Polynesian., 1845-02-15
NEW SERIES, Vol. mo. 80.

herds of wild cattle. We now bent our
course south-south-west, over a beautiful
rolling country, sprinkled here and there
with clumps of low, spreading trees, which
looked like orchards in the distance. Our
way was along the upper skirts of the forest,
having Mauna Kea with its numerous peaks
and lateral craters on our right. AT evening
we came in full view of Mauna Loa, bearing
south by west from us. We pitched our
tent under an ancient crater, four hundred
feet high, now covered with trees and
grass.
Here we had a splendid view of the
great terminal crater on the summit of the
mountain, about twenty-five miles distant,
and also of the vast food of lava which had
flowed down the northern side of the noun
tain to the plains below, some part of which
lay burning at our feet, at the distance
of four or five miles. We were now seven
or eight thousand feet above the level Of the
sea; and we could see the dark clouds
gather, and the lightnings blaze below us,
while the deep-toned thunder rolled at our
feet. AT the same time, a storm of hail
spread along the shore and fell upon the
station at Hilo. This was the first hail seen
at our station since our arrival at the Islands.
At twilight, a smart shock of an earthquake,
which lasted thirty seconds, added to the
subllmity of the scene; while a blazing
comet hung over us in the vaulted sky. AS
darkness gathered around us, the lurid fires
of the volcano began to glow with fervid
heat, and to CLEAN upon us from the foot
of Mauna Kea, over all the plain between
the two mountains, and up the side of Mauna
Loa to its snow-crowned summit, exhibiting
the appearance Of vast and innumerable fur
naces, burning with intense vchemence, and
throwing out a terrible radiance in all direc-
tons. During the night we had thunder
and lightning; and in the morning both
mountains were beautifully mantled in snow.
DEVASTATION PRODUCED BY THE ERUPTION.
eft was now Thursday, and we left our
encampment and proceeded three or four
miles toward the new stream Of lava, and
again pitched our tent on the side of an old
crater, two hundred feet high and one mile in
circumference, and covered with trees and
shrubbery to its summit. 1t was surrounded
at its base, however, by a vast field of naked
scoria of the most jagged character, the de-
post of som former eruption which had
flowed around the little fertile hill, and left
it like an island in the ocean, or like an oasis
in tho desert. Leaving our natives to pre-
pare encampment and to collect fuel, water,
ETC., we set off for the nearest stream of ac-
tive lava, distant about two miles. Our road
was over sharp jagged lava, thrown up in
tumultuous confusion; but we soon made
our way to the molten stream, and thrusting
our stats into the viscid mass, took out and
cooled specimens which we carried home
with US. You will understand that we were
now on the great plain between Mauna Loa
and Mauna Kea, about 1000 feet above the
level of the sea. not having as yet COM
menced the direct ascent of the mountain.
On this plain, between the bases of the two
mountains, we spentt the day in traversing and
surveying the immense stream Of fresh scoria
and Stag, which lay smouldering in wild con-
fusion farther than the eye could reach
some cooled, some half cooled, and some
still in a state of igneous fusion. The scori-
form masses which formed the larger portion
Of the f~owings, lay piled in mounds and ex-
tended in high ridges of from thirty to sixty
feet elevation above the substratum on which
it rested, and forming a barrier so indescri-
badly Jagged and rough as to be nearly
impossible. 1t seemed as if this vast sea Of
earthly and rocky fusion had been suddenly
solidified, while in a state of the most tumui-
tuous action. Besides these high and broad
ridges of %scoria, there were parallel streams
of Stag, solidiied on the top, like ice on a
river. This was smooth, of ~lustrous black,
and in a vitrescent state, forming the SUI
p~erincumbent crust Of a deep molten river
which rolled beneath, and which BETRAYED
its burning course at innumerable cracks
and seams and blow-holes, in which the fiery
fluid was seen, or through which It was ex-