PliOCEEDIXGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 769 



and rapid than lower down, where it spread out broader. This w^as 

 the only stream which reached the sea, and flowed into it a little 

 west of the south j^oint of the island, at a place called Kailikii, It 

 lasted only five days, the eruption ceasing entirely on the night of 

 the 11th or the morning of the 12th. 

 -^ * * * * * * 



Opposite the point of coast wliere the lava reached the sea a small 

 conical island was thrown up in the sea, about a mile distant from 

 the shore, consisting of mud and sand, and emitting steam from its 

 summit. This island has become joined to the mainland by the lava 

 flowing from the new eruption. As the lava entered the sea, clouds 

 of steam and smoke rose up, and flames of bluish fire were emitted, 

 risina: from the water to a lieij^ht of from ten to twenty feet. During 

 the night we were at the volcano the air was highly charged with 

 sulphur, gas and electricity, and frequent flashes of lightning were 

 seen directly over the lava stream, accompanied with short claps of 

 thunder. These flashes were also observed less frequently further up 

 the mountain. 



Two kinds of lava were erupted during the flow. It commenced 

 with a stream of smooth, gloss}' lava, known here as pahoeRoe, which 

 was followed by the thiek, dirty kind, called aa. Ivahuku farm was 

 nearly covered with the latter, which branched out into four wide, 

 streams, covering a space of four miles wide and long. This was 

 followed again by tlie liquid or pahoehoe^ which ran into the sea, and 

 continued till the eruption ceased. About 4,000 acres of good 

 pasture land were destroyed, besides which the lava ran over an 

 immense district of worthless land. 



On the night of the 6th, prior to the eruption,, there was a shower 

 of ashes and pumice stone, whicli came from this crater, and covered 

 the country to the distance of ten or fifteen miles each way. Generally 

 the ashes were not more than one or two inches in depth, but in some 

 place's were found to be fifteen. The pumice stone was very light, and 

 appears to have been carried by the wind a great distance. Pieces 

 two and three inches in size floated ashore at Kealakekua bay, forty- 

 five miles distant. 



The roaring of the crater was a novel feature to those who liad 

 never visited an eruption before. It was caused by the rocks thrown 

 out from the crater and the grinding or crushing^process of the aa as 

 it moved along. This aa flow appears composed of half-melted lava, 

 and as it is pushed along piled up sometimes fifty or even a hundred 



[Inst.] 49 



