The Polynesian., 1840-08-29

/
Goa nut, hala, and hau trees, afforded us
good accommodations for the night The
surf broke upon preciplce but Il few rods
distant, and near was a spring which flowing
into basin formed by the rocks forming an
excellent bathing place.
a mile to the east of us, at Nunawale, the
lava had entered the sea- and was throwing
up steam and smoke SO furiously, that it had
every appearance of new crater. Hasten
ing to it, we found it presented the same
appearance as above, except that it had over
flowed the old line of coast, and pushed it.
self fifteen hundred feet or more into the
sea- forming three bold promontorcs, or era
ter shaped bills, parallel to each other, and
few hundred feet apart. Between these
the lava flowed short distance beyond
These mills were formed of scorip, sand and
ashes, prccipitous towards the sea, and slop-
ing gradually inland. Fumes of steam were
issuing from their SUBMITS, which were from
| two hundred to three hundred feet high.
Towards the sea, their sides were still hot as
to form vapor at every wash Of the waves.
Between them, the sui phurous gasses were so,
powerful as to occasion immediate nausea
and giddiness on approaching them, unless
to the windward. In few places the old
rock, whitcned and split by heat, appeared
through the new, and in one place solitary
Pandanus, scorched and burnt, still stood
upright, overlooking the scene Of desolation
around. Two beaches of volcanic sand,
forming excellent landing places, were
thrown up, where previously there was moth
ing but the bold rock. The longer is. on the
north of the hills, and about one hundred
yards in length; the other lies at the farther
extremity of the lava, and is but a few rods
long Neither will probably be permanent.
The width of the stream here, is not far from
two thousand feet
From the loftiest of the hills, an excellent
view of the course of the stream can be OBJ
tanned. Its widenings, and windings can be
traced inland for great distance. At sun
set, with its dark surface, and broad descend
ing stream, covered with wood and smoke,
and broken or turned aside at times, leaving
small spots of land untouched and overgrown
with now lleless trees, it forcbly recalled to
my mind the Mississippi at its rising in spring.
1t looked like a vast river, rapidly moving
toward s its mouth, bearing on its bosom the
wrecks Of vegetation, while the smoke was
not at all dissimilar to fog. As the sun went
down it threw dim glare over the whole,
which added much to the effect. Night sur
prised us while still engaged amid the thou
sand and one" wonders around, and CON-
PEELED us to hasten to our lodging place.
But not until we had secured specimens of
all the varieties Of lava, which however did
not differ from those we had observed every
where else on the stream. The tints and
forms Of some of the salts encrustng the hol-
lows Of the rocks, were exceedingly minute
and beautiful, closely resembling the flowers
OF some of the most delicate species Of moss
cs. 1t was impossible to preserve them, for
upon exposure to the air, they dissolved like
snow, leaving yellow, red or green precipi-
tate behind. Being unacquainted with this
branch OF science, the most we could do was
to preserve the debris, for the benefit of those
who might wish to analize it hereafter.
/ The nrecedinp descyiptior ranrosen.- Al