Siz ‘olcano of Kirauea. 
would present, if the ice with which it is covered in the win- 
ter, were suddenly broken up by a heavy storm, and as sad- 
denly frozen again, while large fragments were still tossing 
and dashing and heaping against cach other, with the motion 
of the waves. Just so rough and distorted was the blac 
mass under our feet, only an hundred fold more terrific, inde- 
pendent of the innumerable cracks, fissures, deep holes and 
chasms, from which sulphurous vapour, steam and smoke 
were exhaled, with a degree of heat that testified to the near 
_ erossed. e chose the latter, but soon met an equally for- 
midable barrier in a current ef smoke, so highly impregna- 
ted with a suffocating gas, as not to allow of respiration. 
While hesitating what to de, we perceived this to be swept 
off, occasionally, by an eddy of the air in a direction oppo- 
site to that in which it generally settled, and watching as 
opportunity when our way was thus made clear, we held our 
breath and ran as rapidly as the dangerous character of the 
ground would permit, till we gained a place beyond its ordi- 
nary course. We here found ourselves unexpectedly delivered 
also from the other impediment to our progress—the chasm, 
which abruptly ran off in a direction far from that we wished 
to purste. ; 
e were now at an inconsiderable distance from one of the 
largest of the conical craters whose laborious action bad so 
greatly impressed our minds during the night, and we hastened 
to. anear examination of it. So prodigious an engine | never 
expect again to behold. On reaching its base, we judged it 
to be 150 feet high—a huge, irregularly shapen inverted 
funnel of lava, covered with clefts and orifices, from which 
bodies of steam escaped with deafening explosions, while pale 
flames, ashes, stones, and lava, were propelled, with equal 
force and noise, from its ragged and yawning mouth. xe 
whole formed so singular and terrific an object, that though 
my drawing book bad been accidentally left with my boy, 
who was unwilling to descend from the ledge with us, in or- 
der to secure a hasty sketch of it, I permitted the other gen- 
tlemen to go a few yards nearer than I did, while I occupied 
