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

H06lO00Ce OF inc IOy01 18AuAAy 0T4-EIr&
ing interest attracts the attention of the stranger.
1t boasts two churches-one Protestant ana sne
other Catholic-both of about the same size and
of somewhat similar construction as regards the
exterior. The whole population OF the village,
however, we Judge insufficient to 6i even one OF
them. The old Governor Adams house, which
has stood here for many years almost deserted
snow being reftted at the expense of His Majesty;
and its tall unsightly chimneys, which were per-
haps the most prominent objects of notice IN the
place, have been torn down. The repairs are
nearly completed. and the premises begin to re-
sumo the air of comfort they had under their
former proprietor, and viii be q worthy stopping
place for their Majesties in their annual summer
visits to the home of their royal sires.
At night, the bright reflection of the lava
stream on the over hanging clouds. was all that
could be seen of the eruption. Kailua, and indeed
all the Kona district, lies on the slope of Mt.
Hualalai, Mauna Loa being located beyond it.
Owing to this fact, no eruption on Mauna Loa
can ever affect this district. An eruption of
Hualalai on the Kona side-a very improbable
events all that can injure this fertile tract.
Rising early in the morning, we found a large
number of horses brought in for our use, nearly
double the number actually wanted yet, notwith-
standing this, the lowest figure at which natives
would let them was FIVE dollars for each horse
and one dollar a day besides, the latter being de-
manded as q manuoahi-the whole expense for
a horse alone amounting to eight or ten dollars,
according to the number of days absent.
The route from Kailua to the lava flow is by
the old Aupuni or Judd road, which leads directly
to it. Those who have passed over the plain of
Mauna Loa will remember "Umi's temple"
The lava stream runs but a short distance beyond
or to the north of this ancient monument. This
road is a very good one, though generally not
much travelled, the Gov. Adams road being pre-
ferred. 1t crosses a ridge on the mountain, and
in doing SO passes through four or five miles of
dense forest, which has been allowed to overgrow
the road and in some places to block it up COM
pletely, making a short detour necessary. The
ride from Kailua to the camping ground occu-
pied but five and a half hours.
On emerging from the woods, and entering
the plain, the first view of Mauna Kea is one
of striking beauty, which cannot fail to arrest the
eye of the traveller. At the moment it first APP
peared to us, on emerging from the forest, 1t was
perfectly cloudless, it's bold outline towering
against the sky with its summit beautifully cap
ped with eternal snow. Mauna Loa, too, doomed
up at the right, in all its majesty, its peculiar
and smooth outline strongly contrasting with the
sicrraed top of Mauna Kea. Would that we had
an artist to do justice to some of our native
scenery, than which, more beautiful or grand is
not found in any country. The eye delights to
rest upon these noble mountains, rising nearly
IA. 200 feet in height above the sea, with their
SUBMITS covered with vast fields of snow. To the
eye at the long distance it lies from us, Mauna
Loa's surface looks as even as a plank road,
and it seems as if it would be fine sport to take a
sled and coast down its snowy sides. But a closer
view reveals vast chasms and ridges.
A ride of a couple of hours from the woods
over the government road, brought us to the
usual ca-mping-ground, where we found a number
of tents pitched and occupied by natives and
foreigners, and among the latter Messrs. Chas.
Hall and VIM. johnson, old residents of that
island. Awaiting ourselves of the eligible spot
before us, we selected a sheltered ravine near by
Johnson's camp for pitching our tent, deeming
ourselves fortunate in finding as neighbors those
who had lived nearly thirty years in this district,
and who were identified with its history, and
able to give us the fullest information desired on
every subject of local interest. Our camp received
the somewhat ironical name of Z" Sleepy-hollow
camp, from the Itct nat SOmc VI ut company
obtained scarcely an hours sleep during the stay.
Just back of it was a fine eminence called /" Pros
pect Hill, - from which II view Of the whole plain
around was obtained. Here our tent was erected,
Us well as a 8. sylvan bower,'' and our camp fires
lighted, which did not cease to burn night and
day during our stay.
[Our account of the eruption and of the lava
flow will be found on the first page, as issued in
our extra edition on Saturday last.
We visited the lava stream four or five times,
both in the day and night. In the daytime,
however, it appeared robbed of its peculiar beau
ty. Owing to the intense heat it could not be
approached safely within a hundred feet, yet
some of our party anxious to Guido the rest,
ventured to the stream itself and with long sticks,
raked out small specimens of red-hot lava stones
which they brought away as mementoes. This
stream is made up for the most part of the dross
of the lava, which as it becomes cooled crumblcs
into stones aud rocks and is thus piled up to a
height of twenty or twenty-five feet, and carried
along by the more liquid lava below it. This
dross lava is of a dark reddish color and almost
as heavy as iron, while the purer lava is black
and more porous. The latter forms the best
specimens.
About three o'clock, A. NJ, we started to
visit the new stream which had been rushing
down during the night, and was glowing with
intense heat. 1t moved slowly over the plain
near our camp. On reaching it, we would stand
by a small tree 100 feet distant, and as it al
vanccd, retreat before it. In fifteen minutes the
tree was reached, burned, and the spot where we
stood covered by the irresistible stream. Once,
while standing on a rock with several Others,
perhaps 200 feet from the stream, a loud ring
ing noise was heard as if the rock had been
struck by an immense sledge hammer. We
started, not knowing but Pele was under and
after us, but soon found our alarm groundless,