MAUNA LOA. 147 



the summit, we met Lieutenant Alden, Dr. Pickering, and Mr. Eld, 

 who were coming up to see me, to report the condition of the men. 

 The account they gave of them was any thing but cheering. On the 

 arrival of Lieutenant Alden, I had directed that he should take an inter- 

 mediate post between Lieutenant Budd's Recruiting Station and the 

 summit crater, in order that the men belonging to one station might be 

 able to bring up their loads and return before night. This, Lieutenant 

 Alden informed me, he had done : his station was at the height of eleven 

 thousand eight hundred feet. 



I now saw more strongly the necessity of my going down, in order 

 to ascertain the exact situation of things, give the men encourage- 

 ment, and renew the spirit with which they had left the ship, as volun- 

 teers. I have always found that sailors are easily encouraged ; and 

 by putting a light heart and cheerful face upon the times, they quickly 

 reassume their good spirit ; and this I found to be the case in the pre- 

 sent instance. 



We parted; Lieutenant Alden, Dr. Pickering, and Mr. Eld going 

 up to the terminal crater, while Dr. Judd and myself continued to 

 descend for about four miles. There we found a large number of men 

 in a temporary tent, lying on the panels of the portable houses : some 

 of them were suffering from mountain-sickness, others vomiting ; some 

 had attacks of diarrhoea, others had not got over their forced march, 

 and showed me their bleeding feet and shoeless condition; all were 

 looking half-savage, with overgrown beards, dirty and ragged clothes, 

 — so totally different from their trim and neat appearance on board 

 ship, that I was shocked at the change produced in so short a time. 



Whilst Dr. Judd administered to the sick, I spoke to those who were 

 well, and succeeded in animating them : they all assured me they were 

 "good pluck," and such I afterwards found them. They set about 

 mending their shoes and making sandals ; and by the next day, many 

 were transporting small loads up the mountain side. 



Poor Longley had shelter in the hollow of a rock, under a- sail, 

 carefully attended by four of his messmates. It was affecting to see 

 these simple-hearted fellows depressed in spirits, and looking as if 

 cast away, superintending the sick man with all the care possible, illy 

 provided with things to make him comfortable, yet contented to wait 

 until they could receive relief. This we promised would reach them 

 before night. 



I have always admired the care and attachment which sailors show 

 for each other ; even the most reckless are constant in their attentions 

 to their messmates, when ill. I have never yet seen them neglect each 

 other under these circumstances. Many instances of their disinterest- 



