132 Kilauea and Mauna Loa. 



May 8, iSyj. H. M. Whitney. — Found the old south lake dead, inactive, closed to public 

 exhibition. In place of it the fires are active in a large cavern, a thousand feet this way [towards 

 the Volcano House] and near the usual track to the old lake. 



Mav 21, fSjj. Thomas E. Cook. — The locality of the outbreak [of May 4] is a mile and a 

 half on a straight line about southeast from the Volcano House, and is from a narrow crevice, narrow 

 that is compared with the quantity of lava ejected. The crevice from which the flow took place 

 commences at the foot of the crater wall and extends up to within twenty or thirty feet of the top, 

 say two or three hundred feet, the lava ejected covering several acres of the floor of the crater. 



May 22, iSjj. lyUther Severance. — No fire in the crater. 



June [no date]. H. M. Whitney.— Found the action in and around the south lake commenc- 

 ing, and occasionally the light was very brilliant during the night. Thermometer 56" at 5:30 A.M. 



August 2, 187J. B. H. Austin. — Since Wednesday of last week the lake has risen, in our 

 judgment, quite thirty-five feet. We found its fires were very active. 



August 12, tSjj. Luther Severance. — Crater very active last night. 



September 8, iSjj. W. H. Lentz.'°^— Bottom of the south lake fell about fifty feet last night. 



October 9, i8jj. Rev. W. P. Alexander. — I visited this volcano forty-five years ago. It was 

 much more active then than now. 



December 24, 1877. Rufus A. Lyman. — Grand flow from north base of hill on the north side 

 of Halemaumau. Two fountains at the .source of stream. vSonie time during this year Wilkes Pea 

 and his father, the latter guide of the Wilkes Expedition found Keanakakoi occupied by boiling lava. 



Jatiuarv 18, iSj8. Curtis J. Lyons. — Halemaumau is now about four hundred feet long by a 

 hundred in width. Lake Kilauea is to the west of it and not approachable. There is an extensive 

 flow of lava from the north side of the latter, about three-quarters of a mile in length. Present 

 height of cone, estimated, one hundred and .seventy-five feet. 



September 20, i8j8. Dr. J. Mott-Smith. — Halemaumau very active. Kilauea could not be 

 approached, but it, too, is in great activity. A flow from this lake extends more than a mile across 

 the great crater. At night from this house I counted twenty-two spots of fire glowing on the line of 

 this flow. In my former visits, in 1851, '56 and '62, I saw no display of fire to compare with that 

 now seen. The floor of the crater is much changed and elevated since my last visit ; all the old land- 

 marks have been obliterated. 



October 28, 1878. W. H. Lentz. — The largest flow of the season took place this morning. 

 A solid river of fire three-quarters of a mile long by a quarter wide. 



/anuarv 7, i87g. H. M. Whitney. — The crater is now and has been for three weeks (or since 

 the heavy rains set in) very active. There are now as formerly two lakes connected [separated] by 

 an isthmus, the old .south lake being much larger, and the lava in both rising nearly to the rim 

 around them. But it has not run over the rim, the lava bursting out on one side or the other every 

 few days, making streams which are gradually filling up the central basin. There was an unusual 

 occurrence a few days since, — a stream flowed out on the south side of the south lake, lighting up the 

 whole southern part of the crater. Last night fires were seen in every part of the crater, and it was 

 very brilliant. The hill surrounding the south lake is now higher than I have ever seen it, and parts 

 of it are nearly on a level with the top of the south wall of the large crater. Mauna Loa has pre- 

 sented a splendid sight for ten days past, having been covered with snow down to the forests. The 

 snow fell on the night of December 26th and remained till yesterday, January 6th, when the heavy 

 rain washed it away. Thermometer stood at 50° this morning. 



March 18, 1879. A party attempted to ride around the main crater but gave it up after going 

 half way. South lake said to be inaccessible from below. 



Apn't 21, 1879. W. H. Lentz. — Bottom dropped out of crater. 



April 2j, 1879. G. Groeper. — Found the thing extinct. 



'°* Keeper of the Volcano House. [510] 



I 



