The Pulaskian., 1921-06-30
Rom n o Q nd
 For the
 PuldSkiQn

mail service al Sehofield Barracks. Hawaiian Islands. The very interest ing collection of shells, etc, were re- eeived and are highly appreciated:
 May 10, 1921. My Dear Mir. Beck:
 1 suppose ere this that you have about concluded that 1 had gone the way of the world and succumbed to the unconeealed forms of some of these Hula Hula widows. But such is not the case, and l can only use in explanation that hackneyed phrase, ..Too much work" Fact of the busi- ness Is I took charge of store here for the Service Club and ii took so much of my time that I have neg. lected my correspondence to such an extent can never hope to catch up again.
 But tiring of the extra work I gave 1t up and took a few days vacation to the island of Hawaii and incl dentally to see the volcano. This very fascinating and terrifying phe- nomena l shall not attempt to de- scribe. It is past all adiectives and you simply sit in fascinated awe and watch this boiling, seething mass of fire and molten rock boil and tumble in cascades and flow in swift rivers through tunnels of glowing lava, and thrown high into the air are hurled seintillating bombs and fountains of liquid fire play across the seething masses. Gases and yapors rise in clouds, obscuring the view by day and suffoeating you if you happen to be too much to the windward.
 Just before we were there, the en. tire top of the pit lifted over two hundred feet, pushed back with ir- resistible force the top rim of the crater and started one of those over flows which periodically break forth and often run into the sea, affording a spectacle beyond description.
 happened to the good luck to get travelling man who was on his in itial trip around the island, and he took me along if would buy the gas and oil. Did 1 go? We'll, you can bet did, for ordinarily 1t would cost about SIPS to make the trip, includ- ing the volcano. In this trip we trav- eled about $50 miles and saw some wonderful and picturesque country. We went through the great Kona Cof- fee region and crossed numerous lava flows which in the past 100 years have belched forth from some of the mountains and literally de stroyed everything in the path of the flow. These are both fantastic and interesting, as with a flood of fire they sweep everything in their path to the sea and forests are destroyed and all timber adjacent to the flow Is killed by the heat and gas. Some of these are miles wide and the lava is in all forms and shapes. Most of the eoloring is like the specimens l send you. The most of these speci- mems are from the very recent flow and 1t was hot, when l picked them up as we walked up to the crater.
 The sulphur specimen is from the sulphur banks, where the gas and steam come out, near the hotel on the brink of the main volcano. The sulphur forms crystals as you sec and has built up terraces near the cracks from which issue the sulphu. rious vapor and gases.
 l l will send you later some of Pele's Hair. This is fine spun glass which is blown by the wind and is thrown out of the crater during the erup. tions. One finds it in all crevices near the volcano and 1t resembles hair so much that only handling can