The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-03-30
A TRIP TO THE VOLCANO,
The Land Journey-ArrivaI at
the Volcano.
OFF FOR THE VOLCANO.

OFF FOR THE VOLCANO.
In the morning, owing to cir
cumstances beyond the control OF
a portion of the party, it was voted
to proceed on our journey to the
Volcano. Accordingly, the landlord,
who is also proprietor OF the land
part of this route, almost imme-
diately after breakfast, announced
the train as ready for the first stage.
The motive power consisted OF four
mules in tandem, the car a trolly
fitted up with a carriage seat and
goods box. the track the iron tram
way winding high up among the lava
beds to the Pahala plantation, the
conductor and engineer a strong Por-
tuguese laborer, who ran all the way
up, urging on the caravan, regard
less of his bare feet on the fearfully
rugged trackside. The ground
traversed in this four miles of the
route presents, close on both hands,
and far into the distance on the sea
side, a scene full of evidence OF
prodigious volcanic action, some OF
it apparently very recent, the more
ancient work being toward the noun
tain slopes. For the major part OF
the distance the ground is covered
with immense beds of aa, which is
the term for the loose boulders,
stones, gravel, etc., cast up by vol
canic disturbances and distributed
by the flowing lava. A vast field of
pahoehoe, the CONCEALED pure lava,
extends down to the sea and away
up the coast out of sight toward
Puma, its black, shiny crust, from
which it is named (pahoehoe being
the native word for "glistening") j,
showing it to be modern product.
Mr.. Carter leaves us at Pahala,
where mule four-in-hand attached
to comfortable covered coach is
waiting to carry us ten miles further,
to the Halfway House, leased by Mr..
Lee and managed by his younger
brother, Mr.. Jens M. Lee, with his
newly-married wife of week. The
Junior Lee is recent arrival in the
country, and q well-educated and
handsome looking young man. lie
was once shorthand reporter in the
Norwegian Legislature, and later
corresponding clerk in bank, the
failure of which induced him to &C
to America, coming thence to visit
his brother and try his fortune here
At this rest our party had sub
stantial lunch, departing more thar
satisfied with the fare at such al
isolated wayside inn. Mr.. Lee cul
tivates vegetables about the house
besides raising poultry and indul
ging in an occasional hunt afte
plover and wild turkey, and his wifi
being an adept at cookery, yer,
wholesome and palatable refreshmen
is assured the tourist on reaching
this mountain hotel. The remain
der of the journey, eleven or twelv
miles, is done on muleback, active
sure-footed and well-broken animal
giving safe transport over a prett
rugged sea of lava hummocks.
THE VOLCANO.
1t began raining soon after on
leaving the Halfway House, and wa
pouring the greater part of the wa
to the Volcano. The heavy weathe
made it impossible to see anythin
beyond the immediate vicinity G
the trail. Coming abruptly to tn
edge of the great crater of Kilauea
very misty view was had of tn
interior. A little smoke could b
seen at a point that looked NOR
rugged than the rest of the blac
bed of lava, while clouds of steal
were rolling up everywhere over tn
surface. Jogging along mile c
so, on the margin OF the towerin
bluffs, we go down a short, stee
bank on to a small plain Of 100
$50 acres in extent, rough guess
This area is wonderful enough
itself, bearing evidences of til
workings of nature underneath SUI
ficiently impressive, as a first vie
of living volcanic action, to one VIII
did not know whether the visib
manifestations were the results
the recent collapse in the adjoinin
crater or were an old adjunct of I'll
establishment. Along both sides
this area steam was Kissing u
through the ground in large volumes
AS we proceeded the wind blew I'll
warm vapor across our faces, whil'
looking down, chinks in the yer
road were emitting an intimatic
that tea was ready in the basemen