378 POLYNESIAN P ^SEARCHES. 
the latter had recently sunk down from the former 
Wrecks of houses were seen in several places, 
some partly buried by the ruins, others standing 
just on the edge of the huge rocks that had fallen 
from above. Several houses were standing in the 
neighbourhood, but all seemed deserted. The 
natives said, that in the evening, when the accident 
took place, a mist or fog was seen to envelop the 
summits of the precipice, and that, after the sun 
had set, a luminous appearance, like a lambent 
flame, was observed issuing from and playing 
about the top, which made them think it was a 
forerunner of Pele, or volcanic fire. A priest of 
Pele and his family, residing in one of the villages 
below, immediately offered his prayer to the god¬ 
dess, and told the inhabitants that no harm would 
befall them. 
About ten o’clock at night, however, the whole 
side of the mountain, for nearly half a mile in 
extent along the shore, fell down with a horrid 
crash. Part of two small villages were destroyed, 
and several of the inhabitants killed, but the 
natives did not agree as to the numbers ; some 
said twenty were killed, others only eighteen. The 
people with whom we talked on the spot, and at 
other places subsequently, could not recollect 
having heard the natives who escaped say any 
thing about an earthquake at the time. 
We did not land at this place, but passed close 
to the shore, and continued to sail along at the 
base of steep mountains, 500 or 600 feet high ; 
and, although nearly perpendicular, they were in¬ 
tersected here and there by winding paths, which 
we at first thought could be travelled only by 
goats, but up which we afterwards saw one or two 
groups of travellers pursuing their steep and 
