The Hartford herald., 1879-12-10

ing grass, covered with heruS OF rOmp-
ing cattle with tinkling bells, and thous-
ands OF bearded goats bounding about,
aud grazing up to their flanks in the
heavy blades of grass. As 1 rode on
among the thick verdure, beauties after
beauties NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of leafy
trees dotted the mountain slope, whey
arbors hung with fairy cOlored blossoms
bent their swinging trailers on the
breeze. Flowers richly hued and fair
to behold beautified the way. What n
glorious prospect! how lovely! |
thought, as my enraptured eyes dwelt
ON the picture. Coming out of that
dreary lava-fow, the scene was refresh
ing to the soul. Beyond, all was beauty
and lovliness-behind, all was desola-
ton. These black lava-fiOws, with
their trenchant gloom, cOntrasted with
the cool shady groves and green lawns,
blooming with wild flowers and sweet
scented blossoms-like a fallen depraved
woman, serve as the background to re-
fleet the divine beauty of "the guileless"
and pure.
Upon the green slopes | passed re-
markable break i'm the mountain side
the site Of an immense Landslide, caused
by an underground reservoir of water,
|
which, mOistened the hillside into NOR
tar, and, Jared and jOlted, by a violent
earthquake three years ago, broke out
of the mountain above and plunged
down the mountain side, carrying an
avalanche of mud on the slopes below,
covering up ~ natives and their cottages
i'm flow of sllish 80 feet in depth and
three miles I'm length. The grass is now
growing above the hamlet, whose huts
and ::native are buried 40 feet beneath
and the night cricket sings his twilight
songs over their grave.
The turf over which rode resounded
under my horses hOOfs like drum, in
dicating that the ground-shell was in
deed thin. The whole island and
mountain is hollow cone, filled with
boiling lava, with crust of earth
formed over the vast cavern, with fiery
cavern, with the volcanic craters as
valves, through which it spouts cOntin-
ually When the craters get chOked.
or u surplus of lava il boiled up, 1t
breaks through the crust of the earth,
runs down the mountain, and pOurs
i'm avaianches into the sea. The island
is only a cooled crust of lava, covered
with vegetation, and occupied by the
natives, and during throb Of the surg
ing volcano any part of the island Is
liable to open and deluge its slopes with
"A river of molten fire.
As perambulated over the plain, L
was i'm constant dread lest l should fall
into some deep pits OvergrOwn with
grass, which opened on every hand.
Subterranean tunnels ran up the noun
tain slope, whose interior Is unexplOred.
Many riders have been precipitated
into these caverns, and crushed to
atoms. Persons out walking have
stepped on IA rich growth of vines that
went down beneath them, and in these
dark wells starved to death. A native
girl few days since, while out collect
ing ferns for "a lady tourist ut the volcano,
rambling about among the growing
vines, fell headlong into one of these
caves, and was rescued three days af-
! terwards, an emaciated skeleton. My
little pony seemed to understand the
situation, or had great regard for his
safety, as he stepped with care.
Farther on l found u company Organ-
ised and on the grounds preparing to
erect sugar-mill, and bring this ia
vOred region into sugar cultivation.
The soil here is extremely fertile.
1900 feet above me the majestic
dome of Mauna Loa stood in solemn
majesty, with its lofty heights capped
i'm clouds tinted with the gold and pur-
Pile shades of sunset, which flushed like
airy robes let down around the noun
tain from the fairy looms of Paradise,
and dyed with "a celestial halo of beauty.
Its dark belt of woods, followed by the
lighter green of the meadows, lay off
against the sky, reddening in the sun
set, while its colossal outlines loomed
up grand and imposing i'm its lofty
grandeur. In the distance the lurid
smoke of the volcano rose into the sky.
Red-tOngued sheets of flame leaped
high in the air. Hooked on the ascend
ing flames with silent wonder. Blue,
white, red, and yellow smoke rose in u
vast column and drifted OFF ON the sky.
l rode on with my eye fixed on that
pillar of fire towering in the heavens.
The goal Of my ambition was in sight,
! the lOng-sOught picture rose before me.
BY early twilight l reached a dairy
ranch embOwered with trees i'm the midst
of the vast green plain. 1 was warmly
welcomed by the gentlemanly host and
ushered intOa sumptuOus repast of fresh
mountain milk, excellent butter, u fat
steak, ripe peaches, and the usual ac-
compartments. After tea l went out
on the verandah to watch the burning
fires and ascending flames of the volca-
no, that blazed up i'm ruddy torches high
into the sky, like q vast red waterspOut
and formed rosy canopy over the boil
ing crater that reflect the binding red
ness of the glaring fires beneath, and
illuminated the star-spangled firma-
ment with blazing cloud suspended
midway in the heavens. Sometimes 1t
burst out like pOwder-magazine
touched Off-declining fiared up afresh
like burning city, or u great plain ON
fire, while its red curling smoke rolled
off ON the heavens like molten clouds.
looked long on the light of that fire
not made with hands, and meditatedO on
the glare of those flames whose furnace
burns fOrever-whOse fires are never
quenched. sat up late and gazed up
OH the fiery picture. l felt as though l
was at the door of the worlds foundry,
and at the fireside of the earth's mould
ing-furnace, and pondered on the ia
ther of volcanoes with veneratiOn and
wonder. / finally retired to u downy
bed and among fresh sheets, dreamed
wOnderous dreams of the great volcano
and its glOries.
About o'clock i'm the morning was
reused from the sweet realms of dream
land by loud shaking ut my door, clash
ing Of windows, banging Of shutters,
cracking of floors; the big chair had
lent its arms to small table and begun
waltz, settee took for its partner the
centre table, while the bookcase joined
hands with the sideboard; the plates
down stairs joined in the frOlic and set
up aclatter; the bells began to clang, and
the kettle in the kitchen caught the in
lection and set up q racket; the bureau
trip over the floor; my boots were COM
mitting somersaults, my bed got ON a
spree; was ON the floor, then on my
refractory couch, then ON the surging
floor; the house was i'm the throes Of an
ague, while the earth itself was ON
tear. / felt that the very ground was