New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-09-01
TIE SANDWICH ISL1NDS.
UA\yAU-THE GREAT YOLCANO-A WEARY PHI
GKIuAGE-FOOTSTEP OF OLDER PILGRIMS
Tie CRATER OF KILAuEA.
fpgoN ORR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

w
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF OLDER PILGRIMS
TIE CRATER OF KILAuEA.
(FRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Huo, July 1G.-The accent toward kilauea
very gradualsO much as 20 be scarcely perceptpe
The tran led through rowths OF forest trees and ggan-
tic ferns which waved their graceful branches many eet
above our heads Everywhere around us iay traces oi
the fluid desOlaon which once swept over VIC hu ~
trees forced their roots through deep Oeds oa
nosed lava far toward the glowing, central hresi INC
howers and shrubs found their lighter TO0tOiu hfarer
the surface upon Tie same kna OF s 6 Vlv te VIII
now nearly nibodded. showed tler paek snlaCss Wiz
sort OF grim eXuitaton that they had nov yet gwen
way 90 the crumbng power OF time NO birds ehh!eh
thc sonfnde--uO animal life is here 20 make glad the
Wild dreary waste that ever stlcc Oh hhu OIL pcIot
you nothing bat the INDECENT degraded natives ana
their inevitable dogs
More dead than alive, wet weary and appalled, az the
distance vet TO be accomplished We hsnonhtrd az tjS
thatched native hut digued BY the name OF the mar
Nav House Bnt we we're condition 10 be iasudi
os and the bed OF mats offered for our accommodation
MAS gratefully appropriated during our iaterva OF rest
Here we had OuriuatiOn INTO the comforts Of ontoh
M syan tbat Se found in he kingdom When tired
lame Rheumatic, suffering from any o the many aShes
that flesh land travellers flesh especially u her 20, pace
yourself IN comfortable recumbent pOsluon Npg h'
tive viii commencf, with both hands series o. hertsy
will be very likely To make yOd utter great many on
grst course but your faith strong in Che result aud
You su1ler the kneadiDg most herolcally Wnll 1out
Vitb sort Of sInothcred pafkai tHaitdi' good good
nodded 10 your operator In some eases you upon VonI
back the ground mat, and 2o0pOuhd representative
of this remarkable nation will walk over you from your
toes 20 your chin until might guess that you Would
be reduced 20 jely but after the process you rise
renewed refreshed; your aches have vanished, your
muscles supple and elastic and you are ready Tor
now expedttiOn such the lOmllOnl aud ITS enecte
IN the evening after emerging FROM the uIIpPihs
woods be urd Light OF kauea gnneieu throIsd snF ~
fog and showed ms that we were nearing INC ApVuG I
fiery goddess whose WRATH HAD latey WIought sucn
desoation in the land Brighter aud brighter II ETeW,
paug the intellectual beams OF the W1teIy moor I we
reached point upon the hill opposite TIE gl' where W"
found welcome shelter under tho thatched roof @, the
Volcano House THIS house I'm itself very Comfortable
The frame is built a. the wood Of me cnia tree aud ts
hsds"iVo WccompapineUts ,d civilization which the
Hawaiian pilgrim learns thoroughly to appreciate.
chinese cook who understood abouton word Of English
iu every ten Fortunately for rs well educated half
Of the necessity ~ numbering our mother tongue aud
using heads and hands In frantic gestures With the feeble
hope az thereby reaching Johns understanding. Tho
Nm Inn ,Ier~ he lived when M home or Al hy he did
not preside over his hospItablc mansion, WCro two
conuuduluis which We were not able 10 solve We only
know that 81 per day and the sght consideration for
which allowed 10 occupy hs beds, % look Out Of
his windows. dry clothes hv his fire and to pdrake
of those atlqnatrd fowls whose long residence near Ia
perpetual volcanic flames had rendered them utterly cal
Gres In addition 10 the chicken accommodation, we
were served days with coffee and milk append
age only shtY extended; but the third day we were
Informed that he cor had fallen into crater and we
the list Of other "oIather comforts denied us!
