368 Volcano of Kiraued. 
- flames beneath. One half of the present depth of the crater 
has been caused, in the same manner, at no very remote fe- 
riod. About midway from the top, a ledge of lava, in some 
places many rods, and in others only a few feet wide, extends 
entirely round, (at least so far as an examination has been 
made) forming a kind of gallery, to which you can descend 
in two or three places, and walk as far as the smoke, setting 
at the south end, will permit. This offset leaves incontestible 
marks of having once been the level of the fiery flood, boil- 
ing in the bottom of the crater; a subduction of lava, by 
some subterranean channel, has since taken place, and sunk 
the abyss many hundred feet, to its present depth. 
The gulf below contains between fifty and sixty smaller 
conical craters, many of which are in constant action. The 
tops and sides of two or three of these are covered with sul- 
phur of mingled shades of green and yellow 3 with the excep- 
tion of these, the ledge, and every thing below it, is of a dis- 
mal black. he cliffs above the ledge, forming the outer 
edge of the crater, are on the northern and western sides per- 
fectly perpendicular, and of a red color, every where exhibit- 
ing the marks of former powerful ignition. Those on the 
eastern side are less precipitous, and consist of entire banks ef 
sulphur, of a delicate aud beautiful yellow. The south end 
_is wholly obscured. by the smoke, which fills that part of the 
crater and spreads widely over the surrounding horizon. 
As the darkness of the night gathered round us, new and 
powerful effect was given to the scene. Fire after fire, which 
the glare of mid-day had entirely concealed, began to ghim- 
mer on the eye, with the first shades of the evening; and, 
as the darkness increased, appeared in such rapid succession, 
as forcibly to remind me of the hasty lighting of the lamps 
of a city on the sudden approach of a gloomy night. ‘Two 
rounding obscurity, against the sides of the ledge and upper 
richly illuminating the volumes of smoke at the south 
he bosom 
