On the Volcanic Character of the Island of Harwaii. 203 



of smoke and vapour, they beheld, immediately below, a valley 

 or hollow, about half a mile across, formed by the sinking 

 down of the whole surface of ancient lava to the depth of fifty 

 feet below its original level. It was intersected by narrow 

 fissures, running in every direction, and two ran from the 

 mountain towards the sea, as far as the eye could reach. From 

 the wider portions of these fissures, where they were about ten 

 or twelve feet in width, the smoke arose. As they descended 

 into the valley the ground sounded hollow, the lava cracked 

 under their feet, and soon grew (as they proceeded) so hot that 

 they could not stand more than a minute or two in a place. 



Their guide, terrified by the smoke and vapour that issued 

 from one of the apertures, refused to go any further, remon- 

 strating against the audacity of the strangers, who presumed 

 thus to provoke the anger of the goddess Pele, the local deity 

 of the volcano, although the guide retreated to the bushes at 

 the edge of the valley, while the travellers proceeded. They 

 passed as near as the smoke and sulphureous vapours would 

 permit, to several of the fissures. Although they looked into 

 several, it was only in three that they could see any bottom. 

 These appeared to be about 50 or 60 feet deep, and contained 

 red hot stones that had fallen in ; and they thought they saw 

 flames, but the smoke and heat were so great, that it was dif- 

 ficult to 4ook long. Their hands, legs, and faces were nearly 

 scorched by the heat. 



They walked along the hollow for nearly a mile, and ar- 

 rived at a chasm from which lava had very recently issued, 

 both in projected fragments and in streams. 



" The appearance of the tufts of long grass, through which 

 it had run ; the scorched leaves still remaining on one side of 

 a tree, while the other was reduced to charcoal ; and the 

 strings of lava hanging from some of the branches like sta- 

 lactites; together with the fresh appearance of the shrubs, 

 partially overflowed and broken down, convinced them that 

 the lava had been thrown out only a few days before. It was 

 of a different kind from the ancient bed of which the whole 

 valley was composed, being of a jet black colour and bright 

 variegated lustre, brittle and porous ; while the ancient lava 

 was of a gray or reddish colour, compact, and broken with 

 difficulty." 



The heat varied at the surface, which they attributed to the 

 varying thickness of the lava, beneath the whole of which, the 

 heat was still in great activity, as was evinced by the volumes 

 of smoke and vapour every where issuing. Of this place Mr. 

 EHis took a drawing. 



It appeared from the statement of the guide, that about 

 2 C 2 eleven 



