Kilauea in iSjj. 



131 



lava was ouly from ten to fifteen feet below the surface of the surrounding plain of hard lava forming 

 the bottom of the crater, whilst now I find a cone about one hundred and eighty feet high with the 

 lake of lava in centre of cone and depressed about two hundred feet below the top of said cone. Again, 

 oa my previous visits there was no flowing lava in sight except in the lake, which, however, was 

 boiling actively all over its surface ; and now lava is flowing over the surface of the hard lava in 

 many places. On my previous visits only one lake existed, now I find a depression of about two hun- 

 dred feet where another has since existed though now extinct. I find also that a large portion of the 

 north cliff has fallen in since former visits. My impression is that taken altogether, the sight is not 

 so grand now as at my former visits, because then the entire bottom of the crater was much deeper 



FIG. 76. CR.\CK IX FLOOR OF KIL.\UE.\ NE.^R E.\ST W.\I,I., M.W 4, 1877. 



than now, and the lake more brilliant in its action, and being nearer the surface was in full view 

 from the point where the hotel now stands, so that our party were all able to read a newspaper by 

 the light from the lake. 



May 2, 1S77. A party skirted the edge of the late flow of lava, visited the south hike, then 

 crossed back to the hou.se ; saw plenty of subterranean fire and found some red-hot flowing lava. 



I\Tay 6, iSjj. vS. B. Dole. — On the day and evening before we came, there was a vigorou.s- 

 outbreak on the southeast side of the main crater, a fissure extending from the crater floor through 

 the bank and into tlie woods beyond. The lava spouted up from this crack to a height of from fifty 

 to a hundred and fifty feet. This action which drained Halemaumau as dry as an ash heap, ceased 

 before our arrival. We gazed into the empty goblet-shaped cavity called Halemaumau, with feelings 

 wherein terror was mixed with our disappointment. The ledge on which we stood was separated 

 from the main rock by a deep crack so that it appeared to be tilted over the hole and ready to 

 tumble in. Avalanches of stone were thundering down the sides of the hole which appeared to be 

 about two hundred and fifty feet deep. The bottom was covered with boulders. 



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