226 HAWAII. 



tion, they are deserving of that name: many exhibit a flow of lava into 

 them. The mode of their formation seems very simple, and is just the 

 effect that one would suppose to arise from a sudden undermining ; but 

 that they should always form nearly a true circle, with perpendicular 

 walls, is remarkable, and cannot be easily accounted for. 



As will have been seen, there have been copious eruptions from the 

 sides as well as from the terminal crater of Mauna Loa, and among 

 these may be reckoned that of Kilauea on its flank. It was proved 

 satisfactorily to my mind that the craters have no connexion whatever 

 with each other. An instance has been stated, where none apparently 

 existed between Judd's and the large lake in the crater of Kilauea, 

 although they were only two thousand feet apart, and it is equally 

 evident that Kilauea has none with the top of the mountain. The 

 eruption of 1832, from the terminal crater, and the one that has taken 

 place since our visit, is sufficient proof of this. All these flows tend 

 constantly to swell and increase the bulk of this mountain. 



It has been remarked already, that a great deception in relation to 

 the height of these mountains occurs when they are first viewed from 

 the neighbouring sea. This is more particularly the case when the 

 weather is clear ; and the impression was hardly removed from my mind 

 even after the fatigue and labour encountered during our visit to Mauna 

 Loa. I still could not help wondering how they could possibly be as 

 high as I had found them by actual measurement. 



In addition to the information regarding the Hawaiian Group, which 

 has fallen naturally under one or other of the preceding chapters, 

 several miscellaneous matters attracted our notice, which require to be 

 spoken of before we take our final leave of them. 



Mr. Coan obliged me with the following account of the influx of the 

 sea at Hilo, on the 7th of November, 1837. A similar occurrence, it 

 will be recollected, took place at the island of Tutuila, in the Samoan 

 Group. 



At about seven o'clock, p. m., the sea at Hilo was observed to retire 

 far below its usual low-water mark. In a few moments afterwards the 

 water returned in a gigantic wave, rushing to the shore with great 

 velocity, and breaking upon the beach with a noise like a peal of 

 thunder. All the low grounds in the neighbourhood of the beach were 

 instantly submerged, and a large number of houses were swept away. 

 So sudden and unexpected was the catastrophe, that many of the 

 inhabitants were engulfed in the flood, and compelled to struggle for 

 their lives. The sea remained upon the land about fifteen minutes, 

 when it retired beyond the line of low water, and after a short interval, 

 returned again, but with less violence. It afterwards continued to 



