MAUN A LOA. 129 



arrival, was found to be 80° in the shade, while in the sun it stood 

 at 84° ; the whole extent around was black lava ; indeed there was 

 no place where we could pitch a tent of six feet by eight, and as it 

 looked like rain we concluded to occupy one of the houses that was 

 offered to us; but it taught us a lesson we remembered for some 

 time, for all our blankets and clothes became infested with fleas, 

 and those of the most voracious kind. 



Dr. Judd, finding that some of the natives were overloaded, sent 

 back for a reserve of thirty men, to overtake us as soon as possible. 

 Several of the packages were unwieldy, and others, though small, 

 were much complained of; among the latter was a small iron mortar, 

 or eprouvette, which I was taking up to try some experiments on 

 sound, in the rarefied air ; this had been a great pest to the natives, 

 and they had made every endeavour to get rid of it. As there was 

 some difficulty in getting our host awake, and ready for a move 

 betimes, it was proposed that the mortar should be fired at early 

 dav/n ; although small, yet with a well-adjusted plug driven into it, 

 it made the noise of a great gun. It was accordingly fired the next 

 morning to the wonder of all, and soon aroused the mob. Such was 

 the effect this had upon the bearers of it, that no more complaints 

 were uttered, and they joyfully shouldered their burden, having 

 become men of great consequence in the eyes of their fellows, and 

 subjects of the day's talk. Many now would have exchanged loads 

 for the honour of being the bearers of it. 



The height we had now attained was two thousand one hundred 

 and eighty-four feet; the thermometer, 72°; the lowest temperature 

 in the night, 58°. A slight shower of rain fell during the night. 



At 8 A. M., we left Kapuauhi, or what our company called " Flea 

 Hall," after having passed a most comfortless night. Nothing could 

 be more annoying than the swarms of fleas that attacked us, and I 

 believe all the native houses are thus unpleasantly infested. In about 

 three hours we reached the Okea tree, known as the boundary of the 

 territory of Pele, or the goddess of the volcano. In bygone days no 

 native dared venture beyond it without an offering to Pele, under 

 penalty of her vengeance. Many strange traditions are told of 

 her, and of the combats she waged with the ancient warriors of the 

 island, in which she destroyed whole armies by her "floods of 

 fire." Dr. Judd and myself, while at the volcano, listened to one of 

 these long traditions from a young man named Kiwe, a descendant 

 of one of the "tradition bearers," who were employed specially to 



vol.. IV. 33 



