Worcester daily spy., 1860-12-20
lQlortestet Daily Spp,


The crater of the volcano Kilauea, in the
Sandwich Islands, is in vast pit in the midst
OF an immense plain, having only gradual
rise to the center. Within quarter of a mile
is the enhance to Il great cave, which NV
guides and myself explored. Suddenly we
came to high bank, and looking down we
beheld the lake of fire beneath us about rs
teet' This lake is something more than a
mile in circumference. There in full view
were real waves of liquid fire, of bright red
color, sputterng and spaShing like ocean
waves a little island of hard lava stands in
the middle OF the lake, against the black sides
OF which the waves of fire dashed with tremen-
dous fury, and breaking on its ragged C ifs,
they would cast their red spray high into the
ar. The sides of this lake are solid walls of
red fire, glowing with fearful intensity. We
were standing on the windward bank, while
strong cold wind was blowing down, yet the
heat was so intense that we could only look
moment at a time, and then turn away TO
catch the refreshing influence of the cooling
breeze. In addition to the hideous roaring
and kissing of the lake, we heard, at short in
tervals, sounds much resembling that of
steamer blowing off steam, only infinitely
louder, and omInOuS growing of pent up
forces struggling in subtewanean caverns at
which the very earth seemed to tremble Oc.
casionally large masses of the cooled lava on
the edge of the lake became detached, and
falling into the boiling caudron are Instantly
reduced to liquid state.
After a few minutes silence, disturbed only
by occasional kissing and murmuring, | was
startled by the awe.inspiring sound of escap.
ing steam. In an instant IL faint glimmering
OF red, like sheet Of lightning, shot out from
under the overhanging brink, where l was
standing, and ran across the lake. My eyes
followed these with amazement, as one after
another they cast up great quantities of a pure
vermillion colored liquid These were fol-
lowed by others i'll rapid succession,
one of which burst up near where
was standing Running back, l covered un-
der the upper banks, and witnessed the grand
est pyrotechnical display Of which it is possible
to form any conception. These six fountains
threw jets from thirty to fifty feet high. The
fountain, from the spray of which | so hastily
retreated, made large deposits of molten lava
on the banks where | had been standing, and
when it ceased l procured some very good
specimens. A short period of inactivity en-
sued, and then the waves of fire commenced
to roll and dash against the little island, as we
at first saw them Native tradition says that
this crater has been burning from time to time
immemOrial.
The most wonderful and mysterious phe-
nOmena we witnessed was on the second lav
VI OhA Nleit " luG CidlSIs II WAS NOON, ana
we were sitting on high bank at lunch |
had turned my face in the wind to avoid the
intense heat of the lake. l was startled by a
noise like the rushing togethe- of vast bodies
of water The natives j mped up instantly,
and raising an unearthly shout, Scampered off
in an opposite direction. Turning toward the
lake, beheld a scene which shall never
forget l, too, had TO run off some distance to
escape the great heat The whole surface of
the lake was in state of the widest commo.
ton. Wave clashed on wave, and all was
confusion Tremendous pillows of fire rolled
from every side of the lake to the center, and
meeting in fierce conflict around the island in
the center, broke with fury over its black
sides. Then, after receding again, they
rushed to the onset once more, with increased
force, and meeting together, shot up into the
air, perhaps one hundred teet-one vast, spiral
body of red liquid lava, which finally combed
oAer and fell in graceful spray back into The
lake again.