84 J. D. Dana — Geological History of Maui. 



ward slope, and the consequent erosion may have made all the 

 difference. 



3. The Cinder-cones and Lavas at the bottom of the crater. 

 — Another striking feature of the crater is the group of red 

 and gray cinder-cones which stand over the bottom, sixteen 

 in number ; the highest 900 feet above its base and all over 

 400, and yet looking small in the view from the summit of the 

 great area. The sight to the northward, when half way to 

 the bottom, comprising the northern discharge-way in the dis- 

 tance, the highest of the cinder-cones in the foreground, and 

 beyond these and two other cones the broad stream of lava of 

 the crater-floor as level apparently as a river, stretching away 

 between precipices of more than 2,000 feet and then terminat- 

 ing in an even line at the limit of vision as if there began the 

 plunge to the sea, is wonderfully like the real river of lava on 

 its downward way. 



The cinder-cones of the bottom were evidently the last work 

 of the fires. The ashy surface of the cones is without a trace 

 of erosion and thus bears no distinct marks of age. The slopes 

 are mostly 25° to 30° and less, and hence they may have had the 

 pitch diminished somewhat by the winds and rains and earth- 

 shocks, but there are no channelings by descending waters. The 

 material is scoria in coarse fragments and sands, and though in 

 part originally reddish and purplish, the red color has generally 

 been deepened by oxidation from exposure. 



Besides the scoria, there are on some of the cones, es- 

 pecially those toward the borders of the pit, numerous large 

 blocks of gray, compact, scarcely vesiculated rock. Some 

 of the masses about a cone near the place of descent meas- 

 ured over a hundred cubic feet. The masses must have 

 been torn ofi from the throat of the volcano's conduit, this 

 being the only conceivable source. They indicate therefore 

 the action of vast projectile force at these isolated centers 

 when the cones were in progress, and its continuation even to 

 the close of the ejections ; and they also are probable evidence 

 of very rapid work in the cone- making. A few of the other 

 cones were grayish in color as if from the abundance over their 

 slopes of these projected grayish stones ; but I was unable 

 from want of time, to verify this supposition. 



The cones stand, or appear to stand, on the rough, fresh- 

 looking, scoriaceous lavas of the bottom, these lavas spreading 

 away from beneath them. It was evident that the opened fis- 

 sures or vents which gave exit to the cinders, first poured out 

 the lavas ; and then followed the cinder ejections as the fires 

 declined and the liquid lavas of the vent became somewhat 

 stiffened. The cinder material is proof of powerful projectile 

 work ; for the fragments of the exploding bubbles were thrown 



