On the Volcanic Character of the Island of Hawaii. 265 



wards the summit. At midnight he saw the snow about three 

 miles distant, directed his steps towards the place, and reached 

 it about one o'clock on the morning of the 26th. The snow 

 was frozen over, and the thermometer stood at 27°. 



He now directed his steps towards a neighbouring peak, 

 which appeared one of the highest ; but when he had ascended 

 it, he saw several others still higher. He proceeded towards 

 one which appeared the highest, and bore north-east from the 

 place where he was. On reaching the summit of this second 

 peak, he discovered a heap of stones, probably erected by 

 some former visitor. From this peak Mouna Roa bore south 

 by west ; Mouna Huarai, west by south ; and the Island of 

 Maui, north-west. The several hills or peaks on the summit 

 of Mouna Kea seemed composed entirely of volcanic matter, 

 principally cinders, pumice, and sand. Mr. Goodrich did not 

 discover any aperture or crater on either of the summits he 

 visited. Probably there is a large crater somewhere on the 

 summit, from whence the scoria, sand and pumice, have been 

 thrown out. The whole of the summit was not covered with 

 snow. There were only frequent patches, apparently several 

 miles in extent, over which the snow was about eight inches 

 or a foot in thickness. The ocean to the east and west was 

 visible, but the high land on the north and south prevented 

 its being seen in those directions. 



Mr. Goodrich commenced his descent about three o'clock ; 

 and after travelling over large beds of sand and cinders, into 

 which he sunk more than ankle deep at every step, he reached, 

 about sunrise, the place where he had slept the preceding 

 evening. The descent in several places, especially over the 

 snow, was steep and difficult, and the utmost caution was ne- 

 cessary to avoid a fall. In his way down, he saw at a distance 

 several herds of wild cattle, which are very numerous in the 

 mountains and inland parts of the island. 



The natives said they were informed by their fathers, that 

 all the land had once been overflowed by the sea, except a 

 small peak on the top of Mouna Kea, where two human beings 

 were preserved from the destruction which overtook the rest. 



The analysis and abstract which we have now given of the 

 journal of the missionaries, as regards the volcanic appear- 

 ances in Hawaii, presents a series of facts, in the highest de- 

 gree interesting and instructive. In vol. iv. at page 251, we 

 gave a similar exhibition of the leading facts observed by Dr. 

 J. W. Webster, and recorded in his very valuable and enter- 

 taining account of the Azores. Those observations were made 

 and recorded by a man of science, professedly investigating 



Vol. 68. No. 342. Oct. 1826. 2 L the 



