Proceedings of the P olytecrxic Association. 767 



stood on it, tlioiigli it was hot enougli to burn the solea of our shoes. 

 This lava stream originated some ten miles up the mountain, and 

 came down early on the morning of the 7th. It had ceased flowing, 

 the eruption haviiig opened a vent lower down and further soutli. 

 Bevond this vallev, aljout a quarter of a mile distant, was the pali of 

 Mamalu, a steep precipice, which runs from the mountain to the 

 south point of Hawaii, and forms tlie west boundary of the table land 

 of Kahuku, a beautiful level plateau, coVered with tall grass, afford- 

 ing excellent pasturage for herds of cattle, horses, sheep and goats. 

 About a mile above the road were the farm houses of Captain Robert 

 Brown, who lived there with his family. Xear by were the dairy 

 establishment of C. i^. Spencer and other dwellings. This plateau 

 was several miles in extent, running as far as Waiohinu and sloping 

 gently off to the sea, and dotted with hillocks. 



On Tuesday afternoon, April 7, at five o'clock, a new crater, several 

 miles lower down than that referred to, and about two miles back of 

 Captain Brown's residence, burst out. The lava stream commenced 

 flowing down the beautiful grass covered plateau, towai-d and around 

 the farm houses, and the inmates had barely time to escape witli the 

 clothes they had on, before the houses were all surrounded, burned, 

 and covered with streams of fiery lava, varying from five to fifty feet 

 in depth. Fortunately all the inmates escaped safely to Waiohinu, 

 but how narrow the escape was and how rapid the stream flowed may 

 be inferred from the fact that the path by which they escaped was 

 covered with lava ten minutes after they passed over it. 



On ascending the ridge we found the eruption in full blast. Four 

 enormous fountains, apparently distinct from each other, and yet 

 forming a line a mile long, north and south, were continually spout- 

 ing up from the opening. These jets were blood red, and yet as fluid 

 as water, ever varjnng in size, bulk and height. Sometimes two 

 would join together, and again, the whole four would be united, 

 making one continuous fountain a mile in length. 



From the lower end of the crater a stream of very licpiid, boiling 

 lava flowed out and down the plateau, a distance of two or three 

 miles; then following the track of the government road, ran down 

 the precipice at an angle of about thirty degrees, then along the foot 

 of the pali or precipice five miles to the sea, the stream being about 

 eight or ten miles in length, and in some places half a mile wide. 



This was the magnificent scene, to see which we had hurriedly left 

 Honolulu, and had fortunately arrived at the riglit moment to witness 



