LETTER V,] 



GLORIES OF HALE-MA U-MAU, 



55 



which was raised visibly before our eyes. The sides of the 

 nearest part of the lake were absolutely perpendicular, but 

 nowhere more than 40 feet high ; though on the far side of 

 the larger lake they were bold and craggy, and probably not 

 less than 150 feet high. On one side there was an expanse 

 entirely occupied with blowing cones, and jets of steam or 

 vapour. The lake has been known to sink 400 feet, and a 

 month ago it overflowed its banks. The prominent object 

 was fire in motion, but the surface of the double lake was con- 

 tinually skinning over for a second or two with a cooled crust 

 of a lustrous grey-white, like frosted silver, broken by jagged 

 cracks of a bright rose-colour. The movement was nearly 

 always from the sides to the centre, but the movement of the 

 centre itself appeared independent and always took a southerly 

 direction. Before each outburst of agitation there was much 

 hissing, and a throbbing, internal roaring, as of imprisoned 

 gases. Now it seemed furious, demoniacal, as if no power on 

 earth could bind it, then playful and sportive, then for a second 

 languid, but only because it was accumulating fresh force. On 

 our arrival eleven fire fountains were playing joyously round 

 the lakes, and sometimes the six of the nearer lake ran together 

 in the centre to go wallowing down in one vortex, from which 

 they reappeared bulging upwards, till they formed a huge cone 

 30 feet high, which plunged downwards in a whirlpool only to 

 reappear in exactly the previous number of fountains indifferent 

 parts of the lake, high leaping, raging, flinging themselves up- 

 wards. Sometimes the whole lake, abandoning its usual cen- 

 tripetal motion, as if impelled southwards, took the form of 

 mighty waves, and surging heavily against the partial barrier, 

 with a sound like the Pacific surf, lashed, tore, covered it, and 

 threw itself over it in clots of living fire. It was all confusion, 

 commotion, force, terror, glory, majesty, mystery, and even 

 beauty. And the colour ! Molten metal has not that crimson 

 gleam, nor blood that living light ! Had I not seen this I 

 should never have known that such a colour was possible. 



The crust perpetually wrinkled, folded over, and cracked, 

 and great pieces were drawn downwards to be again thrown 

 up on the crests of waves. The eleven fountains of gory fire 

 played the greater part of the time, dancing round the lake 

 with a strength of joyousness which was absolute beauty. 

 Indeed after the first half hour of terror had gone by, the beauty 

 of these jets x made a profound impression upon me, and the 

 sight of them must always remain one of the most fascinating 



