THROUGH HAWAII. 
233 
out 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 cracks 
ing 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 de¬ 
composition. 
When night came on, we kindled a good fire, and 
prepared our frugal supper. Mr. Thurston, however, 
had not yet returned, and, as the darkness 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 
advanced, 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 extinguished, 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 seri¬ 
ously to fear that he had fallen into the crater itself, 
or some of the deep and rugged chasms by which it 
was surrounded.* In this state of painful suspense 
* A native, who accompanied Mr. Goodrich on a subsequent 
visit to the volcano, fell into one of these chasms; he was severely 
bruised by the fall, and could only be extricated from his perilous 
situation by a rope lowered down from the surface. 
2 H 