one day OF rest preceded oug visit To the crater during
which We perused, with much fellovfeelug, the re-
corded tbnlaOnsof preceding travellers this Pacihc
residence OF Ar. Vulcan. We found Marx lwml's name
appended 10 mOurnfu complaint that the bottle con
tanug the provisions had been broken on his way 10
the volcano thereby causing great 1ssnsractloh win
his visit Other minds had been struck with poetic
fervor which Oozed ont IN fearful rhymes as u their
Pegasus bad been IN condition NJ terribly sore.
backed and weakkneed as were our own poor 20. D"
Before the advent OF the missionaries the natives be-
eyed Kauea 10 be the abode OF tie goddess Pee whose
anger often exhibited IN violent earthquakes and
cruptons Of IRE They thought also that 10 bcho0yed
them 10 appease tins wratiu lady by sundry sacrifices
OF living and dead animals which they Carried TO the
edge Of the crater and ung down for her especial
Tie oheobcry was also sacred to her and none could
i6e Volcano This sapcrstitSn SIN obtains 10 slight cx.
tent the residents Of Hawaii Owing to the greater
sonares have found less favorable field for their
lbOrs thun the other parts OF the Kingdom and conae
qurny, the old heatheuism elings here with much !
greater tenacy. THIS reverence for Pee was nicely
broken m upon Tor the rsI Time IN s3o I'VE years after
prOselytc OF the religion. This brave woman made
pigmar 10 the Volcano for the purpose Of breaking
those mehonored pagan rites. and showing her country
that the sacred berries could be eaten with pun
iy. ana the goddess braved her very stronghold. |
Prophecies O cy and mprccatiOns wero s1Owered upon
her bnt With her attendants she went to the spot ate st
Of the berries and then declared aloud that there wasbnt
God that all the earth the creation Of His hand
and that other Power existed that would visit evil
upon her she returned In triumph, to the anazement
OF those who thought her blasphemy would receive
speedy and awful punishment This was great srep |
the incubation OF Christianity Living all our lives in
civilized land We can scarcely realize the strength OF
character aud moral courage which this dasky daughter
of beahepdom must have exercised IN carrying out her
noble purpose. All honor 10 her memory.
From the past 10 the present is but step and so we
turn again TO 1853 aud start out for an Introduction 70
Mistitss fe0s dwelling moro nilW VIZ
nbOiOus descent Of tho mountain side, pauslng oeca
soually pick the ohGla berries that plentfuly
along path This Ia red fruit OF the size of lergo
and somewhat similar III taste, but not so
sweet. AT length stood Oh tie curded DlaCkened |
eld thar spread around us for IL miiBs rackess
of dcsolaton Wide assures rent 1t IN every
direction Great reared their rugged forms at long
inerI aud three high walls ottawa powders extending
far across the plain, seemed 20 present msurmountabo
Obsac to our progress. Hot steam was constahuy
rising from the surface aud suphurOus gases is-Sed fn
every gaping crevice Now aud theu Ike tho bow In the
cloud, appeared tiny fern pecpng from ont thechasnl-
promise from Mother Earth that she would some dhy
redeem this dreary waste pd make 1t once more qua anu
blossom into greenneSs For two miles we Walksy over
this deary eXpanse the lava crust crlinbhS uhuer US
az every step and We awo-struck at the mKny power
which lay, half slumberng, beneath our feet Out winch
existence This walk Terminated ut the verRe of q
prccipice SIX Hundred feet high, ana theIc below
us lny Kiauea the Great IL was slght Ior nc
time Rain and cold hunger thirst, ana our many oher
dsconfurts all forgotten as We ieaii1eu Ihat we
Ner ehoding the largest active volcano In the world
The p WAS about feet deep at tho time OF the nrst
cruuiion this year. 10 has lately sunk 500 Feet more
was mile aud half in circumference, ana on the Lever
NOR AZ the sides were several huge cones which DeChcd
forth he lava In Jets that were every moment
49, form, nnd place In the center, small streams
OF to igud fire would shoot out like serpents. and,
growing suddenly cool would seem 10 disappear The
were on the lett. rs we looked
Gown aud the constantly occurring changes were won
deru and fascinating beyond expression NO words no
nciur can convey the impressions which such scene
Creates Tho soul Is overwhelmed vt its might aud
mai sty, AMI the mind weaTteS under the weight OF
than that surging through the Draln but u
perlOus path lay behind us, ana narkness on the way
would have been death We retraced our stopa with
picture that we shall never see AGAIN ndehply engraved
npon nienioileA