The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-16
Seeing the Big Crater.
(Staff Correspondence.)

| KILAUEA, Feb. 10.--Kilauea Is worti
whether the volcano is active or mac
tice. The old crater, which was tw,
months ago at the height of activity
is now dead; the bottom covered witt
small stones and gravel, can be easily
seen from the brink, and sulphur fume.
rising from open assures give the only
indication of past disturbances.
Kilauea may be dead, but even ther
II is interesting. The crater may be ex-
tinct, but to one who walks or rides
over it at any hour, day or night, it. a p.
pears to be very active indeed. From
| every crevice and fissure volumes ol
smoke and steam and fumes rise, and
in half dozen places the heat is so in
tense that it Is lots more congenial In
a cooler spot.
No one can truthfully say that Hi
lauea is extinct. Madam Pele is only
slumbering. There is always activity
somewhere beneath you, and the smoke
and fire constantly arising give the i'm
| preston that you are walking over an
active volcano. even though you are not
able to see the activity yourself. 1t is
there, and though probably the lava
may be flowing deep down, there is no
telling when an upheaval may come.
And then even without the view of
the lake of fire and the remarka BILE
| disturbances apparent when the vol
cano is active, there is still always
something to be seen. Madam Pele's
kitchen, the hot caves. and the cones
of past disturbances are all interesting
| enough. You can be familiar with Pele
here without running into danger
| There is advance notice of every per-
| formance and it is easy to get to the
| gallery on one side and keep n close
watch on the play. No doubt the view
! of the crater Is magnificent while the
| volcano is in action, but at the same
| time there is also enough to be seen
| when Kilauea is still, to repay you
for the trip a hundred times over.
| The Volcano House people and Hilo
residents complain that Honolulu does
| all in it's power to prevent tourists
| from visiting Kilauea. Perhaps they
do, but it is a mistaken policy Oahu
| has attractions, but after all the visit
| to the volcano should not be overlooked
, IT is the one attraction which Hawaii
. nas, that no other country can offer
| Properly developed 1t is the islands
| most valuable tourist asset You can
get tropical scenery in many lands, but
| a living volcano whether active or in
active Is one thing which no other
, country can offer. And 1t is harmless
always. Pele is always remarkably
| well-behaved and yet she is ready to
| display her charms to every visitor.
II there is no activity there is still al
| ways enough underground disturbance
| to give the tourist an idea of what she
might do If really aroused. And per-
| haps good many people would prefer
! to walk over the black lava beds and
| see and feel the heat and smoke from
| the innermost recesses of the earth,
and be told of Pele's power, than to see
| her demonstrations at close range OF
course the splendor of Kilauea in action
cannot be belittled, but there is always
considerably more to be seen, than sim
ply boiling lakes and fiery lava foun-
dations. Then too every visitor to the
volcano must pass through Honolulu.
And the chances are that the average
tourist who is told that there is moth
ing to be seen outside of Oahu, cuts
short his stay in Honolulu just that
much. A visit to Kilauea is a benefit
not only to the island of Hawaii, but
it means necessarily a longer time
spent in Honolulu, for steamer connec-
tions are seldom perfect. Then too
while the average tourist may tire of
telling of the joys of climate and beau
ties of scenery, he will repeat over and
| over again the story of meal ne
cooked over volcanic fire, or how he
charred his card or pencil in the heat
from the center of the earth, or of the
! caves he visited, where the air was
unbearably hot instead OF cold.
There are things to be seen by the
volcano visitor other than the volcano
itself. The trip to Kilauea must be
made overland and the country is three
fold more beautiful viewed from the
stage than from the decks of a steamer
even though you may be able to en-
joy the latter, From Hllo to Kiauea
there are virgil. forests of magnificent
beauty. Tree ferns enclose the wood
on either side while in the thick un-
dergrowth is a touch of color here and
there. Wild raspberries are plentiful
along the roadside, luscious and red
and good to eat. Wild roses and culti-
waited roses also line the way and the
road Is one of the best in the Islands
a stage runs from one side OF the is
land to the other and it is always best
TO come up by way of Hilo and return
from Honuapo, or from Honuapo and
then back by way of Hilo.
The Volcano House has been enter
tanning scores of people lately, and the
thouse Is kept filled nearly all the time
by Manager Bidgood. While the Gov
ernor was here there was n small marty
OF tourists viewing the volcano, also
n party consisting of Mrs Thurston
/ and daughter, Miss Potter, Mrs Me
/ Stocker and son and Mrs. Walker and
two sons. j. b. and George f. Castle
? are due here with a party of four to-
$ day from the Kona side. and party
of six is coming on the Kinau this
2 , week.
: Practically everything for the table
: is raised here, celery, caulifower, cab