The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-03-10

~ - ~ 80 5Senenfs of lava vh;cb
- toNe ont IN = tiquid state. The upper cone
smsd Grader. enckding tuo red-hot vent holes
- 1amoeess ssvessA - msdiamefer. from which it
- emitting steam and sulphurous gas, and now and
IN showers light ppmioe. The sn6ocating gases
rgndusd Il Impossible to approach il except on the
Uindward side. The lower crater, from which the
CREST il haabesn playing two days before, was some
.haf l:sser. and : great gap was left open on the
Bowed down the slope.
We found . third crater, above the two we have
mentioned. which was still smoking. and in fact we
could trace . line Of fresh lava and scoria cones two
or three miles farther mp the mountain. The larger
cones were in the center Of n still smoking stream, a
mile wide, which must have flowed from a source
considerably higher up.
It was a subject Of regret to the party that they did
not have a barometer to measure the elevation OF the
source, but, taking all things into account, we think
il cannot be less than 5000 feet, and Is probably
nearer 10, 700 feet above ihe sea- The elevation Of
the ssheiau of UNI" is given by Wilkes at 5000 feet,
and We think the source of the eruption Is certainly
5000 or 1000 feet higher.
We slept on the warm lava that night, and early
next morning revisited the lower crater, and followed
the central flow for half a mile, passing two or three
small cones, till we reached the present outlet, to
which the stream evidently has found its way from
the crater by n subterranean channel. 1t was IN ap-
pearance o pool of blood, a few rods in width, boiling
up like o spring, and spouting up thick, clotted
masses to the height Of ten or twenty feet One Of
our party approached near enough to run his pole
into IT, On the lower side 1t poured in n cataract Of
molten metal at q white heat, down q descent Of
about fifty feet, with q roar like that of heavy surf
A strong south wind was blowing, which enabled us,
by boiling our hats before our faces, to get within a
few feet of the brink. The lava appeared almost as
6uid rs water, and ran with n velocity which the eye
could scarcely follow. The solid fragments which
now and then fell in disappeared almost instantly.
For several miles the fiery river was q continuous
series Of rapids and catarscts. At length we reluc-
family returned to our camp, n distance of two or
three miles across the fresh lava, which in several
places was hot enough to burn our sandals
After taking our breakfast, and starting our ma
tives over the old "pahoehoe'' along the south bank
Of the stream, We returned TO the great cataract
The action had greatly increased during the last three
hours; the pool had become q fountain, playing to
the height Of 30 fee rnd the falling pieces were fast
forming q crater around il, the rim OF which was al
ready 10 feet high. but open on the lower side to AT
ford sn outlet for the torrent Two smaller jets were
playing above it, which will probably unite with it TO
form one crater. The upper one threw up light
pieces Of pumice to the height of 90 feet, and was
forming n very regular cone These small craters
are illustrated by n drawing on the previous page
IL Was fortunately a clear day ON the mountain,
and n strong wind was blowing from the southwest,
90 that we Travelled for three or four hours along the
very brink of the stream, without inconvenience. 1t
had worn for itself q deep, welldehned channel, so
that there was no danger Of any sudden change IN Its
course. The canal in which il ran varied from 20 to
so feet in width, and was 10 or Is feet deep But
the stream was in reality much wider than this, for
the banks On either side were undermined to q con-
siderable distance Often we met with openings IN
the crust, through which we could see the rushing
torrent q few feet or even inches below our feet
To describe the scene is impossible. No epIthets IN
the English language are adequate to the task FOR
the first time we saw actual rares and actual spray
Of liquid lava As its surges rolled back from the
enclosing walls of rock, they curled over and broke
like combers On the reef Its forms, however, were
holder and more picturesque than those OF running
water, on account of It's being a heavier and more
tenacious fluid.
There was besides, an endless variety in its forms.
Now We passed a cascade, then a whirlpool, then a
smooth, majestic river, then n series OF rapids, tossing
their waves like a stormy sea now rolling into lurld
csyerns, the roofs Of which were hung with red-hot
stalactites, and then under arches which 1t had
thrown over Itself in sportive triumph The safety
with which it could be approached was matter oil
establishment to Us all
Amer following it six or eight miles, we halted for
dinner on an island, about n quarter Of a mile from
the largest fall, and then proceeded down the stream
till 4 p. NJ As the descent became more gradual,
the torrent changed its color, first TO rose-color, then
to a dark, blood-red ; its surface began to gather a
greyish scum, and large drifting masses became ire
quent- 1t now began to separate into numerous
branches, and il become more unsafe to follow the
central stream, as changes were constantly taxing
place, and our retreat was liable to be cut off at any
moment. We therefore kept nearer the edge OF the
flow, and at length encamped on an island In the
woods. During the night the craters were very ac-
tive, and the whole plain seemed to be on hre below and
around Us
The party were called out by four o'clock the next
morning, and went up a short distance to observe u
new stream which was pouring down through the
woods to our camp. Ii was n shallow flow in n high
state Of fusion, and was forming smooth "pahoehoe
Its mode Of advance through the woods, girdling and
slowly CONSUMING the trees, the surface constantly
cooling over and breaking up by turns, was exactly
the same a. that observed ut Hilo, and needs no de-
scription. Here we were able 20 take out as many
specimens in q liquid state as we wished, to insert
coins into them, and if we had carried moulds with
us, we might have forced the liquid into almost any
required shape We spent the forenoon in following
the stream To the plain, partly crossing 1t in some
places to reach the scene OF a new overflow. We had
been particularly curious to see how clinkers are form
ed, and our curiosity WAS now grauhed- The differ
ence between ''pahoehoe' or smooth lava, and "aa"
or ciinkers, seems to be due more TO a difference In
their mode Of cooling than to any other cause The
streams which form the pahoehoe'' are COMPARE
lively shallow, in q state of complete fusion, and cool
suddenly in n mass. The 'aa' streams, on the other
hand, arr deep, sometimes moving along in a mass
% feet high, with solid walls they are less huid,
being full Of solid points, or centers OF cooling, as
they may be called. and advance very slowly. That
il, in cooling, the {" "A stream grains like sugar.
AT o distance it looks like an immense mass OF half
red-hot cinders and Stag from a foundry, rolling
along over and over itself. impelled by an irresistible
power from behind and beneath That power Is the
LIQUID stream, almost concealed by the pile oil en-
ders, which has been formed from itself in cooling.
We heard frequent explosions, caused by the lava
penetrating caves and blowing them up. The prin-
cipal stream Of running lava which>we saw on the
plain, was three OF four miles 5. f. of the extremity
Of the Judd Road, and was moving west by nort9
At this point we left the lava stream, and
descended to Units temple by n short cut, through
an open forest Of "pahoehoe." We reached the
heiau about three p. NJ, and arrived at Mr.. john
sons about eight o'clock the same evening The
other division Of our parry had already visited the
gov by way Of Gov. Adams road and had returned
We sailed again FROM eauhou the following Tuesday,
and Arrived in Honolulu Sunday morning