MisceUanies. 201 



Strawberries, whortleberries, and raspberries, black and yellow, 

 grow, in abundance, upon the sides of the mountain, until you pass 

 the line of vegetation ; below this region,, is a\ dense woody belt, 

 nearly surrounding the mountain ; it is from five to twenty miles 

 through, and below this, until reaching the shore, a distance of six 

 or eight miles, is the region for cultivation. 



Tn the box which I have put up for you, to be sent by the present 

 opportunity, is one cocoanut shell, filled with sand from the beach, at 

 the bay. When it is melted in an iron vessel, in a blacksmith's 

 forge, it makes black, porous lava, not very dissimilar from other 

 specimens in the box. 



About fourteen months since, I was requested by my brethren, to 

 leave ray station, for a season, and to remove to Oahu, to superintend 

 the printing press, and instruct in book-binding some of the natives, 

 who were quite disposed to learn. While there, in January last, 

 about the 12th, (as near as I can ascertain,) the volcano commenced 

 a vigorous system of operauons, sending out volumes of smoke, and 

 the fire underneath, so powerfully illuminated the smoke, that it had 

 the appearance of a city, enveloped in one general conflagration. A 

 day or two following, smart shocks of earthquakes commenced, to 

 the number of six or eight in the course of the day ; they shook the 

 house so violently, that those who occupied left it and look up their 

 lodgings, for two or three days, in a native house, when the shocks 

 ceased and have not been since felt. 



On the 20th of June, volcanic eruptions broke out upon the top 

 of Mauna Loa, (which is about the same height as Mauna Kea,*) 

 and the mountain continued burning for two or three weeks ; the 

 lava was also seen running out of the sides. of the mountain, in dif- 

 ferent places ; it discharged the red hot lava from so many vents, 

 that it was seen on every side of the mountain ; it was visible as far 

 as Lahaina, upwards of one hundred miles. As that mountain, as 

 far as I can learn, has never been ascended by any person, I con- 

 template attempting the ascent, while making a tour of the island in 

 January next. Should I succeed, and discover any thing worth no- 

 tice, you may expect to hear from me by the next opportunity. 



I returned home to this place in July last, and embraced the first 

 favorable opportunity to go up to our volcano of Kirauea and see 

 what alterations had taken place since I saw it last. About the first 



* 18,000 feet. 



Vol. XXV.— No. 1. 26 



