132 MAUNA LOA. 



ing ruins. The descent to the ledge appears to the sight a short and 

 easy task, but it takes an hour to accompUsh. 



We pitched our tents in full view of the volcano, on its western 

 side, and the natives busied themselves in building temporary huts to 

 shelter them from the cold blast that rushed by. All this was accom- 

 plished, and we had time to take another view of the crater before 

 dark. 



All usual ideas of volcanic craters are dissipated upon seeing 

 this. There is no elevated cone, no igneous matter or rocks ejected 

 beyond the rim. The banks appear as if built of massive blocks, 

 which are in places clothed with ferns, nourished by the issuing 

 vapours. 



What is wonderful in the day, becomes ten times more so at night. 

 The immense pool of cherry-red liquid lava, in a state of violent ebul- 

 lition, illuminates the whole expanse, and flows in all directions like 

 water, while the illuminated cloud hangs over it like a vast canopy. 



The bank near us was covered with half-naked natives, two 

 hundred or more in number, all gazing, with alfrighted looks and 

 savage wonder, on this surprising phenomenon. Their ancestors 

 would not have dared thus to look upon and into this dreaded abode 

 of the malicious goddess Pele, never having approached it without 

 the greatest fear and awe, and then only to deliver their offering by 

 casting it into the burning pool, to secure a safe transit through her 

 territory. 



We sat on its northern bank for a long time in silence, until one of 

 the party proposed we should endeavour to reach the bank nearest to 

 and over the lake ; and having placed ourselves under the direction of 

 Mr. Drayton, we followed him along the edge of the western bank; 

 but although he had been over the ground the day before, he now lost 

 his way, and we found ourselves still on the upper bank, after walk- 

 ing two or three miles. We then resolved to return to the first 

 place that appeared suitable for making a descent, and at last one 

 was found, which, however, proved steep and rugged. In the dark- 

 ness we got many a fall, and received numerous braises; but we 

 were too near the point of our destination to turn back without 

 fully satisfying our curiosity. We finally reached the second ledge, 

 and soon came to the edge of it; we were then directly over the pool 

 or lake of fire, at the distance of about five hundred feet above it, and 

 the light was so strong that it enabled me to read the smallest print. 



