222 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
of lava, though considerably circuitous, rather than 
pass up and down its polished sides. Taking the 
trough, or hollow between the waves, was found safer, 
but much more fatiguing, as we sunk every step ancle- 
deep into the sand. The natives ran along the ridges, 
stepping like goats from one ridge to another. They, 
however, occasionally descended into the hollows, and 
made several marks with their feet in the sand at short 
distances, for the direction of two or three native boys 
with our provisions, and some of their companions, who 
had fallen behind early in the morning, not being able 
to keep up with the foremost party. 
Between eleven and twelve we passed a number of 
conical hills on our right, which the natives informed 
us were craters. A quantity of sand was collected 
round their base, but whether thrown out by them, or 
drifted thither by the wind, they could not inform us. 
In their vicinity we also passed several deep chasms, 
from which, in a number of places, small columns of 
vapour arose, at frequent and irregular intervals. They 
appeared to proceed from Kirauea, the great volcano, 
and extended towards the sea in a south-east direction. 
Probably they are connected with Ponahohoa, and may 
mark the course of a vast subterraneous channel lead¬ 
ing from the volcano to the shore. The surface of the 
lava on both sides was heated, and the vapour had a 
strong sulphureous smell. 
We continued our way beneath the scorching rays of 
a vertical sun till about noon, when we reached a soli¬ 
tary tree growing in a bed of sand, spreading its roots 
among the crevices of the rocks, and casting its grate¬ 
ful shade on the barren lava. Here we threw ourselves 
down on the sand and fragments of lava, stretched out 
