The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1917-12-13

flows, sometimes We would san
under mighty cliffs which tower
ed hundreds of feet above us.
Waterfalls were as numerous as
they were grand and beautiful.
1t was certainly a magnificent
sight to travel with the eye from
the snow capped top of Mona kea
(white mOuntainl over her lava
covered sides, into the majestic
Koa forests, then across the tr0p-
zeal iungles, then over the great
expanse of we'll cultivated cane
fields, and finally to the ocean
waves, which beat against the
fern clad cliffs or gently rolled up
the numerous sandy beaches, to
the coeoanut palms without which
no picture could be typieally trop-
zeal, as with the aid of the ocean
breeze, they nodded and bowed IN
their stately serenity.
About noon we sailed into eres-
ent shaped Hilo bay around which
the city of Hilo is situated. 1t is
the county seat of this island and
about the size of Lewiston. Ii is
certainly a quaint little city with
its tropical setting and oriental
population. We were soon land
ed, met DIR. Goodhue, the physi-
elan whom / was to succeed, load
ed ourselves and belongings into
our auto and ssbeat it" for the
Volcano House, a hotel built at
the edge of the crater of the vol
eano of Kilauea pronounced kill
ow-way-ha). We arrived in time
for o'clock dinner.
After we had finished our first
meal on our home Island of Ha-
waii and put Sol to bed we again
loaded ourselves into the ear and
started ON our journey down into
the crater of the volcano. This
is the most accessible active vol
cano ON earth and the only one
into which an auto can be driven.
The smoke and gases were so
thick and pungent that we were
forced to stop the ear time and
again until the wind would blow
them away so that we could pro-
eeed. The road is elevated above
the floor of the volcano in order
that the hot lava viii not burn
the tires. In time we reached the
''pit" called Halemaumau (pro-
nOuneed ha-lay-mow-mow). The
crater is irregularly circular about
one mile in diameter, the floor of
which has cooled sufficiently for
one to walk over it; but sulphur
Gus smoke and gases and tongues
of flames issue from assures here
and there At a point near the
southern end the continuity of the
floor is broken by the pit
which is a deep hole extending
probably into the center of the
earth, it is about 500 feet In diam
eter and filled with molten lava
which is in constant motion. 1t
streams in one direction and then
in the other, enormous fountains
shoot into the air and fall back
again with an awful roar, islands
viii be formed in the middle of
this frey lake and as quickly con-
sumed in the terrible heat. The
surface of the molten lava some
times comes to the surface and
flows out over the floor of the vol
cano and at other times it receeds
hundreds of feet into the "bowels
Of the earth. " The heat is very
intense. If bar of steel is
stuck into the molten mass it will
be turned to liquid in an instant.
We sat for hours that night fascin-
ated by this magnificent, terrify-
ing, mysterious sight. At late
hour we returned to the hotel
which is situated at an elevation
Of $500 feet. The attendants had
a roaring fire on the hearth which
was appreciated by the guests as
the night air is rather cool at this
elevation.
The next day after a hundred I
mile trip over desolate ancient l
lava flows and more desOlate re-
cent lava flows, through fertil 4
cane fields, over beautiful grass
covered prairie lands, through 4
tropical jungles and stately for
ests, we finally arrived in Kona,
our home district. We still had
to travel many miles through the
coffee plantations where the fam
GUS Kona coffee is raised, the fin
est coffee in the world, before we
reached our new sweet home. We
sincerely hope that many Of our
Nezperce friends viii make this
same trip with the same destina-
ton, and / assure you, you will
be heartily welcomed by the JEFF
freys' family.
Yours truly,
o. A. Jeffreys.