442 J. D. Dana—Listory of the Changes in Kilauea. 
distance and the chief seat of fires is to the left, and by com- 
paring with Lieut. Malden’s map and Drayton’s plates the 
position required for such a view can be ascertained. Rey. C. 
S. Stewart describes the ledge as in some places many rods, 
in others a few feet wide. Mr. Goodrich (VIa), after having 
measured the whole length of one side, remarks that “‘it is like 
a stair, although it is half a mile wide some part of the way ’— 
which part he does not say. 
On the 22d of December, 1824, Mr. Goodrich (VIa), with 
Mr. Chamberlain (VIID, measured the circumference of Kiiauea 
at the top with a line, and made it 74 miles; which is the 
length it has on Mr. Dodge’s map, the scale of which is 500 
feet to the inch. They measured the crater also on the black 
ledge, going half way around it and estimating for the rest, 
and obtained, as the result, 54 miles for the circumference of 
the lower pit, which I find to be probably nearly right. 
b. Condition of the crater after the eruption.—The “ Journal” 
(Ia) says, on page 131, “‘the southwest and northern parts of 
the crater were one vast flood of liquid fire, in a state of terrific 
ebullition.” ‘Hifty-one craters, of varied form and size, rose 
like so many conical islands, from the surface of the burning 
lake. ‘T'wenty-two constantly emitted columns of gray smoke 
or pyramids of brilliant flame [lava-jets?], and many of them 
at the same time vomited from their ignited mouths streams of 
florid lava which rolled in blazing torrents down their black, 
indented sides into the boiling mass below.” In a night scene, 
p. 136, “the agitated mass of liquid lava, like a flood of metal, 
raged with tumultuous whirl,” and “at frequent intervals shot 
up, with loudest detonations, spherical masses of fusing lava or 
bright ignited stones ”* 
Descending to the black ledge (Journal, p. 144) they “ entered 
several small craters,” ‘‘ bearing marks of very recent fusion,” 
~“and many which from the top had appeared insignificant as 
mole-hills” proved to be ‘12 or 20 feet high.” They also col- 
lected the “hair of Pele,’ and afterwards found it seven miles 
south of the crater, ‘‘ where it had been wafted by the winds.” 
* The plate in the ‘‘ Journal” of the ‘‘ south end” represents ‘‘ one” continuous 
area of lavas in ‘tumultuous whirl,” in accord with the text, and that in the 
‘“‘ Narrative” is similar, but with more extravagant whirls, for they are hundreds 
of feet in diameter, and even the black ledge is covered by them. The engraver 
has apparently tried to conform to the description. In the plate of the Polynesian 
Researches, the liquid surface is confined to the great South Lake, and a separate 
large area (or two of them), and nothing of the ‘* tumultuous whirl” is represented, 
although the expression remains in the text (p. 245). It seems probable from the 
description that the party saw only ‘“‘ one” great lake, that of the South end, and 
that great overflowings sent streams far northward. The height of the throw of 
stoues (see plates) is evidently an exaggeration, as it is inconsistent with the con- 
dition of “‘ebullition” at the time, and with all that has been said of Kilauea 
since. The text says ‘‘ shot up,” but does not say how high. 
7. 
