KILAUEA. 175 



deur. We sat watching the progress of both for many hours under 

 great excitement, and saw the formation of pools of the igneous liquid, 

 one after the other, until accumulating they overflowed the banks, and 

 rushed on to fill some cavities beyond. We could not but feel our- 

 selves identified with this spectacle, by the occurrences of the day, and 

 in particular by the fortunate escape of our companion ; and we sat 

 speculating on the horrible situation of one cut off from escape by these 

 red-hot streams. The sight was magnificent, and worth a voyage 

 round the world to witness. It was with regret that I returned to our 

 tent, determining in my own mind to have a nearer view of this over- 

 flow, in the morning. 



We arose early, and our attention was immediately called to the 

 crater. The large lake had sunk out of sight from our position, while 

 the smaller one was seen to be still overflowing its banks, thus proving 

 satisfactorily that their fires have no connexion with each other. Upon 

 the whole I was glad to see this state of things, as it would afford me 

 an opportunity of getting near the large lake, to obtain an accurate 

 measurement of it. 



At an early hour I started with a party, consisting of Lieutenant 

 Budd, who had joined me on his descent, from the mountain, and 

 several men. We descended by the usual path, and on reaching the 

 black ledge, we made measurements of its width, and took some angles 

 to ascertain the height of its banks. Lieutenant Budd then, with some 

 of the men, was ordered to descend to the bottom of the crater, and get 

 similar observations for the altitude of the black ledge above the bottom, 

 after which to ascend to the black ledge, and proceed by the west side 

 lowards its southern end. 



The result of these observations gave six hundred and fifty feet 

 for the height of the bank above the black ledge, and the latter 

 was found to be three hundred and forty-two feet above the bottom : 

 thus the total depth of the crater was nine hundred and ninety-two 

 feet. 



With some of the men I proceeded towards the great sulphur-bank, 

 on the east side, fixing my positions as I went along, by observing on 

 the signals which I had used the day before. When we arrived oppo- 

 site to Judd's Lake, we went to the edge of the black ledge, where, in 

 looking over, the heated air that arose might be said to be almost 

 scorching. The whole area below was filled with fluid which ap- 

 peared of a red heat, and still flowed to the north. Its surface was 

 level, when compared with what Dr. Judd had found it the day before. 

 Near this place were several holes in the black ledge, about two 

 hundred feet in diameter, where it had caved in, exhibiting large 



