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SO On the Recent Condition of Kilauea. 



bearings were taken for the purpose of fixing the topography* 

 of the points of principal interest, and from these and other ob- 

 servations were derived the k\v data mentioned in the present 



paper. 



During the six weeks interv^ening between the two visits of 

 the writer ahnost no perceptible change had taken place in any 

 part of the crater, except that the Great lake had apparently 

 risen four or five feet Two or three months afterwards, the lake 

 overflowed its embankment, and subseqnently retired to its for- 

 mer level. 



Since 1846j.as will be seen from the communication of Mr. 

 Coan, great changes have taken place, and the general aspect and 

 modus operandi of the volcano have undergone various revolu- 

 tions. The Great lake has ceased to exist as a cauldron of boil- 

 ing lava. A huge dome surmounted by cones of eruption has 

 been formed over it. The general activity of the volcano has 

 suffered apparently a large diminution, and the crater has become 

 gradually choked up. The latest report from the Islands, of a 

 date subsequent to Mr. Coan's communication, speaks of a i^v 

 eruption having occurred at Kilauea, but the extent and charac- 

 ter of it are not described. 



Mr. Coan in his recent letter to the writer, remarks as follows: 



r 



Letter of Mr. Coan on Kilauea^ dated Hilo^ January^ 1851. 



You recollect the aspect of this unique volcano at the time we 

 visited it in 1846. My next visit to the crater was in July, 1847; 

 in company with Capt. DuPont and several officers of the U. S- 

 ship Cyane. No essential changes had occurred in the bottom 

 of the volcano during this interim, except that the Great lake 

 had filled up, had overflowed a considerable area around its rim, 

 was still full and in an active state.^ The boiling of the lava 

 was intense around most of its circumference, and at many points 

 over its surface. Access to the red-rolling fusion was compara- 

 tively easy, so that by carefully watching and dodging its fiery 

 jets wecould dip up its viscid matter with sticks or ladles. Sev- 

 eral gentlemen imbedded coins in the lava while in fusion and 

 kept them as specimens. Silent and successive overflowings 

 took place from time to time during this year, considerably ele- 

 vating all the area in the vicinity of Halemaumau, or the lake, 

 but not affecting the other and larger portions of the crater. I 

 think it was about the beginning of 1848 that the Great lake 

 was first noticed as crusted over with a thick stratum of lava; 



* In a letter dated Dec. 7th, 1846, Mr. Coan says: "Visited the volcano a few 

 days ago." " Found the lake full and actiTe. Dipped up the molten luva with our 

 oanes.'' 



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