Dr. Hillchi-and''s J^isif to Kaliiikii. iii 



Here follows a portion of Dr. Hillebrand's account that covers ground already 

 trodden by Mr. Whitney. After he arrived at Kahuku his account gives us the 

 appearance of the lava after the flow had ceased. He continues : 



As the principal interest was the discovery of the main source of the stream, we at once went 

 to that part of it, where, according to common report, the lava had issued. A verj- light, dark brown, 

 glistening pumice stone lay scattered about long before the lava was seen. Near the flow it increased 

 so much that the animals' feet sank deep into it at every step. We soon reached the ridge of a hill 

 from which we surveyed the place where, according to our guide's account, the fountains of lava 

 had been seen. The upper portion of the lava stream fills a broad valley or depression, between two 

 parallel low hills of not more than three hundred feet in height, both running almost due north and 

 south. From the western one of these hills Mr. Whitney had witnessed the eruption. From the 

 eastern hill we in vain looked for a crater or cone. We did not make out any indication of an erup- 

 tion until we had crossed nearly three-fourths of the stream, which here is not far from a mile wide. 

 Then our attention was attracted b}' an accumulation of scorise. Nearing this we were struck bj- a 

 current of hot air, and, a little farther on, found ourselves on the brink of a deep gap in the lava 

 about twenty feet wide, but narrowing and continuing northward. We walked round the southern 

 end of the gap, and followed it up on the western or lee side. Before long we came to another 

 enlargement of the fissure, like the former, emitting hot air charged with acid gases which 

 drove us back. Still continuing our march on the west side of the fissure as close as the hot 

 gases would allow, we came in sight of a prett)- miniature cone, built up most regularly of loose 

 scoriae to the height of twelve feet, and located right over the fissure. It encloses a chimney crater 

 of about twelve feet diameter, with perpendicular sides, the depth of which could not be ascer- 

 tained. Hot gases issued in abundance. On account of the exhalation of the latter we were obliged 

 to cross the chasm, on the bridge formed by the side of the cone, to the windward side, along which 

 we followed up steadily. 



This crack or fissure tends south six degrees west to north six degrees east and is in the 

 slope of the hill that forms the yvest boundary of the lava-stream. Its lava cover therefore is quite 

 thin in many places, so that you can see how it sinks in the original rock of the hill. Its depth can- 

 not be ascertained anywhere. More than four-fifths of the lava is on the eastern side, as it followed 

 the declivity of the hill-slope to fill the trough of the valley, where it assumed a general downward 

 cour.se. It is from the entire length of this fissure that the lava has welled up simultaneously. The 

 waves of lava for some distance from it are all parallel to its course, while in the middle of the stream 

 they stand at a right angle to it. The edges are somewhat raised above the remainder of the stream, 

 and .scoriae covers it in most parts, forming quite heavy layers where the stream has blowholes. 

 Isolated flakes of brittle lava, resembling cow-dung, probabl}' blown out at the end of the eruption, 

 with fitful spouting of steam and gas, are seen all along its course. Nearing the upper end of the 

 valley, where I expected to find the end of the fissure, I was surprised at the sudden appearance of 

 a veritable cataract of lava coming down the precipitous side of the eastern hill, a height of at least 

 three hundred feet. Having ascended it with considerable toil, I found myself again alongside the 

 big crevasse, which in passing across the valley had deflected from its former course to a nearly 

 N.E. direction, heading direct for the summit of Mauna Loa. 



From here onward, the incline increasing considerabl}', the lava commenced to be very rugged 

 and broken. As here it had passed over and destroyed a dense forest, a number of grotesque shapes 

 met the eye. Wherever the lava had met a tree of some size, it had surrounded it with a perfect 

 mould which either still held the smouldering remains of the trunk, or exhibited hollow cylinders 

 bearing on the inside the markings of the bark of the tree. The leaf stalk scars of fern-trees were 

 almost perfect. A few of the moulds contained still entire trunks with the unconsumed branches. 

 In the bifurcations of these, heavy masses of lava had accumulated, hanging down in wavy points 



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