# Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 6/Sketch of a Second Journey to the Nortwestern Parts of the Continent of North America and to Sandwich Islands during the Years 1829-30-31-32-33-34, part 2

SKETCH OF A SECOND JOURNEY TO THE NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF THE CONTINENT OF NORTH AMERICA AND TO SANDWICH ISLANDS
DURING THE YEARS 1829-'30-'3l-'32-'33-'34.
By David Douglas, F. L. S.
VI.
Mr. Douglas Voyage from the Columbia to the Sandwich Islands, and the Ascent of Mouna Roa.
I sailed from the Columbia in November last, in the Hudson Bay Company's vessel, which visited these islands, touching 1 on the way at San Francisco, where I made a short stay, but did nothing in the way of Botany. I arrived here on the 23rd of December, and, after spending Christmas Day with two English ladies, the wife of our Consul, Mr. Charlton, and her sister, I started on the 27th for the island of Hawaii, which I reached on the 2nd of January, 1834. You know I have longhad this tour in contemplation, and having spent three winter months in botanizing here, I proceed to give you a short notice of my proceedings.
The view of this most interesting island, from the sea, is sublime indeed; combining the grand, sweet and beautiful, in a most remarkable degree. For two thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea, the Banana, Sugar Cane, Coffee, Pandanus, Bread Fruit, etc., grow in the greatest perfection. Then comes a thickly timbered country as high as eight thousand feet, and for three thousand seven hundred feet more a space covered with short verdure, after which the reign of Flora terminates. I made a journey to the summit of Mouna Kuah, which occupied fourteen days, and found it only thirteen thousand eight hundred and fifty-one English feet above the sea; a height, you may observe, much less than has been ascribed to this mountain by early travellers. In this expedition I amassed a most splendid collection of plants, principally Ferns and Mosses; many, I do assure you, ​418 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. truly beautiful, and worthy to range with the gig-antic species collected by Dr. Wallich. Of Ferns alone I have fully two hundred species, and half as many Mosses ; of other plants comparatively few, as the season is not yet good for them, nor will be so until after the rains. On my return, I must consult with you on the best mode of publishing the plants of these islands. I also visited the summit of Mouna Roa, the Big or Long Mountain, which afforded me inexpressible delight. This mountain, with an elevation of thirteen thousand five hundred and seventeen feet, is one of the most interesting in the world. I am ignorant whether the learned and venerable Menzies ascended it or no, but I think he must have done so, and the natives assert that this was the case. The red- faced man, who cut off the limbs of men, and gathered grass, is still known here; and the people say that he climbed Mouna Roa. No one, how- ever, has since done so, until I went up a short while ago. The journey took me seventeen days. On the summit of this extraordinary mountain is a volcano, nearly twenty-four miles in circumference, and at present in terrific activity. You must not confound this with the one situated on the flanks of Mouna Roa, and spoken of by the mis- sionaries and Lord Byron, and which I visited also. It is difficult to attempt describing such an immense place. The spectator is lost in terror and admiration at beholding an enormous sunken pit (for it differs from all our notions of volcanos, as possessing cone-shaped summits, with terminal openings), five miles square of which is a lake of liquid fire, in a state of ebullition, sometimes tranquil, at other times rolling its blazing waves with furious agitation, and casting them upwards in columns from thirty to one hundred and seventy feet high. In places, the hardened lava assumes the form of gothic arches in a colossal building, piled one above another in terrific mag- nificence, through and among which the fiery fluid forces its way in a current that proceeds three miles and a quarter per hour, or loses itself in fathomless chasms at the bottom of the cauldron. This vol- cano is one thousand two hundred and seventy-two feet deep; I mean down to the surface of the fire; its chasms and caverns can never be measured. Mouna Roa appears, indeed, more like an elevated Table- land than a mountain. It is a high broad dome, formed by an infini- tude of layers of volcanic matter, thrown out from the many mouths of its craters. Vegetation does not exist higher than eleven thousand feet ; there is no soil whatever, and no water. The lava is so porous that when the snow melts it disappears a few feet from the verge, the ground drinking it up like a sponge. On the higher parts grow some species of Rubus, Fraseria, Vacdnium, and some Junci. I visited also the volcano of Kirauea, the lateral volcano of Mouna Roa; it is nearly nine miles around, one thousand one hundred and fifty-seven feet deep, and is likewise in a terrific state of activity. ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 419 I go immediately to Hawaii to work on these mountains. May God grant me a safe return to England. I can not but indulge the pleasing hope of being soon able, in person, to thank you for the signal kindness you have ever shown me. And really were it only for the letters you have bestowed on me during my voyage, you should have a thousand thanks from me. I send this, under cover to Captain Beaufort, to whom I have written respecting some of my astronomical observations; as also to Captain Sabine. As already mentioned, the only Journal of Mr. Douglas's Second Expedition, which has reached this country, is that commencing with his departure from the Columbia, including the voyage to the Sandwich Islands, and the ascent of Mouna Koa. From this, with the loan of which we have been favoured by its possessor, Mr. John Douglas, we make the following extracts: On Friday, the 18th of October. 1833, we quitted Cape Disappoint- ment, in the Columbia River, and, after encountering much variety of weather, and many heavy baffling gales, anchored off Point de los Reyes on the 4th of November, and remained there till the 29th of the same month, our attempts to beat out of the Harbour of Sir Francis Drake having proved, several times, ineffectual. On the 28th I ac- companied Mr. Finlayson in a small boat to Whaler's Harbour, near the neck of the bay, which leads up to the hill of San Rafaele, the highest peak in the immediate vicinity of the port. We landed at Mr. Reed's farm-house, placed on the site of an old Indian camp, where small mounds of marine shells bespeak the former existence of numerous f boriginal tribes. A fine small rivulet of good water falls into the b|/ at this point. Returning the same afternoon, we cleared the Punto de los Reyes, on the 30th, and, descrying the mountain of St. Lucia, South of Monterey, at a distance of forty or fifty miles, steered southward for the Sandwich Islands. The island of Mauai was indistinctly seen at sun-set of the 21st of December, forty-two miles off; and, on the 22d, Woahu lay ten miles due West of us. Hav- ing quitted the Harbour of Fair Haven, in Woahu, on Friday, the 27th, in an American schooner of sixty tons, she proved too light for the boisterous winds and heavy seas of these channels, and we were accordingly obliged to drop anchor in Rahaina Roads, for the purpose of procuring more ballast. An American Missionary, Mr. Spaulding, having come on board, I accompanied him on shore, to visit the school, situated on the hillside, about five hundred feet from the shore, ​420 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. and returned to the ship at night. On Tuesday, the 31st of December, we stood in for the island of Hawaii, and saw Mouna Kuah very clearly, a few small stripes of snow lying 1 near its summit, which would seem to indicate an altitude inferior to that which has been commonly assigned to this mountain. My object being to ascend and explore Mouna Kuah as soon as pos- sible, I started on the 7th of January, 1834, and, after passing for rather more than three miles over plain country, commenced the ascent, which was, however, gradual, by entering the wood. Here the scenery was truly beautiful. Large timber trees were covered with creepers and species of Tillandsio,, while the Tree Ferns gave a pecul- iar character to the whole country. We halted and dined at the Saw Mill, and made some barometrical observations, of which the result is recorded, along with those that occupied my time daily during the voyage, in my journal. Above this spot the Banana no longer grows, but I observed a species of Rubus among the rocks. We continued our way under such heavy rain, as, with the already bad state of the path, rendered walking very difficult and laborious ; in the chinks of the lava, the mud was so wet that we repeatedly sunk in it above our knees. Encamping at some small huts, we passed an uncomfortable night, as no dry wood could be obtained for fuel, apd it continued to rain without intermission. The next day we proceeded on our way at eight o'clock, the path becoming worse and worse. The large Tree Ferns, and other trees that shadowed it, proved no protection from the incessant rain, and I was drenched to the skin the whole day, besides repeatedly slipping into deep holes, full of soft mud. The number of species of Filices is very great, and towards the upper end of the wood, the timber trees, sixty or seventy feet high, and three to ten inches in circumference are matted with Mosses, which, together with the Til- landsias and Ferns, betoken an exceedingly humid atmosphere. The wood terminates abruptly ; but as the lodge of the cattle-hunter was still about a mile and a half farther up the clear flank of the mountain, situated on the bank of a craggy lava stream, I delayed ascertaining the exact altitude of the spot where the woody region ends (a point of no small interest to the Botanist), until my return, and sate down to rest myself awhile, in a place where the ground was thickly carpeted with species of Fragaria, some of which were in blossom, and a few of them in fruit. Here a Mr. Miles, part owner of the saw-mill that I had passed the day before, came up to me; he was on his way to join his partner, a Mr. Castles, who was engaged in curing the flesh of the wild cattle near the verge of the wood, and his conversation helped to beguile the fatigues of the road, for though the distance I had accom- plished this morning was little more than seven miles, still the labouri- ous nature of the path, and the weight of more than sixty pounds on my back, where I carried my barometer, thermometer, book, and ​JOURNAL AND LRTTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 421 papers, proved so very fatiguing-, that I felt myself almost worn out. I reached the lodge at four, wet to the skin, and benumbed with cold, and humble as the shelter was, I hailed it with delight. Here a large fire dried my clothes, and I got something to eat, though, unluckily, my guides all lingered behind, and those who carried my blanket and tea-kettle were the last to make their appearance. These people have no thought or consideration for the morrow; but sit down to their food, smoke and tell stories and make themselves perfectly happy. The next day my two new acquaintances went out with their guns and shot a young bull, a few rods from the hut, which they kindly gave me for the use of my party. According to report, the grassy flanks of the mountain abound with wild cattle, the offspring of the stock left here by Capt. Vancouver, and which now prove a very great ben- efit to this island. A slight interval of better weather this afternoon afforded a glimpse of the summit