KILAUEA. ISl 



misfortune of poor Longley, this was the only serious accident that 

 occurred during our whole trip. Longley is a confirmed invalid, and 

 as such has been allowed a pension by the government. 



This party reached the volcano on the 17th. I had by that time 

 spent a few days in making a survey of it, obtaining specimens, and 

 examining its whole interior. On the day after our arrival, although 

 we were not able to make much exertion, we visited the north 

 sulphur-banks, and on passing to them by the plain, we found great 

 quantities of a species of whortleberry, called by the natives ohelas, 

 of an agreeable sweetish taste, and as large as cranberries. 



The sulphur-bank is about one hundred and fifty yards in length 

 by about forty wide, and is separated from the perpendicular basaltic 

 rocks that bound the plain, by a chasm from which steam issues in 

 quantities. By descending into it as far as the heat would permit, 

 we obtained some beautiful crystallized masses of sulphur, which we 

 found in small cavities. In some parts of the chasm, the temperature 

 was at the boiling point. The bank seemed to be formed by the 

 decomposition of the rock, through the agency of heat and water. 

 Without the chasm, the bank was formed of an unctuous, red 

 and bhie clay, or rather marl, so nearly allied to a pigment, that I 

 understood it had been used as a wash or paint by the missionaries. 

 The steam from below seemed to be penetrating and saturating the 

 whole bank. We returned to our encampment well laden with 

 specimens. 



During the day I had signals put up on the points surrounding the 

 crater, and made every preparation for surveying it the next day. 

 Dr. Judd volunteered to go down into the crater, with a party of 

 natives, to endeavour to obtain some gases with the apparatus we had 

 brought from the ship, (which we disinterred here,) and at the same 

 time to procure some liquid lava, by dipping it up from the boiling 

 cauldron. For this purpose we thought of many contrivances, but 

 at last fixed upon one of the frying-pans, as the article best calculated 

 to effect the object when lashed to a long pole. 



On the 16th, Dr. Judd and I set out on our several tasks. The 

 various instruments with which we were provided caused us much 

 amusement ; but I was somewhat uneasy and doubtful relative to his 

 descent and prospect of obtaining the objects of his search, for I knew 

 the state of the crater ; but the doctor, always enthusiastic, parted from 

 me in high spirits, with his party of natives, after receiving many 



VOL. IV. 46 



