The Polynesian., 1840-08-08

lnCnCS III diameter, 10 make spring, and ~
the same time cawing into the soft earth bs
reached the summit with only burnt finger.
He then laid down upon his back, with h.
arms over his head, olinging to roots and
dangled his legs over the prccipice to ASST,
me. Following his steps, | hitched nv.
self up, and making grab at his toes wa,
soon iocd on to the bank. 1t was not until
we were in perfect safety, that we realized
the full extent of our danger, and our con.
summate folly in rushing into it, The slight.
est misstep, or want of presence of mind
would have hurried us to immediate death
and while we felt grateful for our escape, We
vowed another time, 'to look before we
leaped."
1t is a common remark that travellers Wis.
ting the volcano, even at short intervals
never see it under similar circumstances, and
consequently are apt to discredit previous
statements. "A moments reflection should
convince them that with such a mighty EN- i
CINE of nature, exercising in their highest
degree the combined powers of fire, heated
air and steam, and continually in action,
great changes are momently liable to occur,
and that they do, these very discrepancies
bear ample testimony. 1t would be an inter-
esting point gained in geological science, if
some observing man could reside in the
neighborhood and note the various changes
at the periods of their occurrence. Or n|
lieu of that we would recommend some one
at Hilo to keep journal, and request every
traveller to note in it, the state of the volcano
at his visit, and thus a valuable mass of n.|
formation could be collected
We have endcavored to present faithful
picture of it as it appeared at our visit, and
it evidently differs much from all proceeding
descriptions. Douglas makes the depth oil
the crater in 1884, one thousand one hun.
dred and fifty seven feet. At our visit ii
had filled up one half, and the black ledge
which had been gradually rising, was, in|
some places, within three hundred feet Of
the top, while former accounts state it at eight
hundred. A few years since, the basin was
much lii It's present state, like the inside of a
bowl. A foreigner who visited it week
only before the late eruption, described it as
like dome, there being a gradual ascent
from the sides to the centre; the lava having
overlooked the whole of the black ledge, the
limits of which could not be traced. The
whole surface was in violent action, thicky
'iuShtSu WIN luhtS, anu CIOWncu Win
putting cones, and forges, whose bases were
dashed by burning waves, and the whole ac.
companed with dreadful noises Had not
the liquid lava found a vent by pushing its
way through subterrancan galleries until it
met with a weak spot, which it's gravity soon
forced through, and running out until the
fiery mass in the crater subsidized to a level
with the outlet, it might have risen to the
top, and overlooking, destroyed all that por.
ton of the island. The immense lateral
pressure which must exist increasing as the
crater fills up, will probably prevent any
great and sudden disaster Of this kind, by
forcing an outlet toward the sea, as it did in
this instance. Though so much has drained
out, still an immense body remains in the
volcano, and it will probably soon commence
rising again. The second night of our stay
the fires were much more brilliant, and the
reports more frequent.
1t is a remarkable fact, that on all the
islands the general course of volcanic action
is south easterly, or rather the craters form
chain from the north west to south east
On Hawaii, Mauna Kca appears to have
been extinguished first, then Hualalai Mau-
ma l.oa has probably fire still beneath, though
it has gradually cooled down by forming a
series of lateral craters, extending from the
great one on its summit to KiIauea which is
now the great fountain head Kilauea is
pushing itself easterly, as the late eruption