262 



Volcano of Kiluuea. 



HAWAIIAN GROUP, OR 



Ascent of Mauna Loa. 



distance, though this was partially counteracted 

 by the distinctiveness of the dome. I now, for the 

 first time, felt the magnitude of the task I had 

 undertaken. 



So striking was the mountain, that I was sur- 

 prised and disappointed when called upon by my 

 friend, Dr. Judd, to look at the volcano of Kilauea; 

 for I saw nothing before us but a huge pit, black, 

 ill-looking, and totally different from what I had 

 anticipated. There were no jets of fire, no erup- 

 tions of heated stones, no cones, nothing but a de- 

 pression, that, in the midst of the vast plain by 

 which it is surrounded, appeared small and insig- 

 nificant. 



We hurried to the edge of the cavity, in order 

 to get a view of its interior, and as we approached, 

 vapour issuing from numerous cracks snowed that 

 we were passing over ground beneath which fire 

 was raging. The rushing of the wind past us was 

 as if it were drawn inwards to support the com- 

 bustion of some mighty conflagration. 



When the edge is reached, the extent of the 

 cavity becomes apparent, and its depth became 

 sensible by comparison with the figures of some of 

 our party who had already descended. The vast- 

 ness thus made sensible transfixes the mind with 

 astonishment, and every instant the impression of 

 grandeur and magnitude increases. To give an 

 idea of its capacity, the city of New York might be 

 placed within it, and when at its bottom would be 

 hardly noticed, for it is three and a half miles long, 

 two and a half wide, and over a thousand feet deep. 

 A black ledge surrounds it at the depth of six hun- 

 dred and sixty feet, and thence to the bottom is 

 three hundred and eighty-four feet. The bottom 

 looks, in the daytime, like a heap of smouldering 

 ruins. The descent to the ledge appears to the 

 sight a short and easy task, but it takes an hour to 

 accomplish. 



We pitched our tents in full view of the volcano, 

 and sat on its northern bank for a long time in 

 silence. We succeeded in reaching the second 

 ledge, though the way to it is steep, rugged, and 

 uncertain. At the edge of the pool, or lake of fire, 

 the light was so strong that it enabled me to read 

 the smallest print. This pool is fifteen hundred 

 long by one thousand feet wide, and of an oval 

 figure. 



I was stBuck with the absence of any noise, 

 except a low murmuring, like that which is heard 

 from the boiling of a thick liquid. The lake was 

 apparently rising, and wanted but a few feet of 

 overflowing its banks. When I began to reflect 

 upon the position we were in, its insecurity, and 

 the vast and deep fires beneath, with the high 

 basaltic walls encompassing us on all sides, I found 

 it difficult to comprehend how such a reservoir can 

 thus be pent up, and be viewed in such close proxi- 

 mity, without accident or danger. The whole 

 party was perfectly silent, and the countenance of 

 each individual expressed the feeling of awe and 

 wonder which I felt in so great a degree myself, 

 and which the scene was so well calculated to 

 excite. 



No one can see all this and yet doubt the theory 

 of the igneous fluidity of the centre of the earth. 

 All combustible causes that we are acquainted 

 with are totally inadequate to produce such an 

 effect. The whole seemed boiling up like a foun- 

 tain, differing only in density and colour. 



We returned to our tents towards midnight, 

 much fatigued, but found sleep impossible after the 

 excitement of such a scene. 



The day we remained at the volcano was em- 

 ployed by the natives in preparing their food, by 

 boiling it in the crevices on the plains from which 

 the steam issues; into these they put the taro, &c., 

 and close the hole up with fern-leaves, and in a 

 short time the food was well cooked. All the 

 water for drinking is obtained here by the conden- 

 sation of the stream, which gathers in small pools, 

 and affords a supply of sweet and soft water. 

 From the numbers in the camp who used it, this 

 supply became rather scanty, but it did not entirely 

 give out. 



The crater, at night, was extremely beautiful, 

 and we sat for a long time watching its changing 

 and glowing pool. The shadows thrown by the 

 walls of the crater seemed to reach the heavens, 

 and gave it the appearance of being clothed in a 

 dark cloud ; but on looking at it more attentively, 

 and shutting off the glare of the crater, the stars 

 were perceived shining brightly. 



About four o'clock a loud report was heard 

 from the direction of the boiling lake, which proved 

 to have been caused by a large projecting point of 

 the black ledge near the lake having fallen in and 

 disappeared. 



The lowest temperature, during the night, was 

 48. There was a light wind and no dew. 



At dawn on the morning of the 18th, the signal 

 called us to make preparations for our journey, 

 and as all things had now been more systematically 

 arranged, we anticipated less difficulty in our 

 onward journey. The natives seemed to be all in 

 good spirits, and moved with alacrity. 



Our camp hitherto (as all camps are) had been 

 beset with hangers-on, in the shape of wives, 

 mothers, and children, who were not only much in 

 the way of those to whom they belonged, but were 

 great consumers of the food the natives had sup- 

 plied themselves with for the journey. As we 

 already entertained apprehensions of a scarcity, 

 prompt measures were taken by Dr. Judd to get 

 rid of our troublesome guests, which we succeeded 

 in doing, though not without some difficulty, and a 

 low monotonous growling, that indicated much dis- 

 pleasure on the part of the fair sex. 



The divisions now set off, and our host was less 

 mob-like, partly owing to the impossibility of going 

 in squads, the paths having become more con- 

 tracted. 



The water that I have mentioned as being found 

 in the small pools, the product of condensation, 

 was exhausted before we left the crater. This 

 was in consequence of the natives having filled 

 their calabashes ; and we had particularly in- 

 structed our servants and the sailors to do the same. 

 The former provided themselves ; but the latter, 

 sailor-like, preferred to take their chance of meet- 

 ing with it on the road, rather than carry a load 

 for their future supply. I discovered, after we 

 started, that they were unprovided, but was in- 

 formed that there was, within about two miles, an 

 old canoe which would be found full of water. On 

 our arrival at it, we found that the natives, who 

 had preceded us, after supplying themselves had 

 emptied out the rest. 



Our route was taken at first and for a few miles 

 in a due west line, for the top of Mauna Loa, over 



