The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-07-21
Trip to the Volcano and Mauna kea.

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KoNA, july 9, 1859.
Mr.. EDITOR Having just returned from a trip
To Mauua Kea, it has occurred to me that in this dull
season of the year, a short account of our jaunt
/ might perhaps prove sufficiently interesting to find q
place in your Journal.
Our party consisted of six, on horseback, with
blankets and guns, followed by three natives with
pack bullocks, carrying a can-as tent and the pro-
visions and other necessary outfits for q ten days
absence from the haunts of civilization. We were
also provided with a c. *, in tEe person of a dapper
little Chinaman, who was by TO means an unneces-
sary part of the inventory. One of CIR party, whom
1 shall call sThe Mountain"-he being an old ranger
among the wilds of Hawaii and fond Of relating his
adventures-started early on Monday morning,
June p, for the lava flow, in order to ascertain
whether it was passable for animals, while the rest
were to follow on Thursday. arranging to meet him
Mt Waikapee, near the general camping ground Of
March last, where at one time not far from three
hundred persons watched the descending river Of
fire.
At 3 O'Clock on Tuesday morning, we were aroused
by SC The Captain and saddling up in the dark,
cold morning, we were well into the woods which
extend from the base of Hualalai before daylight. A
chill, damp fog surrounded US. but as the day
dawned it disappeared, and the approach of the god
Of day was hailed by a grand concert from thousands
OF feathered ~warblers, combined with the chirping of
myriad insects, and varied now and then by the
clarion voice of the wild cock. l have travelled
through forests in different parts of the world where
natures choristers "warbled their wood-notes wild,''
but I never before heard such a bewildering gush Of
melody as on that lovely morning went up in a hymn
of praise from the koa woods Of Kona. Our road,
which was a very decent one for Hawaii nei, lay for
an hour through a forest of koa trees, some of them
of large size, but mostly Of q young growth, thickly
interspersed with tall ohias and many kinds of trees
and Shrubs, the names Of which I cannot remember.
All along the side Of the road was a rank growth Of
Irish potatoes, their tall stalks indicating a very rich
soil, while every patch Of g~reensward was blushing
with wild strawberries. The potatoes have sprung
from seed ~''dropped by the wayside'' accidently, and
the Strawberries, though quite ripe and of a goodly
size had not the rich favor of the cultivated fruit.
Here we heard, some of us for the first time in many
years, the unmistakable "caw, caw'' of a crow, as
he sat perched on a tall ohia tree and eyed our party
with the same inquisitive cock of the head that we
langsyne and far away, among the corn
fields of New England. We felt inclined rather to
respect him for the recollections he stirred up.
just before emerging into the open plain we passed
q number of young sandal wood trees, with their
oval, bright-green leaves. standing amongst a young
growth of koa, while here and there were seen
the charred remains of huge trees lying scattered
about. In reply to our inquiries, 'tThe Captain"
said, a number of years ago, when sandal wood
was in great demand and the chiefs forced the people
to work like slaves in gathering it, here it grew very
abundantiy. The people at last rid themselves of the
burden by setting fire to the forest, which was mostly
consumed-sandal wood and all. These half burned
trunks were once stately koa trees. The old story of
the goose that lay the golden egg, thought. About
nine O'Clock, we got sight of the smoke rising through
the still air in a perpendicular column from the
crater, whence issued the late eruption of Mauna
Loa. Pele had apparently exhausted her materials,
or was resting herself. and the comparatively small
small supply of fire.
At noon, after a long ride over a sandy plain, bar
rem of everything but stunted ohelos, and past the old
heiau or heather temple called "Ke .Ahu q Umi,'
we came to Waikapee, where we halted and lunched.
A long ride through the mountain air had s~barpened
our appetites, and the hot coffee and solid food dis
appeared at a rate and in quantities that would have
dismayed a clearinghouse keeper. What n piquant
sauce is real hunger! Here we found our old friend
and pioneer, "The Mountain who had paid a visit
to the flow and pronounced it quite passable. After
resting our animals an hour. we started again and
soon came up with the late flow or rather flows, for
there have been two. Those who visited the eruption
in March represent the stream at this point to have
been composed entirely of aa or clinkers. We found
the entire surface of the united stream,-say three
miles wide,-composed of a blush, shining pahoehoe,
which had oozed out and quite covered I'D the
and which had run into and cooled in every
shape. We found no difficulty in getting
along with our animals, travelling up and down the
hills and valleys, with the exception of
here and there a great crack in the surface, caused
by the cooling of the mass, and which forced us to 90
round it The rock was however quite cool until we
about a half a mile from the edge, when we came
upon a streak OF about a hundred yards in extent,
our path lay over and amongst holes and
assures innumerable, from which issued steam and
gas. It was evident to all that we were walking over
) subterranean stream of fire, rushing along on its
way to the sea, and we knew not at what moment it
night receive a fresh impetus from its mountain
'ource, and, bursting the frail shell on which we
afely passed this valley of the Shadow of Death"
VEL at least can answer for one-drew a long
'reath of relief. In fact. as one of our party-..The
Sheriff, remarked sit was mighty skeerv kind
travelling; and it wouldn't have required an un-
amount of coaxing to have induced him to
top and turn about when we got 70 that confounded-
y hot streak" Halt a mile further on we came to a
'lace where a section of one of the underground tun-
had fallen in, exposing to ourswondering gaze
ne liquid rock over which we were travelling. Some
ritter on metaphysics has said that a certain degree
{ fear is one of the essential ingredients which 90 to
make up the feeling of sublimity. Such being the
it follows that our party was duly impressed )
nth the sublime nature of the yawning, fiery, white
OF abyss before us, for all kept at a most respectful Z
istance. Familiarity, in this case, would have failed
, breed contempt While gazing into this "horrible
l was 0rcibly reminded of the fiery furnace of
'hich we read in Sacred Writ. that was heated I,
times hotter than it was WON'T for the recep- I
on of the three children Of Israel. Our artist,-or Y
. bad . good one in .sPanl Phiz"-tooka sketch .
Exhe scene. and We passed on. We crossed the 6ow
: northeast direction instead Of going straight >