The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-02-17

their courses, while the spoutng of the lava from
the crater became more and more distinct. The
reflection OF the numerous fiery streams rolling
rapidly down the side of the mountain and across
the plain lit up the overhangng clouds, making
1t as bright as moonlight for many miles around.
As night advanced, and every little stream and
light became more and more dstinct the scene
was grand. i''
This new crater. for which we can find no native
name except :. Pee hou,'' (the new eruption } is
located on the northern slope of Mauna Loa, at an
elevation of, say $500 feet above the sea, and
equal distance from the summit of the mountain.
1t is some ten more miles westward and about
1000 feet lower down than the last eruption of
1855, known that of Mokuaweoweo. The
course of the stream, from it's source to the sea,
we judge to be nearly N. w. by N. The crater
bears due east from Kalua by the compass, and
is about "a miles from that harbor in straight
line. It's latitude as near as we are able to de-
termine without instruments, is l90 81; long.
1852 4V. By referring to a map or chart, its
position on the island can readily be noted Our
figures, we wish it understood. are only estimates,
and accurate observations may prove that we are
in error in some of them.
be determined by visiting its immediate vicinity,
which we were not prepared to do. From the
distance at which we observed it, about ten miles,
and from various points of observation, it appeared
to be circular, its width being about equal to its
breadth, and perhaps 800 feet across the mouth.
This may be too moderate estimate, and it may
prove to be 500 or even 800 feet across it. The
rim of the crater is surrounded or made up of
cones formed from the stones and scoria thrown
out, these cones constantly varying in extent,now
growing in size and again all tumbling down.
The lava does not simply run out from the side
of the crater like water from the side OF bowl,
but is thrown up in continuous columns, very
much like the Geyser springs, as represented in
school Biographies. AT times this spouting ap-
peared to be feeble rising but little above the rim
of the CRATER but generally, if eager to escape
from the pent-up bowels of the earth, it rose to a
height nearly equal to the base of the crater.
But the columns and masses of lava thrown out
were ever varying in form and height. Some
times, when very active, spire or cone of lava
would shoot up like a rocket or in the form of a
huge pyramid to height nearly double the base
of the crater IF the mouth of the crater is five
hundred feet across, the perpendicular column
must be eight hundred to one thousand feet In
height, Then, by watching it with spygass,
the columns could be seen to diverge and fall in
all manner of shapes, like beautiful fountain
The following outlines of the appearance of
the crater at various times, may help the reader
to form an idea Of it.. For the benefit OF our 70
lynesian critics, as we'll as for Others who do not
know it, we will add that, in the absence OF an
eneraver, the diagrams are merely scratched out
on the back of wood letter, and are not what
we wish they ware.