T’. Coan on the Eruption of Mauna Loa in 1852. 219 
shall find the Earth’s time of rotation diminishing, I will cheer- 
fully grant that my analogy can no longer be regarded as the ex- 
pression of a “physical fact.” But inasmuch as our planet’s pe- 
riod of diurnal revolution has not varied the three hundredth part 
of a second during the last two thousand years, it may be as well 
to leave the discussion of this point to posterity. 
Delaware College, July 5, 1852. 
* 
Arr. XXV.—On the Eruption of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, Feb- 
ryary, 1852; by Rev. Trrus Coay.* 
Oty Kilauea has been quite tame since I last wrote you. 
Changes,have, however, taken place. The key stone of the great 
dome over Halemaumau (the lake) has parted, the top of the 
dome has fallen in, an orifice of about one hundred feet diam- 
eter has been opened, and an abyss of raging fire may be seen 
below at the depth of one hundred feet. Small lakes of fire 
have also broken out here and there in the crater, but the action 
has been partial and comparatively feeble. No light shines upon 
us from Kilauea, and we have no new terrors to record of Mother 
Pele at this point. | 
But we have other wonders among the fiery sisterhood. 
moon. Seamen keeping watch on deck in our port exclaimed, 
enward to the height of 300 or 400 feet, flooding the summit 
of the mountain with light, and gilding the firmament with its 
lance. Streams of light came pouring down the mountain, 
flashing through our windows, and lighting up our apartments so 
that we could see to read large print. When we first awoke, so 
dazzling was the glare on our windows, that we supposed some 
building near us must be on fire; but as the light shone directly 
upon our couch and into our faces we soon perceived its cause. 
In two hours the molten stream had rolled, as we judged, about 
fifteen miles down the side of the mountain. 
‘ oo Sidi to Rey. Cuxsrer 9. Lyman, dated Hilo, March 5, 1852. 
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