222 



Kilauea and Manna Loa. 



to dogs pursuing and jumping at their prey), seemed to bite mouthfuls from the sides 

 until the mass seemed to writhe in pain, and near the midst of the pool a larger foun- 

 tain, perhaps "Old Faithful," rose suddenly and swallowed what of the island the side 

 skirmishers had left. Three other islands of similar size and form met the same fate 

 before I started around the brink to discover the point of origin of these perishing 

 islands, but on the journey round, the pool was not visible, and when, after some delays 

 on the way to photograph the spatter-cones, the west bank was again in sight, the 

 motion had reversed and the current was running as rapidl}' as before in the opposite 

 direction, and no islands were on the surface. I looked for flames, but saw none. The 

 vapors were at times very transparent, then of a bluish tinge, and again opaque and 

 smok}'. There was less noise than usual, for there were no falling crusts, only liquid 

 lava. I was sorr}- not to see the reversal of current, but at former visits (when, how- 

 ever, the motion was by no means so rapid) the change was made with very little 

 disturbance and little slackening of speed. The currents are a more common phe- 

 nemenon but the speed is usually much less than at present; the apparently causeless 

 change of direction is also familiar. 



The pool seemed somewhat larger than when measured by Mr. Lydgate, but 

 still was not filling the bottom of the pit, and did not seem much higher. I tried to 

 see what changes appeared in the surface of the boiling pool with the changes from 

 clear to smoky fumes emitted, but the change was so gradual that no change was noted. 

 On ni}' way back to the Volcano House I passed a hot place on the trail about half- 

 way between the pit and the bottom of the path down the bank, which I did not notice 

 in the morning. From the first level stretch on the rising path there is a good view 

 of the dome-like bottom of the crater. I had no means of measurement, but I do not 

 feel deceived in thinking that this dome is at least fifty feet higher than it was last 

 year. I have never seen the dome shape so distinct, and it seemed ready to overtop 

 the western outer wall. When I first came to the spatter cones near the Rest House, 

 I noticed a large cloud of steam issuing from near the base of Uwekahuna, but on my 

 return two hours later it had disappeared; probably the effect of the rains during the 

 previous night. 



As the sunlight faded the beautiful peach blossom tint appeared on the vapor 

 over the fire, and it deepened into red and orange as the night came on, until the won- 

 derful effects of the previous night were surpassed. 



[600] 



