Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-09-16
Tho Crater Of Horeaka'a, Maui

Hawaiian Islands where there is so
much of volcanic scenery Of the grand
est and most impressive nature as in
the great extinct crater of Haleakala on
the island Of Maui.
The display Of volcanic action in the
active crater OF Kilauea on Hawaii is
sublime and satisfying in the highest
degree, but aside from the lake of liquid
fire on which the visitor gazes, there is
but little to attract his attention, or
cause him to linger within the crater's
limits The burning lake once visited,
and its wonders looked upon, the spec
tator is generally content to hasten
away, having done" the volcano
In Haleakala crater, on the con-
trary, the visitor finds in the vast
area Of this stupendous, silent rum of
past volcanic forces so much that is
magnificent in size, in shape, and in
color, that week spent within its walls
is none too long time in which to
view its wonders, and in studying its
granduer and the fine views to be seen
from the lofty peaks that surround it.
There is nothing formidable in the
journey to this grand crater. Every
Monday night the steamer ofthe Wilder
Steamship Company that visits the
windward ports Of the island of Maui
leaves Honolulu, and by noon Of the
following day arrives at the harbor Of
Kahului, from whence railway train
takes passengers to Paia, where mules
or horses can be had for the balance OF
the trip.
A party who visited the crater lately,
surveying and botanizing, hired the
animals they needed for riding and for
packing food, tents, etc, and outftted
themselves at the large store at Paia
with eatables for week or ten days,
Then they started on their way up the
mountain, and spent the first night
at Olinda" beautiful summer
resort, four thousand feet above the
sea. The next morning the packs and
saddles were re-adjusted and by noon
the summit of the mountain-ten
thousand feet high--was reached.
Here the party had splendid view of
the crater--two thousand feet below
them-and then traversing the rim for
about three miles over a rough trail,
reached the point where, in the angle
of the walls, (Which there turn from the
south and ran due east, the piled-up
debris and sands worn from the
crater's sides for many thousand years
form smooth slope down which a
well-de6ned trail leads to the crater's
floor beneath.
On the way up the mountain the
view of the plains, the peaks of West
Maui, the ranges Of hillside craters
covered with vegetation, and all other
details of beautiful island scenery are
constantly unfolded to the eye, and
when on the summit the visitor can
look down and over the whole of the
northwestern half of East Maui across
the broad peninsula to the picturesque
peaks and deep valleys of the
western half of the island, and on
across the ocean channels to the is
lands of Molokai on the northeast, and
Lanai and Kahoolawe on the south.
At the point where the trail leads into
the crater stand number of remark
able peaks.
One made up of blocks of grey,
basaltic lava is called the "White
Hill" and all around its base, and on
its slopes are small, rude, enclosures OF
stones piled up to form shelters for the
soldiers of chief, who, in by-gone days,
marched his army to this point and
made his rude camp while on raid
against rival chieftain.
Opposite the White Hill stand other
peaks Of dark red lava, one of which is
called Magnetic Peak !" from the fact
that the blocks Of lava on its summit
are magnetic, showing distinct polar
izatlon and attracting the needle Of the
compass powerfully. Passing between
these peaks the visitor begins the
descent into the crater, and at once is
treated to one Of the finest views of it,
as whole, that he will find during his
stay.
From where one involuntarily draws
lrein and halts for a while the crater is
seen to be divided into two nearly
equal portions, the one half stretching
away to the north, its lava streams and
lines of cones lying in the great "North
Gap" while the other half tends to the
east, and in like manner is filled the vast
area Of the East Gap"
Across from the point of view, in the
angle of the opposite walls OF the
crater there rises magnificent peak
whose summit is about on a level with
the White Hill and Magnetic Peak. 1t
towers above the general line of the
aanking walls like great fortalice in
the line of titanic city's battlements
Its rugged sides are SCARED with
mighty rents and fissures from which,
at comparatively recent period,
streams of lava have issued and
deluged the floor Of the crater below
1t looks as though at this point the
last great eruption of the volcano had
taken place, and it is around the base
and on the sides of this tremendous
peak that the most wonderful remains
of volcanic energy are to be found.
The vast floor below the observer is
studded with extinct craters rising from