A VISIT TO MAUNA LOA.

Southland Times, Volume 3, Issue 102, 16 October 1863, Page 6

A VISIT TO MAUNA LOA.

(From Once a Tfeck).

There are few volcanic mountains that present a grander spectacle than this, upon the island of Hawaii, in the Sandwich group. Viewed from the sea it is majestic in the extreme, rising to the height of nearly 1-4,000 feet in one huge mass. The summit, not less remarkable for its height than for its peculiar dome-like form, is visible for an immense distance, hut it scarcely toiveys the idea of a volcano. Nevertheless, there is upon the top a crater of enormous siz?, said to he not less than six miles in circumference, and upwards of 800 feet deep in its shallowest part, vast abysses sinking down from that into unfathomable depths below. Other craters, more active but of smaller extent, exist upon tha sides of the mountain, and frequently become the cause of alarm to rhe inhabitants of i he 13' and. The chief of these is on i! c eastern side, known as Kil nea,and h.-.s an elevation of little more than 1000 feet. From them eruptions are of f equent occurrence. As many as iv'n? h ive been recorded during the last se\enty year.';, but none have beer, more remakable tlun one which occurred in 1H5:), although it scarcely exceeded in violence another that to >k place only four years previously. The crater o l ' Kilanea was accurately described by Count Shzelpcki, who visited it as long ago 113 18 58. This observer has remarked in reference to it that " Nowhere does the solution of the great problem of volanic fires by Sir Humphry Davey receive a more palpable illustration than here. The accr-ss of water to the ignited masses of minerals, of alkaline and e.rthy bases, by which that are at. philosopher explained the convulsions of volcanic fire?, ]"--• displayed here in most porte Uous, most awful, effects, It is only to those millions of venls all round the crater through which the superabundance of steam escapes — to the millions of fissures through which the sulphurous and sulphuric acids liberate themselves, thatthe preservation of Hawaii from utter destruction by the expansive fore of steam and gassos can be ascribed." The terrible description of Xilanea, also by Strzalecki, will long give it an attraction to the voyager in the Pacific, and certainly a visit will at all times be well repaid. The c nip 'ion. of 18.39 broke out fir^t on the afternoon of the 23rd of January, and came chiefly from an opening in the northern side of the mountain, at an j elevation of about 8000 feet; but the r crater at the summit was al?o not 1 inactive. The first indication of any convulsion of the kind w is given by the formation of a dense, dark cloud, which hung above the highest elevation, and became denser and morj black, swelling in size, until towards evening a dull, lurid glare shot forth, and two bright streams of lava descended in different directions do.vn tho sid s of the mountain. The news of the eruption travelled fast, and with a few companions I lost no time in finding my way to the scene of action. At a distance of five-and-twenty miles, as n»ar]y as we could judge, the prospect was exceedingly grand. A vast column of deep black smoke was being " shot upwards to a height, equal, as it appeared to twothirds that of (ho entire mountain, while a volume of liquid fire rushed from the eraser in one d.:eprcd mass, and seemed to fall back in beautiful sheets of flame over the rocky crags beneath Lurid streaks of light marked the course of molten lava down the sides of the mountain, and even from the distance ' at which we now observed it we thought we distinctly heard the crashing sound of rocks as they fell from precipice to precipica, and the crackling of vegetation as it withered and disappeared before the all devouring fire. The sijht served only to arouse our curiosity still more, and before morning we had with SOme difficulty tfvt within ten miles of che most active crater. For some timi pyeviousiy we had lost sight of the chief part of the eruption behind a projecting spur of the mountain, and as we came Somewhat suddenly upon the scene at last, the whole party btood in silent amazement and admiration at the gorgeous spectacle that was presented to them. It was now the 3rd of Feburary. For ten days had the eruption lasted, and its violence and terrific grandeur still increased. None who witnessed its effect can ever forget the impression then made upon the mind, nor can words describe the wonderous magnificence of the sight. From one opening of perhaps 1000 feet in circumference rushed forth a volume of fire not less than, from 400 to 500 feet in height, carrying with it huge masses of red-hot rock, which shooting upwards, descended again with a fearful crash, and, hurtling down the rugged mountain steps, came at length to a rest which no earthly power can disturb. On the sides of Mauna Loa are now cold and motionless, many monster witnesses

