120 Geological Features of the Island of Owyhee or Hawaii. 



whose whole hves had been spent on the stormy deep, were not 

 easily deterred from the undertaking. 



Each one of the party, with a staff to test the safety of the 

 footing, now commenced a perilous journey down a deep and 

 rugged precipice, sometimes almost perpendicular, and frequently 

 intersected with frightful chasms. In about forty five mirmtes 

 they stood upon the floor of the great volcano. 



Twenty six separate volcanic cones were seen, rising from 

 twenty to sixty feet : only eight of them, however, were in ope- 

 ration. Up several of those that were throwing out ashes, cin- 

 ders, red hot lava, and steam, they ascended, and so near did they 

 approach to the crater of one, that with their canes they dipped 

 out the liquid fire. Into another they threw large masses of sco- 

 riae, but they were instantly tossed high into the air. 



A striking spectacle in the crater at this time, was its lakes of 

 melted lava. There were six ,• but one, the southwest, occupied 

 more space than all the others. Standing by the side of this, 

 they looked down more than three hundred feet upon its surface, 

 glowing with, heat, and saw huge billows of fire dash themselves 

 on its rocky shore — whilst columns of molten lava, sixty or 

 seventy feet high, were hurled into the air, rendering it so hot 

 that they were obliged immediately to retreat. After a few min- 

 utes the violent struggle ceased, and the whole surface of the lake 

 was changing to a black mass of scorias ; but the pause was only 

 to renew its exertions, for while they were gazing at the change, 

 suddenly the entire crust which had been formed commenced 

 cracking, and the burning lava soon rolled across the lake, heav- 

 ing the coating on its surface, like cakes of ice upon the ocean- 

 surge. Not far from the center of the lake there was an island 

 which the lava was never seen to overflow ; but it rocked like a 

 ship upon a stormy sea. The whole of these phenomena were 

 witnessed by the party several times, but their repetition was al- 

 ways accompanied with the same effects. 



They now crossed the black and rugged floor of the crater, which 

 was frequently divided by huge fissures, and came to a ridge of 

 lava, down which they descended about forty feet, and stood up- 

 on a very level plain, occupying one fourth of the great floor of 

 the crater. This position however was found very uncomfortable 

 to the feet, for the fire was seen in the numerous cracks that in- 

 tersected the plain only one inch from the surface. Capt. Chase 



