6 Volcanic Character of the Island of Hawaii. 
tioned above, extends all round the crater except a few yards; 
it forms a kindvof stair, although it is half a mile wide some 
part of the way. The crater upon this ledge measures five and 
a half miles in circumference. Capillary volcanic glass is in 
at abundance in some places upon. the bottom, to. the 
eS of two or three inches ; and some is to be seen fifteen 
‘or twenty miles from the crater, drifted by the wind and lod- 
ged in the crevices of the lava. There are also great a 
tities of pumice stone about the crater, but so very light and 
porous, that it is driven about by every puff of wind. It i is 
so delicate in its texture that itis very difficult to preserve the 
specimens. Fifteen or twenty miles in a southerly direction, 
the’ steam and vapours are issuing through almost the whole 
distance from the cracks and fissures of the lava. The form 
of the crater is something of the shape of an egg, the longest 
diameter from N. to S. When one is in the aa and 
viewing the rocks below the black body, (which 
with very porous volcanic glass,) lava of all ere 
may. be sean, from, that which is loose. and porous to that 
as any of the trap rocks. 
From ae ‘L have seen since [have been upon these Islands, 
1 should not hesitate to class lava and trap rocks together ; 
for how can a part of the same mass be in a state of fusion 
and part not ? That which appears to have been under the 
al compact. I shall 
-ameter. To the north end the erater, Saas 
level for a considerable distance, then it gradually descends to 
the sea shore : the voleano is probably 8000 or 10,000 feet 
above the level of the sea: the ground or rocks are also full 
on- 
bruised, 
There are large quantities of. sulphur 4 in and about the 
crater, where, also, whor 
sidering them sacred to the god. of the volcano. . There is 
so a plenty of wild geese, though not so large as tame — 