between the clouds; it was covered with snow. At night the sky became quite clear, and the stars, among which I observed the Orion, Canis minor, and Canopus, shone with intense brilliancy. The next day the atmosphere was perfectly cloudless, and I visited some of the high peaks which were thinly patched with snow. On two of them, which were extinct volcanos, not a blade of grass could be seen, nor any thing save lava, mostly reddish, but in some places of a black colour. Though on the summit of the most elevated peak, the thermometer under a bright sun, stood at 40, yet when the instrument was laid at an angle of about fifteen degrees, the quicksilver rose to 63, and the blocks of lava felt sensibly warm to the touch. The wind was from all directions, East and West, for the great altitude and the extensive mass of beating matter completely destroy the Trade Wind. The last plant that I saw upon the mountain was a gigantic species of the Composite*? (Argyropliyton Douglasii, Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 75), with a column o/ imbricated, sharp-pointed leaves, densely covered with a silky clcoj ing. I gathered a few seeds of the plants which I met with, among them a remarkable Ranunculus, which grows as high up as there is any soil. One of my companions killed a young cow just on the edge of the wood, which he presented me with for the next day's consumption. Night arrived only too soon, and we had to walk four miles back to the lodge across the lava, where we arrived at eight o'clock, hungry, tired, .and lame, but highly gratified with the result of the day's expedition. The following morning proved again clear and pleasant, and every thing being arranged, some of the men were despatched early, but such are the delays which these people make, that I overtook them all before eight o'clock. They have no idea of time, but stand still awhile, then walk a little, stop and eat, smoke and talk, and thus loiter away a whole day. At noon we came up to the place where we had left the ​422 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. cow, and having- dressed the meat, we took a part, and left the rest hanging on the bushes. We passed to the left of the lowest extinct volcano, and again encamped on the same peak as the preceding night. It was long after dark before the men arrived, and as this place afforded no wood, we had -to make a fire, of the leaves and dead stems of the species of Composite mentioned before, and which, together with a small Juncux, grows higher up the mountain than any other plant. The great difference .produced on vegetation by the agitated and vol- canic state of this mountain, is very distinctly marked. Here there is no line between the Phenogamous and Cryptogamous Plants, but the limits of vegetation itself are defined with the greatest exactness,, and the species do not gradually diminish in number and stature, as is generally the case on such high elevations. The line of what may be called the Woody country, the upper verge of which the barometer expresses 21.450 inch.; therm. 46 at two P. M., is where we immediately enter on a region of broken and uneven ground, with here and there lumps of lava, rising above the general declivity to a height of three to four hundred feet, intersected by deep chasms, which show the course of the lava when in a state of fluidity. This portion of the mountain is highly picturesque and sub- lime. Three kinds of timber, of small growth, are scattered over the low knolls, with one species of Rubus and Yaccinium, the genus Ffd- yaria and a few Graminece, Filices, and some Alpine species. . This re- gion extends to bar. 20.620 inch.; air 40, dew-point 30. There is a third region which reaches to the place where we encamped yester- day, and seems to be the great rise or spring of the Iava 3 the upper part of which, at the foot of the first extinct peak, is bar. 2 '.010 inch.; air 39. At six o'clock the next morning, accompanied by three Islanders and two Americans, I started for the summit of the mountain : bar. at that hour indicated 20.000 inch., therm. 24, hygr. 20. A keen West wind was blowing off the mountain, which was felt severely by us all, and especially by the natives, whom it was necessary to protect with additional blankets and great-coats. We passed over about five miles of gentle ascent, consisting of large blocks of lava, sand, scoriae, and ashes, of every size, shape, and colour, demonstrating all the grada- tions of calcination, from the mildest to the most intense. This may be termed the Table Land or Platform, where spring the great vent- holes of the subterranean fire, or numerous volcanos. The general appearance is that of the channel of an immense river, heaved up. In some places the round boulders of lava are so regularly placed, and the sand is so washed in around them, as to give the appearance of a causeway, while in others, the lava seems to have run like a stream. We commenced the ascent of the Great Peak at nine o'clock, on the N, E. side, over a ridge of tremendously rugged lava, four hundred ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 423 and seventy feet high, preferring this course to the very steep ascent of the South side, which consists entirely of loose ashes and scoriae, and we gained the summit soon after ten. Though exhausted with fatigue before leaving the Table Land, and much tried with the in- creasing cold, yet such was my ardent desire to reach the top, that the last portion of the way seemed the easiest. This is the loftiest of the chimneys; a lengthened ridge of two hundred and twenty-one yards two feet, running nearly straight 1ST. W. To the North, four feet be- low the extreme summit of the Pea'k, the barometer was instantly suspended, the cistern being 1 exactly below, and when the mercury had acquired the temperature of the circumambient air, the following register was entered: at 11 hrs. 20 min.; bar. 18.362 inch.; air 33; hygr. /x 5 [?]. At twelve o'clock the horizon displayed some snowy clouds; until this period, the view was sublime to the greatest degree, but now every appearance of a mountain-storm came on. The* whole of the low S. E. point of the island was throughout the day covered like a vast plain of snow, with clouds. The same thermometer laid in the bare lava, and exposed to the wind at an angle of 27, expressed at first 37, and afterwards, at twelve o'clock, 41, though when held in the hand exposed to the sun, it did not rise at all. It may well be conjectured that such an immense mass of heating material, combined with the influence of internal fire, and taken in connexion with the insular position of Mouna Kuah, surrounded with an immense mass of water, will have the effect of raising the snow-line considerably, ex- cept on the northern declivity, or where sheltered by large blocks of lava, there was no snow to be seen; even on the top of the cairn, where the barometer was fixed, there were only a few handsful. One thing struck me as curious, the apparent non-diminution of sound; not as respects the rapidity of its transmission, whieh is, of course, subject to a well-known law. Certain it is, that on mountains of infe- rior elevation, whose summits are clothed with snow and ice, we find it ne^o ! ul to roar into one another's ears, and the firing of a gun at a short distance does not disturb the timid Antelope on the high snowy peaks of N, W. America. Snow is doubtless a non-conductor of sound, but there may be also something in the mineral substance of Mouna Kuah which would effect this. Until eleven o'clock, the horizon was beautifully defined on the whole N. W. of the island. The great dryness of the air is evident to the senses, without the assistance of the hygrometer. Walking with my trousers rolled up to my knees, and without shoes, I did not know there were holes in my stockings, till I was apprised of them by the scorching heat and pain in my feet, which continued throughout the day, the skin also peeled from my face. While on the summit I ex- perienced a violent head-ache, and my eyes became blood-shot, accom- panied with stiffness in their lids. ​424 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. Were the traveller permitted to express the emotions he feels when placed on such an astonishing part of the earth's surface, cold, indeed, must his heart be to the great operations of Nature, and still colder towards Nature's God, by whose wisdom and power such wonderful scenes were created, if he could behold them without deep humility and reverential awe. Man feels himself as nothing as of standing on the verge of another world. The deathlike stillness of the place, not an animal nor an insect to be seen far removed from the din and bustle of the world, impresses on his mind with double force the ex- treme helplessness of his condition, an object of pity and compassion, utterly unworthy to stand in the presence of a great and good, and wise and holy God, and to contemplate the diversified works of his hands ! I rn,ade a small collection of geological specimens, to illustrate the nature and quality of the lavas of this mountain, but being only slightly acquainted with this department of Natural History, I could do no more than gather together such materials as seemed likely to be useful to other and more experienced persons. As night was closing and threatening to be very stormy, we hastened toward the camp, descend- ing nearly by the same way as we came, and finding my guide, Honori, and the other men all in readiness, we all proceeded to the edge of the woody region, and regained the lodge, highly gratified with the result of this very fatiguing day's excursion. Having brought provision from the hill, we fared well. January the 13th. The rain fell fast all night, and continued, ac- companied by a dense mist, this morning, only clearing sufficiently to give us a momentary glimpse of the mountain, covered with snow down to the woody region. We also saw Mouna Roa, which was simi- larly clothed for a great part of its height. Thankful had we cause to be that this heavy rain, wind, and fog did not come on while we were on the summit, as it would have caused us much inconvenience and perhaps danger. The same weather continuing till the 15th, I packed up all the baggage and prepared to return. It consisted of several packages tied up in Coa baskets, which are manufactured from a large and beautiful tree, a species of Acacia, of which the timber resembles mahogany, though of a lighter colour, and is beautiful, and said to be durable ; also sotne parcels of geological specimens, my instruments, etc. At seven A. M. I started, having sent the bearers of my luggage before me, but I had hardly entered the wood, by the same path as I took on my ascent, when the r&in began to fall, which continued without the least intermission ; but as there was no place suitable for encamping, and the people as usual had straggled away from one another, I re- solved to proceed. The path was in a dreadful state, numerous rivu- lets overflowed it in many places, and, rising above their banks, rushed ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 425 in foam through the deep glens, the necessity for crossing which im- peded my progress in no slight degree. In the low places the water spread into small lakes, and where the road had a considerable decliv- ity, the rushing torrent which flowed down it, gave rather the appear- ance of a cascade than a path. The road was so soft that we repeatedly sunk to th'e knees, and supported ourselves on a lava block or the roots of the trees. Still, violent as was the rain, and slippery and danger- ous the path, I gathered a truly splendid collection of Ferns, of nearly fifty species, with a few other plants, and some seeds, which were tied up in small bundles, to prevent fermentation, and then