KILAUEA. 177 



width from six hundred to two thousand feet, and has been overrun 

 in various directions by streams of lava, varying in size from that of 

 a serpent to an immense trunk or tunnel, which, after spreading, pass 

 down into some chasm and are lost. The view around has nothing 

 earthly in it; one cannot comprehend how rock can be thus fused 

 without the agency of fuel. Our notions of the solidity of stone must 

 here undergo a total change ; and there appeared nothing belonging to 

 this world at hand with which to form a comparison. 



Our party seemed absolutely lost in this immense pit. It takes some 

 time before the eye can embrace the whole, or become in any way 

 accustomed to the scene around ; and I therefore ceased to wonder at 

 the discrepancies in the descriptions I had heard of it. From this 

 cause, and the want of any accurate drawings by preceding visiters, 

 I was unable to arrive at any distinct knowledge of the changes it has 

 undergone : but I hope that our observations and survey will prevent 

 this from being the case hereafter. 



The varieties of lava that are met with are not the least striking 

 part of this phenomenon. The description which appears to predomi- 

 nate is of a dark hue, and metallic lustre ; it lies in a layer a foot 

 thick, and is quite solid : the others are less dense, more vesicular, and 

 vitreous. Each separate flow seems to differ from the succeeding 

 one, and can be easily recognised. It afforded us some amusement to 

 trace the extent and character of the several beds. That which was 

 ignited during our stay was in many parts so vitreous as to be almost 

 obsidian. Pumice is generally found in small lumps on the plain 

 above; but I do not now remember, nor does my note-book make any 

 mention, that pumice had been seen in the crater. 



As the layers or strata of basalt increase in thickness, they become 

 more compact. The absence of clinkers and of any flow of lava on the 

 plain, prove conclusively that Kilauea has never overflowed its banks. 



The crevice to the south extends for a great distance, and may be 

 traced by the steam issuing from it ; it is not, however, to be consi- 

 dered as continuous, for the cracks are of different lengths, and some- 

 times overlap each other, and again are intermitted for hundreds of 

 yards. Large quantities of Pele's hair was seen covering the plain. 



In order to show how difficult it is to fix upon the recollection the 

 actual state of the crater, and the position of things around, I may 

 state, that one of our gentlemen insisted upon it that the large " blow- 

 ing cone," near the north side of the black ledge, had been thrown up 

 since our first visit, although it was then, as it continued to be, one of 

 the most conspicuous objects in the crater, and likely to attract par- 

 ticular notice. It was difficult to convince him that it had been there 



vol. iv. 23 



