258 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES® 
to the heated and sulphureous atmosphere of tfi^ 
volcano itself, I for some moments experienced an 
agitation of spirits, and difficulty of respiration^ 
that made me cast a look of wishful anxiety 
towards our little hut, which seemed only like a 
bird's nest on the opposite cliff. These emotions, 
however, soon passed off, and we began, with great 
spirit and activity, the enterprise before us. 
“ I can compare the general aspect of the bottom 
of the crater, to nothing that will give a livelier 
image of it to your mind, than to the appearance 
the Otsego Lake would present, if the ice with 
which it is covered in the winter, were suddenly 
broken up by a heavy storm, and as suddenly 
frozen again, while large slabs and blocks were 
still toppling, and dashing, and heaping against 
each other, with the motion of the waves. Just 
so rough and distorted was the black mass under 
our feet, only a hundred-fold more terrific, inde¬ 
pendently of the innumerable cracks, fissures, 
deep chasms and holes, from which sulphureous 
vapour, steam, and smoke were exhaled, with a 
degree of heat that testified to the near vicinity 
of fire. 
“ We had not proceeded far, before our path 
was intersected by a chasm, at least thirty feet 
wide, and of a greater depth than we could ascer¬ 
tain, at the nearest distance we dare approach® 
The only alternative was to return, or to follow its 
course till it terminated, or became narrow enough 
to be crossed. We chose the latter, but soon met 
an equally formidable obstacle in a current of 
smoke, so highly impregnated with a suffocating 
gas, as not to allow of respiration. The lava on 
which we stood was in many places so hot, that 
we could not hold for a moment in our hands 