protected by fresh Coa bark. Several beautiful species of Mosses and Lichens were also collected ; and spite of all the disadvantages and fatigue that I underwent, still the magnificence of the scenery commanded my fre- quent attention, and I repeatedly sate down, in the course of the day, under some huge spreading Tree fern, which more resembled an indi- vidual of the Pine than the fern tribe, and contemplated with delight the endless variety of form and structure that adorned the objects around me. On the higher part of the mountain I gathered a Fern identical with the Asplevium viride of my own native country, a cir- cumstance which gave me inexpressible pleasure, and recalled to my mind many of the happiest scenes of my early life. In the evening I reached the saw-mill, when the kind welcome of my mountain friend, Mr. Miles, together with a rousing fire, soon made me forget the rain and fatigues of the day. Some of the men had arrived before me, others afterwards, and two did not appear till the following day, for having met with some friends, loaded with meat, they preferred a good supper to a dry bed. My guide, friend, and interpreter, Honori, an intelligent and well-disposed fellow, ar- rived at seven, in great dismay, having in the dark entered the river a short distance above a chain of cataracts, and to avoid these, he had clung (a a rock till extricated by the aid of two active young men. Though he had escaped unhurt, he had been exposed to the wet for nearly ten hours. A night of constant rain succeeded, but I rested well, and after breakfast, having examined all the packages, we quitted the saw-mill for the bay, and arrived there in the afternoon, the arrangement and preservation of ray plants affording me occupa- tion for two or three days. It was no easy matter to dry specimens and papers during such incessantly rainy weather. I paid the whole of the sixteen men who had accompanied me, not including Honori, and the king's man, at the rate of two dollars, some in money and some in goods: the latter consisted of cotton cloth, combs, scissors, and thread, etc., while to those who had acquitted themselves with willingness and activity, I added a small present in addition. Most of them preferred money, especially the lazy fellows. The whole of the number employed in carrying my baggage and provisions was five ​426 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. men, which left eleven for the conveyance of their own Tapas and food. Nor was this unreasonable, for the quantity, of Poe which a native, will consume, in a week, nearly equals his own weight ! A dreadful drawback on an expedition. Still, though the sixteen per- sons ate two bullocks in a week, besides, what they carried, a threatened scarcity of food compelled me to return rather sooner than I should have done, in order that the Calabashes might be replenished. No people in the world can cram themselves to such a degree as the Sandwich Islanders; their food is, however, of a very light kind, and easy digested. On the 22nd of January, the air being pleasant, and the sun occasionally visible, I had all my packages assorted by nine A. M., and engaged my old guide, Honori, and nine men to accompany me to the volcano and to Mouna Roa. As usual, there was a formidable display of luggage, consisting of Tapas, Calabashes, Poe, Taro, etc., while each individual provided himself with the solace of a staff of sugar cane, which shortens the distance, for the pedestrian, when tired and thirsty, sits down and bites off an inch or two from the end of his staff. A friend accompanied me as far as his house on the road, where there is a large church, his kind intention being to give me some provision for the excursion, but as he was a stout person, I soon outstripped him. On leaving the bay, we passed through a fertile spot consisting- of Taro patches in ponds, where the ground is pur- posely overflowed, and afterwards covered with a deep layer of Fern- leaves to keep it damp. Here were fine groves of Bread-fruit, and ponds of Mullet and Ava-fish; the scenery is beautiful, being studded with dwellings and little plantations of vegetables and of Morus papyrifera of which there are two kinds, one much whiter than the other. The most striking feature in the vegetation consists in the Tree-Ferns, some smaller species of the same tribe, and a curious kind of Compositce, like an Eupatorium. At about four miles and a half from the bay, we entered the wood, through which there is a tolerably clear path, the muddy spots being rendered passable by the stems or trunks of Tree-Ferns, laid close together cross-wise. They seemed to be the same species as I had observed on the ascent to Mouna Kuah. About an hour's walk brought us through the wood, and we then crossed another open plain of three miles and a half, at the upper end of which, in a most beautiful situation, stand the church, and close to it the chief's house. Some heavy showers had drenched us through; still, as soon as our friend arrived, and the needful ar- rangements were made, I started and continued the ascent over a very gentle rising ground in a southerly direction, passing through some delightful country, interspersed with low timber. At night we halted at a house, of which the owner was a very civil person, though re- markably talkative. Four old women were inmates of the same dwell​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 427 ing, one of whom, eighty years of age, with hair white as snow, was engaged in feeding two favourite cats with fish. My little terrier dis- puted the fare with them, to the no small annoyance of their mistress. A well-looking young female amused me with singing, while she was engaged in the process of cooking a dog on heated stones. I also ob- served a handsome young man, whose very strong stiff black hair was allowed to grow to a great length on the top of his head, while it was cut close over the ears, and falling down on the back of his head and neck, had all the appearance of a Roman helmet. January the 23rd. This morning the old lady was engaged in feed- ing a dog with fox-like ears, instead of her cats. She compelled the poor animal to swallow Poe, by cramming it into his mouth, and what he put out at the sides, she took up and ate herself; this she did, as she informed me, by way of fattening the dog for food. A little while before daybreak my host went to the door of the lodge, and after calling over some extraordinary words which would seem to set orthography at defiance, a loud grunt in response from under the thick shade of some adjoining Tree-Ferns was followed by the appearance of a fine, large, black pig, which, coming at his master's call, was forthwith caught and killed for the use of myself and my attendants. The meat was cooked on heated stones, and three men were kindly sent to carry it to the volcano, a distance of twenty-three miles, tied up in the large leaves of Banana and Ti-tree. The morning was deliciously cool and clear, with a light breeze. Immediately on passing through a narrow belt of wood, where the timber was large, and its trunks matted with parasitic Ferns, I arrived at a tract of ground, over which there was but a scanty covering of soil above the lava, interspersed with low bushes and Ferns. Here I beheld one of the grandest scenes imagin- able, Mouna Roa reared his bold front, covered with snow, far above the region of verdure, while Mouna Kuah was similarly clothed, to the timber! region on the South side, while the. summit was cleared of the snow tLat had fallen on the nights of- the 12th and two following days. The district of Hido, "Byron's Bay," which I had quitted the previous day, presented, from its great moisture, a truly lovely appearance, con- trasting in a striking manner with the country where I then stood, and which extended to the sea, whose surface bore evident signs of having been repeatedly ravaged by volcanic fires. In the distance, to the South-west, the dense black cloud which overhangs the great volcano attests, amid the otherwise unsullied purity of the sky, the mighty operations at present going on in that immense laboratory. The lava, throughout the whole district, appeared to be of every colour and shape, compact, bluish, and black, porous or vesicular, heavy and light. In some places it lies in regular lines and masses, resembling narrow, horizontal, basaltic columns; in others, in tortuous forms, or gathered into rugged humps of small elevation ; while, scattered over the whole ​428 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. plain, are numerous extinct, abrupt, generally circular craters, varying in height from one hundred to three hundred feet, and with about an equal diameter at their tops. At the distance of five miles from the volcano, the country is more rugged, the fissures in the ground being both larger and more numerous, and the whole tract covered with gravel and lava, etc., ejected at various periods from the crater. The steam that now arose from the cracks bespoke our near approach to the summit, and at two P. M. I arrived at its northern extremity, where finding it nearly level, and observing that water was not far distant, I chose that spot for my encampment. As, however, the people were not likely to arrive before the evening, I took a walk around the West side, now the most active part of the volcano, and sat down there, not, cor- rectly speaking, to enjoy, but to gaze with wonder and amazement on this terrific sight, which inspired the beholder with a fearful pleasure. From the description of former visitors, I judged that Mouna Roa must now be in a state of comparative tranquillity. A lake of liquid fire, in extent about a thirteenth part of the whole crater, was boiling with a furious agitation : not constantly, however, for at one time it appeared calm and level, the numerous fiery red streaks on its surface alone attesting its state of ebullition, when again, the red-hot lava would dart .upwards and boil with terrific grandeur, spouting to a height which, from the distance at which I stood I calculated to be from forty to seventy feet, when it would dash violently against the black ledge, and then subside again for a few moments. Close by the fire was a chimney about forty feet high, which occasionally discharges its steam, as if all the steam-engines in the world were concentrated in it This preceded the tranquil state of the lake, which is situated near the Southwest, or smaller end of the crater. In the center of the Great Crater a second lake of fire, of circular form, but smaller dimensions, was boiling with equal intensity; the noise was dreadful beyond all description. The people having arrived, Honori last, my tent was pitched twenty yards back from the perpendicular wall of the crater; and as there was an old hut of Ti-leaves on the immediate bank, only six feet from the extreme verge, my people soon repaired it for their own use. As the sun sunk behind the western flank of Mouna Roa, the splendor of the scene increased; but when the nearly full moon rose in a cloudless sky, and shed her silvery brightness on the fiery lake, roar- ing and boiling in fearful majesty, the spectacle became so command- ing, that I lost a fine night for making astronomical observations, by gazing on the volcano, the illumination of which was but little dimin- ished by a thick haze that set in at midnight. On Friday, January the 24th, the air was delightfully clear, and I was enabled to take the bearings of the volcano and adjoining objects with great exactness. To the north of the crater are numerous cracks and fissures in the ground, varying in size, form, and depth, some long, ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 429 some straight, round, or twisted, from whence steam continually is- sued, which in two of them is rapidly