As the Lava Went Down. 



215 



Directly under the cliff on which the observation hut stands was the deepest 

 hole into which all the incandescent meal of this infernal mill was sinking down; even 

 had it been safe to approach the edge to get a good view into the abyss, the heat was 

 prohibitory, and while the mill-stone in the midst still poured its grist down the slope, 

 the danger signals grew dimmer, and here one went out in the darkness, and no lamp- 

 lighter was at hand to reuew it ; the walls seemed to have shaken down all their loose 

 rocks, the crust was no longer breaking, and the glory of the scene had ended. We 

 could still see light from Halemaumau when we reached the Volcano House, but how 

 dim compared with that which had brightened tlie whole crater the night before! 

 Saturday night the pit was totally dark, no sign of fire could be seen from the house. 

 All seemed over, but the emptying of the pit had stopped, and that was an indication 

 that soon the action would be renewed, and no such long period of inactivity as had 



FIG. 141. XIGHT VIEW OF HALEMAUMAU, AUGUST, I909. MISS M. REED. 



been the rule for many recent years was to be expected, and on the third day the 

 lava rose again with great violence, throwing spatters above the rim of the crater. 

 Nor was this a mere spasmodic action, for the renewed action has continued to the 

 present writing. 



March /j, igog. At Hilo, about 3:30 a.m., two sharp shocks of earthquake, 

 separated by a slight interval. Pictures were swung, and light objects were upset. 

 March 14, three slight shocks in the forenoon, and another in the evening. 



Thus far this informal History was approved and ordered printed March 26, 



1909, but a visit to the Volcano of Kilauea on October 7th, 1909, undertaken to settle 



certain doubts in the record, determined me to add to the record herein printed such 



observations as have been placed in the Volcano House Register during the interval 



caused by the unexpected delay in the printing. I am the more ready to do this as 



L593] 



