244 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
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 adjoining parts. On looking 
into the holes, we could see no bottom, but on 
both sides, at a short distance from the aperture, 
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 good fire, 
and prepared our frugal supper. Mr. Thurston, 
however, had not yet returned, and, as the dark¬ 
ness of the night increased, we began to feel 
anxious for his safety. The wind came down 
from the mountains in violent gusts, dark clouds 
lowered over us, and a thick fog enveloped every 
object; even the fires of the volcano were but 
indistinctly seen. The darkness of the night ad¬ 
vanced, but no tidings reached us of Mr. Thurston. 
About seven o’clock we sent out the natives with 
torches and firebrands, to search for him. They 
went as far as they durst, hallooing along the 
border of the crater, till their lights were extin¬ 
guished, when they returned, without having seen 
or heard any thing of him. We now increased 
our fire, hoping it might serve as a beacon to 
direct him to our hut. Eight o’clock came, and 
he did not appear. We began seriously to fear 
that he had fallen into the crater itself, or some 
of the deep and rugged chasms by which it was 