condensed and collects in small basins or wells, one of which is situated at the immediate edge of the crater, and the other four hundred and eighty yards to the North of it. The latter, fifteen inches deep and three feet deep in diameter, about thirteen feet North of a very large fissure, according to my thermometer, compared with that at Greenwich and at the Royal Society, and found without error, maintained a temperature of 65. The same instrument, suspended freely in the above-mentioned fissure, ten feet from the surface, expressed, by repeated trials, 158; and an equal temperature was maintained when it was nearly level with the surface. When the Islanders visit this mountain, they invariably carry on their cooking operations at this place. Some pork and a fowl that I had brought, together with Tara-roots and Sweet Potatoes were steamed here to a nicety- in twenty-seven minutes, having been tied up in leaves of Banana. On the sulphur bank are many fissures, which continually exhale sulphureous vapours, and form beautiful prisms, those deposited in the inside being the most delicate and fairy in figure, encrusting the hollows in masses, both large and small, re- sembling swallows' nests on the wall of a building. When severed from the rock or ground, they emit a crackling noise by the contrac- tion of the parts irr the process of cooling. The great thermometer placed in the holes, showed the temperature to be 195.5, after repeated trial? which all agreed together, the air being then 71. I had furnished shoes for those persons who should descend into the crater with me, but none of them could walk when so equipped, pre- ferring a mat sole, made of tough leaves, and fastened round the heel and between the toes, which seemed, indeed, to answer the purpose entirely well. Accompanied by three individuals, I proceeded at one P. M. aJ Dng the North side, and descended the first ledge over such rugged) ground as bespoke a long stage of repose, the fissures and flanks being clothed with verdure of considerable size: thence we as- cended two hundred feet to the level platform that divides the great and small volcanos. On the left, a perpendicular rock three hundred feet above the level, showed the extent of the volcano to have been originally much greater than it is at present. The small crater ap- pears to have enjoyed a long period of tranquillity, for down to the very edge of the crust of the lava, particularly on the East side, there are trees of considerable size, on which I counted from sixty to one hundred and twenty-four annual rings or concentric layers. The lava at the bottom flowed from a spot, nearly equi-distant from the great and small craters, both uniting into a river, from forty to seventy y&rds in breadth, and which appears comparatively recent. A little South of this stream, over a dreadfully rugged bank, I descended the first ledge of the crater, and proceeded for three hundred yards over ​430 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. a level space, composed of ashes, scoriae, and large stones that had been ejected from the mouth of the volcano. The stream formerly described is the only fluid lava here. Hence, to arrive at the black ledge, is another descent of about two hundred and forty feet, more difficult to be passed than any other, and this brings the traveler to the brink of the black ledge where a scene of all that is terrific to be- hold presents itself before his eyes. He sees a vast basin, recently in a state of igneous fusion, now, in cooling, broken up, somewhat in the manner of the Great American lakes when the ice gives way, in some places level in large sheete, elsewhere rolled in tremendous masses, 1 and twisted into a thousand different shapes, sometimes even being filamentose, like fine hair, but all displaying a mighty agency still existing in this immense depository of subterraneous fire. A most uncomfortable feeling is experienced when the traveler becomes aware that the lava is hollow and faithless beneath his tread. Of all sensation in nature, that produced by earthquakes or volcanic agen- cies is the most alarming: the strongest nerves are unstrung, and the most courageous mind feels weakened and unhinged, when exposed to either. How insignificant are the operations of man's hands, taken in their vastest extent, when compared with the magnitude of the works of God ! On the black ledge, the thermometer held in the hand five feet from the ground indicated a temperature of 89, and when laid on the lava, if in the sun's rays, 115. and 112 in the shade; on the brink of the burning lake, at the South end, it rose to 124. Over some fissures in the lava, where the smoke was of a greyish rather than a blue tinge, the thermometer stood at 94. I remained for upwards of two hours in the crater, suffering all the time an intense head-ache, with my pulse strong and irregular, and my tongue parched, together with other symptoms of fever. The intense heat and sulphurous nature of the ground had corroded my shoes so much that they barely protected my feet from the hot lava. I ascended out of the crater at the South- West, or small end, over two steep banks of scoriae and two ledges of rock, and returned by the West side to my tent, having thus walked quite around this mighty crater. The evening was foggy; I took some cooling medicine, and lay down early to rest. Saturday, Januai-y 25ih. I slept profoundly till two A. M., when, as not a speck could be seen in the horizon, and the moon was un- usually bright, I rose with the intention of making some lunar ob- servations, but though the thermometer stood at 41, the keen moun- tain-breeze affected me so much, of course, mainly owing to the fatigue and heat I had suffered the day before, that I was reluctantly obliged to relinguish the attempt, and being unable to settle again to sleep, I replenished my blazing stock of fuel, and sat gazing on the roaring and agitated state of the crater, where three new fires had ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 431 burst out since ten o'clock the preceding- evening. Poor Honori, my guide, who is a martyr to asthma, was so much affected by their ex- halations (for they were on the North bank, just below my tent,) that he coughed inces&antly the whole night, and complained of cold, though he was wrapped in my best blanket, besides his own tapas and some other articles which he had borrowed from my Woahu man. The latter slept with his head towards the fire, coiled up most luxu- riously, and neither cold, heat, nor the roaring of the volcano at all disturbed his repose. Leaving the charge of my papers and collections under the special care of one individual, and giving plenty of provision for twelve days to the rest, consisting of one quarter of pork, with poe and taro, I started for Kapupala soon after eight A. M. The path struck off for two miles in a North- West direction, to avoid the rugged lava and ashes on the west bank of Mouna Roa, still it was indescribably diffi- cult in many places, as the lava rose in great masses, some perpendic- ular, others lying horizontal; in fact, with every variation of form and situation. In other parts the walking was pretty good, over grassy undulating plains, clothed with a healthy sward, and studded here and there with Maurani Trees in full blossom, a beautiful tree, much resembling the English Laburnum. As I withdrew from the volcano in order to obtain a good general view of the country lying South and betwixt me and the sea, I ascertained the western ridge or verge of the volcano to be decidedly the most elevated of the table land : and a narrow valley lies to the West of it. A low ridge runs from the mountain southward to the sea, terminating at the South end in a number of craters of various form and extent. West of this low ridge between the gentle ascent of grassy ground on Mouna Roa, there is a space of five to seven miles in breadth to the Grand Discharge from the Greaf Volcano, where it falls into the ocean at Kapupala. The present ar pect of the crater leads me to think that there has been no overflowing of the lava for years: the discharge is evidently from the subterranean vaults below. In 1822, the Islanders say there was a great discharge in this direction. Among the grassy, undulating ground are numerous caves, some of them of great magnitude, from forty to sixty-five feet high, and from thirty to forty feet broad, many of them of great length, like gigantic arches, and very rugged. These generally run at right angles with the dome of Mouna Roa and the sea. Some of these natural tunnels may be traced for several miles in length, with occasional holes of different sizes in the roofs, screened sometimes with an overgrowth of large Trees and Perns, which renders walking highly dangerous. At other places the tops of the vaults have fallen in for the space of one hundred or even three hun- dred yards, an occurrence which is attributable to the violent earth- quakes that sometimes visit this district, and which, as may be readily ​432 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. imagined from the number of these tunnels, is not well supplied with water. The inhabitants convert these caverns to use in various ways; employing 1 them occasionally as permanent dwellings, but more fre- quently as cool retreats where they carry on the process of making- native cloth from the bark of the Mulberry Tree, or where they fabricate and shelter their canoes from the violent rays of the sun. They are also used for goat-folds and pig-styes, and the fallen-in places, where there is a greater depth of decomposed vegetable matter, are frequently planted with Tobacco, Indian Corn, Melons, and other choice plants. At a distance of ten miles north of Kapupala, and near the edge of the path, are some fine caverns, above sixty feet deep. The water, dropping from the top of the vault, collected into small pools below, indicated a temperature of 50, the air of the cave itself 51, while in the shade on the outside the thermometer stood at 82. The interiors of the moist caverns are of a most beautiful appearance ; not only from the singularity of their structure, but because they are delightfully fringed with Ferns, Mosses, and Jungermannice, thus holding out to the Botanist a most inviting retreat from the overpowering rays of a tropical sun. Arrived at Kapupala, at three P. M., I found that the chief or head man had prepared a house for me, a nice and clean dwelling, with abundance of fine mats, etc., but as near it there stood several large canoes filled with water, containing Mulberry Bark in a state of fer- mentation, and highly offensive, as also a large pig-fold, surrounded by a lava-wall, and shaded with large bushes of Ricinus communis, altogether forming an unsuitable station for making observations, to say nothing of the din and bustle constantly going on when strangers are present, besides the annoyance from fleas, I caused my tent to be pitched one hundred yards behind the house. The chief would have been better pleased if I had occupied his dwelling, but through Honori, I had this matter explained to his satisfaction. He sent me a fowl, cooked on heated stones underground, some baked Taro, and Sweet Potatoes, together with a calabash full of delicious goat's-milk, poured through the husk of a Cocoa-nut in lieu of a sieve. As strangers rarely visit this part of the island, a crowd soon assembled for the evening. The vegetation in this district can hardly be compared with that of Hilo,* nor are the natives so industrious ; they have no fish-ponds, and cultivate little else than Taro, which they call Dry Taro, no Bananas, and but little Sugar-cane, or other vegetables. Flocks of goats brouse over the hills, while fowls, tur- keys, and pigs are numerous, and occupy the same dwellings with their owners.
