The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-05
as It r%resonts an aetivo nppcaranco in.

rs it presents IN active appearance in.
termitiently.
Tho crater OF K~ilauca.iki Is almost a
perfect bowl in shape, 1000 feet in
depth and II mile in diameter. Its floor
Is n fiat black lava bod with very steep
sides, which make itquitc dangerous 10
descend. From the brink OF the crater
upon which VIC stand Gun be seen tho
marks on It's sides, showing the height
to which the boiling lava had reached
during q recent general activity Of tho
Hawaiian VOLCANOES.
We retracc ollr steps to the Volcano
house and arrive therc just In time for
lunch, during which meal un attempt Is
made TO teach us how to cat poi, IN
both the II finger and two finger na.
two style. Poi Is tho native national
dish. Every household has It's not Of
poi always at hand. Pic Is made from
mashed taro, tho native potato. When
served at 4 meal II has tho consistency
OF starch, OF a lavender color, and is set
before tho family In ,ono large bowl,
into which tho different members put
either II or two fingers, drawing this
primitive fork out again. Tho pol
sticking to tho finger is then put into
tho mouth in that manner. Our at
tompts TO initiate the natives wcre
ludicrous and without any pronounced
success.
The carly part OF tho afternoon was
| spent on the Volcano house porch,
which is within fifty yards OF tho brink
OF the crater. Tho Volcano house seemed
to mo rather Il dangerous place to re-
side permanently. The view from tho
porch looked out over m immense sea
OF hot lava lying before us in the crater
OF Kilauon, from which n thin smoke
la2ily ascends and minglcs with the
dim mist that constantly overhGngs tho
crater, which is four miles across it
from east 10 west, and three miles vide,
it being rather OF mn oblong shape.
Is THE DEPTHS.
At3p. IN. preparations werc made
for the descent into the grand crater OF
Kilauoa, every thing being favorable,
namely n northeast trade wind, and l.
is only under suci, circumstances that
one can venture down into the crater.
Finally VIC start. each carrying Il Ian.
tern, end following u guide, who bears
our supper, q water cantecn and q Ian
tern. Winding down n path a mile in
length, We reach the floor OF the crater,
five hundred feet below tho level OF tho
brink, then proceed, following our
guide, out upon the bed OF the crater, \
mass OF blackcned lava which appears
like the pillows Of a storm.lashed ocean.
Yet there is d good path over these ups
and downs, and although we have the
knowledge that this path leads us over
a comparatively thin crust OF cooled
lava, only n few feet above n seething
lake of red hot minerals, and that ut
any moment this supcrstructurc may
sink, and open the fiery flood, We feel
nc fear, rs there is no precedent OF for
mcr fatal accident to bring the possible
ity wildly to our minds.
After i walk OF two miles and 4 half
VIC reach what is known rs Ha!cmau-
mau blouse OF Everlasting Fire). 1t is
u towering heap OF lava in tho middle OF
the crater. and around its rugged and
irregular base is the center OF volcanic
activity.
Smoke and steam arise in clouds
from its caves and assures continually.
We pass on to the west side, where is
situated the large cauldron known rs
the South Lake. This immense basin
OF fire is unseen and unhcralded until
the visitor arrives at the brink. Our
guide Decl;ons us to step upon the edge
one by one and look down. This wo
do, and pcering ove the ledge into the
boiling, seething, fiery cauldron take
the whole view in at q glance. Imme-
diatcly under our feet, a few
yards below, is tho glowing lava,
boiling and lashing itself into
n red surf, rs it dashes
against the foundations OF the rorls
upon which We stand. We hastily rea-
lie the possibility OF a launch into this
terrible pit.
Our guide, however, treasures us by
tellin. us that the rock is tough, and
always gives n warning by means OF u.
crack which first opens around the
ledge doomed to fall.
We gather here some fbrous looking
substance like spun glass, resembling
human hair OF 4 t1axen color. This
substance udheres to the rocks on the
edge OF the lake, it in reality being the
foam OF the lava surf, blown against and
caught on the lakes lodges. The ma
tives cal! it Peles' hair, it being sup.
posed by them to be shed by q woman
OF that name who is the goddess OF the
volcanoA
A B~LooD-THIRsTY GODDESS.
There arc many legends concerning
this goddess, who was formerly wor.
shipped by tho natives and still is by
the more ignorant OF them. This god
dess was the ono most feared by the an
cient Hawaiian warriors, and often.
times human beings were thrown into
the crater to appease the wrath of the