M AUNA LOA. 159 



rature, although only a few moments passed before I was out of 

 danger. The lava at the mouth of some of the chasms, appeared as 

 though it had been thrown up and plastered on the edges in clots, which 

 seemed of the consistency of tar or melted sealing-wax, of various 

 colours, the most predominant a dark brown. One of these fissures 

 we designated as the Great Steam-crack : it led from the top of the 

 mountain a long distance down its sides, towards the south, and from 

 it vapour was constantly issuing. On throwing a piece of lava down 

 it, a sound was produced as if many pieces had been flung into an 

 ordinary chasm, and the reverberation continued so long, as to lead to 

 the belief that the mountain was rent to its very base. 



Although we had scarcely accomplished one-third of the circuit, our 

 sandals began to give way, and we were obliged to stop to mend them, 

 in order to prevent ourselves from becoming barefoot before making the 

 circuit and reaching the encampment. While Dr. Judd undertook the 

 repairs, I made a sketch of the crater, looking into it from the south, 

 with Mauna Kea in the distance, while all around us the lava was piled 

 in huge blocks, confusedly thrown together by some mighty force. 



This crater differs in several particulars from that of Kilauea. It 

 has no black ledge, and has a great quantity of fallen debris around its 

 walls. There is no boiling lake, although the evidences of fire, as has 

 already been stated, are not wanting, and its outer walls are more 

 broken down. 



The glare from the snow in the strong sunlight had now become 

 exceedingly uncomfortable to the eyes, which was felt by several who 

 were in company with us. 



About 1 p. m., we were at a station on the southwest side, from 

 which I obtained the distance, by sound, from the observatory. 



From this station we had a distant view of the hills on the coast. 



After getting my observations with the theodolite, we proceeded on 

 our way round, frequently passing numbers of large boulders of a 

 grayish basalt, that were lying on the lava stream, and had apparently 

 been ejected from the crater. 



About two o'clock we reached the western side of the dome of 

 Mauna Loa, which is here much more precipitous than it is on the 

 east. On the western side there was no more than a slight sprinkling 

 of snow, that scarcely covered the black lava. The weather was still 

 and calm, and a deathlike stillness prevailed, which I dreaded to break, 

 even by making a remark to my companions upon the splendour of the 

 scene before us. The sight was surpassingly grand. In the distance, 

 the island of Maui emerged from and broke the line of the deep-blue 



