The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-26

caused by the carth's motion, by chcmi-
cal combustion within the earth. or by
any one oi hall dozen supposed causes.
Scientists can only outline the heavng
forces--vapors, heat, hydrostatic and
other gravitational pressure, after which
their services are over, however much
their beautiful theories may serve TO
amuse themselves on rainy DAYS.
Now for a descent to witness the great
spectacle itself of which all prelimin-
aries are the merest side-showsl
The Volcano house il at the northeast
edge of the cavity in the mountain side
known as the great crater, whose cir
conference is nearly ten miles. The
descent into this weird region begins
about 200 feet southwest OF the hotel,
and though quite abrupt the path is
wide enough for horse and il winds
down, down gradually for a mile. Along
the road there is much beautiful foliage,
and not the slightest suggestion OF
violent forces slumbering or in action.
Suddenly you reach the limit OF plant
and animal life, and before you stretches
bleak expanse of lava, formed into
mountains and pillows of concealed rock,
which have cooled and stopped in
myriad flowers, doubtless the accumula-
ton of centuries some de-
composed, worn and ancient,
Others fresh as the morning.
Yonder is patch OF broken,
bluish lava, upheaved like an ice flow
on river, its cakes and crusts formed
into hills, hollows, cones, arches and
triangular shaped blocks. Look back
toward the trail, and ragged cliffs and
perpendicular walls from five to eight
hundred feet above you tell the story of
your descent. Every thing on this vast
| floor is more silent than the Dead Sea,
and apparently solid as Gibraltar. for
you can see through chasms that the
lava beneath your feet is anywhere from
thirty to one hundred feet thick. Some
of these rents are bridged, and by peep
ing down where the sunbeams shine YOU
will behold ferns climbing toward the
| light. Your first impression is that the
floor is smooth and practically level,
but you soon learn that your zig-zag
western march will carry you over
many steep and frozen lava waves, and
gradually upward toward the active
lake of fire, which is four hundred feet
above the lowest eastern floor of the pit.
On this side and that are deep ravInes
and sulphur-colored holes, once putting
with expanding vapors, but now at rest
/ X
warmer under your feet, while steam
and sulphur fumes escape through
occasional blow holes and gigantic
cones.
"What is that heap over yonder2"
asked the guide.
"Those are the ruins of the telephone
house" he replied, (which was burned
in lava flow last week.
A close view shows that a telephone
wire terminates by pile of ashes near
a fresh flow. A torrent of rcd-hot lava
recently passed over the lakes edges
and the telephone house was immediate
ly consumed amid it's boiling waves.
This spot is two and one half miles out
on the journey to the lake.
The old trail was now abandoned, for
here and there it had been obliterated
by river Of lava flowing over it, cooling
and forming into pools which were so
convoluted as to suggest great coils OF
rope. The guide led the way, armed
with testing pole ten or fifteen feet
long. Every tourist was provided with
a substantial cane, and the guide said :
eve are now getting into the second
pit. Do not get scared, but follow me
Step where step, and strike the spot
Immediately before you with your stick
10 see whether III VIII nOlu you. IL you
fall do not touch the lava with your
hands, for it is as sharp as glass"
We did as directed, and the entire
party, consisting in part of women, fol-
lowed us by gradual descents into a
second crater about ten feet below,
whose floor was perceptibly thinner and
closer to the fire, as indicated by an in-
crease OF heat which could be felt
through our shoes The course was still
a little to the southwest, though very
crooked for the entire half-mile leading
us to the edge OF the lake-now about
two hundred feet above us.
CONTINUED To-morrw.