Rev. E. P. Baker Ascends Manna Loa. 



157 



and over two feet across, but while we were watching Halemauniau the little crater burst forth and 

 gave us a distant view of a lava flow several hundred feet in length. We have named it the "Little 

 Beggar," on account of its viciousness. 



January /j, iSS^. Dr. C. H. Wetmore. — The crater in vicinity of Halemaumau appears to 

 nie to have been considerably built up since my visit here, 7/2/84. 



April 2^, 1885. Rev. E. P. Baker. — I ascended Mauna Loa, reaching Mokuaweoweo 

 about 10 A.M. April 20th. Snow covered the upper portion of the summit plateau in large masses, 

 and in small scattering patches extended nearly a thousand feet below the summit. 1 left behind 

 all clouds at the height of between seven and eight thousand feet, all clear and cold too above that. 

 The wind (very cold) was continuous and in heavy gusts, blowing all the while from S.E., S. and S.W. 

 The walls of Mokuaweoweo, especially the western, were plentifully bedecked with snow, and there 





FIG. 93. MTTI.E BEGG.\R IN iSSg. 



was much snow on the floor of the crater. The spot of the Commodore Wilkes encampment was 

 mostly covered with snow, so that I saw as the only relics there, two sticks, a broken bottle and a 

 few nails. To my remark then and there made to J. IHumahiapua Pea of Panau, Puna, "Wilkes' 

 encampment," his reply was, "My grandfather Ulumahiapua Pea was the guide." We walked up 

 and back from Ainapo. Six full days were spent in travel. The pocket barometer of Mr. Richard- 

 son which I carried showed Mauna Loa to be 13,300 feet above sea level. The summit crater was 

 quiescent, just as it has been for several years: however, sulphurous smoke and .steam were issuing 

 from cracks in the floor of the crater, the crater being of the shape of the figure 8 written horizontal. 

 I descended into Mokuaweoweo and spent the night by the steam and smoke cracks in the floor, 

 keeping very warm by the issuing heat, although the night before I slept in a cave with icicles over 

 head. Only one who has been there can realize the formidableness of the task of going down and 

 coming up out of the summit crater of Mauna Loa. The angle of descent was 90° in places, and not 

 apparently less than 75° or 80° any of the way. The place where I descended was at a point on the 

 northeast brink, two-thirds of the descent bringing me to the floor of the first bench, and the other 

 third to the lowest bench of the largest part of the crater. The barometer indicated the floor of the 



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