Ascent of Mtuina Loa. 



SANDWK II IS [.AN I IS. 



Accent of Mauiib Lou. 



2f>;i 



the cxtonfiivc plain surroundini; the ni fa — B ; it 

 then deviated to the southward, over ad ancient 

 lava-bed, very much broken, that appeared never 

 to have liei-n traversed before. We now became 

 f»r tin- first time acquainted wirli clinkers. To 

 describe these, it ia merely necessary to say, they 

 are like the scoria from a foundry, only instead of 

 being the size of the fist, they are from one to ten 

 feel square, and armed on all sides with sharp 

 [mints ; they are for the most part loose, and what 

 makes them still more dangerous, is. that a great 

 deal of the vitreous lava ia among them. There 

 never wan more difficult or unpleasant ground to 

 travel over. 



Our guide Puhano of Puna, who wo understood 

 htid accompanied Douglass and Lowonstern on 

 iln-ir a-ceuls. now (not; the lead, but it soon ap- 

 [wared that be knew littlr of tin- mute. I there- 

 fore, in company with Mr. Brinamado, took the 

 lead, compass in hand ; and after walking over the 

 broken and torn-up ground, we turned again to- 

 wards the lull-side, and began a rapid ascent 

 through a belt of long grass, where the rock was 

 covered with whit-' rluy. and seldom to he seen. 

 This part appeared to have suffered much from 

 drought; for in pawing along we cauic to several 

 narrow and dry water-courses, but mot with no 

 water. 



At two o'clock we hnd nearly reached the upper 

 limit of the woods, and as the clouds begun to 

 pass over, and obscure the path, we determined to 

 halt and encamp. We made several lires along 

 the route, in order to guide those behind, and as 

 a mark for the stragglers ; bushes were also 

 broken off, and their tops laid in the direction we 

 were going, by the natives; and 1 likewise had the 

 tn es blazed, as a further indication, well known to 

 our men. Chronometer sights were taken here, 

 and the altitude by barometer was five thousand 

 and eighty -six feet. 



During the day, the reason that had induced the 

 natives to empty the water out from the canoe, 

 become evident iu their anxiety to sell us water. 

 My friend the consul had hired an especial bearer 

 for his calabash of water, determining that he 

 would have a sufficient supply. By om* watching 

 rind cautiutiiiig the old man who had it iu charge, 

 he became somewhat alarmed nnd unsteady, as I 

 thought also from fatigue. When he had arrived 

 within a short distance of the camp, he stumbled 

 on a smooth place, fell, and broke the calabash into 

 numerous piece*. Those who were coming up, 

 seeing the accident, ruahed to partake of its con- 

 tents, but the tluid quickly disappeared in the loose 

 and absorbent lava. This was a dreadful blow to 

 my friend's feelings, and produced much laughter 

 among us, in which the consul himself at length 

 joined ; although 1 must confess I was somewhat 

 of his opinion, that U had been done designedly, 

 either to secure the Kale of that belonging to others, 

 or to get rid of the load, which had been a great 

 annoyance and trouble to the bearer all day, and 

 for w hich he had already been paid. 



At sunrise on the 19th, we had the temperature 

 at -18°. 



As the ascent was now becoming laborious, we 

 selected and left the things we had no immediate 

 use for, to follow us by easy stages. We then 

 took a diagonal direction through the remaining 

 portion of the woods. By one o'clock we had lost 



all BignB of trees, and were surrounded by low 

 scraggy bushes: the change of vegetation became 

 evident, not only iu species, but in size; we also 

 passed through extensive patches tliat had been 

 destn.ied by (ire. Sandalwood was seen, not as a 

 tree, but a low shrub. 



During the day we had passed extensive caves, 

 in all of which I had search made for water. These 

 often lead a lung distance under ground, mid some 

 of the men passed in at one end and out at an- 

 other. 



Intending to slop on Sunday not far above these 

 caves, calabash tops were left in one or two where 

 water was found to be dropping, in hopes by this 

 means 1o procure a small supply; but on returning 

 the next flay, it was found that very little had no- 

 cumulated. 



Between two and three o'clock, wo again became 

 enveloped in clouds, and it was necessary for us to 

 redouble our precautions against losing the track. 

 Fires were again resorted to, which nt short dis- 

 tances could be seen in the intervals of mist. 



Deeming it advisable to make nn early halt, we 

 propped shortly after throe o'clock, to allow all the 

 bje_'u'atie to come up, Notwithstanding the size of 

 our party, there was no perceptible tract left or 

 nny thing by which to be guided, but the smoke of 

 the fires, or occasionally a broken shrub, as a 

 ringer-post. All the ground was hard mctnllic- 

 lookmg lava, and around nothing but a dreary waste. 

 The voice too became fainter, as the atmosphere 

 grew more rarefied. Uur encampment was called 

 the Sunday Station, on account of our having re- 

 mained quietly hero on that day. The altitude given 

 by the barometer was six thousand and seventy- 

 one fcet,at which we found ourselves above the re- 

 gion of clouds, and could look down upon them. 



At night, on pulling oft' my clothes, I noticed the 

 quantity of electrical fluid elicited, which continued 

 for some tune to affect the objects about me, 

 particularly a large guanaco-robc 1 had to sleep 

 in. 



'J' his afternoon, we found that it would be impos- 

 sible to drive the bullock any further ; for the 

 animal began to suffer from fatigue and the want 

 of water, our supply of which was almost ex- 

 hausted ; he was accordingly killed. The natives 

 were now hawking water about the camp at half a 

 dollar the quart. 1 am not aware that they sold 

 any at that extravagant price ; but I saw some of 

 them in possession of handkerchiefs and old Blurts, 

 which I understood had been given for it. 



Ilagsdale, one of our guides, who had been de- 

 spatched to Papapala from the crater to purchase 

 provisions, now joined m, with two more guides. 

 He brought information that he had obtained forty 

 goats, and that we tdmuld receive full supplies. 

 This was encouraging news, for 1 felt somewhat 

 doubtful from the first in relying on the natives, 

 and their behavonr at Kilauea was not calculated 

 to raise my opinion of them. 1 found also, as we 

 ascended the mountain, that even light loads had 

 become heavy, and those nf any weight, insupport- 

 able ; that our time was rapidly passing, and we 

 had a long way yet before we reached the summit; 

 and that the native food was nearly exhausted, 

 while the supply for our own men was rapidly con- 

 suming. 



The two guides that Ragsdale brought with him, 

 were perfectly familiar inn the mountain. One 



