The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-06-24

. 'Itllhnu NilAth 10 Tue ii'HnN iN'Ihhii'hii
as follows.
Crater Of Kilauoa. Hawaii,
May lC. 1872.
Editor Republican, am sitting on the
lava rocks at the brink Of this greatest
active crater In the world-an odd place
To write a letter. May be Ia a few weeks
II Will be impossible to do this, as the
volcano shows signs OF greater activity
than 1t has shown for several years, and
this ledge of rocks ~ likely to be engulf-
ed and included within the extent of the
main crater. which is said to be 200 feet
deep, and nine miles in circumference.
This statement ! take on faith. as II APP
pears to have no bottom far I can
judge Irom observation. The entire pit
10 filled up with a dense sulphur smoke,
making IL impossible to see even . hun
drsd feet down the sides, We have been
pitching rocks over the edge of the wall
but no sound of their striking is heard.
1t reminds one OF st. Johns description
of the "bottomless pit'-see Rev. chap.
TX. verse 2. We can hear strange noises
like cracking and bubbing. and ocea-
! sionally rocks are heard breaking loose
from the walls, and carrying q long train
| of lesser sounds in their wake. At the
present moment, a strong breeze is blow
| ing the smoke away from US; but occa-
sionally a slight shifting Of the wind per
| mits the heavy sulphur fumes to come
this way, and then we have to retreat
Sitting on this lava bed we are really
within greater crater of less depth, sur
rounded by steep rim of lava rocks
! $50 feet or more in height. This crater
| includes the more active pit. and is nearly
thirty miles In circumference. To reach
/ q III ag...
| house. where we spent last night on
the margin of this larger crater. and
walked across nearly three miles of rough
lava rocks. A stranger to these scenes
regards the path We passed over as dan
eerous. and views with nervousness the
smoking pits by the way. From a thou
sand cracks and "blowholes' in the bot
tom and walls Of this greater crater the
steam and sulphur smoke 10 rising. In
some places. a bit of paper readily blazes
when put into the cracks across the path
you tread, 80 hot to compel you to
step quickly in passing over them. But
| as these conditions have existed for sew
eral years without much change. people
call the shallow portion OF the crater in
active. The pit in front of us. until
four years ago. was full up to the brim
with fiery waves Of lava. that beat against
the iron walls with terrific noise: but
suddenly the bottom fell out" and it
has continued about as at present since
that time. But such a subsistence has
before occurred in its history. Some OF
p these days, according to its habit, 1t will
boil up full of fiery liquid, and spill over
; the sides, and molten river n mile wide
] 20 kissing and cracking over the barren
deserts and green cane fields to the sea,
leaving black desolation and death in its
= path.
= The old tyrant has remained quiet long
err than usual, they say. and judging
from present signs. the volcano prophets
T, say there is likely TO be an outburst
soon. ihe people OF Hio are wishing
for little more activity up here. It pre-.
sent grand sight when the crater fills
: up and people come from all parts of the
= world, and patroniZe the hotels. and the
;. transportation lines reap a harvest.
= liilo Is on the edge OF the bay OF the
:. same name, thirty-one miles away, and
h 1000 feet below us. 1t is n fine littlc
n town, surrounded by a very fertile coun.
1. try, mostly occupied by immense suga,
@ plantations. little railroad runs out
, | seventeen miles OF the way from IIilc
= toward this place, that is. to the end OF
d the sugar plantations at Mountain View
], There YOU take a stage and with a grad
ual climb up q good road, you travel tn,
remaining fourteen miles, through dens,
=, | tropical forests most of the way. to tn,
|
yond the forest surrounded by rather
i barren landscape
u They will tell you, at Hilo, and in mos
L localities, that nothing pays on these isl
ands but sugar Bananas. pineapples
cocoanuts and other tropical fruits tina
II we OF the temperate zone think Of II
"a connection with these islands flourish
but people say there is no home marke
FOR them, and transportation to the main
IT land Is too high.
:: Hilo contains about 1000 white neople
l, 5000 or 1000 Asatics and about oo0 Ia
: nakas. 1t is the chief city of this island
G and next to Honolulu in size and i'm
= portance. But the TRANSFORMATION com
panies all work FOR Honolulu and so ar
range the movement of vessels that II /
easier and cheaper to go from any par
II of the island to Honolulu than to Hilo
AS consequence Hilo has the trade o
only small fraction of its own island
l. and the merchants there are so mike,
:, M in business with the monopolists O
Honolulu that they have not dared L
. oppose them by running an independen
steamer or schooner between their tow
and other ports OF their island But the
have recently started an independent
steamer between Hilo and San Francisc
and propose other like Innovations in tn
n near future. Hawaii is very roug
m country. The building of roads is exceed
lHslS expensive ana the care Tor ther
B. afterward. on account OF the heavy rain
e IL great tax II rains at Hilo 100 inche
= during the year-heaviest IN winter bu
N plenty In summer-but as II general
"a comes in the night, people don't mind
- much. II has a pleasant climate. 6S in tn
~ morning and rs at noonday-rather coole
H. and less oppressive than Honolulu. Y
rs here at the volcano the climate is yer
x pleasant and cool, so that We don't min
"a walk of seven miles during the morr
d ing hours in looking at these wonders
he But We leave now for Naslehu. a vi
10 laee away down near the southern CT
. of the island, about forty miles from her
- We shall then have Travelled almost ~
entire length OF this island within the pa
week, since leaving Honokaa near II
North end