Exploration of West Valley 



After watching the stream for about an hour, we 

 descended the cone in order to approach as near as 

 possible to the flowing lava, which for some time was 

 hidden by a shoulder of the hill. When we again came 

 in sight of it the end of the stream seemed to have 

 stopped, or, at all events, slowed down to such an extent 

 that we could no longer detect its movement from this 

 distance. 



While we were watching, the front of the stream 

 suddenly broke down and out rushed a torrent of lava, 

 which flowed at first rapidly, but afterwards more slowly 

 down the valley towards a small lake which lay in the 

 angle between the bases of the two cones. Before 

 reaching the lake, however, this secondary stream, like 

 the first, slowed down and gradually became covered 

 with solid matter. As the lava flowed from the opening 

 in the end of the main stream the surface of the latter 

 slowly collapsed as its liquid support was withdrawn. 

 We now advanced farther, but before reaching the 

 immediate neighbourhood of the stream were obliged to 

 refrain from a nearer approach by the intense heat and 

 the sulphur fumes. 



Our supply of water had run short, and as all the 

 streams and springs near the volcano were foul with 

 sulphur and volcanic dust, we had to return to our 

 previous bivouac, where there was a small spring of 

 pure fresh water, to replenish our stock. Here we 

 spent the night and on the following day again visited 

 the lava-stream. We found the front now not more 

 than 30 yards from the water's edge, and were able 

 to approach the moving mass much more closely than 

 would have been possible on the previous day. The 



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