J. M. Alexander — Summit Crater of Mt. Loa in 1885. 35 



In 1874 the crater was surveyed by Mr. John Lydgate, of 

 the Government Survey, and the cones had again formed, two 

 being in the northern lateral crater, and two (m and n) in the 

 main pit. In 1880 with this survey before me, the changes 

 seemed to be mostly in the outer walls which had crumbled 

 extensively, changing the outline, but not enough to be in- 

 dicated on a plan so small. In addition, the cross walls/" and 

 h were obliterated, and the bottom of the crater was covered 

 with fresh lava. On this, along the edges was a talus of old 

 lava from the walls, showing plainly that an earthquake had 

 occurred since the eruption of May 1. ISTo sulphur banks or 

 steam jets were seen from either e or a, and the deposit of 

 " limn," added to the roughness of the lava, deterred me from 

 making the circuit of Pohaku Hanalei to examine a very ex- 

 tensive break on the farther side which looked fresh. Near 

 this break was a black and glistening stream of lava, like that 

 on the bottom of Mokuaw T eoweo, which extended from the 

 edge of the opposite bank (I) as far to the westward as could 

 be seen over the undulating surface. Whence this issued was 

 not easily determined. If it was, as at first appeared to be the 

 case, an overflow from the crater, how could this have been 

 full and yet have left no fresh lava on the broken walls ? 

 Usually when a pit crater fills up and is emptied from be- 

 neath, the sinking lava leaves a rim or " Black Ledge ;" but 

 there is nothing of the sort here. If the stream flowed into 

 the crater then the wall over which it came has tumbled down 

 and so removed all traces. I finally concluded that it owed 

 its origin to some of the inclined lava jets that spouted out 

 clear of the crater. 



My guide Ahuai had seen the fountain of May 1, and he 

 assured me that it came up level with the outer walls of 

 Pohaku Hanalei, so that the top was visible as he was lying 

 down some distance from the brink. This would indicate a 

 height of nearly a thousand feet — not an insignificant jet ! 



I was convinced that the eruption of May 1 was but the 

 avant courier of a greater one, and as the termination of my 

 visit was near, I asked those who were interested in these mat- 

 ters to watch for events and report to me. The new eruption 

 began on the 5th of November, and it proved the beginning 

 of the most extensive lava flow that has been recorded from 

 the Hawaiian volcanoes. 



2. On the Summit Crater in October, 1885, and its Survey; 

 by J. M. Alexander. With Plate II. 



During the year 1885 I was engaged for many months in 

 surveying lands on Manna Hualalai and Mauna Loa, in Hawaii, 

 and in that way had an opportunity of making investigations 



