Floii' from Ma una Loa in if!^;^. 69 



its waj- in a subterranean channel, traced onl>- by these vents. From 10 A.^r. and onward, these fiery 

 vents were frequent, some of them measuring ten, twenty, fifty, or one hundred feet in diameter. 

 In one place only we saw the river uncovered for thirty rods and rushing down a declivity of from 

 ten to twenty-five degrees. The scene was awful, the momentum incredible, the fusion perfect 

 (a white heat), and the velocity forty miles an hour. The banks on each side of this stream were 

 red-hot, jagged and overhanging, adorned with burnirg stalactites and festooned with immense 

 quantities of filameutose or capillary glass, called Pele's hair. From this point to the summit crater 

 all was inexpressibly interesting. 



Valve after valve opened as we went up, out of which issued fire and smoke and brimstone, 

 and down which we looked as into the caverns of Pluto. The gases were so pungent that we had 

 to use the greatest caution, approaching a stream or an orifice on the windward side, and watching 

 every change or gyration of the breeze. Sometimes whirlwinds would sweep along loaded with 

 deadly gases, and threatening the unwary traveler. After a hot and weary struggle over smoking 

 masses of jagged scoriae and slag, thrown in wild confusion into hills, cones and ridges, and spread 

 out over vast fields, we came at one p.m. to the terminal or summit crater (not Mokuaweoweo) . 



This we found to be a low elongated cone, or rather a series of cones, standing over a great 

 fissure in the mountain. Mounting to the crest of the highest cone, we expected to look down into 

 a great sea of raging lavas, but instead of this the throat of the crater, at the depth of one hundred 

 feet was clogged with scoriae, cinders, and ashes through which the smoke and gases rushed up furi- 

 ously from seams and holes. One orifice within this cone was about twenty feet in diameter, and 

 was continually sending up a dense column of blue and white smoke which rolled off in gases and 

 spread over all that part of the mountain, darkening the sun and obscuring every object a few rods 

 distant. vSo toppling was the crest of this cone, so great the heat, and so deadly the gases, that we 

 could find no position where we could look down the throat of the orifice ; and could we have done 

 so, it is not probable that we should have seen the deep fountain below us, as the lavas were forced 

 up its horrid chimney from the burning bowels of the earth. 



The summit cone which we ascended was about one hundred feet high, say five hundred feet 

 long, and three hundred broad at its base. vSeveral other cones below us were of the same form and 

 general character, presenting the appearance of smoking tumuli along the upper slope of the moun- 

 tain. ...The molten stream first appears some ten miles below the fountain crater, and as we viewed 

 it rushing out from beneath the black rocks, and, in the twinkling of an eye, diving again into its 

 fiery den, it produced indescribable feelings of awe and dread. The summit crater I estimate at 

 twelve thousand feet elevation ; the principal stream (there are many lesser and lateral ones) includ- 

 ing all its windings, sixty miles long; average breadth, three miles; depth from three to three hun- 

 dred feet, according to the surface over which it flowed. The present eruption is between those of 

 1843 and 1852, and from our high tower we could see them both and trace their windings. 



Early on Monday we decamped and set our faces for Kilauea, distant some thirty-five miles, 

 hoping by a forced march to reach it at night. At eight a.m. we passed the seat of the grand erup- 

 tion of 1852, and travelled for miles on its cinders. A little steam only issues from that cone whose 

 awful throat in 1852, sent up a column of glowing fusion to the height of a thousand feet. We ex- 

 plored Kilauea and on Thursday reached Hilo. 



Hilo is now in a state of solemn and thoughtful suspense. The great summit fountain is still 

 playing with fearful energy and the devouring stream rushes madly down towards us. It is now 

 about ten miles distant, — nearly through the woods, following the right bank of the Wailuku, and 

 heading directly for our bay. 



October 22. It is now seventy -two days since the eruption commenced, and the fountain is 

 in full force. The matter disgorged is of the same general character as in former eruptions. We saw 

 nothing new. Among the salts, sulphur and sulphate of lime are the most abundant. They are 

 scattered freely at several points along the line of flow. 



[447I 



