The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-12-15
Correspondence Pac. Commercial Advertiser-I
A Meteor ON Hawaii---The Kau District.

NORTH KoNA, Hawaii, Nov. 80, 1859.
DEAR SIR In your paper of the 18th instant, L
see it stated on the authority of Humboldt, that me-
teors make their periodic appearance each year on
the 18th to 18th, and 9th to the 18th of November.
You saw also that you have noticed nothing unusual
o the kind this year. Allow me to cell you what
saw on a tour on this island.
Monday, Nov. 14th, 1 visited the crater of kilauea,
and watched for two hours the fires of Pele, which in
a single lake of some 500 feet square perhaps, were
fearfully active. On reaching the house above on
the north side of Kilauea, | watched for a long time
the light of the burning lake, which seemed to be in
creasing. Just at dusk the fires kindled up, and
clowed exceedingly, so that some of our company ex-
pressed no small regret that we had not remained be-
low still longer, and witnessed the night scene. Soon
after this most of the company entered the house, 1t
being nearly dark, and all were weary with the toll
of ascending the pail. l kept my post a few minutes
longer with one of the company. Just as this indi-
yidual left me, and as l was turning to follow, l en-
countered a light of extraordinary brightness, and SO
near, seemingly, that l started back believing that
some one was passing out of the house with a lighted
candle in his hand, and so near as almost to thrust 1t
into my face. On finding that no one was coming
towards me, l looked upward and saw the cause OF
the light. 1t was a meteor, and so brilliant a one |
never saw. 1t seemed in shape like a cross or dag
ger, and its light exceeded that of a full moon,
called aloud to my companions in the house, but the
only one who saw it was the one who had reach
ed the door, and she had only n glimpse of it. Two
persons at Kau saw the shadow of it, and a third one,
n lady confined to her bed, asked if there was not
lightning. 1t was a little below the zenith when L
caught sight of it; its course was due south, and 1t
disappeared near the boiling caldron in Kilauea.
From the volcano my course lay through kau.
There l staid several days, but though Mr.. Shipman
was my guide, 1 saw no wheat fields which yielded 20
bushels per acre, nor the one-half of 10; nor did |
hear even of a bushel of this grain which would weigh
20 pounds. Indeed, l doubt whether such a bashel
weight of wheat in Is States, that the weight in
II States was GO pounds, in the other State it was 81.
South Kona is a delightful region of country, more
like a New England one than any | have seen at the
islands. Several of us rode 80 miles to kiholo to see
the river of lava as it poured into the ocean. The
road was tedious, but we were amply repaid as We
sat in a canoe in the night near the flow, and saw it
rushing down. in three streams, a ~precipice of some
25 feet, and pouring into the sea causing it to boil,
like a huge pot, heating the water at the distance Of
60 feet. and lighting the heavens with its abundant
steam. I found that every district on Hawaii is suf-
fering with drought. The blight also is destroying
fruit, especially, the coffee and the orange.
Yours, Sc, ANGUS.