LETTER XII,] 



A DIREFUL DAY. 



123 



son, who was in that district at the time, says that the earth 

 swayed to and fro, north and south, then east and west, then 

 round and round, up and down, in every imaginable direction, 

 everything crashing about them, " and the trees thrashing as if 

 torn by a strong rushing wind." He and others sat on the 

 ground bracing themselves with hands and feet to avoid being 

 rolled over. They saw an avalanche of red earth, which they 

 supposed to be lava, burst from the mountain side, throwing 

 rocks high into the air, swallowing up houses, trees, men, and 

 animals ; and travelling three miles in as many minutes, 

 burying a hamlet, with thirty- one inhabitants and 500 head of 

 cattle. The people of the valleys fled to the mountains, which 

 themselves were splitting in all directions, and collecting on an 

 elevated spot, with the earth reeling under them, they spent 

 the night of April 2 in prayer and singing. Looking towards 

 the shore, they saw it sink, and at the same moment, a 

 wave, whose height was estimated at from forty to sixty feet, 

 hurled itself upon the coast, and receded five times, destroying 

 whole villages, and even strong stone houses, with a touch, and 

 engulfing for ever forty-six people who had lingered too near 

 the shore. 



Still the earthquakes continued, and still the volcano gave no 

 sign. The nerves of many people gave way in these fearful 

 days. Some tried to get away to Honolulu, others kept 

 horses saddled on which to fly, they knew not whither. The 

 hourly question was, "What of the volcano?" People put 

 their ears to the quivering ground, and heard, or thought they 

 heard, the surgings of the imprisoned lava sea rending its way 

 among the ribs of the earth. 



Five days after the destructive earthquake of April 2, the 

 ground south of Hilo burst open with a crash and roar which 

 at once answered all questions concerning the volcano. The 

 molten river, after travelling underground for twenty miles, 

 emerged through a fissure two miles in length with a tre- 

 mendous force and volume. It was in a pleasant pastoral 

 region, supposed to be at rest for ever, at the top of a grass- 

 covered plateau sprinkled with native and foreign houses, and 

 rich in herds of cattle. Four huge fountains boiled up with 

 terrific fury, throwing crimson lava, and rocks weighing many 

 tons, to a height of from 500 to 1000 feet. Mr. Whitney, of 

 Honolulu, who was near the spot, says " From these great 

 fountains to the sea flowed a rapid stream of red lava, rolling, 

 rushing, and tumbling, like a swollen river, bearing along in its 



