THROUGH HAWAII. 223 
our weary iimbs, and drank the little water left in our 
canteens. 
In every direction we observed a number of pieces 
of spumous lava, of an olive colour, extreipely cellular, 
and as light as sponge. They appeared to have been 
drifted by the wind into the hollows which they occu¬ 
pied. The high bluff rocks on the north-west side of 
the volcano were distinctly seen; the smoke and 
vapours driven past us, and the scent of the fumes of 
sulphur, which, as we approached from the leeward, 
we had perceived ever since the wind sprung up be¬ 
coming very strong, indicated our proximity to Ki- 
rauea. 
Impatient to view it we arose, after resting about 
half an hour, and pursued our journey. In the way 
we saw a number of low bushes bearing beautiful red 
and yellow berries in clusters, each berry being about 
the size and shape of a large currant. The bushes on 
which they grew were generally low, seldom reaching 
two feet in height; the branches small and clear, leaves 
alternate, obtuse with a point, and serrated ; the flower 
was monopetalous, and, on being examined, determined 
the plant to belong to the class decandria, and order 
monogynia. The native name of the plant is ohelo. 
The berries looked tempting to persons experiencing 
both hunger and thirst, and we eagerly plucked and 
ate all that came in our way. They are juicy, but 
rather insipid to the taste. As soon as the natives 
perceived us eating them, they called out aloud, and 
begged us to desist, saying we were now within the 
precincts of Pēlē’s dominions, to whom they belonged, 
and by whom they were rahuiia, (prohibited,) until 
some had been offered to her, and permission to eat 
