Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-18
MAUNA LOA
The Great Hawaiian Volcano Visited
by n Wo.uan
[Feom the WonAn,s Luurnal.l

Miss Bird, an English woman travelling for
her health, has just published two volumes
about austria Ia, New leland and the Ha-
Wanan islands, IN visiting which she has gained
health and had many experiences only granted
to brave spirits. In Hawaii, in COMPANY with
an English gentleman,a resident of the Islands,
and TWO or three native guides and servants
Miss Bird went to the top of the great volcanic
mountain, Mauna LOa. being, it is thought the
first woman who ever made the ascent. Few
men have ever reached the summit, the Journey
being most fatiguing and dangerous one
Many people, residents and tourists, visit every
year the volcano of kilauea, on the flank Of
MauIa Loa, and only 1000 feet above the sea-
but the vast, snow-cOvered summit. which
looms 10, 600 feet above preserves its mystery of
solitude and fire. The only description of this
volcano Of MokuaweoweO that has been given
to the world. so far as the writer knows is
from the pen of Miss Bird. After describing
their long, tollsome journey through the snow
and over the Jagged lava, which made their
brink of the vast crater. which was several
miles around, and 800 or 1000 feet deep. and
speaks thus of the fire fountain that met their
"a thing of beauty, perfect fountain of
pure yellow fire. unlike the CORY gloom of XII
auea, was throwing up its glorious incandes-
e cen to abe height OF EGG feet; You cannot
gold was not purer than the living fire. The
sound was like the roar of an ocean, mingled
with hollow murmur of surf echoipg in sea
caves booming on, rising and falling like the
thunder-music of windward Hawaii. When
the sun had set, and the brief red glow of the
tropics mad vanished, new world came into
from the previously lifeless crater. Every.
where through its vast expanse appeared glints
OF fire; fires bright and steady, burning in
rows ike blast furnaces; fires lone and isolated
un"lnklng IKE planets, or twink ling like stars :.
rows OF little fires marking the margin of The
lowest Level OF the crater fire in Wavy lines:
n nre cam, stationary and restful; an incandes,
cent lake TWO miles in length beneath decep-
tive crust of darkness, and whose depths one
dare not fathOm, even in thought. BrOad in
me glare, giving light enough to read by at a
distance as OF three,4uarters OF mile, making
SKY, ITS golden CLEANS changed to a vivid rose
color, tightening up the whole of the vast preci-
pee OF that part OF the crater with rosy red
ana nights into huge black masses there
rising. falling. never intermitting, leaping in
S Gy ae's with glorious shapes like wheat
glorious thing beneath the moon was the fire
fountain of MOkuaweOweO + So. alone
in its glory perennial, self-born, springing no
the sRa onrs Wen g the fire fountain played as
:. Miss Bird sat with her companion, the Eng
ilsh gentleman, upon the brink of the crater,
untll O'Clock then, cold and WEAKNESS forced
tacie, and enter the canvass tent, which the
natives had erected, and in which they were
ALREADY lying asleep, Putting on all their ex-
eG VIII t sa lay a now to rest their minds
l, When Miss Bird awOke, the ruddy glow of
the volcanic fires tinged the whole tent with
, her w e39r and sitting up she looked at
Just midnight. Impelled by desire to see the
volcano, alone, at this impressive hour, She I'M
d did 1he nap OF the tent-being obliged as she
native guide. Passing out, She seated herself
near the brink of the crater. 'COldly the pole
star shlyered above the frozen summit, and
, Gl9e moon. nearly full, Withdrew her faded
no
,lad SET. Two peaks below the pole-sta sharp
~ deilned against the sky, were the only signs
OF ,r any other world than the world of fire and
y hght; the sun himself, one would have
thought, might look pale beside it. Mine were
n tne Only mortal eyes which saw what is per-
maps the grandest spectacle on earth. | felt
fENeL,Mhellned by the very Sublimity of the
loneliness. The moon herself, looked wan.
a andani I thing-not the same moon which
, tntS LINE Inc palm and mango groves of Ho
and mango groves, and lighted homes. and
seas and ships and Cities and the faces of
f and all familiar things and the day be-
dream coming up out of the vanished past.
t YOU'D there ever be another day, and would
tn e,' earth ever be young and green again and
Mo9l Eh men BUY and sell and strive for gold,
ing human beings of the things of this mid
nlgnt? how far it was from all the world.
s,r Inc i9untaln was vivid rose-red, and the
mingled. Forever falling in fiery masses and
merry loan, accompanied by thunderOus
music OF Its own cOmpanioned only BY the
glorles to man than the reflection of its fires
on mist and smoke, it burns for the Creators
eye alone A change occurred. The Jets which
feet, suddenly became quite iow,and, for a few
seconds, appeared as cones of fire WalloWine
IN sea a. OF light; then, with roar like the
s suru Oh gataerlng waters nearly the whole
OF some powerful internal force, and rose with
It's whole radiant mass in one glorious upward
DuIst 20 a night, as estimated by the surround
ing GINS, OF QUO feet, while the earth trembled
and the moon and stars Withdrew abashed in
t9 1ar: on space. After this, the fire fountain
piayed as before. The cold had become in
tense, and l crept back into the tent, these
words occurring to me with a new meaning
Dweling In the light that no man can ap-
The PLEASURES OF MEDIOrRIry Tho