126 Kilanea and Manna Loa. 



crater of Loa was not emptied as Mr. J. M. L3'dgate found a fountain still playing 

 the latter part of August, and Mr. H. M. Whitney, also a careful and experienced 

 observer, found in September a fountain of lava seventy-five feet in diameter and five 

 hundred feet high in the southwest corner of the crater; the pool around it covered 

 about a third of the bottom, and certainly did not indicate any tapping of the supply 

 at an}- lower or submarine level. In January, 1873, the action as seen from Hilo was 

 "marvellousl}^ brilliant,'"'^ the illuminated vapors rising thousands of feet. The herds- 

 men at Ainapo reported the mountain as constantly quivering like a boiling pot. The 

 light was suddenly quenched, but in April the activity was fully renewed. On the 

 sixth of June Mr. W. L. Green was at the summit and from him we learn that — 



The fountain generally played to a height of from three hundred to four hundred feet, as 

 estimated from the known depth of the crater, although some spires or shoots would now and the n 

 rise to a greater altitude. The form of the fountain would constantly vary, sometimes being in the 

 shape of a low rounded dome, then perhaps forming a sort of spire in centre, with a fountain in the 

 form of a wheat sheaf on each side. Sometimes it would look like one great wheat sheaf. On this 

 day the visible vapors or gases connected with this fountain were quite insignificant ; by da3-light we 

 could see none, but at night-time the bright reflection from the molten lava made visible a light blue 

 haze which quietly left it. Some observers of this same fountain, a few months before, and when it 

 was much higher, reported that they heard the sound of escaping steam or gases. Some of them 

 even believed that they heard the roar of escaping steam or vapors, some time before they arrived at 

 the edge of the crater. We enquired very particularly, however, from one of the most intelligent of 

 the party, and he assured us that there was no proof that the noise they heard was that of escaping 

 steam or gases. I have sketches drawn by two of the party, which show little or no steam or gases. 

 There were two noises, however, which were very easily distinguishable : one was the dull roar of 

 the fall of this fountain of heavy liquid, and the other was the metallic clink of the fall of the solidi- 

 fied lavas which were constantly taken up by the fountain and thrown onto the solid rocks at a little 

 distance from it. Indeed, these solid pieces and separate portions of the molten lava, which cooled 

 in the air, formed a light falling veil over the dazzling lava fountain, and as it fell close round the 

 sides, it formed a black level scum which floated on the lava lake, out of which the fountain rose. 

 Whenever a more than usually solid mass of lava fell within the area of this lake, it seemed to force 

 itself through the black, floating scoriaceous mass and make a golden splash of the white-hot lava 

 beneath it. From different parts of the crater, and away from the fountain, white fumes arose like 

 those which often appear in Kilauea crater. 



This night and for two nights previously, there was so little cloud, or condensed vapor above 

 the edge of the crater, that it was not sufficient to reflect the light of the great molten fountain below. 

 P'or weeks previously we had seen this reflected light, which indeed, was the only possible means by 

 which a light in the bottom of the crater can be made visible to an eye situated outside of it, but 

 below the level of its edge. The night before we left Kilauea, however, the light on the top of 

 Mauna L,oa was not to be seen, although the night was clear, and it was only when we got close to 

 the crater, that a light smoke could be seen drifting away from it, whilst the great fountain of molten 

 rock was playing below. 



There was indeed, nothing about this fountain that gave the impression of its having been 

 produced by steam, incandescent or otherwise, or elastic vapors of any kind, but everything seemed 



"Coan, American Journal, iSyj, v, 476; 1S74, vii, 516; 1877, xiv, 68. 



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