Hido.', ED. (IUARTEJILY. ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 433 Honori, my guide, interpreter, purveyor, and, I may say, friend (for in every department of his omnifarious capacity he is a good sort of fellow), preached to-day, Sunday, the 26th, in his own language to an assembly of both sexes, old and young, nearly two hundred in number, both morning and evening. I did not see him, but from my tent-door I could hear him in the School-house, a low, small edifice, expounding and exhorting with much warmth. Having made so bold afterwards as to ask him where he took his text, he readily replied, that he "chose no text, but had taken occasion to say to the people a few good words concerning Paul when at Rome." He was evidently well pleased himself with his sermon, and seemed to please his audience also. I visited the school in the interval, when Honori had retired to compose his second sermon, and found the as- semblage under the direction of the chief, who appears to be a good man, though far from an apt scholar; they were reading the second chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians, and proceeded to the third, reading verse and verse, all round. The females were by far the most attentive, and proved themselves the readiest learners. It is most gratifying to see far beyond the pale of what is called civilization, this proper sanctification of the Lord's Day, not only consisting in a cessation from the ordinary duties, but in reading and reflecting upon the purifying and consolatory doctrines of Christianity. The women were all neatly dressed in the native fashion, except the chief's wife, and some few others who wore very clean garments of calico. The hair was either arranged in curls or braided on the temples, and adorned with tortoise-shell combs of their own making, and chaplets of balsamic flowers, the pea-flowering racemes of the Maurarii-Tree, and feathers, etc. The men were all in the national attire, and looked tolerably well dressed, except a few of the old gentlemen. The schoolmaster, a little hump-backed man, about thirty years old, little] more than three feet high, with disproportionately long legs, and having a most peculiar cast in his right eye, failed not to prompt and reprove his scholars when necessary in a remarkably powerful tone of voice, which when he read, produced a trumpet-like sound, resembling the voice of a person bawling into a cask. Honori "had the people called together" by the sound of a conch- shell, blown by a little imp of a lad, perched on a block of lava, in front of the school-house, when as in the morning, he "lectured " on the third chapter of St. John. The congregation was thinner than in the morning, many who lived at a distance having retired to their homes. 1 spent the Monday (January the 27th,) in making observations and arranging matters for returning to Mouna Roa : my men cooked a stock of Taro, and I purchased a fine large goat for their use. ​434 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. Tuesday, January the 28th. I hired two guides, the elder of whom a short, stout man, was particularly recommended to me by the chief for his knowledge of the mountain. By profession he is a bird- catcher, going- in quest of that particular kind of bird which furnishes the feathers of which the ancient cloaks, used by the natives of these islands are made. The other guide was a young man. Three volun- teers offered to accompany me; one a very stout, fat dame, apparently about thirty, another not much more than half that age, a really well- looking girl, tall and athletic: but to the first, the bird-catcher gave such an awful account of the perils to be undergone, that both the females finally declined the attempt, and only the third person, a young man, went with me. My original party of ten, besides Honori and two guides, set out at eight, with, as usual, a terrible array of Tara, calabashes full of Poe, Sweet Potatoes, dry Poe tied up in Ti- leaves, and goat's flesh, each bearing a pole on his shoulder with a bundle at either end. Of their vegetable food, a Sandwich Islander can not carry more than a week's consumption, besides what he may pick up on the way. One, whose office it was to convey five quires of paper for me, was so strangely attired in a double-milled grey great coat, with a spencer of still thicker materials above it, that he lamented to his companions that his load was too great, and begged their help to lift it on his back. I had to show the fellow, who was blind of one eye, the unreasonableness of his grumbling by hanging the parcel by the cord on my little finger. He said, "Ah ! the stranger is strong," and walked off. Among my attendants was one singular-looking personage, a stripling, who carried a small packet of instruments, and trotted away, arrayed in "a Cutty-sark." of most "scanty longitude," the upper portion of which had been once of white and the lower of red flannel. Honori brought up the rear with a small telescope slung over his shoulder, and an umbrella, which, owing perhaps to his asthmatic complaint, he never fails to carry with him, both in fair and foul weather. We returned for about a mile and a half along the road that led to the Great Volcano, and then struck off to the left in a small path that wound in a northerly direction up the green, grassy flank of Mouna Roa. I soon found that Honori's cough would not allow him to keep up with the rest of the party, so leaving one guide with him, and making the bird-catcher take the lead, I proceeded at a quicker rate. This part of the island is very beautiful; the ground, though hilly, is covered with a tolerably thick coating of soil, which supports a fine sward of Grass. Perns, climbing plants, and in some places timber of considerable size, Coa, Tutui, and Mamme trees. Though fallen trees and brushwood occasionally intercepted the path, still, it was by no means so difficult as that by which I had ascended Mouna Kuah. To avoid a woody point of steep ascent, we turned a little eastward, after having traveled about five miles and a half, ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 435 and passed several deserted dwelling's, apparently only intended as the temporary abodes of bird-catchers, and sandal-wood-cutters. Cal- abashes and Pumpkins, with Tobacco, were the only plants that I observed growing near them. At eleven A. M. we came to a small pool of fresh water collected in the lava, the temperature of which was 55; here my people halted for a few minutes to smoke. The barometer stood at 26 inch., the air 62, and the dew-point at 58. The wind was from the South, with a gentle fanning breeze and a clear sky. Hence the path turns Northwest for a mile and a half, becoming a little steeper, till it leads to a beautiful circular well, three feet deep, flowing in the lava, its banks fringed with Strawberry Vines, and shaded by an Acacia Tree grove. Here we again rested for half an hour! We might be said here to have ascended above the woody country; the ground became more steep and broken, with a thinner soil and trees of humbler growth, leading towards the South-East ridge of Mouna Roa, which, judging from a distance, appeared the part to which there is the easiest access. I would recommend to any Naturalist who may in future visit this mountain, to have their can- teen filled at the well just mentioned, for my guide, trusting to one which existed in a cave further up, and which he was unable to find, declined to provide himself with this indispensable article at the lower well, and we were consequently put to the greatest inconven- ience. Among the brush-wood was a strong kind of Raspberry-bush, destitute of leaves; the fruit I am told is white. At four P. M. we arrived at a place where the lava suddenly became very rugged, and the brush-wood low, where we rested and chewed sugar-cane, of which we carried a large supply, and where the guides were anxious to re- main all night. As this was not very desirable, since we had no water, I proceeded for an hour longer, to what might be called the Line of Shrubs, a/ d at two miles and a half further on, encamped for the night. V 'e collected some small stems of a heath-like plant, which, with the dried stalks of the same species of Composite which I ob- served on Mouna Kuah, afforded a tolerably good fire. The man who carried the provisions did not make his appearance indeed, it is very difficult, except by literally driving them before you, to make the natives keep up with an active traveller. Thus I had to sup upon Taro-roots. Honori, as I expected, did not come up. I had no view of the surrounding country, for the region below, especially over the land, was covered with a thick layer of fleecy mist, and the cloud which always hovers above the great volcano, over-hung the horizon and rose into the air like a great tower. Sun-set gave a totally dif- ferent aspect to the whole, the fleecy clouds changed their hue to a vapoury tint, and the volume of mist above the volcano, which is silvery bright during the prevalence of sunshine, assumed a fiery aspect, and illumined the sky for many miles around. A strong North​436 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. West mountain-breeze sprung up, and the stars, especially Canopus and Sirius, shone with unusual brilliancy. Never, even under a trop- ical sky, did I behold so many stars. Sheltered by a little brush- wood, I lay down on the lava beside the fire, and enjoyed a good night's rest, while my attendants swarmed together in a small cave, which they literally converted into an oven by .the immense fire they kindled in it. Wednesday, January the 29th. The morning rose bright and clear, - but cold, from the influence of a keen mountain-breeze. As the man who carried the provisions was still missing, the preparation of break- fast occupied but little time, so that accompanied by the bird-catcher and Cutty-sark, I started at half-past six for the summit of the moun- tain, leaving the others to collect fuel and to look for water. Shortly before day-break the sky was exceedingly clear and beautiful, espe- cially that part of the horizon where the sun rose, and above which the upper limb of his disc was visible like a thread of gold, soon to be quenched in a thick haze, which was extended over the horizon. It were difficult, nay, almost impossible, to describe the beauty of the sky and the glorious scenes of this day. The lava is terrible beyond description, and our track lay over ledges of the roughest kind, in some places glassy and smooth like slag from the furnace, compact and heavy like basalt; in others, tumbled into enormous mounds, or sunk in deep valleys, or rent into fissures, ridges, and clefts. This was at the verge of the snow not twenty yards of the whole space could be called level or even. In every direction vast holes or mouths are seen, varying in size, form and colour, from ten to seventy feet high. The lava that has been vomited forth from these openings presents a truly novel spectacle. From some, and occasionally, indeed, from the same mouth, the streams may be seen, pressed forward transversely, or in curved segments, while