The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-11-30

however, J. but eliying current. There Is no
outlet subterranean, or otherwise. The greatest
heat j. from beusath. in the southern section Of
each pit, which causes the liquid lava o. dow
Dorthward, where it i plunged below. and the
How - beneath aud back % the 6ery vortex.
whence iL rJ-r.
We went acrUss an old lava low and between
two ba-altic islets 10 the eastern vent, which Is
the rial PhiesrthOn Of the deep Iladcs. Th. old
lava hoW was vascular. brUkcn into E-~arr= deep
and wide, AMI was dcc0mI.-ej enough 9, give
growth % -Omc ferns and Ohcl1 bushes in the
crvvicr--a strange plac, for the existence Of any
Kind Of organic life in such unszlrthly and sui
phurOus atmosphere. In Connection with this.
We will remark that \. r. Judd. Esq. and our
self procured two beautiful young sandal wood
eane-. growing within = break in the deep cill-n
The eastern vent Eats, in eommon IarlaBcc.
was much larger than the one frst visited. i an
Irregular parslelosram IN it, outline and i Ion
situdiral from northwest 10 southeast IaTaIlel 30
the general axis of yolesgic action. The current
Of the lava f1N sets % the northward at the rate
Of twO OF three knots an hour but il i n mere
surface foW. and the apidity Of its motion only
serves % use1surc the yiplcncc Of the isueDus
tion at the southern end Of the lake. We watch
Ell u some time and were convinced that the
recent tow Of lava IN the ehasm, was formed BY
it, action that it intermittent and would
again break forth. Large quantities Of beautiful
capillary gia-- Pelcs hair. clinsing to the
leeward rim Of the vent II Wa fine and silky as
the iaiF hair Of the Tcutonic race. All the lakes
of the great PIC Of KilaHea have the same gene
raj action and the same hOw OF current to the
uf4rr = 20. 20.
describe this great Phenomenon. Il must be seen
To be aPPrecia'ed- No word Picturing ade-
quately convey idea Of it, or the awful gran
deur which surrounds it.
The etlasm pit Of KiIauea il large, but in
feriOr 10 thOse Of Masaya, Amatitlan. san Saliva
dor and Ati;lan. in Central America, and others
have witnez=.-- Volcanic action has long ceased
in these and they have become converted into lakes
of water, n will be the case Of Kilauea when
volcanic action shall have ceased in it. This may
be long ages hence tt present fiery action gives
it interest.
The phenomena around Kilauea are worthy of
scientific Investigation The mineral products in
the vicinity should be analyzed. They will be
found valuable and contribute to the commercial
resources Of the Islands.
In gazing on the fiery liquid mass in its con-
stant fDw in the eastern lake, or vent, We i'm
agined 1t miniature Of the grand ineandescent
mass Of the =un- \ sphere of liquid FIRE boiling
and surging IN the long process Of formation-of
the cooling, contraction and solidifcation of it,
mas, the sun i passing through the same phases
that al cur planetary bodies have undergone Or
are now undergoing A. watched the fiery
flow before and the occasional cooling Of the
surface that dark-red incru-tatiOns were form
ed, which would break and shelye a. the progress
of the f0w was arrested BY the northern wall,
ike ies--heets IN n current, until they would pre-
sent dark, drift-like i-let=, with the fames lap
ping around them. We could not but think the
spots IN the sun were of the =ame nature and
probably produced by tie same cause. That the
heat OF the sUn - growing les and it, size con-
tracing it becomes sOlidifcd there i NJ doubt
What the effect will he eventually on the planet
ary system, i obvious When its mas shall be
- far cooled that water will form upon it, sur
face and land appear like that during the earth'-
first geological period, the planets viii be neither
iIlGminesi By IT, light, will life spring forth
under IT, genial beat. But the present genera
tion nee'I not -hivsr at the prospect. \ thousand
age Of man = but drop in the great ocean Of
eternity. It leaye- NJ bubble where IL fall, and
j. bet IN the vast tide.
The blazing aby-s and the -ulpiurDu- yapor-,
made u poetic. and we drew forth our cta-ooal
and -<etehei the following rough sketch Of
kiIaHea.
Deep Ha,les Of the seven Phle-sthons,
From thy ba-altic pillare,l walls gaze,
Through sgIphIrDus clouds that celseiessly aseend
From aeTy na.sslstrotns q the burning ehAsa,
Into thy vast abyss With silent awe.
ives curtains gather round thee Ike a shroud.
AMI drape in shallow Mauna Las dome;
The trlde wind DER the bending forest sweeps.
Cold and mist-Iaslen from the eastern wave,
And a. IL parts the 6re-born clouds below.
The smoublering ruins of a city vast
4 giant Moscow in a -ea % fame
Appear with bltskene'I walls and dome and spirs
Of church AMI grand cathedral crashing fall;
Turret and tower and monument 20 DOWN.
IA round them lap and VhirI the eidying flames.
Like those lost cities which Jehovah's wrath
Overwhelmed in suiphury hail and fiery rain,
TIL from the ruined plain the smoke went up.
SeethinZ and dense from furnace blast.
feel n ronderment-a deeper awe.
Than e'er vas wakenel by earth's grandest scenes,
When have viewed the mightiest rivers leap
In thunder echoes from bold betting clifs,
Or fam in cataraets through rocky gorge;
Niagara were tame compared to thee,
And Oceans majesty. in calm OF storm,
Inspires feelings kindred 20 the thoughts
A woke By thee. Wild flaming lake of FIRE.
And the volcanic vents-earth's crater cones
Are nought D. the stern grandeur q thy depths.
Thou hery wonder Of the untaught mind
The simple natives of the isles hal male
A home in thee for Psle- fiery power.
Goddess of the volcanoes hot domain;
How ike the ancient Greeks, who woye their dreams
OF the IDEAL in poetic forms,
And robed Cocytus' son with Pele's power