The Polynesian., 1840-08-08

low moan, rising at times to howl, as 1t
rushed rapidly past. 1t was dismal scene,
and what with rain and cold, we passed an
uncomfortable night. The morning of the
fifth broke as the previous evening had COM
menced, but the sun soon dispTled much
of the mist, and left us pleasant day for
our researches. Thermometer $50.
The plain on the north, is much split up
by assures, from which steam continually
issues, hot enough to cook meat or vegeta-
bles. I'm a few places it condenses and forms
excellent drinking water. -Four species of
very palatable berries grew here abundanty,
commonly called "huchlc berries, >" though
they have but little resemblance in flavor
and none in color to that fruit. To the north
east of this plain, we find sulphur banks sew
eral hundred yards in extent, and about
twenty feet high The gases were not pow
jerlul, and by digging into the earth, which
was hot, soft and greasy, we obtained some
beautiful specimens of sui hur in all its diff
erent forms, the best of which, however soon
lost their beauty by exposure to the air
The eiilorescenccs ut the mouth Of the crew.
ces were exceedingly delicate and beautiful
These banks appear to be volcanic rock, de-
composed by sui phugic acids, for it is to be
seen in all its stages from the hard rock to
the soft paste. An hours steamimg here dis
sipated all the pain and soreness which we
felt from our exposure to the weather.
We estimated the circumference Of the
whole crater at five miles, the western side of
which was the highest; but in no place did
the depth to the black ledge exceed five
hundred feet 1t is more oval than circular,
its greatest breadth being from NJ E. to S. W.
and is APPLY termed by the natives, Lua Pelc,
| (pele's pit, for it is nothing but an immense
hole, which the fire has eaten in the ground
Count Strzeleclii makes the N. NJ E. cliff
four thousand one hundred and one feet
above the level Of the sea Douglas three
thousand eight hundred and seventy four
In descending to the black ledge, at the
Y. E. extremity, the path winds round an old
crater, small and steep on all sides; its bot
tom Is covered with masses of large rocks
shaken down by earthquakes, and large
trees are also growing in it, indicating a
long repose.
| Following this path, we soon arrived on
the ledge, which appeared like field of ice
breaking up in the spring. 1t varied from
five hundred to two thousand feet in width,
and then abruptly terminated in craggy and
over hanging precipices, which had split and
burst in every direction from the action of
the fire beneath. The main body of the era
ter had settled down from the black ledge in
some places gradually, until its own weight
burst itself violently from the edge, leaving
gaping chasms, the sides of which were in
tensciy heated;- at others, it appeared to
have sunk simultaneously, tearing away and
undermining the ledge, and leaving preci-
piccs of two hundred feet in height. The
greatest depth was about two hundred and
fifty feet. The lakes, cones and forges re-
manned, but were emptied of lava and quiet,
emitting nothing but smoke, excepting Il lake
at the S. w. extremity, ofwhich bend in the
ledge hid from our view, all but the rising
flames Evidently short time before, the
ledge had been overflowcd as the lava was
piled in masses twenty feet high or more, on
its outer edge, gradually decreasing in height
as it rolled in immense waves from it; and
without doubt, the whole mass had been
raised, as we could now stand on the ledge
and pluck ferns from the bank. We walked
around the crater on the black ledge, en-
deavoring to find a place where it would be
practicable to descend, but the banks were
every where too much broken up to admit
of it. independently of that, they were so
heated, that the brink could only be APP
preached in a few places, and these only at
great risk. 1t was cracked into great chasms,
from q few feet fO q rod in width of wh;ob