The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-02-23
Madame Pele Is More Active Than
in Eighteen Years.
THE VIEW FROM THE VOLCANO HOUSE.
A Letter From Captain Julius A. Pal
mer, the Special Correspondent of
the Boston Transcript, Describing
Hawaii's Wonder as il Appears to Him

that to one so experienced as your
good self 1 can say anything new Of
this Volcano, one of the greatest
natural wonders of the earth. AL
though 1 went up on the side where
the road is the toughest, yet there was
no excessive WEAKNESS attending the
journey. We left the sugar mills at
about o'clock in the morning and
arrived at the hotel about half-past 4
in the afternoon, having an hours
rest and an excellent lunch at the
Halfway House. In reaching the
Volcano House, could but think OF
those lines of Shenstone, which per.
haps you will recall:
"Whoe'er has travelled life's dull
round, where'er his stages did
begin,
May sigh to think he still has found
the warmest welcome at an inn."
Before speaking of the crater, let
me say that the hotel far surpassed
my expectations; its high, bold posi-
ton, airy rooms, superb views, pretty
flower gardens, absence of mosquitoes,
and more than all, its genial, accom-
modating host, Mr.. Peter Lee, render
it delightful mountain house, were
there no other attractions. To you
these luxurious surroundings must
form notable contrast to the days
when you had to carry your entire
stock of provisions, economize in
water and camp in grass huts. The
pristine purity of the atmosphere, the
delicious refreshment of the vapor
baths, should commend the place to
those who visit your island paradise
in search of health; / can scarcely i'm
agine an ailment which would not be
cured by few weeks sojourn at the
Volcano House on Hawaii.
But the great marvel of Kilauea! L
shall not attempt description of it to
one who knows it so much better
than 1; you asked particularly of its
remarked that no two occasions
does it appear identically the same.
So now, Mr.. Lee tells me that in the
eighteen years during which he has
been familiar with 1t, he has never
seen it as full as at the present time,
and seldom as active. The lake or
part of the crater which L should call
the basin, seems to me like huge
caldron in which is boiling mass of
dough or hasty pudding; this caldron
has been filled too full, so after seeth-
ing and surging hither and thither,
spouting upwards in its effort to es-
cape the intense beat, it overf1ows its
brim, and pours out sheet of molten
brass over the edge, naturally harden
ing as it recedes from the fervid source
of supply. These flows are so frequent,
so voluminous, and extend to so long
a distance from the fiery lake that 1t
is considered more prudent to content
ones self with view from the high
bluff or from the hotel, especially at
night; indeed, if one desires rest rather
than adventure, there is no necessity
in the present condition of the lake of
leaving your comfortable room, since
the surface is so high that from your
window, you can see the fire-fountains
play, and even distinguish the red-hot
balls or showers OF sparks into which
they burst after reaching their high
est altitude. By day, with Compel
ent guide we rode over the hardened
lava, and those more venturesome
went up by the side of some of the re-
Gently hardened flows and peered into
the seethiDg mass.
Before visiting the volcano, / could
never understand why it was that
even at the seasons of its greatest
activity, Kilauea could be safely in
spected by the tourist, which is true,
| believe, of no other active volcano in
the world. But once on the spot, the
mystery vanishes; the hotel or other
point of observation is above the
dangerous center or vortex of fire, SO
that it might destroy miles of coun-
try, and yet the traveller at the Vol
cano House would not only be free
from the least proximity to danger,
but he might count himself fortunate
in being on the scene, when Madam
Pele was in her most violent fits of
fiery rage.
AS the length of my stay in the Ha-
waiian Islands is uncertain, / did not
feel free to remain there but very
short time. The trip, however, if
hurried as was, should not be miss
ed by any of your visitors, especially
when 1t may be made In one week,
including stoppages. Another thing,
[ was warned to delay it as late as
possible on account of the rains. We
had one severe experience with
heavy fall of water, otherwise no rain
Tor the whole week. Beautiful
weather at the House, the whole
slope of Mauna Loa visible
most of the time. And as between
rain and dust, 1 prefer the former, so,
the great activity of the
crater, the whole surface of which at
night is sheet of fire, should advise
all persons intending to go at all, not
On any account to delay visiting XII
auea in its present condition.
Again thanking you for the privi-
ege of reading your excellent ac-
counts Of your own experience there
IN the past, believe me
Most cordially yours,
JITIITS PALMER IR