Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-02
THE LAKE OF FIRE.

The following description of lake Of ere,
In the crater Of volcano Of the Sandwich
Islands, will be read with interest:
But the whole had not yet been seen. Not
navlng been able TO reach the lake from be-
low, We resolved to approach and look upon
1t from above. In the face of a cold driving
ram storm, Mr.. Hussey, my very agreeable
.Ia'eIng companion, the guide and myself set
ou' On ioot Tor walk of five miles to the de-
sired point The whole body of the crater
was luu oi steam and smoke, and doubts were
eApresseo whether We could get a view of the
.h;r out on we went, trusting for better
'hin IN which We were not disappointed.
" Before reaching the bank of the above
lake, and while it was hid from vie. we couId
dlstlnctly hear the sound of its splasbing
waves, SO like, and yet so unlike the breskinS
OF the surf upon the oceans shore There
was mlngiing of the sound of rushing wa
ters with its own head, heavy, Kissing one.
A moment more and We stood upon the brow
OF perpendicular wall Of a thousand feet.
and directly above the lake, and there we sat
ourselves silently upon the rocks to look down
upon 1t 1t differed from all we had seen be-
fore. The lurid light of the previous night
was gone, and the beautiful pictures which
helped to make up that scene were absent
but In their stead were others more appalling
and full of terrors. Here in close proximity
and plain sight was a lake burning with fire.
may be unquenchable, and it required only
the walls Of the tOrmented to complete the
dread description of hell.
The lake was in size some half a mile in
diameter, and one and a half in circumfer-
ence-nearly round its surface was raging
with great violence, and was, when unbrokep,
oiack or dark, but when agitated violently,
as the centre was continually, its color was
blood red. Every few moments the lava
would be thrown up at least fifty feet in iets
and then, as If lashed into fury, great waves
would chase each other, boiling and foaming
red with heat, if not with anger. Strange
sounds saluted tho ear, as well as strange
sights the eye. Occasionally loud reports
were heard. Then the peculiar sound OF es-
Gaping steam, as if a thousand boilers were
blowing of their pent up steam at once. and
the dead, heavy sound Of the disturbed lava
was continuous. Altogether, it was the most
startling scene ever witnessed.
Just beyond the burning lake was the great
cone, now black as night, from which the in
tensely brilliant light had shone the night
before. Fit chimney, indeed, for the fire be-
meath Its proportions were gigantic, its ca
pacity immense, and it was belching forth at
intervals vast volumes Of smoke aud steam
making up grand but an awful picture, i'm
possible to describe, but never to be forgotten
On our return from the view of the lake
We passed the sulphur banks. They are To-
Gated about quarter Of a mile from the up
per bank of the crater, on a slightly depressed
plain or valley. They are less than half y
mile IN length, and are full Of holes, through
which hot steam is issuing, and about which
beautiful crystals Of sulphur are hanging. In
securing some specimens / burnt my fingers
IN the steam. The natives call tiis baak Of
sulphur Pele's DunghilI"