F. 8. Dodge—Kilauea after the Eruption of 1886. 101 
At various points on the southeast half of Kilauea, and on 
the face of the cliffs in that section, small jets of steam were 
seen at times. The steam cracks near the Voleano House, and 
on the sandy plain north of the crater, seemed to be in ‘their 
normal condition. 
Almost the entire floor of Kilauea is formed of pahoehoe, 
that had flowed out from the region of the lakes late in 1885, 
or early in the present year, covering all traces of the old 
Black Ledge and other features shown on earlier maps. The 
slope of the pahoehoe floor is quite regular in every direction, 
the descent from Central Rock to the foot of Lookout Hill, 
where the trail strikes the pahoehoe, being 163 feet—1385 feet 
to the base of Kaniakoha, 125 feet to the foot of Kamohoalii, 
105 feet to the foot of Uwekahuna pali, 75 feet to the base of 
Pali Iki, and approximately 80 feet to the foot of the pali* on 
the southeast side. Near Uwekahuna is a large patch of Aa 
(surface made of large slabs or masses of rough lavas), a few 
acres in extent, which I think is the only lava of that nature 
in the crater. 
In the southern end of the crater is a long point or spit of 
gravel and bowlders, extending from the southeast wall about 
four-fifths of a mile due west, bounded on the south side by an 
abrupt cliff, and sloping gradually to the north and west, until 
it is covered up by the pahoehoe flow of this year. This same 
flow has also encroached upon tke south bluffs and covered the 
older formation at the head of the bay near Holoholokolea, so 
that at the extreme south angle in the bluffs, a further rise of 
forty feet, more or less, would cause Kilauea to outflow toward 
the sea. At the extreme southwest corner the pali has been 
entirely covered by the hills of pumice which form the south- 
ern boundary. 
The summits of these low, rounded hills are about 1,000 feet 
back from the edge of the crater, and thence they slope gently 
to the south and southwest, and are traversed by numerous 
large cracks, extending in the latter direction. At the eastern 
end of the aforesaid gravel point are many deep cracks parallel 
to the general direction of the main wall of the crater on that 
side, and outside the walls are many more of the same nature. 
I have attempted to describe the condition of the crater of 
Kilauea as I found it early in October; and from observations 
then made, I think that in the course of time, perhaps in 
a few months, the great central pit will fill up and overflow, 
as it did prior to the 6th of March, ’86, and that the center of 
activity will continue to be in the present locality of Halema’u- 
mau. 
* The word pali means a precipice. 
