770 Transactions of the American Institute. 



feet liigli, presenting the appearance of a railroad embankment, the 

 sides having an angle of about forty degrees, down which the lava 

 stones keep rolling. This stream generally moves along slowly, but 

 when the quantity of liquid lava, which floats and carries along the 

 aa, is abundant, it moves from one to four miles an hour. What 

 makes the diiference between the dry aa lava and the \\(\\\\(\. pahoehoe, 

 which flows like water, is an interesting subject of inquiry that has 

 never been settled. They both flow from the same craters, one giving 

 place to the other in turns. Our own opinion is that the smooth 

 liquid variety obtains its character by long fusion, while the aa variety 

 (which appears like half-melted stones and dirt mixed together) co.n- 

 sists of the interior surfice of the earth torn ofl' and thrown out during 

 the eruption. An examination of the various aa streams tends to 

 confirm this theory. 



Besides the dwelling and premises, which were completely burned 

 and covered up ten feet deep by the lava, Mr. Brown lost about 100 

 head of cattle and other parties about 150 head. These cattle 

 appeared to be paralyzed on the approach of the lava and made no 

 eflfort to escape. It is diflicult to estimate the loss of property in 

 Kahuku, but it may be roughly set down at from $10,000 to $15,000. 

 The houses destroyed were not expensive, the main loss being in land 

 and stock. 

 T» * * -x- -X- * * 



Respecting the weather during March it may be added that it was 

 ■of the same stormy character as has prevailed all over the western 

 hemisphere, including north and south Pacific. Tlie quantity of 

 rain that has fallen on the mountains of Hawaii has also been large, 

 but to what extent these have afiected the internal fires and produced 

 the earthquakes and eruptions must remain only a matter of con- 

 jecture. The thermometer during the same montli showed no unusual 

 fluctuation, ranging from sixty-eight to seventy degrees at sunrise, 

 and eighty-three to eighty-four degrees at noon, with considerable 

 regularly. 



The same writer commenting, on the earthquakes says as follows : 



At about ten, a. Mv,. on the 28th of March a series of earth- 

 quakes began which coutitiued at intervals with varied severity for 

 over a month. At Kona as many as fifty or sixty distinct shocks 

 were felt in one day ; at Kan .over three hundred in the same time, 

 and near the great crater of Kilauea the earth is represented as hav- 

 ing been in a constant quiver for days together, with frequent vigor- 



