar of smoke by day 

 and a brilliant fiery pillar by night. Owing to a canopy of clouds which much of the time 

 shrouded the mountain, we obtained only occasional views of the eruption. At Ka-u the 

 view was less obstructed. The rising columns of light and smoke, as seen from some points 

 in that district, were said to be gorgeous and glorious. A gentleman then surveying in 

 Keawa, of notorious and impressive memory, tells me that the light at that place was 

 sufficient to enable him to read in the night. He also asserted that he heard several distinct 

 detonations from the mountain, during the eruption, like the explosion of gases and the 

 rending of rocks. This would be remarkable, as the distance to the point of eruption must 

 have been thirty or forty miles. 



" But the most magnificent scenes were witnessed on the western sides of the mountain 

 in the district of Kona. Enormous floods of rock in igneous fusion burst from an orifice 

 supposed to be about five miles westward of Mokuaweoweo, the great crater where Capt. 

 Wilkes encamped, and rolled down the western slope of the mountain towards Kaawaloa in 

 a stream from one to two miles wide, and perhaps ten miles long. You will, however, 

 receive these statements as matters of opinion and conjecture and not of actual observation 

 and exact measurement. The eruption continued but three or four days, and we had hardly 

 time to admire its brilliant coruscations and its rousing demonstrations, before all was 

 hushed in profound silence, and covered with a pall of darkness." 



This eruption broke out about a thousand feet below the summit, or two hundred feet below 

 the bottom of the terminal crater. Some observers declare that the smoke proceeded partly 

 from Mokuaweoweo, but no one ascended the mountain. The large masses of ice almost 

 always found in the caves and hollows near the summit may have been converted into 

 steam. No jets were thrown up, and the fissure was soon closed. From the portion of this 

 stream that I visited, I should estimate its dimensions at ten miles in length but less than a 

 mile in average breadth, or in volume one hundred and sixty million cubic yards of lava. 

 The greater part of this lava is the pahoehoe, although some a-a occurs, and the whole flow 

 bears marks of rapid cooling. It followed very nearly the track of an eruption which broke 

 down the western rim of Mokuaweoweo and flowed through Kealakeakua. The noise of 

 explosions may have proceeded from the bursting of the caves and air bubbles in this ancient, 

 flow where they are numerous. 



Six months after this, Mauna Loa broke forth again, and 1 again quote Mr. 



n > i ++ i 1S52 - 



(Joan s letter/ 



" Old Kilauea has been quite tame since I last wrote you. Changes have, however, taken 

 place. The keystone of the great dome over Halemaumau (the lake) has parted, the top 

 of the dome has fallen in, an orifice of about one hundred feet diameter has been opened, 

 and an abyss of raging fire may be seen below at the depth of one hundred feet. Small 

 lakes of fire have also broken out here and there in the crater, but the action has been partial 

 and comparatively feeble. No light shines upon us from Kilauea, and we have no new terrors 

 to record of Mother Pele at this point, but we have other wonders among the fiery sisterhood. 



" At half-past three on the morning of the 17th ult., a small beacon-light was discovered 



vol. xi., p. 395. It is said that Mokuaweoweo broke out in l From a letter to the same correspondent, dated Hilo 

 1849. March 5th, 1852. Silliman's Journal, [n. s.] vol. xii., p. 219. 



MEMOIRS BOST. S0C. NAT. HIST. Vol. I. Pt. 3 SO 



