The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-12-23
BY MRS. AUSTIN N. WALTON.

BY MRS. AUSTIN N. WALTON.
a trip TO Honolulu which does not
include in it's itinerary a visit to the
Volcano of Kilauea would be as in
complete a a dinner from which every
course had been eliminated after the
second.
The twenty-four hour steamer trip
from Honolulu TO Filo, is the most re-
Tuarkable l have even taken. Smooth
as a millDond while travelling along the
shores OF the islands when one prom
enades the deck, exclaims at the
beauty of the sea and sky and with the
witching spell of the tropic environ
Inent upon him forgets for the moment
to comment on the foibles of his fellow
travellers. Suddenly rough and bois-
ferrous as the China Sea in a typhoon
while crossing the channels, when one
fees unceremoniously and without
apology to his stateroom, takes refuge
in his berth and thinks things unutter-
able and then welcome as GASES IN the
desert come the frequent stops at the
different ports. where, while the steam
err lies quietly at anchor, one dresses
and eats his meals with all the COM
fort of a home.
To the sightseer, the ride from HIlo
table scenic paradise taking one
through sugar cane plantations, match
less fern forests complete tunnels OF
cocoanut trees and palms, and tangled
masses of wild roses and honeysuckIe,
and whether the tourist is a scientist
or only novice in the contemplation
of the mysterious workings of nature
he is furnished with abundant food Tor
study and thought on his arrival at the
largest active volcano in the world.
1t was the weird and fantastic rather
than the grim and terrible which ap-
pealed to me, as 1 gaZed over the Drink
of the crater of Halemaumau, into the
fiery depths beneath, where the forces
of nature seemed to be at work as they
must have been at the beginning of
the world thousands of years ago.
have never believed in a literal hell,
nor do I now, after looking into the
crater, butt can understand as 1 never
did before how such a belief came.
Prehistoric man must have seen such
q sight or a flaming hell could not have
been conceived His mind could IN
vent no fate more horrible than to be
hurled into such a pit, and my modern
Imagination can picture no worse, but
still no thought of an inferno as Is
painted by our early theoioglans came
to me as 1 gazed with fascination into
the seething mass of molten lava,
which seemed to be rising from the
very bowels of the earth.
In both cones the lava was flowing
on Friday night and as l watched,
cleaning cracks would open and tns
fiery liquid would take the form of
grotesque figures or curl up and break
like waves, or perhaps run zigzae
through the dark mass like flashes of
lightning, and once a great crack open
ed even wider, giving a deeper ana
more terrifying glimpse into the depth
of the fiery sea.
Measuring the distance with the eye
from the top of the crater on the OPP
posite side to the bottom of the pit, +,
the depth seems very great, but when
1 looked directly down into this i'm
mense pit, with the worlds great fires
raging so fierceIy within. 1t seemed SO
appallingly near that I drew back IN
voluntarily, feeling almost as If my
face had been scorched by a fiery |
blast.
Not a particle of vapor or steam OBJ !,
scured our vision, and as darkness fell |
over the great caldron of burnt, black
ened lava the glow from beneath was
dazzling and every movement of the
flowing streams of fire was plainly TO
be seen. At one spot continuous
spouting and splitting of flame was kept
up with great regularity, and at times
good sized chunks of burning lava
would be thrown to considerable
distance. The whole was accompanied
by the most awful kissing and sizzling
and cracking, which was now and then
varied by the sound of exploding gases,
or intensified by sudden cessation OF
all noise for a second or two, only to
be followed by a sound which seemed
like the rush of the sea.
If everyone could see Kilauea as she
is now / am certain they would agree
with me that there is nothing like 1t
in all the world, and even in a state OF
inactivity, as it often is, it is Well
worth a journey of many miles to see
The entire trip has given me the
most unique experience in all my traV-
els. and all the members of our party
agreed that from the moment the XII
nau left the dock at Honolulu TIL we
came down the gangway of the Mauna
Loa week later. through the coopera-
ton of the officers of the steamship .
company. the owner of the Volcano
House. Mr. Lycurgus, and the splendid
behavior of Kilauea, we had oeen
reated to the very best time of our
ives. Our satisfaction has been COM
olete and our most oft-told tale on
.eaching the mainland will be of our n
rim To Kilauea