The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-10-21

spray goes flying far above the crest of the
ramparts, so that the spectators seek shell
ter behind masses of lava and in rude caves.
There are literally acres of melted rock
boiling furiously, hotter than molten iron.
The waves thunder against the walls, like
the waves of the ocean in n winter storm,
and rush furiously into the caverns they
have made in the rock under the very feet
of the startled visitor. Another moment
and the undermined rampant may topple
over into that dreadful food Yet with
fearful fascination one clings to the rock,
and watches the CORY spray, and listens to
the raving thunder of the fiery surf, with
never a thought of danger.
THE STORY OF PELE.
e This lake of fire was, in Hawaiian my
thology, the home of Pele, the goddess of
volcanoes. She came, in ancient days,
from her first home in Samoa, with her
six sisters and her brother First she set.
tied at Moanalua, in Oahu. Thence she
moved to Kalaupapa, in Molokai. Thence
she went up to the House of the Sun,
Haleakala. And, fnanally, she came to
Halemaumau. Here, in the cone-shaped
craters of Kilauea, she and her family
lived, and amused themselves with playing
checkers and dancing to the music of the
roaring surf of FIRE. No other deity was
so greatly feared. No one dared to ap-
proach the mountain without first making
her an offering of ohelo berries. And
when in her anger she caused an eruption
of the volcanic fires whole droves of pigs
and other sacrifices were thrown into the
lava streams as peace offerings. At times
she and her sisters left the fires and as
cended to the summit of Mauna Loa, to
revel in the eternal SHOWS that crown that
mighty peak.
One day the court of Pele was visited
by Kamapana, the "Child of a Pig.
This huge monster, half beast, half human,
was an adventurous divinity, who had for
ages been wandering about, wading from
island to island, wherever his swinish fancy
led. He became the guest of Pele, and
presently became a suitor for her hand.
He stood on the rampant of Halemaumau
and wooed her in voice that drowned the
thunder. She rejected him with scorn,
and taunted him with being the offspring
of pig. Then great battle arose be-
tween them. She poured out fire and
molten rocks against him, while he brought
up the water of the sea to extinguish the
flames. At first he prevailved and almost
flooded the crater. But with desperate
effort Pele and her sisters drank up the wa
ter and drove him into the sea, hurling after
him rocks and mountains, which formed
islands scattered afar over the Pacific.
The first person who yentured to de,
scend into the crater of Kilauea without
first sacrificing to Pele was the Hawaiian
Princess Kapiolani, in 1925. She had
become a Christian, and, to prove the
falseness of the ancient myths, announced
her intention of defying the wrath of Pele
on the very brink of Halemaumau. Her
husband and friends vainly sought to dis,
suade her: and vainly an aged priestess
warned her back, with prophecies of de-
struction. She steadfastly proceeded, fol-
lowed by band of eighty trembling fel-
low-converts, who would have turned back
in dismay but for her example and leader
ship. To the very brink of the lake OF
fire she led them, aud there sang Chris
tian hymn, and returned in safety. From
that time faith in aud fear of Pele have
declined, until now there are but few be-
lievers in her power.
THE VOLCANO IN POLITICS
The most notable eruption of Kilauea
occurred in November, 1870, and had an
important influence upon the subsequent
political history of the islands. Two
chieftains, Keoua and Kamehameha, were
contending in war for the supreme ruler
ship of Hawaii, and the former seemed
certain of victory. Setting out from HiIo,
he marched toward Kau by road leading
near Kilauea. While the army was en-
camped near the crater terrific earth
quake occurred, black cloud made the
MONDAY as dark as midnighta and there was
a fearful rain of black sand and ashes, like
that which buried PomPeii and Hereqla-
neum. When the eruption was ended
one-third of Keoua's followers were found
to be dead, buried and suffoeated In the
sand and ashes. Some were found lying
down, some standing some in the act Of
fleeing for safety, some embracing their
wives and children. This was death
blow to Keoua's cause. 1t was taken as
sign that the mighty Pele was on Kame
hameha's side. And the ReEt year Keoua
was slain, and Kamehameha became lord
of Hawaii and founded the dynasty which
has ended with the fall of Liliuokalaui.
In 1901 theFe was a great eruptian of
Hualalai, at the other side of Mauna Loa,
which destroyed many villages and filed
up lake. Countless pigs were sacrificed
to Pele, but in vain. At last Kamehameha
cut off half of his own hair, which was
considered sacred, and threw it into the
lava food, aHd then the eruption aOasedi
Again in 1910 Kilauea, which had been
quiet for fifty years, burst Firth with aw-
ful fury, A stream Of molten lava bur.
rowed underground from the crater twelve