196 KILAUEA. 



ceed on our journey. The weather was mild and pleasant, and it 

 bade fair to be a delightful day. By noon we had reached the position 

 of three cone-craters, of moderate height, the ground about which was 

 much broken. We afterwards diverged from the direct path, our 

 guide taking us across the country a distance of four miles, on the 

 north side of Kalalua. This march proved to be an arduous under- 

 taking, for what had appeared to us at a distance to be smooth to 

 travel on, proved, on a nearer view, to be rough lava clinkers, over- 

 grown with grass and stunted shrubbery, that deprived us of the 

 opportunity of discovering where we were going to tread. Every 

 few steps some of the party fell, and we considered ourselves very 

 fortunate in escaping without any broken legs. Almost all the party 

 had their feet more or less bruised, and the skin knocked off, by slip- 

 ping through the old and weak crust. Walking over clinkers is, 

 even when one can see the way, irksome and dangerous, but passing 

 over them when concealed, is particularly so. We all felt ourselves 

 heartily tired, and I am satisfied that scarcely any thing would 

 have tempted any of us to pass over the route again. What made 

 it more provoking was the ease and facility with which the natives 

 traversed it. 



Towards sunset we had a drizzling rain ; and finding it impossible 

 to reach Pahuhali, we determined to encamp a mile or two beyond 

 the Kaimo road, at the head of the eruption. When this was done, 

 we found ourselves with little or nothing to eat in the camp. A 

 messenger was therefore forthwith despatched to Pahuhali, and after 

 waiting anxiously, and speculating on his success, we were gratified 

 by the light of distant torches, and soon found ourselves supplied 

 with all that the land afforded — pig and taro. The men got a good 

 supper, but they had little sleep, for it rained hard, and they were 

 completely wet; although protected by tents, we found ourselves 

 floating in water. 



Kalalua is the largest cone-crater in this part of the island ; and I 

 was informed it had thrown out lava, but I had not time to examine 

 it. Appearances indicated that the native account was true : the 

 streams of pahoihoi, on its flanks, appeared to come from its crater. 

 The heisfht is one thousand one hundred feet. 



The altitude of our station above the sea, was one thousand two 

 hundred and forty-four feet. The thermometer stood at 70°. 



Early on the 21st, we began to examine the locality, and found that 

 we were a short distance below the upper part of the eruption. It 

 had begun first in a kind of point, and accumulating there had 



