The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-04-08

clrcular-Snapeu patcn SUNK very
much below its former level, and as
for Halemaumau the place it used
to occupy was a vast cavity. Smoke
in varying quantity rises from the
pit formed by the grand collapse,
some of the wreaths being intensely
blue. Proceeding farther south
ward the outer bluffs descend TO
the caldera by three wide ter
races, and we clambered down
to the last one to give Mr.. SEVERN
an opportunity of another command
ing view. While lie was taking the
picture, Mr.. Thrum and l amused
uiselves by rolling boulders over
the precipice TO mark the lapse of
time before the final thud on the
lava below. As closely as we could
Judge, it took from 10 to Is seconds.
The shape of the abyss in which the
active points had become involved
was from this point pretty fairly
discernible. The top outline was
indescribably irregular. A line
could be drawn from north to south
near the center, making parallelo-
gram of the west side. On the east
the remains of the New Lake made
a peninsula, marked off from the
lava field by crescent shaped
gulch, while a jagged cape over
looked the grave of the Little Beg
gar. The banks of the cavity at
Halemaumau sloped down to the
center, leaving but small area for
the floor of the pit. The eastern
banks were perpendicular precipices.
Beyond the pit of Halemaumau, the
interior is chaos of ridges and
heaps of debris, coarse and fine, as
if stone and brick town were des-
troyed by fire and the remains
dumped promiscuously from a bal
loon hundred feet in the air into
one vast ashpit. The area of the
ruins of the volcano would, it is
estimated, require a fence four
miles long to enclose it, while the
abyss is calculated to be from four
to six hundred feet deep. From the
point we now occupy vivid heat
waves can be seen in the air over
places in the cavity and also sundry
elbow holes" in the lava beds out
side. 1t is found to be impossible
to reach the floor of the caldera from
this terrace, the descent being too
precipitous. Extensive banks of
volcanic ashes and sand have to be
traversed, in the course of which we
cross deep gulches, the footing
being so doubtful that the guide has
to take the lead. Steam is Kissing
out of the sides of these great
trenches with good deal Of force.
Observing the guide carrying
large piece of sole leather, l asked
what it was for, and was told it was
to make new sandals when the ones
he wore gave out on the lava. This
indicated cheerful prospect of the
rest of us having to do the last of
the expedition barefooted, having
brought no shoemaking kit or stock
along.
Reaching the edge of the lava, at
the southwest corner of the main
bluffs, we have to climb up to 1t
where once it was gained by descend
ing over cliff. Falling rain makes
the whole surface steam, so that at
times it is difficult to keep the track
stepped out by the guide. However,
with our heels crunching through
occasional thin crusts of the con-
gealed lava waves, we steadily plod
our winding way over the black
mounds and steaming crevices. With
steady ascent over terribly
rugged incline, the brink of the
awful chasm is reached just over
looking the site of Halemaumau.
Gaping cracks near the edge mark
off large slivers Of the cliff ready to
tumble into the chaotic depth hun
dreds of feet below. Mr.. SEVERN
plants his camera on the treacherous-
looking margin, the outer leg of the
tripod slips on the rounded shell,
and he is to be excused for display
ing signs of trepidation as he read
justs the apparatus and stands but
yard from the jaws of death to
take his sight. While this is being
done, the guide from the rear utters
an exclamation, then displays to our
turning gaze his stick blazing from
the fire in deep crack. We stand
for few moments regarding the
sublime ruins-trying to "take it
all in" as Mr.. Thrum says, but, as
the advantages are on the side of
the Volcano for taking us all in, it
is inexpedient to daily long with
danger. Where Halemaumau was
is steep conical pit, as near as we
can judge four or five hundred feet
deep. AS the cones and cliffs that
have collapsed stood some two hun
dred feet above the summit of the
lava field, the catastrophe of March
9th involved the crash of a fabric