ERUPTION OF THE HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES. 



569 



" As the lava entered the sea, clouds of steam and smoke rose up, and flames of bluish fire 

 were emitted, rising from the water to a height of from ten to twenty feet. During the 

 night we were at the volcano, the air was highly charged with sulphurous gas and electricity, 

 and frequent flashes of lightning were seen directly over the lava stream, accompanied with 

 short claps of thunder. These flashes were also observed less frequently further up the 

 mountain. About four thousand acres of good pasture land were destroyed, besides which 

 the lava ran over an immense district of worthless land. 



" On the night of the 6th of April, prior to the eruption, there was a shower of ashes and 

 pumice-stone, which came from this crater, and covered the country to the distance of ten 

 or fifteen miles, each way. Generally the ashes were not more than one or two inches in 

 depth, but in some places were found to be fifteen. The pumice-stone was very light, and 

 appears to have been carried by the wind a great distance. Pieces two and three inches in 

 diameter floated ashore at Kealakeakua, forty-five miles distant." 



During the early part of April an observer in Koua kept a careful record of the principal 

 shocks felt there, but in other places no observations were made. The only certain thing, 

 among various and somewhat extravagant reports, is that the vibrations were very frequent 

 and not very severe. In some places they were almost silent, but usually accompanied by 

 subterranean detonations and rumblings, with a noise as of boiling, surging waves in the 

 bowels of the earth. No observations were made on the gases said to have been emitted 

 from some of the fissures. 



MEMOIRS BOST. SOC. NAT. HIST. Vol. I, l't. 4. 



143 