other channels present a floating appearance; occasionally the circular tortuous masses resemble gigantic cables, or are drawn into cords, or even capillary threads, finer than any silken thread, and carried to a great distance by the wind. The activity of these funnels may be inferred from the quantity of slag lying round them, its size, and the distance to which it has been thrown. Walking was rendered dangerous by the multitude of fissures, many of which are but slightly covered with a thin crust, and everywhere our progress was exceedingly labourious and fatiguing. As we continued to ascend, the cold and fatigue disheartened the Islanders, who required all the encouragement I could give to induce them to proceed. As I took the lead, it was needful for me to look behind me continually, for when once out of sight, they would pop themselves down and neither rise nor answer to my call. After resting for a few moments at the last station, I proceeded about seven miles further, over a similar kind of formation, till I came to a sort of low ridge, the top of which I gained soon after eleven P. M., the thermometer indicating 37, and the sky ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 437 very clear. This part was of gradual ascent, and its summit might be considered the southern part of the dome. The snow became very deep, and the influence of the sun melting its crust, which concealed the sharp points of the lava, was very unfavourable to my progress. From this place to the North towards the centre of the dome, the hill is more flattened. Rested a short time, and a few moments before noon, halted near the highest black, shaggy chimney to observe the sun's passage. In recording the following observations, I particularly note the places, in order that future visitors may be able to verify them. To the S. W. of this chimney, at the distance of one hundred and seventy yards, stands a knoll of lava, about seventy feet above the gradual rise of the place. The altitude was 104 52' 45 /x . This observation was made under highly favourable circumstances, on a horizon of mercury, without a roof, it being protected from the wind by a small oilcloth: bar. 18.953; therm. 41; in the sun's rays 43 5'; and when buried in the snow, 31; the dew-point at 7; wind S. W. The summit of this extraordinary mountain is so flat, that from this point no part of the island can be seen, not even the high peaks of Mouna Kuah, nor the distant horizon of the sea, though the sky was remarkably clear. It is a horizon of itself, and about seven miles in diameter. I ought, ere now, to have said that the bird-catcher's knowledge of the volcano did not rise above the woody region, and now he and my two other followers were unable to proceed further. Leaving these three behind, and accompanied by only Calipio, I went on about two miles and a half, when the Great Terminal Volcano or Cone of Mouna Roa burst on my view: all my attempts to scale the black ledge here were ineffectual, as the fissures in the lava were so much concealed, though not protected by the snow, that the under- taking was accompanied with great danger. Most reluctantly was I obliged to return, without being able to measure accurately its extraor- dinary de^oh. From this point I walked along the brink of the high ledg-e, aiong the East side, to the hump, so to speak, of the mountain, the point which, as seen from Mouna Kuah, appears the highest. As I stood on the brink of the ledge the wind whirled up from the cavity with such furious violence that I could hardly keep my footing within twenty paces of it. The circumference of the black ledge of the nearly circular crater, described as nearly as my circumstances would allow me to ascertain, is six miles and a quarter. The ancient crater has an extent of about twenty-four miles. The depth of the ledge, from the highest part (perpendicular station on the East side) by an accurate measurement with a line and plummet, is twelve hundred and seventy feet; it appears to have filled up considerably all round; that part to the North of the circle seeming to have, at no very remote period, undergone the most violent activity, not by boiling and over- flowing, nor by discharging- under ground, but by throwing- out ​438 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. stones of immense size to the distance of miles around its opening, together with ashes and sand. Terrible chasms exist at the bottom, appearing-, in some places, as if the mountain had been rent to its very roots; no termination can be seen to their depth, even when the eye is aided with a good glass, and the sky is clear of smoke and the sun shining brightly. Fearful, indeed, must the spectable have been when this volcano was in a state of activity. The part to the South of the circle, where the outlet of the lava has evidently been, must have enjoyed a long period of repose. Were it not for the dykes on the West end, which show the extent of the ancient cauldron, and the direction of the lava, together with its proximity to the existing volcano, there is little to arrest the eye of the Naturalist over the greater portion of this huge dome, which is a gigantic mass of slag, scoriae, and ashes. The barometer remained stationary during the whole period spent on the summit, nor was there any change in the temperature nor in the dew-point to-day. While passing, from eight to nine o'clock, over the ledges of lava of a more compact texture, with small but numerous vesicles, the temperature of the air being 36, 37, and the sun shining powerfully, a sweet musical sound was heard, proceeding from the cracks and small fissures, like the faint sound of musical glasses, but having at the same time, a kind of hiss- ing sound, like a swarm of bees. This may, perhaps, be owing to some great internal fire escaping or, is it rather attributable to the heated air on the surface of the rocks, rarefied by the sun's rays. In a lower region this sound might be overlooked, and considered to proceed, by possibility, from the sweet harmony of insects, but in this high altitude it is too powerful and remarkable not to attract attention. Though this day was more tranquil than the 12th, when I ascended Mouna Kuah, I could perceive a great difference in sound; I could not hear half so far as I did on that day when the wind was blowing strong. This might be owing to this mountain being covered with snow, whereas, on the 12th, Mouna Kuah was clear of it. Near the top I saw one small bird, about the size of a common sparrow, of a light mixed grey colour, with a faintly yellow beak no other living crea- ture met my view above the woody region. This little creature which was perched on a block of lava, was so tame as to permit me to catch it with my hand, when I instantly restored it its liberty. I also saw a dead hawk in one of the caves. On the East side of the black ledge of the Great Terminal Crater, is a small conical funnel of scoriae, the only vent-hole of that substance that I observed in the crater. This mountain appears to be differently formed from Mouna Kuah ; it seems to be an endless number of layers of lava, from different overflowings of the great crater. In the deep caves at Kapupala, two thousand feet above the level of the sea, the several strata are well defined, and may be accurately traced, varying in thickness with the intensity of ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 439 % the action, and of the discharge that has taken place. Between many of these strata are layers of earth, containing 1 vegetable substances, some from two feet to two feet seven inches in thickness, which be- speak a long state of repose between the periods of activity in the volcano. It is worthy of notice that the thickest strata are generally the lowest, and they become thinner towards the surface. In some places I counted twenty-seven of these layers, horizontal and preserving the declination of the mountain. In the caves which I explored near my camp, which are from forty to seventy feet deep, thin strata of earth in- tervene between the successive beds of lava, but none is found nearer the surface than thirteen layers. No trace of animal, shell or fish, could I detect in any of the craters or caves, either in this mountain or Mouna Kuah. At four P. M. I returned to the centre of the dome, where I found the three men whom I had left all huddling together to keep them- selves warm. After collecting a few specimens of lava, no time was to be lost in quitting this dreary and terrific scene. The descent was even more fatiguing, dangerous and distressing than the ascent had proved, and required great caution in us to escape unhurt ; for the natives, benumbed with cold, could not walk fast. Darkness came on all too quickly, and though the twilight is of considerable duration, I was obliged to halt, as I feared, for the night, in a small cave. Here, though sheltered from the N. W. breeze, which set in more and more strongly as the sun sank below the horizon, the thermometer fell to 19, and as I was yet far above the line of vegetation, unable to obtain any materials for a fire, and destitute of clothing, except the thin gar- ments soaked in perspiration in which I had travelled all day, and which rendered the cold most intense to my feelings, I ventured, be- tween ten and eleven P. M. to make an effort to proceed to the camp. Never shall I forget the joy I felt when the welcome moon, for whose appeanr nee I had long been watching, first showed herself above the volcaj .. The singular form which this luminary presented, was most striking. The darkened limb was uppermost, and as I was sitting in darkness, eagerly looking for her appearance on the horizon, I descried a narrow silvery belt, 4 to 5 high, emerging from the lurid fiery cloud of the volcano. This I conceived to be a portion of the light from the fire, but a few moments showed me' the lovely moon shining in splen- dour in a cloudless sky, and casting a guiding beam over my rugged path. Her pale face actually threw a glow of warmth into my whole frame, and I joyfully and thankfully rose to scramble over the rough way, in the solitude of the night, rather than await the approach of day in this comfortless place. Not so, thought my followers. The bird-catcher and his two companions would not stir ; so with my trusty man Calipio, who follows me like a shadow, I proceeded in the descent. Of necessity we walked slowly, stepping cautiously from ledge to ledge, but still having exercise enough to excite a genial heat. The splendid ​440 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. constellation of Orion, which had so often attracted my admiring gaze in my own native land, and which had shortly passed the meridian, was my guide. I continued in a South-East direction till two o'clock, when all at once I came to a low place, full of stunted shrubs, of more robust habit, however, than those at the camp. I instantly struck a light, and found by the examination of my barometer, that I was nearly five hundred feet below the camp. No response was given to our re- peated calls it was evident that no human being was near, so by the help of