The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-12-08
Birth Of Volcanic Island.

moving, ana the GTcEcuet -all-. Wet tN the alter
noon and evening rains, hung heavily from IN,
wards or faUIed against the masts and rigging, a:
the ship rolled laZllv on the long leiden SwelIs al
the Pacific Ocean. y number of days had pass
cd without an observation Of the sun or stars,
and they had 70 run by dead reckoning, and
were not. therefore, sure OF their latitude OF
longitude. They might be nearer danger than
they thought. The captain had gone below at
eight bells, but feeling troubled about the por-
tentoEs appearance Of the weather. was unable
TO sleep, and wa on deck again, walking nerv-
OUsiy fore and ait, now looking on this sideand
then on the other side Of the quarterback, look
ing anXiOusiy out into the darkness, then ait,
then at the compass, and then ~ the barometer
which hung in the cabin gangway. Round and
round went the ship, needless Of her helm, and
the mercury told the same tale il had told for
hours before. In vain did the eyes OF anxious
men peer into the darkness only inky blackness
met their straining gaze everywhere. Thus mat
tiers stood till six bells, when the mercury began
70 fall suddenly The quick, jerking voice Of the
captain was then heard.
MIR. Smalley, you may take in the light
sails
"Ay, ay, sir - and stepping to the mainmast,
he called out, q For'ard, there; :" and was iIume-
diatcly answered. 'For'ard, sir, . Stand by the
toP-gallant and the f~yingjib halyards-"
In a moment he heard the report, Ready
sir
L 90 the halyards and clew down let 20
the sheets and ciew up thatll do, Delay all
" .JAbH auh VII Nuth4 bC lively Jus
While this was going on the captain took
another look at the barometer and found the
mercury still going down fast. Thoroughly
aroused now, he caught his speaking-trumpet
from the beckets and sung out, Hold on, there
down from alOft, every man of YOU; call all
hands. Down came the men again. "All
hands ahoy, was called with great strength of
voice at both the cabin and forecastle gangways,
and then followed one of those scenes which de-
fes such description as would make it Ineligible
TO a iandsman, but which any sailor readily I'M
dcrstaDds. The top-Salls were close reefed, a reef
taken in the mainsail, the iib, and fving-iib. and
all the light sails were furled, and the ship made
ready for the expected gale. But vet no breath
of air had been felt moving while an unnatural
stiffness and heayiness OF the atmosphere was
observed by all. Several of the seamen saw a
dim purple streak suddenly appear ut the right
ahead of the ship, and called out, a. Here il
comes. sir"
..WheIe?" said the captain.
Right ahead, sir
Hard 4 port your helm"
lizard a port it is, sir"
Brace round the yards"
SAY, ay, sir"
The yards were braced around and the ship
was got ready TO receive the expected blast ON the
larbord tack. That dreadful streak Of cloud
grew almost crimson; and there was heard what
they thought was the heavy roar of the coming
gale, and every man seemed to hold his breath
Awaiting the shock. Good men and courageous
sailors were on that ships deck, but they shrunk
from the terrible onslaught like frightened chill
dren. When God speaks in those fearful storms
His voice is awful to the ear, and many a strong
man has quailed before it. And the storm itself
is scarcely more trying to ones nerves than the
nom1nt before i b; ;tHrikes' while sen meRe saio-
deserves as ~oat;n. Fr9ai hc--a wait III
l-GDuIuI suspense.
Thus those men waited till tie minutes length
ened into hours, and the only change perceptlhle
was in the deepening color Of that lowering cloud
of crimson light. At length eight bells told that
four O'Clock had arrived. and daylight was looked
for as those men in the ship with Paul looked for
ii when they wished for day"
But the struggling light of the day seemed
only to reveal the thickness of the darkness to
the wondering vision. just at day light their
ears was stunned with successive, quick reports,
louder than whole broadsides from 4 hundred
gun ship; the whole heavens were lighted up
with Il fiery red light; the ocean WAS stirred from
her profound depths; great waves without any
visible cause, ran in the most awful commOtlon,
now striking together and throwing the white
foam and spray high in the air, then parting to
meet again i'll fearful embrace as before: a
school of sperm whales ran athwart the ships
bows, making every exertion to escape from the
strangely troubled water within Il few cable
lengths of the ship an immense column OF water
was thrown masthead high, and fell back again
with a roar like Niagara Il deep mournful noise
like the echo of thunder among the mountain
caverns, was constantly heard, and none could
tell whence it came; the noble ship was tossed
and shaken like a plaything. Great God. have
mercy upon us ~ cried officers and men.
=. W hat is this? What is coming next? Is it
the day of Judgement? p
The royal Psalmist described them accurately.
'. They reel to and fro, and stagger like n
drunken man. and are at their wits end" Soon
the mystry was solved, when right before their
eyes. about one league from them. there arose
the rough sides of a mountain out of the yielding
water and reared its high head in the air then
from its summit flames burst forth, and melted
lava ran like a river down the d~eclivIty, and fell
like a cascade of flame into the s~eething ocean.
1t was a birth-thrOe of nature, and an Island was
born which was miles in circumference.
Two years after that | sailed right over that
place but the placid water gave no intimatiOn
that an island had been there; yet no man has
said that he saw the death and burial of that
land whose birth | have thus chronicled. They
that 60 down TO the sea in ships, that do business
in the great waters; these see the works of the
Lord, and His wonders Ia the deep
New Zealand.