The Hawaiian gazette., 1874-01-07

and steam can De seen TlsinS ioin huihSi
Gus assures and blow holes, especially in
the southern part. After viewing this
wondrous scene for short time, and TAX
ing lunch with drink of ice water from
the crack, we started on an exploring ex-
.pedition toward the north. l had expect
ed to be troubled with mountain sickness,
as almost every one is, but fortunately no
symptoms appeared, and l felt as well and
strong as when on the sea shore; but no
ticed that respiration was fuller and more
frequent than at the sea level We fol-
lowed the edge of the crater for over
mile, until we came to the brink of the
"North Gap" This is depression d.
rectly north of Mokuaweoweo and con-
meets it with the smaller north crater,
which lies in the direction of Mama kea.
From this point we could look across
Mokuaweoweo toward the south and see
partly into.the smaller but deeper crater
of Pohakuohanalei My object was to de-
scend into the crater if possible; and as
we felt so we'll and had so many hours of
day light before us, 1 felt that we could
do it, provided only we could find way
down. As far as the eye could see the
sides of the crater presented an almost
perpendicular wall of rock, and in many
places the beetling crags actually hung
over the solid wall beneath. / do not
wonder that former visitors to the summit
have considered it impossible to descend
into the crater since the eruption of last
year. After going down the side of the
gap for short distance we found shelf
of pahoehoe, the lower end of which had
been broken off, thus forming pile of
debris and loose rocks, which extended
from the bottom of the crater to within a
few feet of the shelf, say five hundred
feet in height, and pitched at an angle of
about sixty degrees l asked Johnnie if
he would go down this path with me, and
he answered that he would if was not
afraid, so we took each piece of ice, to
cool our heads, and started. We crawled
on hands and feet, let ourselves down
gently over huge boulders, and picked
our way with cautious tread among roll
ing stones then slid down over masses
of broken pumice and scoria, resting ev-
cry few minutes to catch our breath, until
after half an hour of toll, we stood on the
black and heated lava at the bottom of
the great crater.
As we looked toward the south, in the
direction of the lake of fire, it was through
an atmosphere all quivering with the heat
from below. We could hear the surging
of the molten lava in the lake, more than
a mile distant, and occasionally a report
like the booming of some distant gun.
On our left, and three hundred feet above
US lay the long, black ledge, running to
the south and round to the fiery lake /;
and still three hundred feet above and far
beyond was the upper edge of the crater
where our animals stood, looking like
specks revealed against the sky.
The first thrill Ger,
And the tense nerves again at ease relaxed,
Look we with close discrimination round;
And with observant eye, and sttent.
Delighted range. How delieately formed,
And with what nice alternating skill
A.. III
And marx again. with what peculiar art,
Yon twisted rounds of well laid cable form,
Are snusly slowed, in oblong coils away
In size, to suit some ponderOus Admiral;
And quantity, Sufficient to equip
The cOngregated navy of the world.
Marx, We, y0n tVrtuous seam? Its either edge,
Enerusted Ger with sulphurous discharge;
And from within, but scarce yard below
Its glowing sides send up q vivid heat.
How the blood passes in its circling fow,
And the flesh ereep,, as we O'erstep its bound I
With quickened tread we leave the hideOus spot,
And ,afety seek, in distance far remote
As it would have taken more than an
hour to reach the lake and return to the
place of ascent, we spent about half an
hour in examining the bottom of the era.
ter, and went about third of the dis,
lance to the lake of fire. The formation
of the lava, the steam cracks, the cones
and ridges, from ten to thirty feet in
height, alternating with deep chasms and
smooth pahoehoe, is just the same as can
be seen on the recent flow in Kilauea. As
the eye glances round the entire circle o.
the crater, it does not rest on a single
point where it would seem possible tc
make an ascent. After collecting a mum
Der of specimens, some of which were SC
hot they could not be held in the hand
We clambered up again over the sans
road we had descended.
When we stood again upon the brink
and looked down over the steep path We
had climbed, we felt truly thankful thai
no accident had befallen us, and that oul
strength had not failed us while in til.
crater. / found that the soles of bott
my feet were blistered by the heat of th,
lava in the crater.
] In STAINS oil h. Il