140 MAUN A LOA. 



The water that I have mentioned as being found in the small pools, 

 the product of condensation, was exhausted before we left the crater. 

 This was in consequence of the natives having filled their calabashes ; 

 and we had particularly instructed our servants and the sailors to do 

 tlie same. The former provided themselves; but the latter, sailor- 

 like, preferred to take their chance of meeting with it on the road, 

 rather than carry a load for their future supply. I discovered, after 

 we started, that they were unprovided, but was informed that there 

 was, within about two miles, an old canoe which would be found full 

 of water. On our arrival at it, we found that the natives, who had 

 preceded us, after supplying themselves had emptied out the rest. 



Our route was taken at first and for a few miles in a due west line, 

 for the top of Mauna Loa, over the extensive plain surrounding the 

 volcano ; it then deviated to the southward, over an ancient lava-bed, 

 very much broken, that appeared never to have been traversed before. 

 We now became for the first time acquainted with clinkers. To 

 describe these, it is merely necessary to say, they are like the scoria 

 from a foundry, only instead of being the size of the fist, they are 

 from one to ten feet square, and armed on all sides with sharp points ; 

 they are for the most part loose, and what makes them still more 

 dangerous, is that a great deal of the vitreous lava is among them. 

 Of the origin of these immense masses and their extent, T shall have 

 occasion to speak hereafter : suffice it for the present to say, there 

 never was more difiicult or unpleasant ground to travel over. 



Our guide Puhano of Puna, who we understood had accompanied 

 Douglass and Lowenstern on their ascents, now took the lead, but it 

 soon appeared that he knew little of the route. I therefore, in com- 

 pany with Mr. Brinsmade, took the lead, compass in hand ; and after 

 walking over the broken and torn-up ground, we turned again 

 towards the hill-side, and began a rapid ascent through a belt of long 

 grass, where the rock was covered with white clay, and seldom to be 

 seen. This part appeared to have suffered much from drought ; for 

 in passing along we came to several narrow and dry water-courses, 

 but met with no water. 



At two o'clock we had nearly reached the upper limit of the woods, 

 and as the clouds began to pass over, and obscure the path, we 

 determined to halt and encamp. We made several fires along the 

 route, in order to guide those behind, and as a mark for the stragglers ; 

 bushes were also broken off, and their tops laid in the direction we 

 were going, by the natives ; and I likewise had the trees blazed, as 

 a further indication, well known to our men. Chronometer sights 



