NOTES ON THE 1 916 ERUPTION OF MAUN A LOA 327 



light over the dark sky from a point on the slope near the place of 

 outbreak, though apparently a little lower down. That this 

 emanated from the eruption was, and is, doubtful. It was too 

 faint to be a positive illumination. However, it is the under- 

 standing of the writer that a faint glow was seen that night by 

 Captain Nicholson when off Fisherman Point. This and subse- 

 quent events strengthen the probability that the faint light seen 

 from the observatory was, in reality, from the eruption. 



From the observatory no fumes were seen on the 20th, nor 

 early on the 21st. From Kealakeakua, however, a "pillar of 

 smoke" was seen early in the morning of the 20th by Miss Paris, 

 a lifelong resident of Hawaii, familiar with the appearance of the 

 mountain profile and with the characteristics of eruption here. 

 This appeared high up on the south slope as seen from Kona. 

 From the observatory, just at sunset in the evening of the 21st, thin 

 brown-toned fumes were seen by transmitted light rising from near 

 the place of outbreak. They appeared somewhat more pronounced, 

 even, than on the evening of the 19th. 



A small amount of lava probably was ejected at the time of this 

 outbreak. This was reported as seen by men high on the slopes 

 back of Naalehu and Kahuku, and in Kona, but the action was 

 quickly over. 



As mentioned earlier, the swarm of earthquakes which preceded 

 and accompanied the first uprush of fumes was followed by a lull 

 in the registration of shocks, of less than twenty-four hours' 

 duration. After this they began to register in greater number 

 than before, and in most instances with greater amplitude also. 

 Intervals of quiet were short. The resumption and continuation 

 of this seismic activity led to expectation of the outbreak of flow. 

 Flow broke out, considerably lower down the slope than the place 

 of first outbreak, in the late evening of May 2 1 . With little doubt 

 it was first seen by the writer, at about 11:15 P - M - It was at once 

 brought to the attention of others at the Volcano House near by, 

 and from here the news was spread by telephone on the eastern side 

 of the island. On the western side of the island the outbreak was 

 first noticed a little before midnight by Mrs. McWayne, and there 

 the news was similarly spread. 