the moon's light, we shortly collected plenty of fuel, and kindled a fine fire. No sooner did its warmth and light begin to diffuse themselves over my frame, than I found myself instantly seized with violent pain and inflammation in my eyes, which had been rather pain- ful on the mountain, from the effect of the sun's rays shining on the snow ; a slight discharge of blood from both eyes followed, which gave me some relief, and which proved that the attack was as much attrib- utable to violent fatigue as any other cause. Having tasted neither food nor water since an early hour in the morning, I suffered severely with thirst ; still I slept for a few hours, dreaming the while of gur- gling cascades, overhung with sparkling rainbows, of which the dewy spray moistened my whole body, while my lips were all the time glued together with thirst and my parched tongue almost rattled in my mouth. My poor man, Calipio, was also attacked with inflammation in his eyes, and gladly did we hail the approach of day. The sun rose brightly on the morning of Thursday, January 30th, and gilding the snow over which we had passed, showed our way to have been infinitely more rugged and precarious than it had appeared by moon-light. I discovered that by keeping about a mile and a half too much to the East, we had left the camp nearly five hundred feet above our present situation ; and returning thither over the rocks, we found Honori en- gaged in preparing breakfast. He had himself reached the camp about noon on the second day. He gave me a calabash full of water, with a large piece of ice in it, which refreshed me greatly. A few drops of opium in the eyes afforded instant relief both to Calipio and myself. The man with the provisions was here also, so we shortly made a com- fortable meal, and immediately after, leaving one man behind with some food for the bird-catcher and his two companions, we prepared to descend, and started at nine A. M. to retrace the path by which we had come. Gratified though one may be at witnessing the wonderful works of God in such a place as the summit of this mountain presents, still it is with thankfulness that we again approach a climate more congenial to our natures, and welcome the habitations of our fellow- men, where we are refreshed with the scent of vegetation, and soothed by the melody of birds. When about three miles below the camp, my three companions of yesterday appeared like mawkins on the craggy lava, just at the very spot where I had come down. A signal was ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 441 made them to proceed to the camp, which was seen and obeyed, and we proceeded onwards, collecting a good many plants- by the way. Ar- riving at Strawberry Well, we made a short halt to dine, and ascer- tained the barometer to be 25.750; air 57, and the well 51; dew 56. There were vapoury, light clouds in the sky and a S. W. wind. We arrived at Kapupala at four P. M. The three other men came up at seven, much fatigued like myself. Bar, at Kapupala at eight P. M. 27.926 ; air 57 ; and the sky clear. This is the closing sentence of Mr. Douglas's Journal; penned, indeed, by the date, some months previous to the letter which immediately precedes this portion of the Journal (May 6, 1834), and which was certainly among the last, if it were not the very last, that he addressed to any friend in Europe, and that gave hopes of seeing him home at no distant period. Of the events which hap- pened between that period and the melancholy accident which occasioned his death, a space of little more than two months, there is unfortunately, no information. The first knowledge of his decease, which reached one of the members of the family in this country, was in a peculiarly abrupt and painful manner. It was seen in a number of the Liverpool Monthly, by his brother, Mr. John Douglas, when looking for the announcement of the marriage of a near relative. He immediatey set out for Glasgow, to com- munf 3ate the unwelcome tidings to me ; and in a few days they were confirmed on more unquestionable authority, by a letter from Richard Charlton, Esq., H. B. M. Consul at the Sandwich Islands, to James Bandinel, Esq., enclos- ing a most affecting document, relative to the event, from two Missionaries, the Rev. Joseph Goodrich and the Rev. John Diell, both of which I am anxious to record here in testimony of the deep interest felt by these gentlemen in the fate of our deceased friend ; a feeling, indeed, which
Copy of a Letter from the Missionaries of Hawaii to Richard Charlton, Esq., His Brittanic Majesty's Consul at the Sandwich Islands.
Hilo, Hawaii, July 15th, 1834.
Dear Sir: Our hearts almost fail us when we undertake to perform the melancholy duty which devolves upon us, to communicate the painful intelligence of the death of our friend Mr. Douglas, and such particulars as we have been able to gather respecting this distressing providence. The tidings reached us when we were every moment awaiting his arrival, and expecting to greet him with a cordial welcome: but alas! He whose thoughts and ways are not as ours, saw fit to order it otherwise; and instead of being permitted to hail the living friend, our hearts have been made to bleed while performing the offices of humanity to his mangled corpse. Truly we must say, that the "ways of the Lord are mysterious, and His judgments past finding out!" but it is our unspeakable consolation to know, that those ways are directed by infinite wisdom and mercy, and that though "clouds and darkness are round about Him, yet righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne!" But we proceed to lay before you as full information as it is in our power to do at the present time, concerning this distressing event. As Mr. Diell was standing in the door of Mr. Goodrich's house yesterday morning, about eight o'clock, a native came up, and with an expression of countenance which indicated but too faithfully that he was the bearer of sad tidings, enquired for Mr. Goodrich. On seeing him, he communicated the dreadful intelligence, that the body of Mr. Douglas had been found on the mountains, in a pit excavated for the purpose of taking wild cattle, and that he was supposed to have been killed by the bullock that was in the pit, when the animal [he?] fell in. Never were our feelings so shocked, nor could we credit the report, till it was painfully affirmed as we proceeded to the beach, whither his body had been conveyed in a canoe, by the natives who informed us of his death. As we walked down with the native, and made further inquiries of him, he gave for substance the following relation: That on the evening of the 13th instant, the natives who brought the body down from the mountain came to his house at Laupashoohoi, about twenty-five or thirty miles distant from Hilo, and employed him to bring it to this place in his canoe—the particulars which he learned from them were as follows: that Mr. D. left Rohala Point last week, in company with a foreigner (an Englishman), as a guide, and proceeded to cross Mouna Roa on the North side—that on the 12th he dismissed his guide, who cautioned him, on parting, to be very careful lest he should fall into the pits excavated for the purpose mentioned above; describing them as near the place where the cattle resorted to drink—that soon after Mr. D. ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OP DAVID DOUGLAS. 443 had dismissed his guide, he went back a short distance to get some bundle which he had forgotten, and that as he was retracing his steps, at some fatal moment he tumbled into one of the pits in which a bullock had previously fallen that he there was found dead by these same natives, who, ignorant of the time of his passing, were in pursuit of cattle, and observed a small hole in one end of the covering of the pit. At first they conjectured that a calf had fallen in; but on further exam- ination they discerned traces of a man's footsteps, and then saw his feet, the rest of his body being covered with dust and rubbish. They went in pursuit of the guide, who returned, shot the beast in the hole, took out the corpse, and hired the natives at the price of four bullocks, which he killed immediately, to convey the body to the seashore. He himself accompanied them, and procured the native who related the affair, to bring the corpse to this place, promising to come himself immediately, and that he would bring the compass-watch, which was somewhat broken, but still going; some money found in Mr. D.'s pocket; and the little dog, that faithful companion of our departed friend. Thus far the report of the native, who brought the corpse in his canoe, and who professes to relate the facts to us, as he learned them from the natives who came down the mountain. We do not stop at present to examine how far it is consistent or inconsistent with itself, as we have not the means of making full investigation into the matter. On reaching the canoe, our first care was to have the re- mains conveyed to some suitable place where we could take proper care of them, and Mr. Dibble's family being absent, it was determined to carry the body to his house. But what an affecting spectacle was presented as we removed the bullock's hide in which he had been con- veyed ! we will not attempt to describe the agony of feeling which we experienced at that moment : Can it be he ? Can it be he ? we each excla/tned. Can it be the man with whom we parted but a few days befof 3, and who was then borne up with so high spirits and expecta- tions, and whom but an hour previously we were fondly anticipating to welcome to our little circle. The answer was but too faithfully contained in the familiar articles of dress in the features, and in the noble person before us. They were those of our friend. The body, clothes, etc., appeared to be in the same state they were in when taken from the pit: the face was covered with dirt, the hair filled with blood and dust; the coat, pantaloons, and shirt considerably torn. The hat was missing. On washing the corpse, we found it in a shocking state : there were ten to twelve gashes on the head a long one over the left eye, another, rather deep, just above the left temple, and a deep one, behind the right ear; the left cheek-bone appeared to be broken, and also the ribs on the left side. The abdomen was also much bruised, and also the lower parts of the legs. After laying him out, ​444 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. our first thought was to bury him within Mr. Goodrich's premises ; but after we had selected a spot, and commenced clearing away the ground, doubts were suggested by a foreigner who was assisting us, and who has for some time been engaged in taking wild cattle, whether the wounds on the head could have been inflicted by a bullock. Mr. G. said that doubts had similarly arisen in his mind, while examining the body. The matter did not seem clear many parts of the story were left in obscurity. How had Mr. Douglas been left alone with- out any guide, foreign or native ? Where was John, Mr. Diell's col- oured man, who had left Honolulu with Mr. Diell, and who, on missing a passage with him from Lahaina, embarked