On the Volcanic Character of the Island of Hawaii. 257 



orange yellow, generally in single or double tetrahedral pyra- 

 mids, and full an inch in length. 



A singular hissing and cracking noise was heard among the 

 crystals, whenever the outside crust of sulphur was broken, 

 and the atmospheric air admitted. The same noise was pro- 

 duced among the fragments broken off, until they were quite 

 cold. The adjacent stones and pieces of clay were frequently 

 incrusted, either with sulphate of ammonia, or volcanic sal 

 ammoniac. A considerable quantity was also found in the 

 crevices of some of the neighbouring rocks, which was much 

 more pungent than that exposed to the air. Along the bot- 

 tom of the sulphur bank, they found a number of pieces of 

 tufa, extremely cellular and light. A thick fog now came over, 

 which being followed by a shower of rain, obliged them to 

 leave this interesting laboratory of nature, and return to their 

 companions. 



They saw flocks of wild geese, which came down from the 

 mountains and settled among the ohelo bushes : they were in- 

 formed that they were numerous in the interior, but were 

 never seen on the coast. 



At sun-setting, although the thermometer was at 69°, ex- 

 pecting a cold night upon the mountain, they collected fuel, 

 and removed from a dangerous place, which the natives had 

 superstitiously chosen for them, upon the very edge of the 

 crater. The ground sounded hollow in every direction, fre- 

 quently cracked, and in two instances actually gave way as. 

 they were passing over it, and exposed the persons, whose 

 limbs sunk through the lava, to great danger and to some in- 

 jury. 



Mr. Thurston, who had been benighted at some distance, 

 found his way back, directed by the fire, but not without ex- 

 periencing great difficulty from the " unevenness of the path, 

 and the numerous wide fissures in the lava." They now par- 

 took with cheerfulness of their evening repast, and afterwards, 

 amidst the whistling of the winds around, and the roaring of 

 the furnace beneath, offered up their evening sacrifice of 

 praise. " Between nine and ten, the dark clouds and heavy 

 fog, that, since the setting of the sun, had hung over the vol- 

 cano, gradually cleared away, and the fires of Kirauea, darting 

 their fierce light across the midnight gloom, unfolded a sight 

 terrible and sublime beyond all they had yet seen." 



" The agitated mass of liquid lava, like a flood of melted 

 metal, raged with tumultuous whirl. The lively flame that 

 danced over its undulating surface, tinged with sulphureous 

 blue, or glowing with mineral red, cast a broad glare of daz- 

 zling light on the indented sides of the insulated craters, 



Vol. 68. No. 342. Oct. 1826. 2 K whose 



