172 KILAUEA. 



that they could not have proceeded up before us. When I returned to 

 the encampment, Dr. Judd was not to be found there, and nothing had 

 been heard of him. 



I therefore felt great relief, when in about a quarter of an hour I 

 saw the party returning. On greeting Dr. Judd, I received from him 

 the following account. 



After he left me, he proceeded with the natives down the ravine into 

 the crater ; thence along the black ledge to its western part, where 

 he descended by the same toilsome path that had been followed a 

 month before. After reaching the bottom, he found a convenient 

 steam-hole, whence a strong sulphureous gas issued ; and he then 

 arranged the apparatus for collecting it. This was found to answer 

 the purpose, and was readily and completely absorbed by water. The 

 gas was then collected in a phial containing red-cabbage water turned 

 blue by lime, when it became intensely red. 



Dr. Judd then sought for a place where he might dip up some of 

 the recent and yet fluid lava, but found none sufficiently liquid for the 

 purpose. Failing here, he proceeded towards the great fiery lake at 

 the southern extremity of the crater. He found that the ascent towards 

 this was rapid, because the successive flowings of the lava had formed 

 crusts, which lapped over each other. This rock was so dark in 

 colour, as to be almost black, and so hot as to act upon spittle just as 

 iron, heated nearly to redness, would have done. On breaking through 

 the outer crust, which was two or three inches thick, the mass beneath, 

 although solid, was of a cherry-red. The pole with which the crust 

 was pierced, took fire as it was withdrawn. It was evidently impos- 

 sible to approach any nearer in this direction ; for although the heat 

 might not be so intense as to prevent walking on the crust, yet the 

 crust itself might be too weak to bear the weight, and to break through 

 would have been to meet a death of the most appalling kind. Dr. 

 Judd, therefore, turned towards the west bank, on which he mounted 

 to a higher level over stones too hot to be touched, but from which his 

 feet were defended by stout woollen stockings and sandals of hide, 

 worn over his shoes. When he had proceeded as far as he could in 

 this direction, he saw at the distance of about thirty feet from him, a 

 stream of lava running down the declivity over which he and his com- 

 panions had ascended. Even this distance was too great to be reached 

 over, and the intervening rocks had become so heated by the continual 

 stream, that they could riot be traversed. 



At this time, they were very near the great lake, but could not see 

 its surface, which was still about twenty feet higher than the spot 

 where they stood. Jets of lava were, however, observed rising about 



