VISIT TO THE GREAT VOLCANO. 203 



It is remarkable that this crater should present an external 

 aspect so entirely dissimilar to that of Etna and Vesuvius, or 

 any of the volcanoes of South America. Those are characte- 

 rized by an elevated cone, out of which are ejected igneous 

 rocks and ashes. Kilauea, on the contrary, is an immense 

 depression in the midst of a vast plain -with nothing to warn 

 you of a near approach but the signs which I have before 

 spoken of. 



We now directed our course toward the cluster of shanties 

 erected on the brim of the crater by Captain Wilkes's party, 

 which we soon reached, and found one occupied by Dr. Pick- 

 ering, who came round by the sea-shore. The remaining 

 shanties were in the possession of about fifty natives, who had 

 come from a town near the coast to take away a large canoe 

 which they had made in the neighboring wood, some time pre- 

 vious. 



After supper we proceeded in company with Dr. Pickering 

 to a place about half a mile to the eastward of the shanties 

 to obtain a view of a small crater which was represented to 

 be unusually active. We could not possibly have selected a 

 more eligible position. We stood on a pile of rocks which 

 commanded a bird's-eye view of the fiery lake. It was 

 several thousand feet in circumference, and nearly round in 

 form. The color of its burning contents was that of a cherry- 

 red or deep crimson, and it was in a state of terrific ebullition. 

 Sometimes the fiery fluid was ejected many feet into the air, 

 at other times it was seen to overflow the edges on the circumja- 

 cent lava, for many yards distant. We continued to gaze upon 

 the scene about an hour, and then returned to our lodgings, 

 where we soon had opportunity of observing another phenome- 

 non of a character not less grand and splendid. We were re- 

 clining on our mats, with our eyes directed towards the largest 