jto Nature's powers which, upoa the | occasion of this great 'convulsion, took up a station that must continue there till all shall pass away. • For miles around, the rocks were spouting steam, hissiVg and roaring, : .and filling the whole* air with pent-up I gases from the great laboratory beneath ; I while burning streams of red-hot lava ! came rolling onward in stern, irresistible < waves, now plunging in majestic 'grandeur over a deep precipice, or sweeping away the vegetation of the earth and shrivelling \\p huge forest trees in its relent'ess, solemn fury. Our intention at first was to approach(he mountain as nearly as would have been consistent with personal safety, and there to encamp until an opportunity should offer of ascendi-ng ;,and examining'mor^iCarefully the immediate locality of the eruption. But, learning ! that the lava stream had reached the sea a^ a distauce of about forty miles from where we were then located, and recollecting the accounts that some of us had heard of a similar phenomenon that occurred in 1840, we determined to set out at once for the place indicated by our informants. This was a small village called Wainanalii, whosa inhabi- | tants subsisted chiefly by fishing about the beautiful-little bay that fronted their habitations. We took with i; us some native guides and a week's provisions, and 'after a rough and tiring journey reached our destination on the morning of the third day. The prospect was grand but fearful. Wainanalii had disappeared, smothered and swallowed up iv an ovenvhfhniug flood of molten rock, that must have been in some olacesa mile in width. The fatal stream had occupied eight days in passing from the mou.itain to the sea, yet still ii rolled en, hot to redness, |-md irresistible hi power. The first intimation that the unfortunate inhabitants had received was about midnight, when the tumultuous roaring of the fire first warned them of their fate. Many wero surrounded, and perished in the liquid rocks, before they had time to escape, and all who survived saw not only their habitations but their means o/ living taken from thtm. The burning stream came steadily on. The village disappeared. The largest trees fell prostratr, aud were lost beiore the all-devouriuu torrent, till at last, plunging forward with terrible force, it leaped over the last precipice, the very rocks melting before it, and rolled into the sea. The waters yielded, clouds of spray shot up, and steam and vapour filled the atmosphere, myriads of explosions shook the earth, and, with the hissing and struggling .of the waters, zntde known the furious contest between these two opposing elements. Soon the little bay, that had been so short a time before a scene of industry and profit to many, became one sea of liquid lava. The ocean delivered upvdst numbers offish that had perished in the boiling su'ge, and even for ma ly weeks afterwards, as we heard, the waters remained in a state of insufferable heat. We remained in the neighborhood of Wainanalii only one day, and then returned to the mounttiin. By the Bth of February the eruption had become less formidable, and, with a strong party of natives, we prepared to ascend to the crater. This destination we reached on the second day, the first p.irt of our journey having beeu rendered tedious by a want of water. Early on the morning of the lOdi we fuund ourselves in close proximity to the active craters, and from our station, somewhat above them, had a fine view of the locality. The fount of fiery lava had now ceased ; hut, with a crashing-, surging noise, vast volumes of ashes, stones, and solid rock were being hurled from the interior of the volcano in a cloud of smoke and steam. Pouring from the lips of the craters were streams of red hoc molten lava, which waved and rolled and leaped with fiery spray down the mountain sides ; and only half a mile away, vast fields of ice and snow contrasted strangely with the burning sea beneath. We noticed three craters, two of considerable extent, and one smaller, besides numberless holes through which steam and sulphurous gases were violently spouting forth, deadening all other sounds, and poisoning the atmosphere around. In various places, too, were pools of liquid silver, bubbling and foaming wilh a dull jingling sound, as though slowly and sullenly coming to repose afte. 1 the mighty conflict. \\ r e now hastened downwards, and returned home ou the day after our descent, with feelings very different to any we had before experienced, and which, if any would properly appreciate, they must pay a visit in the wild island of the Pacific — to, the truly magnificent Maun a Loa.