LETTER XXIX.— continued. 



Ascent of Mauna Loa — Pahoehoe and a-a— The Crater of Mokuaweoweo , 

 -The Great Fire-fountain — Our Camp — A Night Scene— An j 

 Alarming Ride. 



Kapapala, June %!h. 



The fleas at Ainepo quite fulfilled Mr. Candle's prognostica- 1 

 tions, and I was glad when the stars went out one by one,; 

 and a red, cloudless dawn broke over the mountain, accom-: 

 panied by a heavy dew and a morning mist, which soon rolled] 

 itself up into rosy folds and disappeared, and there was a legi-; 

 timate excuse for getting up. Our host provided us with flour,; 

 sugar, and dough nuts, and a hot breakfast, and our expedition,:, 

 comprising two natives who knew not a word of English, Mr.: 

 G. who does not know very much more Hawaiian than I do,.' 

 and myself, started at seven. We had four superb mules, andj 

 two good pack-horses, a large tent, and a plentiful supply ofi 

 camping blankets. I put on all my own warm clothes, as well 

 as most of those which had been lent to me, which gave mei 

 the squat, padded look of a puffin or Esquimaux, but all and 

 more were needed long before we reached the top. The mules' 

 were beyond all praise. They went up the most severe ascent 

 I have ever seen, climbing steadily for nine hours, without aS 

 touch of the spur, and after twenty-four hours of cold, thirst, and 

 hunger, came down again as actively as cats. The pack-horses 

 too were very good, but from the comparative clumsiness with 

 which they move their feet they were severely cut. 



We went off, as usual, in single file, the guide first, and Mn ; 

 G. last. The track was passably legible for some time, and s 

 wound through long grass and small koa trees, mixed with! " 

 stunted ohias and a few common ferns. Half these koa tree*' " 

 are dead, and all, both living and dead, have their branches !1 

 covered with a long hairy lichen, nearly white, making the deac P 

 forest in the slight mist look like a wood in England whei f 

 covered with rime on a fine winter morning. The koa tree ha I 



