The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-05-01


:. ended invariably in isnominious fail
urs. AT such times an amused express
sion lifted across the shrewn counte-
( nance o. our guide. as be. without a
moments hesitation. moved into the
: trail and We quietly followed l say
euistly saYissdly. for all our faculties
were now concentrated in the occu-
: ration o. breathing and looking toward
I the eyer-Gistant summit smoke. At last
, strsr five hours Of toll we rode through
! : rude gateway formed By two gigantic
: masses OF upheSyed lava rock, and
reached the edge OF : rough pail. from
. which We looked ost upon
Z The Summit.
: Before Us lsy rugged plain about two
miles in diameter. Of black laws, over
: laid in many places with fields Of brown
} a-a. and everywhere torn into unhesrd-
OF shapes by the fierce power tina, had
upheaved the whole. To our right rose
a remarkable monument or pillar show
ing black against the sky. On every
hand yawnsd deep crevices. and spent
waves OF lava had dashed together in
myriad shapes and so eougesled. Hur-
rying on as well As we were able, we
?. finally reached eul-de-sae formed by
3 branching IA Tow. and here we dis
I mounted and teShered our animals for
4 the night This done, we took our way
I 500 yards over 4 narrow strip OF rugged
I lava. and all AZ once stood upon the
edge OF the
Crater OF Mokuaweoweo.
There before US ar our feet, as it were.
yawned terrific ehasm, with black
! perpendicular walls carrying the eye
iIky blackness Of the lower basin, there
sprung up in glorious sparkling light, |
seh-born. mighty fountain of clear
molten lava
Referring TO the diagram published |
herewith, the reader will find that we
reached the erater's edge on the eastern |
side az the point marked by the outline |
OF tent The ancient walls that en-
circle the pit. marked 4, on our side |
fell perpeudiculsrly about five hundred |
feet, while on the opposite or western /
side they ran down nearer eight hun
dred. 10 where the plateau marked B |
formed floor 10 the crater, broken
down again 70 form the pit marked c. |
The general shape OF the central crater,
NokuaweOveo, was an irregular elipse,
rather more than three-quarters of a
mile through the shorter axis, by about
mile and 4 quarter from the dividing
wall marked by dotted line on the left
thar separated il from T, the crater
kDOwu as Pohaku HanaIei. 10 q similar
though not so we'll defined partition
wall on the right hand that Joined 10 it
the crater G. Looking straight across
ard below US az 2 distance in an air
lire Of possibly thrss-QuarJers of mile.
there rose from 4 cone located near the
southwest corner of the lower basin. a
magnificent fountain of liquid lava.
about Seventy-fye feet in diameter. that
sent its volume OF brilliant. sparkling {
molten matter 70 Z height estimated az {
i've hundred feet, in 8 compact and {
powerful Jet The axis of this gigantic
fountain was somewhat inclined toward {
Us. 50 that the descending cascade fell Z
clear and distinct from the upward I
Jet and formed one coutinu- :
Gus fall Of liquid metal, surpassingly &
beautiful 70 gaze upon. Behind this 2
fiery fountain q dark incline OF debris. a
partly thrown up BY the outbreak, and
partly formed by masses falling from i.
he wall against which il rested. reared :
-Self against the steep side OF the era
.ar, and stood out boldly in the intense Z
light from the ineandescent fountain I
II the left, with its base nearly reached :
y the liquid streams flowing out from :
ne lake into which the cascade fell, was =
mother long pile OF debris that reached ;,
o the level OF the plateau B. l should :,
;ay here that the sides OF this plateau :,
OOked TO be about one hundred feet :
ieep 10 where they met the edge OF the :
over basin The basin itself occupied :
about One-third Of the space bounded :;
y the ancient walls Of the crater.
Flowing down the sides OF the symet- =
zeal cone that the falling stream of lava ..
vas rapidly forming, we're many bright
'iTers Of liquid light that. spreading A
Is they flowed away, and crossing and b
eerossing in q Iangle of bright lines,
0Tmed- lake OF riTulets that ever q.
mingling, spreading and in p
erlaefng, presented unique and beau =
iful appearance. On the extreme right
and verge OF this lower basin detached >.
loOls Of fire showed that while a dark :,
rust was forming on the surface, be- :.
leath the entire area OF the basin was :,
,TeTfOEed BY the melted lava
We watched steadily the grand foun- 81
ain playing before US, and called fire. b
Iuently to each other 10 note when some 81
all Jet, rising far above the head OF II
he main stream would carry with it g
immense masses of wflite-hot glowing HI
ock. that as they fell and struck upon :,
he black surface of the cooling lava, 81
Jurst ike meteors in a summer sky.
AS soon as We had reached the sum- n
nit level Of the mountain We heard the n
nufIed roar Of the long pent up gases n
Is they rushed out of the opening thatl a
heir force had rent in the basins solid i
ed And now that We were in full view a
II the grand display, our ears we're fill n
d With the mighty sound, as of heavy =
surf booming il upon a level shore, :.
While ever and anon mingled crash a
md break Of sound would call to mind r,
he heavy rush Of ponderous waves n
.rziUS- rhe rncEr rIf7z that ufr- IA | l.