634 
VOLCANO IN OWIIYIIEE. 
We then directed them to collect a quantity of firewood, as we 
expected the night would he cold, although the thermometer then 
stood at 69°. We were the more anxious to have the fuel collected 
before the shades of night should close upon us, as travelling in some 
places was extremely dangerous. The ground sounded hollow in 
every direction, frequently cracked, and, in two instances, actually 
gave way while we were passing over it. Mr. Bishop was approach- 
ing the hut, when the lava suddenly broke under him. He instantly 
threw himself forward, and fell flat on his face over a part that was 
more solid. A boy, who followed me with a basket to the sulphur 
banks, and walked about a yard behind Mr. Goodrich and myself, 
also fell in. There was no crack in the surface of the lava over 
which he was walking, neither did it bend under his weight, but broke 
suddenly, when he sunk in up to his middle. His legs and thighs 
were considerably bruised, but providentially he escaped without 
any other injury. The lava in both places was about two inches 
in thickness, and broke short, leaving the aperture regular and defined, 
without even cracking the ad joining parts. On looking into the holes, 
we could see no bottom, but on both sides, at a short distance from 
the apertnre, the lava was solid, and they appeared to have fallen 
into a narrow chasm, covered over by a thin crust of lava, already in 
a state of decomposition.” 
When night came on we kindled a fire, and prepared our frugal 
supper. We then spread our mat on the ground, but as it rained 
severely, against which our hut furnished but an indifferent shelter, we 
preferred to sit or stand round the fire, rather than to lie dow'n on 
the ground. Between nine and ten the dark clouds and heavy fogs, 
that since the setting sun had hung over the volcano, gradually 
cleared away, and the fires of Kirauea, darting their fierce light 
athwart the midnight gloom, unfolded a sight terrible and sublime, 
beyond any that we had yet seen. 
“ The agitated mass of liquid lava, like a flood of melted metal, raged 
with a tumultuous whirl. The lively flame that danced over its undu- 
lating surface, tinged with sulphureous blue, or glowing with mine- 
ral red, cast a broad glare of dazzling light on the indented sides of 
the insulated craters, whose roaring mouths, amidst the rising flames 
and eddying streams of fire, shot up at frequent intervals, with very 
loud detonations, spherical masses of fusing lava, or bright ignited 
stones. 
We sat gazing at the magnificent phenomena for several hours, 
when we laid ourselves down on our mats, in order to observe more 
leisurely their varying aspect ; for although we had travelled up- 
wards of twenty miles since the morning, and were both weary and 
cold, we felt but little disposition to sleep, s 
The natives, who probably viewed the scene with thoughts and 
feelings somewhat different from ours, seemed, however, equally 
interested. They sat most of the night talking of the achievements 
of Pele, and regarding with a superstitious fear the brilliant exhibi- 
tion. They considered it as the primeval abode of t:heir volcanic 
deities. The conical craters, they said, were their houses, where they 
frequently amused themselves by playing at Konane, a game resem- 
