J. D. Dana — History of the Mt. Loa Summit Crater. 27 



night, and of clouds by day were proof of violent ebullition 

 within the crater. 



On the 6th of January, 1874, Mr. Coan writes* that, for nine 

 months, the action within the great crater has not remitted. 

 " The great marvel is its duration," without any outside results. 

 There appears to have been a turn of special brilliancy in Jan- 

 uary. On the following October (the 6th), he saysf the action 

 has continued "for eighteen months, and the most of the time 

 it has been violent. But of late it has become more quiet, and 

 there is a prospect that it will soon cease." He adds, " we 

 have had few earthquakes during the year, and these have 

 been feeble." "Kilaueaall this time was unusually active ; " 

 but no sympathy with Mt. Loa was observed. 



1873, June 6. — It is of great importance to the history that 

 we happen to have trustworthy reports with regard to the 

 condition of the summit crater on one of the days during this 

 era of prolonged activity. And as it was a day of feeble sum- 

 mit light as seen from below, it affords data for an estimate as 

 to the condition during times of greater brilliancy. The ex- 

 plorer, Miss Bird, % was at the summit on the 6th of June, and 

 describes well the condition of the crater. For the most part 

 its floor was an area of solid black lava ; but at one end (the south- 

 west f) there was " a fountain of yellow fire " 150 feet broad, 

 which played in several united but independent jets to a height 

 of 150 to 300 feet. The party for the two days preceding had 

 been under the impression that the fires had faded out ; and 

 yet this fire-fountain was all the time in action. When within 

 two miles of the crater monitions of the activity were appar- 

 ent in a distant vibrating roar ; and on reaching the crater edge, 

 the roar was like that of an ocean, rising and falling " like the 

 thunder- music of windward Hawaii "^a comparison used also 

 by Mr. Kinney in describing the eruption of 1852. (p. 19.) 

 At night the lake was the most part at white heat, and its 

 surface was agitated with waves of white hot lava about the 

 fountain at the center. Through the rest of the vast crater the 

 projecting ledges were thrown into bold relief by the reflected 

 light, and by numerous dashes and lines of fire from apertures 

 and crevices. Occasional detonations were heard, but no shak- 

 ings except the tremors from the throw and fall of the lavas. 

 At one time the jets, after long playing at a height of 300 

 feet, suddenly became quite low, and for a few seconds there 

 were " cones of fire wallowing in a sea of light ;" a description 

 that not only reads well, but I feel sure is to the life, like the 



* Coan, this Journal, III, vii, 516, 1874, letter of Jan. 6. 



f Coan, ibid., viii, 461, 1874, letter of Oct. 6, 1874; and xiv, 68, 1877, letter of 

 March 17, 187 7. 



% Six months in the Sandwich Islands, by Isabella L. Bird. London, 1876. 



