RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



PELES' HAIR. 



The volcano of Kilanae, at Hawaii, Sand- 

 wich Islands, has for all known time been 

 open and active. The situation has been 

 described as " a vast chasm in the earth 

 five or six times the depth of Niagara Falls, 

 and seven or eight miles in circumference ; 

 think of this upon the flank of a huge 

 mountain — a mountain gradually piled b}' 

 powerful volcanic agencies for centuries 

 past — and as a place ample in accommoda- 

 tion for the upbuilding of a great city, 

 where the loftiest spires, viewed from the 

 rim, would seem small and low, and all 

 about are strewed abundant evidences of 

 the great unrest — of billows of flame 

 eternally swaying to and fro in the fathom- 

 less molten abyss, of jets of fire flowing in 

 hot haste to form mounds and cones, of 

 sudden spouts of scorching lava flashing 

 and glowing as such only can, and all sur- 

 rounded and kept back, as it were, by an 

 irregularly formed elliptical wall of basal- 

 tic rocks, rearing itself a thousand feet 

 above the surface of the lava and descend- 

 ing to unknown depths, while, terrace-like, 

 six hundred feet below the verge, one may 

 note a vast amphitheatre gallery of black 

 indurated lava, once a brilliant, glowing 

 mass, upon which might now be ranged on 

 a drill a hundred thousand men. Not to 

 the eye alone appeal impressions of grand- 

 eur ; sepulchral tones fall on the ear — 

 sharp whizzing calls, ringing like steel, and 

 fierce as the whirlwind's breath, as gas and 

 steam, rushing with varj'ing force, seek 

 through obstructed apertures entrance to 

 light and freedom. 



" Scores of craters rise from the fiery 

 abyss, from which shoot out columns of gray 

 smoke and pyramids of brilliant flame, while 

 glowing ribbons of fire sweep onward to the 

 seething caldron below ; where in eternal 

 numbers, ' deep calletli unto deep.' If 

 grand by day, by night it becomes ' fear- 

 fully glorious,' every wave glowing with 

 fervent heat, every point and pyramid of 

 flame a thousandfold intensified in beauty." 



In this abyss the Goddess Pele was by 

 the natives supposed to reside, and over 

 the island and their destinies to exert an 

 all-powerful influence. 



One of the island queens, having become 

 a convert to Christianity, accompanied by 



her trembling subjects, went boldly to the 

 crater's mouth, threw in her slipper, and 

 emptied in the contents of her wash-bowl. 



" The shackles of superstition had been 

 broken, and henceforth those timid South 

 Sea Islanders would no longer do reverence 

 to Pele, the phantom queen." 



Upon the mountain side collectors and 

 tourists occasionally find masses of soft, 

 shining, gray locks, not unlike human hair. 

 These are particles of molten lava that 

 have been caught by the winds, and drawn 

 out to hairs like spun glass ; whirled about 

 by the varying currents, they become 

 tangled together, and are floated over the 

 sides of the crater. 



In the American Journal of Sdeyices, 

 August, 1879, Prof. .lames D. Dana says: 

 " I have now to report two new satisfnctoiy 

 analyses of the capillarv volcanic glass <;f 

 Kilanae. 



" For these, science is indebted to F. .1. 

 Allen, of the Sheflield Scientilic Scliool (jf 

 Yale College, excepting the deteiininati'oil 

 of the state of oxidation of the iion. whic-h 

 is by Prof. O. D. Allen. The results w.m-c 

 as follows : 



I. 



Silioa 50 7U 



Alumina If! (>8 



Iron sesquioxide 215 



Iron protoxide 7'JU 



Manganese protoxide trace 



Magnesia 7()5 



Lime 1195 



Soda 2-11 



Potash 0-55 



Ignition 035 



100- 10 



II. 



r.0-74 

 i{>;i;i 



2 05 

 7-X7 



trace 

 7 -lis 



11-97 

 2-lG 

 0-57 

 0-35 



99 75 



An important paper on the microscopic 

 characters of Pele's Hair has been published 

 at Tubingen (in 1877) by C. Fr. W. 

 Krukenberg, in a pamphlet giving also the 

 results of the author's investigations on 

 Tachylyte, and Hyalumelan, Glassy Porous 

 and Sphaerulitic Basalt and Obsidian. Ho 

 states, and illustrates by figures, the follow- 

 ing facts respecting Pele's Hair : The 

 fibres are sometimes bent and coalesced 

 into loops ; often are tubular ; frequently 

 contain air bubbles, and occasionally micro- 

 lites. There is usually an enlargement of 

 the diameter whenever a crystal (or micro- 

 lite) exists within, and also about man}' of 

 the air-cavities. The crystals are mostly 

 rhombic, but as to their kinds the author 

 makes no suggestion. 



