J. D. Dana — History of the Mt. Loa Sumrmt Crater. 17 



islands. During the following night, according to Dr. L. 

 Andrews,* a brilliant light appeared at the summit, looking, 

 as Mr. Coan states, like " a small beacon fire."t In a week 









m 



12 3 4 5 000 Jr. 

 milium y | ' • •' 



The Summit crater, after Wilkes, January, 1841. 



the light disappeared. In the mean time the lavas had com- 

 menced their discharge. Mr. Coan ascended to the source, 

 about 13,000 feet up, and found two large craters near together, 

 very deep and active. The source given on the map is at least 

 2000 feet lower. The stream of lava flowed toward Mt. Kea, 

 but gave off a westward branch, toward Hualalai, near its 

 source. At the base of Mt. Kea, a branch went northward 

 toward Waimea, and another eastward toward Hilo. Mr. 



* Andrews, Missionary Herald, xxxix, 381, letter of Feb. 6, 1843. 

 fCoan, ibid., xxxix, 463, letter of Feb. 20, 1843; xl, 44, letter of April 5 ; 

 this Journal, II, xxvii, 411, 1859; Life in Hawaii, 1882, p. 270. 



Am. Jour. Scl— Third Series, Yol. XXXVI, No. 211.— July, 1888. 

 2 



