264 



Ascent of Mauna Loa. 



HAWAIIAN GROUP, OR 



Ascent of Mauna Loa. 



of them was a celebrated bird-catcher, called Kea- 

 weehu, who had been the guide of Lowenstern, and 

 knew where water was to be obtained ; but it was 

 ten miles distant. He said, that if he was furnished 

 with calabashes and natives to carry them, he 

 would be able to bring us a supply by the after- 

 noon, if he left before the day dawned ; and that 

 it would be two days before we could get any snow, 

 even if it were found on the mountain. It had 

 never crossed my mind, that there was any proba- 

 bility of this latter resource failing us ; I had in 

 truth relied upon it with confidence, and concluded 

 that in the event of only one snow-storm we should 

 be enabled to find some place for a deposit, to save 

 enough water for all our wants. 



We now numbered nearly three hundred per- 

 sons in camp, with but a few small calabashes con- 

 taining five or six gallons of water; and all, more 

 or less, felt the effects of the rarefied air. 



Old Keaweehu told us that we had taken the 

 wrong road to the mountain, and that Puhano was 

 not at all acquainted with the right road, a fact 

 we had long before discovered ; that if we had 

 come by way of Papapala, he would have been 

 able to conduct us by a route we should have found 

 water every few miles. 



The 20th, being Sunday, was a day of rest : the 

 natives requested that it might be so, and I readily 

 yielded to their wishes. I was anxious, however, 

 to ascertain the state of the mountain, and 

 whether there was any snow to be had on its top, 

 for I now felt satisfied that the want of water 

 would prove the greatest difficulty I should have 

 to encounter, in remaining there as long as I in- 

 tended. 



Lieutenant Budd received orders to set out with 

 a few attendants at daylight ; but after making his 

 preparations, and having all things ready, the 

 natives refused to accompany him on account of 

 its being Sunday, as they said. I am, however, 

 inclined to believe that fear had something to do 

 with it, for they never knew of any one having 

 gone up this mountain before, and thought me mad 

 for taking so much trouble to ascend it. They said 

 that I must be in pursuit of gold and silver, or 

 something to sell for money, as I never would take 

 so much trouble, and spend so much money, unless 

 it were to acquire great riches. 



In the evening we were much gratified at re- 

 ceiving fifteen gallons of water, which the natives 

 had brought ten miles in open-mouthed vessels, 

 over the rough mountain roads : this they do by 

 placing some fern-leaves on the top of the water, 

 when it cai'ries as well as a solid, and will bear 

 much agitation without spilling. Though a very 

 small supply for our necessities, it was a great 

 satisfaction to know that it was now within reach 

 of us. Partially relieved from this pressing dif- 

 ficulty, our attention was turned to the fuel, and I 

 at once saw the necessity of providing some means 

 for procuring a supply, as we were now at one of 

 the last points where it was to be obtained. We 

 were certainly two, if not three days' journey from 

 the summit, and an ascent of eight thousand feet 

 was still to be accomplished. 



On Monday, 21st, we set out at an early hour. 

 The ascent now became much steeper than any 

 we had hitherto experienced, for the whole face of 

 the mountain consisted of one mass of lava, that 

 had apparently flowed over in all directions from 



the summit. The sun shone brightly, and his rays 

 seemed to fall with increased power on the black 

 lava. No wind was stirring, and the exhaustion 

 consequent on the rarefied air we were breathing, 

 made the labour of climbing very fatiguing; many 

 suffered from nausea and headache, and the desire 

 for water redoubled in both whites and natives. 

 For water they could no longer find a substitute in 

 berries, as they had previously done, for that fruit 

 had disappeared, and the only vegetation left was a 

 few tufts of grass. 



About noon, Dr. Judd volunteered to proceed 

 with the guide to ascertain if there was any snow, 

 and at what distance. It was agreed that we should 

 coutinuejto move on in the same direction, and en- 

 camp when we found we could get no higher. Most 

 of the party were now lying about on the rocks, 

 with the noonday sun pouring on them ; a disposi- 

 tion to sleep, and a sensation and listlessness 

 similar to that produced by sea-sickness, seemed to 

 prevail. I felt the former strongly myself, and 

 enjoyed as sound an hour's sleep on the hard lava 

 as I have ever had. The burdens had become in- 

 tolerably heavy, and all complained of their in- 

 ability to carry them. The use of the sextant had 

 become still more fatiguing than the day before, 

 causing me much pain to hold it. From what I 

 myself experienced, I was satisfied that every 

 one's strength had decreased nearly one-half. 



We managed, after an hour's rest, to go on two 

 miles further, and then encamped. No place of- 

 fered where we could drive a peg for the tents, and 

 loose blocks of lava were resorted to, to confine the 

 cords. The principal inducement for stopping at 

 this spot was the discovery of a large tunnel, or 

 cave, in which the men could be accommodated, and 

 which was at a sufficient distance from the Sunday 

 Station for a day's journey. This station was 

 afterwards known as the Recruiting Station, be- 

 cause all the sick and wounded from the higher 

 stations were sent here as to an hospital. 



Long after we had finished our arrangements for 

 the night, and even after it had become dark, we 

 looked in vain for Dr. Judd and his companion. 

 We therefore lighted our fires as a signal to him, 

 and were soon rejoiced to see him safely back. He 

 brought with him a small snow-ball, and the 

 agreeable intelligence that we should find abun- 

 dance of snow on the top of the mountain, provided 

 we reached it next day ; for he told us it was 

 melting fast. He had travelled for more than four 

 hours and a half before he reached the snow, and 

 had been an hour and a half returning down hill, 

 on a run. The point where he met the snow ap- 

 peared to him to be about equidistant from our 

 present camp and the summit of the mountain. 



I now felt that the troubles of my scientific 

 operations were beginning, for I found that one 

 of the iron cross-bars of the lower part of the 

 pendulum-frame, which had been entrusted to a 

 native to carry, had been broken into two pieces. 

 To provide, however, for mishaps of this descrip- 

 tion, I had brought the armourer of the Vincen- 

 ues with me. There would have been no difficulty 

 in his mending it under favourable circumstances ; 

 but, fearing that in our present position he might 

 not succeed, I at once despatched a messenger to 

 the ship, with orders to have a new one made 

 and forwarded as speedily as possible. 



Although it was somewhat encouraging to know 



