Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-10-06
miscellaneous.
A TRIP TO MAUNA LOA.

a jetter from the Sandwich Islands, furnish
es that paper with an interesting account of
an ascent by an American of the great vol
cano of Mauna Loa, We make the follow
ing extracts
II GUIDES.
The traveller engaged as guides one Ma
miana, an old man, ~scyenty-onc years OF age,
with small, twinkling eyes and a wrinbledI
face, much resembling a "stewcd apple
lie is o good type of the earlier style Of
Hawaiians. In youth he was brought up in
all the denominations of heather worship, in
ripe manhood he saw the first faint streak of
civilization dawn upon his native land, and
in old age is a faithful member of the Chris
tian Church. Driven by the naughty chief
tains of former days into these almost mac
cessible wilds, in search of sandal wood, he
became familiar with the painless wilderness,
and is consequently an excellent guide. He
is a living epitome of facts and figures. He
can tell everything connected with the histo-
ry of his times. Although 50 old, he is bet
ter than any two modern Hawaiians for any
kind of labor. Paukeaho is a large, sleek
looking fellow, with more stomach than
brains-a truly Hawaiian Characteristic
Peahi is a tall, brawny, wiry-looking man,
who acts more than he talks-a rare virtue.
He is a smart bullock-catcher, and early in
ured to the hardships of mountain life.
The route passed across the eastern spur
of Mauna Loa and through a fearful tract
of rocky hill, once the scene of idolatrous
human sacrifice. Near this is agulch which
runs through the grove, called 'the bathing
place of God Water is only found here
during the rainy season, so that during all
the dry summer months the gods have, prob
ably, to forego the luxury of a bath.
ASCENDING A volcano.
Imagine yourself walking over immense
heaps Of broken glass bottles, loosely thrown
together, and all the chinks filled with fine
pieces of glass. AS you attempt to walk ov-
err them they give way in every direction.
The large pieces cut through your boots,
while the smaller particles enter and cut your
feet. This will give you al. idea of the diff
fculty of travelling over clinkers. Woe to.
the unlucky wight who happens to lose his
footing and fall upon these unfriendly, jag
ged points ! Every sharp edge cuts through
the skin like a knife.
PRAYER OF A SANDWICH ISLANDER.
During the trip the party camped out sew
eral nights. Namiana, the guide, was in the
habit Of conducting the family worship, al
though the shrieking blast seemed to drown
his feeble voice. He is a simple, devout
man, and prayed in the simplicity of his
heart. Never did a prayer seem to me more
truly eloquent than that of this poor Sand
witch Islander. We give below an almost
literal translation of part of it, as nearly as
we could get it {:
ooh, Jehovah We have come here from
Waumiea with this stranger from California,
who has hired us to accompany him until his
mind is satisfied with gazing upon the vol
cano. Our limbs are battered and bruised,
our heads ache, and our eyes are weak, on
account of the difficulties of the way. We
are hungry and thirsty, sick and faint. Do,
then, imp1rt strength to our limbs. We are
alone on these lofty heights, walled in by
darkness on every hand. Blackness brocds
over these i~nhospitable regions. But we are
under Thy protection. Thou reignest in the
wilderness, as we'll as in the inhabited places,
on the mountains as in the valleys. Watch
over US during this night &c.
E IN THE CRATER.
Taking a large stick in my hand with which
to test the security of the lava in doubtful look
ing places, | started off alone to explore the
crater. As l thought of the first streams
of destruction which had been poured down
the mountain side, and the vast quantities of
matter which had been disgorged from this
aperture, l pictured to myself a tremendous
opening, through which the very bowels Of
the earth could be seen. | expected to stand
upon the brink and witness the surging of
fiery waves. Imagine, then, my disappoint-
ment, when | arrived at the wished-for spot,
and beheld merely a mass of smoking ruins,
comprising perhaps an area of two or three
miles! Is it possible, thought /, that there
is no crater How insignificant the source
of those rivers of death which have flowed
over the country below | soon discovered
that there evidently had been a we'll defined
crater, but it was now filled up in some pla
ces, and in others merely arched over by
masses of matter, which having been elected
fell back again into it, and by the overflow
of liquifed matter which had cooled over
The truth of this theory was forced upor
my mind afterwards, in a manner which
tremble to recall. l went slowly and care
fully on; l knew | was treading OF
fearful ground. l was shut in by dense col
umns of smoke. The crust of the lava was
rent in every direction by the heat Of the
fires below. The dull, heavy s~ounds-mucl
like distant thunder-which | heard the pre-.
vious night, l now heard with startling near.
ness. Icould distinctly hear the rushing,
spluttering, and Kissing of the boiling, rag
ing cauldrons below. The mountain seemed
to be shaken to its very base by wonderful
agencies. The warm breath, sulphurous
ndor, and blue smoke, which each gaping
assure sent forth, told of the furnaces which
glowed beneath. On and on | went al
sense of danger being swallowed up in won,
der, In some places | climbed over loose
masses Of seoria and clinkers. At times thu