Ascent of Mauna Loa. 



SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



Ascent of Mauna Loa. 



265 



that snow had been found, yet we were apprehen- 

 sive it might disappear before we could reach it. 

 On holding a consultation, it was thought best that 

 all those who were not absolutely needed for the 

 intended operations on the mountain should make 

 a hasty trip to the top, or terminal crater, and 

 then return to the coast ; for our provisions, as 

 well as water, were so low, as in all probability to 

 reduce us to a very short allowance. It was, there- 

 fore, determined, that the consul, Mr. Brackenridge, 

 Mr. Drayton, and Mr. Elliott, should each be sup- 

 plied with a day's allowance, and go on at an early 

 hour to the summit, unencumbered, in order to 

 satisfy themselves with a sight of it, return before 

 night to the Recruiting Station, and thence proceed 

 down the mountain. I resolved to go on with a 

 few of the instruments, to choose an encampment 

 on the summit. 



All the parties set out at an early hour on their 

 several tracks and duties. My party consisted of 

 the guide, Keaweehu, twelve Kanakas, and seven 

 of our own men, including the sergeant. At about 

 twelve o'clock we reached a spot where the guide 

 pointed out a few half-burnt sticks, as the place 

 where Lowenstern had cooked his dinner. As the 

 two Kanakas who had charge of the bundles of 

 wood had contrived to lighten their loads very 

 much by dropping part of it by the way, I gave 

 them orders to take the wood he had left to cook 

 our supper. 



Mr. Brackenridge passed me on his way from 

 the crater. From him I ascertained we were yet 

 three and a half miles from the terminal point. I 

 gave him instructions to repair to the lower coun- 

 try, as there was nothing for him to do in this 

 barren region. 



The wind blew a strong gale from the south-west, 

 and was piercingly cold : the thermometer, at 3 

 P.M., showed 25. For some time previous, 1 had 

 been obliged to keep the Kanakas befoi-e me, to 

 prevent them from throwing their loads down and 

 deserting ; but I found them unable to go any 

 further ; being nearly naked, they were suffering 

 much. Seeking a place of shelter under a high 

 bank of clinkers, partly protected from the wind, I 

 allowed them to deposit their loads, and gave them 

 permission to return, upon which they seemed 

 actually to vanish; I never saw such agility dis- 

 played by them before. 



As soon as the natives who were on the road saw 

 those from the upper party coming down, they 

 could no longer be induced to face the cold, and all 

 deserted at once. The mountain became in conse- 

 quence a scene of confusion; being strewn with in- 

 struments, boxes, pieces of the portable house, 

 tents, calabashes, &c., which the natives had 

 dropped. 



I now found myself with the guide and nine men, 

 with nothing for a covering but the small tent used 

 for the instruments, and the coming on of a snow- 

 storm made it very necessary to have something to 

 protect us. The thermometer had gone down to 

 18, and most of the men were much affected with 

 the mountain-sickness, with headache and fever, 

 and were unable to do any thing. I felt quite un- 

 well myself from the same cause, having a violent 

 throbbing of the temples and a shortness of breath, 

 that were both painful and distressing. With the 

 few men that remained able to work, I began build- 

 ing a circular wall of the clinkers, to enable us to 



spread what little canvass we had, over it; all the 

 blankets we could spare were hung inside, which I 

 hoped would keep us from being frozen. After suc- 

 ceeding in this, which occupied us till dark, we 

 made a fire to prepare our scanty supper, and some 

 tea for the sick. I now discovered that three of 

 the men were absent; and on inquiry, found that 

 they had gone down, in hopes of finding my tent, 

 which they supposed had been left about a mile 

 below. One may j udge of my uneasiness, as it was 

 pitchy dark, and there was no trace whatever of a 

 track, or any thing by which they could find their 

 way back, over many dangerous chasms. I had 

 barely wood enough to heat the water for the sick, 

 and no more than a piece or two of candle, without 

 any lantern, and therefore no obvious means of 

 making a signal. However, as necessity is the 

 mother of invention, I turned my clothes out of the 

 calabash, and fastening a piece of a cotton shirt over 

 it, made quite a respectable lantern; this was placed 

 on the most conspicuous point. After the light had 

 been extinguished several times, and a series of 

 difficulties encountered in relighting it, we suc- 

 ceeded in establishing our lighthouse; and though 

 a feeble one, it had the desired effect. The men, 

 when they first saw it, had already strayed off the 

 track ; and had it not been for the lantern, would 

 not have been able to join us again. They came 

 back, crawling on their hands and knees; and had 

 travelled thus for most of the distance. The whole 

 time they had been absent, was two hours and a 

 half. Although I felt very much displeased with 

 their departure without permission, I could not 

 find fault with them, so much was I rejoiced to 

 see them in safety; and when I knew they had in- 

 curred all this fatigue and risk to make me more 

 comfortable. 



The snow now began to fall fast. My steward, 

 from his thoughtfulness, had an ample supply of 

 tea, which he had carried in his knapsack to save it 

 from being plundered; and consequently we had 

 enough to supply all. 



The supper being ended, we stowed ourselves 

 away within the circular pen ; and while the men 

 kept passing their jokes about its comforts, the 

 wind blew a perfect hurricane without. The spirits 

 of those who were sick began to revive; and al- 

 though there was scarcely a foot of level rock, all 

 were soon fast asleep. I had little inclination in- 

 deed to rest; for difficulties seemed to increase upon 

 me. 



At about four o'clock in the morning, the snow 

 had accumulated in such quantities on our canvass 

 roof, that it broke in upon us, bringing down also 

 some of the stones. This was a disagreeable ac- 

 cident ; and after escaping from beneath the ruin, 

 it became necessary to take the covering off and 

 clear the snow out of the pen, which was nearly 

 full. This was the work of nearly an hour of un- 

 pleasant labour ; but it was much more easily 

 accomplished, than getting ourselves warm again. 

 I need scarcely say, I passed a most uncomfortable 

 night. 



When daylight came, the storm had somewhat 

 abated in violence, and I despatched the men for 

 the tents and wood, a part of which had been 

 dropped by one of the natives within half a 

 mile of our position. A man soon returned with 

 the wood, and another brought forward a calabash, 

 in which we fortunately found some provisions, 



