192 On the Volcanic Character of the Island of Hawaii. 



vapours are issuing through almost the whole distance from 

 the cracks and fissures of the lava. The form of the crater is 

 something of the shape of an egg, the longest diameter from 

 N. to S. When one is in the crater, and viewing the rocks 

 below the black body, (which is covered with very porous vol- 

 canic glass,) lava of all descriptions may be seen, from that 

 which is loose and porous to that which is very firm and 

 equally compact as any of the trap rocks. From what I have 

 seen since I have been upon these islands, I should not hesi- 

 tate to class lava and -trap rocks together; for how can a part 

 of the same mass be in a state of fusion and part not? That 

 which appears to have been under the greatest pressure, is 

 uniformly the most compact. I shall endeavour to send you 

 specimens the first opportunity, although they will not be 

 large, in consequence of having so far to carry them by hand. 

 The land about the crater has fallen in, including a space not 

 much short of six miles in diameter. To the north end of the 

 crater, the land is nearly level for a considerable distance, then 

 it gradually descends to the sea-shore : the volcano is probably 

 8000 or 10,000 feet above the level of the sea: the ground or 

 rocks are also full of cracks and fissures, that render it rather 

 dangerous travelling. When I was up there in December, a na- 

 tive fell through the grass and rubbish into one of the fissures 

 that was concealed, and was drawn up by a rope much bruised. 



There are large quantities of sulphur in and about the crater, 

 where, also, whortleberries are growing all the year, but they 

 are not so palatable as those in America; they are about the 

 size of red cherries ; the natives do not eat them, considering 

 them sacred to the god of the volcano. There is also a plenty 

 of wild geese, though not so large as tame geese. The lava 

 in many places is full of the crystals of augite and leucite. The 

 sand upon the sea-shore in front of my house is composed 

 chiefly of green crystals, which I suppose to be augite. 1 have 

 tried several specimens of the lava, and find them fusible by 

 the blow-pipe. For further information I must refer you to a 

 journal of a tour of this island that was made the summer after 

 my arrival. 



We will now proceed to give, as far as the object in view is 

 concerned, an abstract and analysis of the tour of the mission- 

 aries, as drawn up by Mr. Ellis ; and although some of the 

 facts are the same as those related by Mr. Goodrich, they are 

 presented in such a connexion, that it will not be unpleasant 

 or unprofitable to have them in part repeated. Mr. Good- 

 rich's letter contains, however, a number of facts not related 

 in the tour. " The tour," says The North American, (for April 

 1826,) " was begun at Kairua, a village on the western side 



of 



