K I L A U E A. ] 93 



as could be judged bj the eye, seemed to be inclined towards the 

 great crater. 



We continued our route towards the southeast, over a plain partly 

 covered with sand, and at the distance of two miles passed the pit- 

 crater of Kalanokamo : this is the fourth from the crater of Kilauea 

 in a southeast direction. 



By the term " pit-crater," is meant that description of crater of 

 which there is no appearance whatever until one is close upon it, 

 and which never throws out lava. The formation of these migfht be 

 occasioned by the undermining of the part beneath them. It will be 

 seen, on viewing the map, that some of them have only a small part 

 of their bottom covered with lava. The most probable conjecture, in 

 relation to their origin, that occurred to us while moving over the 

 ground was, that a stream of lava had passed underneath, and 

 running off, had left large cavities, into which the superincumbent 

 rock above, not having support, had fallen ; and when this had sunk 

 sufficiently low, the lava had flowed in and filled the bottom. Some 

 of these pit-craters are from eight hundred to one thousand feet 

 deep ; but none that I saw had the appearance of eruption within 

 themselves. 



There is another description of craters, which may be called cone- 

 craters. These are hills of scoria and ashes, formed by the ejection 

 of masses, which appear to be of the same description of lava as the 

 clinkers of Mauna Loa, though they more nearly resemble the dregs 

 from a furnace. 



The first cone-crater we met with was about a mile beyond 

 Kalauohana, and is called Puukehulu. This I ascended, and mea- 

 sured its height, which was eight hundred feet above the plain : it 

 was nearly a perfect cone, both within and without, and covered with 

 trees both outside and in. The ashes were in some places so light and 

 dry, that I sank in them up to my knees. From the top of this cone 

 I had a fine view of the surrounding country, and was enabled to see 

 all the pit and cone-craters. There were eight pit-craters in sight : 

 four between us and Kilauea, one at the foot of Puukehulu, and three 

 more, further off, to the east-southeast : two cone-craters lay to the 

 east of us. The steam was rising from the crevices along the line of 

 the last eruption. 



From this situation, angles were obtained on them all, and con- 

 nected with the stations around Kilauea. Mr. Drayton, who had 

 been over the route, sent me a map, which he had constructed from 



VOL. IV. 49 



