MAUN A LOA. 165 



varied as though it were exposed. At daylight the thermometer 

 had risen to 20°. 



Dr. Judd returned towards evening from the southwest side of the 

 mountain, but found no signs of an eruption ; thus it turned out, as 

 I had anticipated, a false alarm ; it served, however, to give us more 

 excitement. 



Several large fissures were discovered on this jaunt, and a small 

 crater lying south of the large one. The report of the eruption in 

 all probability originated from the southwest clouds being illumi- 

 nated by the setting sun, a phenomenon which was afterwards often 

 observed. 



This party also descended into the crater of Pohakuohanalei, 

 into which a stream of lava had run from that of Moku-a-weo-weo. 

 This stream looked like a cascade formed of iron, the fluid having been 

 transfixed before it reached the bottom. The crater is of an oval 

 shape ; it is stratified, and seventy layers of basaltic rock were 

 counted, which have evidently been deposited by the overflow of 

 the large crater : the guides, however, from knowledge derived from 

 their traditions, told us it was the oldest crater, though appearances 

 led us to a contrary conclusion. 



On the bottom of this crater the lava was found much pulverized. 

 Dr. Judd, finding a place with moist and rich earth, planted two 

 orange-seeds, which, should they take root and grow, may astonish 

 some future visiter. On their return they passed a hillock of recent 

 cinders, which was open at the top. On entering it, they found 

 themselves in a beautiful cavern or hall, studded with stalactites of 

 brown lava, and whitened about the sides and bottom with sulphate 

 of soda, in a state of efiiorescence. A considerable quantity of this 

 was taken up. It had been found in other places, but only in small 

 quantities. 



On the 5th, a large quantity of dry grass arrived from below, which 

 I had sent for to thatch the house, in order to preserve a more equable 

 temperature. This we used to stuff" between the house and tent. I 

 also laid a thick covering of the same material over the lava floor, as 

 I thought it probable there might be some hollow tunnel or cavern 

 beneath the house. All these precautions soon produced the desired 

 effect by giving an equable temperature, although the outward varia- 

 tion still continued from 17° to 50° during the twenty-four hours. 



As we were desirous of having a little fire, for the purpose of 

 warming our fingers when calculating or writing, we took one of the 



voi^. IV. 42 



