198 On the Volcanic Character of the Island of Hawaii. 



covered avenue of considerable extent, from 50 to 60 feet in 

 height, formed by the lava's having flowed, in some recent 

 eruption, over the edge of a perpendicular stratum of very an- 

 cient lava, from 60 to 70 feet high. It appeared as if it had at 

 first flowed over in one vast sheet, but had afterwards fallen 

 more slowly, and in detached semi-fluid masses. These, cool- 

 ing as they fell, had hardened and formed a pile, which, by 

 continued augmentation from above, had ultimately reached 

 the top, and united with the liquid lava there. It was evident 

 that the lava still continued to flow along the outside of the 

 arch thus formed, into the plain below, as we observed, in se- 

 veral places, the course of unbroken streams, from the top of 

 the cliff, to the bed of smooth lava, that covered the beach for 

 several miles. The space at the bottom, between the ancient 

 rocks and more recently formed lava, was from six to twelve 

 feet. On the one side, the lava rose perpendicular and smooth, 

 showing distinctly the variously coloured strata of which it 

 was composed ; some of a bright scarlet, others brown and 

 purple. The whole mass appeared to have undergone, since 

 its formation, the effects of violent heat. The cracks and hol- 

 lows, horizontally between the different strata, or obliquely 

 through them, were filled with lava, of a florid red colour, and 

 much less porous than the general mass. It must have been 

 brought to a state of most perfect liquefaction, as it had filled 

 up every crevice that was more than half an inch wide. It 

 appeared highly glazed, and in some places we could discover 

 small round pebbles, from the size of a hazel-nut to that of a 

 hen's egg, of the same colour, and having the same polish, yet 

 seeming to have remained solid, while the liquid lava, with 

 which they were mixed, had been forced by subterranean fire, 

 into all the fissures of the ancient rock. 



The pile on the other side, formed by the dripping of the 

 lava from the upper edge of the rocks, presented a striking 

 contrast, but not a less interesting scene. It was generally of 

 a dark purple or jet black colour, glittering in the rays of the 

 sun as if glazed over with a beautiful vitreous varnish. On 

 breaking any fragments of it, we found them very porous, and 

 considerably lighter than the ancient lava, on the other side. 

 Its varied forms baffled description, and were equal to the con- 

 ceptions of the most fertile imagination. The archway thus 

 formed, extended for about half a mile, occasionally inter- 

 rupted by an opening in the pile of lava, caused by some pro- 

 jecting rock, or elevation in the precipice above. A spectacle 

 awfully sublime and terrific must have been presented, when 

 this burning stream rolled in one wide sheet, a fiery cascade, 

 from the lofty steep, down upon the smoking plain. With 



what 



