170 M A U N A L O A. 



of these fissures we designated as the Great Steam-crack : it led from 

 the top of the mountain a long distance down its sides, towards the 

 south, and from it vapour was constantly issuing. On throwing a 

 piece of lava down it, a sound was produced as if many pieces had 

 been flung into an ordinary chasm, and the reverberation continued 

 so long, as to lead to the belief that the mountain was rent to its very 

 base. 



Although we had scarcely accomplished one-third of the circuit, 

 our sandals began to give way, and we were obliged to stop to mend 

 them, in order to prevent ourselves from becoming barefoot before 

 making the circuit and reaching the encampment. While Dr. Judd 

 undertook the repairs, I made a sketch of the crater, looking into it 

 from the south, with Mauna Kea in the distance, while all around us 

 the lava was piled in huge blocks, confusedly thrown together by 

 some mighty force. 



This crater differs in several particulars from that of Kilauea. It 

 has no black ledge, and has a great quantity of fallen debris around 

 its walls. There is no boiling lake, although the evidences of fire, as 

 has already been stated, are not wanting, and its outer walls are more 

 broken down. 



The glare from the snow in the strong sunlight had now become 

 exceedingly uncomfortable to the eyes, which was felt by several who 

 were in company with us. 



About 1 p. M., we were at a station on the southwest side, from 

 which I obtained the distance, by sound, from the observatory. 



From this station we had a distant view of the hills on the coast. 



After getting my observations with the theodolite, we proceeded on 

 our way round, frequently passing numbers of large boulders of a 

 grayish basalt, that were lying on the lava stream, and had apparently 

 been ejected from the crater. 



About two o'clock we reached the western side of the dome of 

 Mauna Loa, which is here much more precipitous than it is on the 

 east. On the western side there was no more than a slight sprinkling 

 of snow, that scarcely covered the black lava. The weather was still 

 and calm, and a deathlike stillness prevailed, which I dreaded to 

 break, even by making a remark to my companions upon the splen- 

 dour of the scene before us. The sight was surpassingly grand. In 

 the distance, the island of Maui emerged from and broke the line of 

 the deep-blue horizon, while its lower side was dimmed by a whitish 

 haze, that seemed to unite it to the island of Hawaii. The same haze 



