A CAMP IN A CRATER. 197 
vent it. You come upon it as abruptly as upon the 
first, and the bank is steep, even shelving in, so that 
you are obliged to lie down and peer over the brink 
to see to the bottom of the abyss. Unlike the first, 
it has no water, save a small pool, dark and gloomy 
enough to be an opening into the great infernal re- 
gions below, as it undoubtedly is. This pool is in the 
eastern side of the crater-floor, which is here com- 
paratively level, with a dip in the direction of the 
water. The walls arise from this floor, jagged and 
rent, torn and water-worn, for nearly a thousand feet, 
precipitous, seamed in places with ravines and cov- 
ered with ferns. 
There is not much of interest here outside the fact 
that it had its origin in that terrible explosion in 1812, 
before which the space occupied by this great crater 
was’ solid mountain. At the same time also that coni- 
cal island which rose from the center of the other cra- 
ter was blown into space. It has been entered and 
the bottom reached, but all attempts to fathom that 
black pool have been unavailing. From a little dis- 
tance can be seen the bulging wall that arises from 
the slope eastward, which gives this mountain sum- 
mit a cone-like character. Beyond is an enclosing 
ring of mountains, and in a narrow valley between 
crater-cone and mountains are deep, very deep, ra- 
vines and gorges, where flowed that fiery tide of lava 
when it swept down upon the windward coast. 
We returned to the cave, and soon the party left 
us,’ with offers of assistance when I should arrive at 
their plantations. Toby sat in the cave’s mouth, nor 
would he stir from it during the ensuing three days 
and nights, except to get water and wood. His ex- 
