VOLCANO IN OWHYHEE. 627 
bers of our fire, rendered, with grateful hearts, our morning tribute of 
praise to our almighty Preserver. 
‘‘As the day began to dawn, we tied on our sandals, ascended from 
the subterraneous dormitory, and pursued our journey, directing our 
course towards the column of smoke, which bore E. N. e. from the 
cavern where we slept. 
“The path for several miles lay through a most fertile tract of coun- 
try, covered with bushes, or tall grass and fern, frequently from three 
to five feet high, and so heavily laden with dew, that before we had 
passed it, we were as completely wet as if we had walked through a 
river. The morning air was cool, the singing of birds enlivened the 
woods, and we travelled along in Indian file nearly four miles an hour, 
although most of the natives carried heavy burdens, which were tied 
on their backs with small bands over their shoulders, in the same 
manner that a soldier fastens on his knapsack. Having also ourselves 
a small leather bag, containing a bible, inkstand, note-book, compass, 
&c. suspended from one shoulder, a canteen of water from the other, 
or sometimes a light portfolio, or papers, with, specimens of plants 
besides, our whole party appeared, in this respect at least, somewhat 
en militaire. 
“After travelling a short distance over the open country, we came 
to a small wood, into which we had not penetrated far, before all 
traces of a path entirely disappeared. We kept on some time, 
but were soon brought to a stand by a deep chasm, over which we 
saw no means of passing. Here the natives ran about in every direc- 
tion, searching for marks of footsteps, just as a dog runs to and fro 
when he has lost the track of his master. 
“After searching about half an hour, they discovered a path, which 
led some distance to the southward, in order to avoid the deep chasm 
in the lava. Near the place where we crossed over, there was an 
extensive cavern. The natives sat down on the top of the arch by 
which it was formed, and began eating their sugar-cane, a portable 
kind of provision usually carried on their journeys, while we explored 
the cavern in hopes of finding fresh water. In several places drops 
of water, beautifully clear, constantly filtered through the vaulted 
arch, and fell into calabashes placed underneath to receive it. Un- 
fortunately for us, these were all nearly empty. Probably some thirsty 
traveller had been there but a short time before, 
“ Leaving the wood, we entered a waste of dry sand, about four 
miles across. The travelling over it was extremely fatiguing, as we 
sunk up to our ancles at every step. The sand was of a dark olive 
colour, fine and sparkling, parts of it adhering readily to the magnet, 
and, being raised up in heaps in every direction, presented a surface, 
resembling, colour excepted, that of drifted snow. 
“ It was undoubtedly volcanic ; but whether thrown out of any of 
the adjacent craters in its present form, or made up of small particles 
of decomposed lava, and the crystalline olivin we had observed so 
abundant on the lava of the southern shore, and drifted, by the con- 
stant trade wind, from the vast tract of lava to the eastward, we 
could not determine. 
“ When we had nearly passed through it, we sat down on a heap of 
