The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-09-03

Just then as if to pave the way for
your horrible fate a cracked phono-
graph is heard in the captains cabin,
playing Nearer, My God to Thee!"
and you are never so thankful as when
greasy coated old Chinese cook is
sues on deck with a broad grin just
perceptible by the dim light of sooty
lantern swaying in the middle of the
deck canopy, and generously provides
you all with thick white cups of i'm
possible coffee and thick ham sand
wiches made of coarse grained bread.
Nobody sick, eh?' he says in quick
uncertain accents. mot yet, Ell? Good.
good" he grins as he hurries back to
the galley.
You have drunk the connection in
the thick white cups, regardless of its
flavor, because it was hot and COM
forting, and you are thoroughly chill
ed by the spray which has soaked
your thin white clothes. And after a
sailor has tautened down the side avn
ings of canvas which offer but slight
protection, you spread out your rug
and lie on the hard narrow little wood
en- bench, nailed fast to the deck, and
wrapping yourself in it, desperately
clutch the edge of the rail and incre-
dulous, as it may seem, fall into a
heavy slumber. So, it seems we can
accustom ourselves to anything in
I time.
When at last you rouse yourself
from what you suppose has been but
short nap, your bones aching from
the discomfort of your uneasy couch,
you discover with not little surprise,
mingled with relief. that the sea has
considerably subsidized, and that in
place of tossing and humping and
heavily pitching, the little steamer is
advancing over a gentle swell. The
channel had been left far behind, and
even in the dim darkness you are
aware of the protection of land.
Suddenly a strange unearthly sight
causes you to gaze steadily ahead, at
an immense orb of living crimson rest
| ing on the horizon, and with a start
! you realize it is the volcano of SaVaii
one Of the great wonders of the world.
! You are fascinated, and, sitting UP
with your rug wrapped round you, yotI
gaze steadily at the phantasmagoriA,
wondering at what moment some won
derful seismic CONFUSION will trans
pire.
The burning crimson orb glows and
/ glooms steadily in a vital sea of fire
and overhead the black smoky clouds
are deeply dyed in blood red, scarlet
! and saffron, fading away on all sides
into the black night
With a yawn your veteran neighbor
rouses himself and sits upright, pull
ing down his vest and running his
hand over his disheveled hair.
81 guess you find this trip pretty
trying, Miss" he exclaims not unkind-
ly. It's hard even on me that's used
to roughing it, but for lady"
You remark that you are happy the
worst is over, hoping it is not going to
Inconvenience him to tell you the time
1T is exactly 3:16, and if nothing
goes wrong you will find yourself an,
chored in Apia harbor at seven o'clock
at the latest"
"See Savaii over yonder, Miss?'
your companion asks. Ever beer
over to see the volcano yet? Oh, you
mustn't miss that, it's wonderfully in
teresting. Why, for thirty-six miles
Miss, a rockbound coast is forming
= which in time will make passage i'm
possible" He tells you that the lavf
flowed, at it's first outbreak, right int
native village and the people fec
in terror of their lives. Even nov
when the lava finds a cleaner Quite
= 1t says down into somebody's CHECKER
! yard and the owners must seek field
and pastures new.
LAS soon as daylight comes" he con
I cludes, you will be able to see tn
3 steam, Miss, which rises out of tn
D sea for eight miles after the red no
l. lava has flowed into the ocean bed.
: But when daylight does come Greer
t ing over the seascape you are alread
Y receding from Savaii, and the neares
a approach has passed.
It And yet true to the prophecy tn
path of the submerged lava for a lone
e long distance is betrayed by the heav
4 clouds of pure white steam whic
+ hang over the sea like a pail.
: AS your steamer is rounding Ma
b tautu point and energies into calm wa
/ ter which is protected from the ope
sea by reefs, you descend the stee
- dark stairway into a cramped cabi