The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-01-01
rPor the Eva nsviIle Journal.

How much is there going on in the world,
and that of such an astounding nature, as one
would suppose most fearfuIly engage our at
tention to Which the mass seem to pay little
or no regard. Volcanic agency, whenever
thought OF, associated with the existence of
four or FIVE crat"rs, which occasionally
break out, and are sometimes destructive,
in their immediate yneighborhood, and. con-
graduating ourselves, in not living within
their reach, dismiss the subject; but there
are hidden, and potent agencies, beneath
and around us, which, for aught we know,
may at any unwarned moment, open up to us
a scene of horror. and desolation, which
might defy mans power to depict. An ex.
hibiton of this nature, took place on the
island of Owyhee, Nov. 5. 1888. We were
laying in Byron's Bay, small but beautiful
harbor, in the Sandwich Group, which having
but a narrow entrance, is widencd on the
inside, into basin Of quiet water, capable
of containing about twenty sail of ships
From Mouna Rua, in the back ground, down
to the shore of this harbor, the hills form
graceful declension, and perhaps it would
be difficult to find, a more prettily arranged
village, than that Of Wairrea, which lays on
the shores of this bay. Mouna Rua, 5000
feet from the level-and before the falling
towards ofits apex much higher, rarely shows
much perturbation, and SO quiet was every
thing about it, on the evening OF which
speak, that a party from ship were
sleeping in security on the verge Of the
crater, and on the following day, descended
and traversed its interior. II was evening,
AM the last lights of the sleeping village
had disappeared, when the watch on deck,
on looking over the side, thought the vessel
was dragging her anchor. Heaving the
lead, as he supposed, corroborated his suppo-
sition. We were in forty fathoms water,
but had anchored in twenty-five fathoms.
The hands turned up, paid out chain, and let
60 another anchor, but by this time discov-
cred, by the relative position of the land,
that we had not dragged, but that the water
was passing Us towards the ocean, and on
looking seaward we now saw one long,
heaving sea, about ten or twelve feet in
height, and taking up the entire width of the
bay, rolling towards US, and with scarcely
time to lace on our matches. This body OF
water, rolling over our poop, we were, for some
moments, partly under water. The watery
mountain passed on, ashore, aud in abou,
tenminuses its strength apparently exhau ted
emerged into the Bay, repassing our ship
and out into the ocean. a second monster
Wave, and third of less size followed the
course of the first, at intervals of about
twenty minutes, all was now dark, but the
cries of agony, and distress reaches our ears
from all=parssof the bay and we were con.
scious that human beings were floating
past the ship. We lowered three boats but
were unable to use oars, as the bay was one
mass Of wreck, cocoanut trees, canoes, roafs
and portions of houses, cattle. sheep, hogs
and human beings were by the recedina
torrent. being borne out with crashing con.
fusion, into the broad Pacific. We saved
3l6 persons, about 100 being lost. The con
vulsive cries, of those poor beings, as we
rescued them that night, never can be for
gotten.
When the veil Of darkness was lifted By
the bright hands of morning, the nights de-
> solating havoc was indeed painfully evident
: to the poor bereaved Indians even to ou
own crew, it was sad change, and never
: till that hour, had seen serious ships com
Pany. But yesterday, we had in simple beau
ty, an Owyheia village, with its fields, ant
gardens, brilliant from industry, but of th
fair view every mark, and vestige, had beer
swept. by the relentless tide, and in its stea,
was left pile Of black mud, thrown up from
the recesses of the bay, and the fair produc,
of the fields. lay PROSTATE, and sodden BY
. the flood, which on receding, had left benin,
. its weed, and slime, and covered the sol
q with its fish, which now lay dead, and stiffen
= ing in the mre. And where were happ,
o and simple hearted inhabitants, the children
who but yesterday were at school the youn.
girls who were weaving rails (wreaths) frou
e the feathers of the paddy-bird /! the youn.
'f men, who were following their canoes, an,
e the old who were repairing sails, and nets
y some buried in the bowels of the bay-som
n thrown on sand reefs, outside their owl
bright harbor, were noticed only, by the car
rion eagle, as he whirled round the island
looking for prey. How many were Their
IS who by this time, had been food for the mon
o, sters of the deep. To many we had savet
he the giftof life seemed hardly worth taking, s
= completely had their hopes, and hearts, bee