Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-09-16

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country, layer alter layer, river after river, I'M
Ill an altitude has been reached Of four thous
and feet At present the lava does not flow
from the top Of this volcano, having evidently
found a subtcnanean outlet that causes the
floor Of the crater to sink from year to year
This volcano tKiaueal can be reached by fol
lowing up old streams Of lava that can be dis
tinctly traced for distance Of forty miles, from
the ocean to the brink Of the crater. On gain.
ing the verge Of the crater, the eye can only
see vast chasm IN the earth filed with dense
smoke. This chasm or pit is almost round,
ten miles in circumference and one thousand
feet deep, the walls are perpendicular escep, a
section in the north east that has been shaken
down by earthquakes, and over this crnmblcd
down wall the descent to the floor of the era
ter is made. Just imagine that upon the floor
Of this great, yawning pit could be built the
city Of Milwaukee, and then it would require a
magnifying glass to see the church spires from
the surrounding cliffs. The surface of the era
ter floor is uneven and divided into great fields
Of different forms of lava; the solid block is
compact and hard as granite; the smooth
stream, concealed in the act Of flowing; the
cone, the hummock, the rough clnkcr and the
pumice or porous cinders. The latter seems to
have been a scum or foam on the surface of the
denscr molten mass. This cold lava is streaked
with deep cracks OF assures, ranging from
few inches TO several feet in width,
AND RENT ny EARTHQUAKES.
On reaching the floor Of the crater, on my
visit here, struck out for the center Of the
great pit, over an ocean of cold boiled lava in
the form Of plains, hills, rivers, waves, whirl
pools, knobs and caves; over region of black.
ness and desolation, over lava twisted and dis
torted in every conceivable shape, and jammed
together like fields Of ice. After proceeding
mile the lava on which walked became hot
ter and hotter, and the whole floor was riven
by deep cracks emitting smoke and hot sui
phurous steam. Before reaching the center Of
the crater, red hot cleaning lava could be
seen in the assures and in every crack and Gre
streams Of livd lava were flowing lazily in
every direction. Dodging from knoll to knoll
and from hillock to hillock, threading my way
among rivers Of lava, | at length reached an
immense embankment, built up with irregular
slabs and ropy waves, piled in confused heaps.
Leaping from slab to slab across deep, fiery fs-
sures, reached the upper ledge of this gorge,
and found myself elevated one hundred feet
above lake of boiling, molten lava. The
form of this lake is round and more than half
mile in diameter. The walls are absolutely
perpendicular, bold and craggy, and not less
than one hundred feet high. Although spent
three hours in this neighborhood, the heat was
so great and the fumes of sulphur so sitting
that | was obliged to retire from the brink Of
the lake every few minutes TO get supply OF
better air. Here, beyond question, is the
widest scene in all nature, and new words
must be added to our language before it can be
faithfully described. l will mention only a few
of the acts in the eternal play Of
THIS FIERY FURNACE.
In many respects this horrid lake behaves
like stormy sea, the boiling lava takes the
ivim vi ulRHt) thtl ny SOHt
internal force, these waves are dashed heavily
against the red-hot lava cliff, sounding like
the roar Of a stormy ocean, There, seething
blood-red pillows Immediately reform and
then roll against the cliffs on the opposite side
of the lake, and continue dashing to and fro as
though determined to break down their prison
walls Whirlpools would then form on the
face of the boiling caudron, when great mol
ten masses would wallow round and round in
the most violent manner, tossing CORY waves
high in the air, and all was horror and confu.
sion. But as if weary, this sea of fire does at
intervals come to partial rest then follows the
most terrific war between internal and external
elements. The surface of the lava rapidly
cools and the external air carrying off the heat,
is constantly endeavoring to bridge over this
great, fiery orihce. At one of these languid
turns in the short space of twenty minutes a
hard crust, six inches thick will form over al
most unearthly sounds-the breaking up OF
this lava crust has voice all its own, the his.
sing, coughing, rumbling and believing, is
most deaiening and Internal. A new impulse
now seizes the lava; the whole floor of the era.
ter shakes and trembles, the crust on the lake
sways up and down, when cracks, as red as
blood, are seen to shoot across in all directions,
widening, and looking like great red ribbons,
The broken fragments Of hard lava are now
churned up and down and melted in the boil.
ing flood. Innumerable pillows of fire begin
10 dash themselves into the air, and against the
red-hot lava rocks on either shore, then again
to hurl their glowing masses to the center OF
the lake in a state OF terrific ebulition.
The violent struggles Of this lava in its fiery
bed is a horrible sight, not only Undesirable
but unimaginable, and the loud and awful noises
produced by the commotion suggest the idea
that living monsters are here imprisoned and
trying to release themselves from their bond.
age, with shrieks, groans and walls of agony
and despair. Here is the httest type of an
original orthodox hell--the bottoness pit, the
quenchless flames, the lake of fire and brim.
stone. Beyond this lake there is a vast region
composed of smaller lakes, streams of flowing
lava, blowing cones and hot sulphur banks,
but the hea, and sulphurous fumes prevented
any further explorations in that direction.
This stupendous display Of fireworks would
be vastly more enjoyable in a cooler climate,
but standing on fire and surrounded by FIRE un.
der tropical sun in a pit thousand feet be.
low the surface Of the earth, Is square test OF
physical endurance.
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