222 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
vigorous action of fire below. I took a drawing 
of this place ; and, when we had collected as many 
specimens of the lava as we could conveniently 
carry back to our lodgings, we returned to our 
guide, whom we found waiting at the spot where 
we first entered the hollow. 
As he was a resident in Kapapala, and owned a 
small garden near, we endeavoured to learn from 
him something of the history of the phenomenon 
before us. He told us that the two large chasms 
were formed about eleven moons ago ; that nothing 
else had been visible till nearly two moons back, 
when a slight earthquake was experienced at 
Kapapala, and the next time he came by, the 
ground had fallen in, forming the hollow that we 
saw, which also appeared full of fissures. About 
three weeks ago, as he was going to his planta¬ 
tion, he said, he saw a small flame issuing from 
the apertures, and a quantity of smoking lava all 
around ; the branches of the trees that stood near 
were also broken and burnt, and several of them 
still smoking. 
Having gratified our curiosity, we prepared to 
leave this infant volcano, for such to us it ap¬ 
peared. Although the surface, at least, of the 
whole country around had a volcanic origin, it 
seems to have remained undisturbed for a number 
of years, perhaps ages. The lava is decomposed, 
frequently a foot in depth, and is mingled with a 
prolific soil, fertile in vegetation, and profitable to 
its proprietors; and we felt a sort of melancholy 
interest in witnessing the first exhibitions of re¬ 
turning action after so long a repose in this mighty 
agent, whose irresistible energies will, probably, 
at no very remote period, spread desolation over a 
district now smiling in verdure, repaying the toils, 
