160 MAUNA LOA. 



horizon, while its lower side was dimmed by a whitish haze, that seemed 

 to unite it to the island of Hawaii. The same haze enveloped the hills 

 of Kohala on our right, and the western extremity of Hawaii. Nearer 

 to us was Hualalai, the third great mountain of Hawaii, up whose sides 

 a compact mass of white fleecy clouds was impelled by the sea-breeze. 

 To our right rose in bold relief Mauna Kea, covered with its snowy 

 mantle ; and at our feet was spread out, between the three great moun- 

 tains, the black plain of lava, overhung by a dusky pall of clouds. All 

 these features were so blended into each other by the mist, as to 

 exhibit a tone of harmony that could hardly be conceived, considering 

 the variety of the forms, characters, and distances of the objects, and 

 which seemed to blend earth, sea, and sky into one. I can never hope 

 again to witness so sublime a scene, to gaze on which excited such 

 feelings that I felt relieved when I turned from it to engage in the 

 duties that had called me to the spot. 



It was not without some nervous excitement that I placed my instru- 

 ment on the highest point of Mauna Loa, within a few feet of its 

 crater, and turned it upon Mauna Kea, to measure the difference in 

 the height of these twin giants of the Pacific. 



The very idea of standing on the summit of one of the highest 

 peaks in the midst of this vast ocean, in close proximity to a precipice 

 of profound depth, overhanging an immense crater " outrageous as a 

 sea," with molten rock, would have been exciting even to a strong 

 man ; but the sensation was overpowering to one already exhausted 

 by breathing the rarefied air, and toiling over the lava which this huge 

 cauldron must have vomited forth in quantities sufficient to form a dome 

 sixty miles in diameter, and nearly three miles in height. 



I was still in doubt which mountain I should find the highest ; for 

 although previous measurements had given it in favour of Mauna Kea, 

 yet I had found Mauna Loa about three hundred feet higher than it 

 had been reported to be. Double the zenith angle was soon obtained, 

 and decided it in favour of Mauna Kea, and subsequent calculations 

 gave one cone of it as one hundred and ninety-three feet above the 

 place where I stood. Although twin mountains, they are of very 

 different character. Mauna Kea is a vast mound topped with cones, 

 nine in number, whilst Mauna Loa is a smooth dome. On the former 

 the frosts of winter prevail, while the latter has internal fires, and 

 occasionally vomits forth its lava to the very point where the other 

 begins to rise, covering its broad flanks with layers of rocks. 



We had not much time to spare, and as soon as Lieutenant Budd 

 joined me, we continued our route, in order to reach the encampment 