with Douglas, as we are informed by the captain of the vessel in which Mr. D. sailed from La- haina to Rohala Point, and then left the vessel with Mr. D. on the morning of the 9th instant, in order to accompany him across the mountain to Hilo ? How was it that Mr. D. should fall into a pit when retracing his steps, after having once passed it in safety? And if a bullock had already tumbled in, how was it that he did not see the hole necessarily made in its covering ? These difficulties occurred to our minds, and we deemed it due to the friends of Mr. D. and the pub- lic, whom he had so zealously and so usefully served, that an examina- tion should be made of the body by medical men. The only way by which this could be effected, was by preserving his body, and either sending it toOahu or keeping it till it could be examined. The former method seemed most advisable ; accordingly we had the contents of the abdomen removed, the cavity filled with salt, and placed in a coffin, which was then filled with salt, and the whole enclosed in a box of brine. Some fears are entertained whether the captain of the native vessel will convey the body; this can be determined in the morning. After the corpse was laid in the coffin, the members of the Mission family and several foreigners assembled at the house of Mr. Dibble, to pay their tribute of respect to the mortal remains of the deceased, and to improve this affecting providence to their own good. Prayers were offered, and a brief address made ; and we trust that the occasion may prove a lasting blessing to all who were present. After the services were concluded, the body was removed to a cool native house, where it was enclosed in the box. 16th. As neither the guide nor any natives have arrived, we have employed two foreigners to proceed to the place where the body was received on the sea-shore, with directions to find the persons who dis- covered it, and go with them to the pit. and after making as full in- quiries as possible, to report to us immediately. So far as we can ascertain, the guide is an Englishman, a convict from Botany Bay, who left a vessel at these islands some years ago. He has a wife and one child with him, and to this circumstance in part may be attributed ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 445 his delay. There are two native vessels in port, besides the one about to sail to-day. By these vessels we shall apprise you of all the infor- mation we can obtain, and yet hope that the darkness which involves the subject may be removed. Mr. G. has just returned from the ves- sel about to sail to-day. The application to convey the remains of Mr. D. to Honolulu will, we fear, prove unsuccessful, as the cargo is already taken in, consisting of wood, canoes, food, etc. It is barely possible that a consent may yet be obtained; but if not, you must be so kind as to dictate what course is to be pursued. Should you deem it advisable to come up in person, we think that the body will be in such a state of preservation as will admit of its being examined upon your arrival. Meanwhile, we shall take all possible pains to procure in- formation. The principal part of Mr. D.'s bag-gage, his trunks, instru- ments, etc., are in Mr. Goodrich's possession, who will take care of them, subject to your order. Three o'clock P. M. Edward Gurney, the Englishman spoken of before, has arrived, and our'minds are greatly relieved, as to the prob- able way in which the fatal event was brought about. He states that on the 12th instant, about ten minutes before six in the morning, Mr. D. arrived at his house on the mountain, and wished him to point out the road, and go a short distance with him. Mr. D. was then alone, but said that his man had gone out the day before (this man was probably Johu, Mr. Diell's coloured man). After taking breakfast, Ned accompanied Mr. D. about three quarters of a mile, and after di- recting him in the path, and warning him of the traps, went on about half a mile further with him. Mr. D. then dismissed him, after ex- pressing an anxious wish to reach Hilo by evening, thinking he could find out the way himself. Just before Ned left him, he warned him particularly of three bullock-traps, about two miles and a half ahead, two oL- uhem lying directly in the road, the other on one side, as ex- hibit^ in the following rude sketch: ​1. Trap empty, covered. 2. Ditto, cow in, open. 3. Ditto, bullock, open. 4. The places where Mr. Douglas' dog and bundle were found. 5. Water. ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 447 Ned then parted with Mr. D. and went back to skin some bullocks which he had previously killed. About eleven o'clock, two natives came in pursuit of him, and said that the European was dead; that they had found him in a pit where a bullock was. They mentioned that as they were approaching this pit, one of them, observing- some of the clothing on the side, exclaimed Lole, but in a moment afterwards discovered Mr. D. in the cave, trampled under the beast's feet. They immediately hastened back for Ned, who, leaving- his work, ran into the house for a musket, ball and hide; and on arriving at the pit, found the bullock standing- upon poor Douglas' body, which was lying on the rig-ht side. He shot the animal, and after drawing it to one side of the pit, succeeded in extricating the corpse. Douglas' cane was there, but not his dog- and bundle: Ned knowing that he had the latter with him, asked for it. After a few moments search, the dog- was heard to bark, at a little distance a-head on the road to Hilo. On coming up to the spot, indicated by No. 4, the dog and bundle were found. On further scrutiny, it appeared that Mr. D. had stopped for a moment and looked at the empty pit, No. 1, and also at that where the cow was ; and that after proceeding about fifteen fathoms up the hill, he had laid down his bundle and returned to the side of the pit where the bullock was entrapped, No. 3, and which was situated on the side of the pond oppo- site to that along which the road runs; and that whilst looking in, by making a false step, or some other fatal accident, he fell into the power of the infuriated animal, which speedily executed the work of death. The body was covered in part with stones, which probably prevented its being entirely crushed. After removing the corpse, Ned took charge of the dog and bundle, also of his watch and chronometer (which is injured in some way), his pocket compass, keys and money, and after hiring the natives to convey the body to the shore, a distance of about twenty seven miles, came directly to this place. This narrative clears up mq/iy of the difficulftes which rested upon the whole affair, and per- haps affords a satisfactory account of the manner in which Mr. D. met with his awful death. We presume that it would be agreeable to you that the body should be sent down, and as the vessel is still delayed by a calm, we hope to receive a favourable answer from the captain. If we should not, it may perhaps be well to inter the body, which can easily be disinterred for examination, if desirable. We have thus, dear Sir, endeavoured to furnish you with all the particulars we have been able to gather concerning this distressing event. It is no common death which has thus called forth our tears and sympathies: it presents a most affecting comment on the truth, that "in the midst of life we are in death !" How forcible then is the admonition to all of us, whose privilege it was to be acquainted with him who is thus snatched from us, to "prepare to meet our God," "for the Son of Man cometh at an hour that we know not of." You will be ​448 JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. pleased, dear sir, to accept for yourself and family, the expression of our kindest sympathies under this Afflicting- dispensation, and allow us to subscribe ourselves, with sincere regard, your friends and obedient servants. (Signed) JOSEPH GOODRICH. JOHN DIELL. P. S. The bearer, Mr. Martin, will take charge of the little dog. There are several matters of expenses, incurred for conveying the body to this place, paying the natives, etc., which Mr. Goodrich will meet, so far as can be done, with the clothes, etc.. of these and of Mr. D.'s other things, he will present a full statement. A true copy. RICHARD CHARLTON. COPY OF A LETTER FROM MR. CHARLTON TO JAMES BANDINEL,, ESQ. (Inclosing the above.) WOAHOO, August 6th, 1834. MY DEAR SIR : It has devolved on me to inform you of the mel- ancholy death of our friend, poor Douglas. On his arrival at this island from the Columbia River, he took the first opportunity of visit- ing Hawaii, where he remained for some time, with great satisfaction to himself and usefulness to the public. After his return to this island, he suffered much from rheumatism, but on the 3rd ultimo, finding himself quite recovered, he re-embarked for Hawaii. On the 19th ult. I received the accompanying letter from Messrs. Diell and Goodrich, two gentlemen belonging to the Mission: from it you will learn the particulars relative to his melancholy fate. On the 3rd in- stant, the body. was brought here in an American vessel. I imme- diately had it examined by the medical gentlemen, who gave it as their opinion that the several wounds were inflicted by the bullock. I assure you that I scarcely ever received such a shock in my life. On opening the coffin, the features of our poor friend were easily traced, but mangled in a shocking manner, and in a most offensive state. The next day, I had his remains deposited in their last resting place; the funeral was attended by Captain Seymour and several of the officers of his Majesty's ship Challenger, and the whole of the foreign residents. I have caused his grave to be built over with brick, and perhaps his friends may send a stone to be placed*(with an inscription) upon it. As I am about to embark in the Challenger to- morrow for Otaheite, I have left all his effects in the hands of my friend, Mr. Rooke, with a request to sell his clothing, and forward his collections, books, papers, and instruments to the Secretary of the Horticultural Society. One of his chronometers, reflecting circle, and dipping needle, are on board the Challenger, in charge of Capt. ​JOURNAL AND LETTERS OF DAVID DOUGLAS. 449 Seymour. As I do not know the address of the friends of Mr. Douglas, I shall feel very much obliged to you to forward the copy of Messrs. Goodrich 's and Diell's letter to them. I remain, my dear sir, yours, etc. (Signed) RICHARD CHARLTON. The little dog safely reached this country, and was given, we believe, to Mr. Bandinel. There have come also a box of birds ; and besides the Californian collection already mentioned, several seeds and roots, a small herbarium, chiefly formed, it would appear, in New Caledonia, and another from the Sandwich Islands, consisting of not more than three hundred species. These it is our inten- tion to publish with all convenient speed. A subscription is now in progress for the purpose of erecting a monument to his memory in his native place; and we are sure that his name and his virtues will long live in the recollection of his friends. W. J. H.