KILAUEA. 195 



ocean, five miles oif. Our course now changed to the northeast, and 

 before noon we reached an extensive upland taro- patch, where I sat 

 down to get the meridian altitude. While thus occupied, I thought- 

 lessly picked a piece of taro-leaf, and put it into my mouth ; in a 

 few minutes I was almost gasping for breath, from its acrid juice. 

 It was consequently with difficulty that I succeeded in getting my 

 observations. 



Our path now led through a sort of jungle, and over groiind 

 resembling a quagmire, for a mile or two. It appeared we had been 

 traversing an extensive basin, covered with a dense vegetation, which 

 the sun was not able to penetrate. For the first time on our journey, 

 we had now plenty of water. On passing beyond this basin, we 

 entered upon one of the old lava plains, where we encamped, near a 

 pool of water. This plain is covered with stunted shrubs, and the 

 old lava seemed more broken than any we had yet passed over since 

 leaving the crater. In consequence of a mist, the walking was wet 

 and slippery. During the day one of the men fell and sprained his 

 ankle, and it became necessary that he should be carried, which 

 office his companions performed with an attention that pleased me 

 much. 



There are several peculiarities about the natives which we now 

 noticed : among other things they are exceedingly proud of their skin, 

 and take it as a great affront to be spattered with mud : if any thing 

 could ruffle a native's temper, it woiild be this. The young are par- 

 ticularly careful to avoid all puddles or mud ; indeed, I thought more 

 so than we are with our fine clothes. 



Our encampment was found to be two thousand two hundred and 

 sixty-six feet above the sea. The temperature was 64°. 



We had now reached the line of the recent eruption, and it was 

 my purpose to strike the head of the flow. Mr. Drayton, our Consul, 

 and Mr. Brackenridge, had already visited the first outbreak of the 

 late eruption, of May 1840, which is marked on the map near the pit- 

 crater of Alealea-nui, and also that to the east of the Old Crater. 

 The latter, with that of Kanemuo-kamo, were the largest of the pit- 

 craters, always excepting Kilauea. Mr. Drayton considers Kanemuo- 

 kamo as the deepest crater he saw on the island, and the Old Crater 

 as the most regular. 



As far as we were able to learn, the two eruptions to the east and 

 west of Moku-opuhi occurred on the same day, and nearly at the 

 same time. 



On the 20th of January, it was nine o'clock before we could pro- 



