ing, with a sky of the purest blue, was bright and beau- 
tiful, and afforded us spl views of Mounaroa, seemingly close 
at hand and tinged with purple, and of Mounakea far-behind us 
in the distance. I was at the crater again, before sunrise; and. fol- 
lowed its’ brink a half mile or more westward, with an opportunity 
of distinguishing, for the first time, its characteristic features. But 
the light of the day had extinguished the fires—where, in the night, 
the principal action had been observed, nothing could now be discern- 
ed but smoking lakes, or black cones, tipped with pale, sulphureous 
7 : , eae 
In an excursion with two gentlemen of our party, who were in 
- pursuit of ducks, we found whortleberries, which covered the surface 
in rich clusters, and beyond the rising ground, over which we were 
walking, we found abundance of the finest strawberries, principally, 
in an open meadow-like spot, skirting a wood of noble trees of 
the Eugenia and Acacia. — i 5 
a To returning, we passed by the pools, furnishing visitors with the 
nly water in the vicinity. Its preparation is a kind provision, not 
only for the weary traveller, as he occasionally crosses the island at 
this wonderful place, but for the fowls of the air, which, at most times, 
\ find security in the regions around—I say preparation, for the pro- 
vision, though natural, is strictly such ; and one of the most singular 
in the world. It is by the condensation of steam, escaping from 
holes and crevices in the ground, immediately to the windward of @ 
bed of earth and lava so hard and compact, as to be impervious t 
‘water, and into excavations and natural basins, of which the drops; 
formed by the effect of the cold wind upon the vapor, fall, and fur- 
_ nish a constant supply of the purest water. I looked with admura- 
-~ tion, on the simple process ever taking place, and thought with won 
der and gratitude of the wisdom and goodness of the Almighty, often 
displayed in the economy of nature, in which circumstances seem 
ingly small and unimportant, are not only highly conducive to the 
comfort, but-vitally essential to the well being of his creatures. 
Soon after breakfast we began to prepare for a descent be 
and, before long, were all marshalled and equipped with long cane 
water flasks, &c. for the undertaking. Directly in front of our sleep- 
ing place, and entirely round the western side, the descent to the 
edge, or offset, is a perpendicular wall of nine hundred feet 5 we 
therefore, went a quarter or half a mile to the east, by the direction 
of our attendants, many of whom had,. within the last two oF three 
years, been here with several successive parties. On coming t° the 
low 5 
