254 M A U I. 



Some sandalwood bushes were noticed about five hundred feet above 

 the cave. Above the cave the ground assumed a more stony appear- 

 ance, and the rock became now and then more visible, which had not 

 before been the case. Where the rock was exposed it was found to 

 be lava more or less vesicular, but no regular stream was observed. 

 The surface of the lava appeared to be more thickly covered with 

 earth than that of Mauna Kea, and consequently a greater proportion 

 of soil existed, as well as a thick coating of gravel. Near the summit, 

 bullock-tracks were observed, and likewise those of wild dogs, but no 

 other animals were seen except a few goats. 



The crater of Haleakala, if so it may be called, is a deep gorge, 

 open at the north and east, forming a kind of elbow : the bottom of it, 

 as ascertained by the barometer, was two thousand seven hundred and 

 eighty-three feet below the summit peak, and two thousand and ninety- 

 three feet below the wall. Although its sides are steep, yet a descent 

 is practicable at almost any part of it. The inside of the crater was 

 entirely bare of vegetation, and from its bottom arose some large hills 

 of scoria and sand : some of the latter are of an ochre-red colour at 

 the summit, with small craters in the centre. All bore the appearance 

 of volcanic action, but the natives have no tradition of an erup- 

 tion. It was said, however, that in former times the dread goddess 

 Pele had her habitation here, but was driven out by the sea, and then 

 took up her abode on Hawaii, where she has ever since remained. 

 Can this legend refer to a time when the volcanoes of Maui were in 

 activity 1 



The gravel that occurred on the top was composed of small angular 

 pieces of cellular lava, resembling comminuted mineral coal. The 

 rock was of the same character as that seen below, containing irregular 

 cavities rather than vesicles. Sometimes grains of chrysolite and horn- 

 blende w r ere disseminated. In some spots the rock was observed to be 

 compact, and had the appearance of argillite or slate: this variety 

 occurred here chiefly in blocks, but was also seen in situ. It affords 

 the whetstones of the natives, and marks were seen which they had 

 left in procuring them. 



Of the origin of the name Mauna Haleakala, or the House of the 

 Sun, I could not obtain any information. Some of the residents thought 

 it might be derived from the sun rising from over it to the people of 

 West Maui, which it does at some seasons of the year. 



Having passed the night at the cave, Mr. Baily and young Andrews, 

 preferred returning to the coast, rather than longer to endure the cold 

 and stormy weather on the mountain. 



