288 THE PERUVIAN TIDAL WAVE. 



Bordering this is an embankment fringed Avith cocoauut trees ; and here 

 were the buildings that were swept away. 



The long curve of sand beach terminates in a rocky pile covered with 

 cocoanut trees and called Cocoanut Island. On this picturesque island 

 stood the hospital. The island was completely submerged, and when it 

 arose from the flood not a vestige of the hospital remained. 



With the news of this tidal wave — not the first visitor of its kind — 

 comes that of the unusual activity of the crater Kilauea. 



Pele retreated into the bowels of the earth, making her next appear- 

 ance beneath the waters of Kealakeakua Bay, not far from the spot where 

 Captain Cook was killed. 



This subterranean eruption opened a fissure under water a mile long 

 and extending inland three miles. The little inter-island steamer " Kil- 

 auea " came upon the scene of action just m time to find a boiling sea lying 

 directly across her path. 



Boats and canoes pulled into the turbulent waters, which danced like 

 rapids. Blocks of red-hot lava, some of them two feet square, rose con- 

 stantly to the surface and bumped against the boats, but did no damage. 

 Many smaller pieces of lava were fished out of the hot water and found to 

 be 80 molten that the interior could be stirred with a stick. A part of the 

 time the surface of the sea was covered with these hissing-hot lava blocks. 

 As they cooled they sank. The specimens obtained were all porous and 

 light — a kind of lava called by old natives aa — pronounced ah, ah. The 

 fishes in the vicinity were killed. Eumbling noises and a severe earth- 

 quake shock accompanied the phenomena. 



The waves rose to a height of from ten to sixteen feet, perpendicular, at 

 intervals of not less than four minutes. A whaler lying at anchor in four 

 fathoms of water grounded as the waves receded, and was whirled around 

 with every ebb and flow. Although the Hawaiians are the most amphibi- 

 ous people in the world (I have seen a child that could not walk taught to 

 swim), five of them were drowned. Boats picked up others who were 

 swept from the shore and swam until assistance came." 



If 



