ASCENT OF MOUNA HUARARAŤ.

35

in which they travelled about six miles over a rough and difficult road, sometimes across streams of lava, full of fissures and chasms, at other times through thick brushwood, or high ferns, so closely interwoven as almost to arrest their progress.

Arriving at a convenient place, and finding themselves fatigued, and drenched with frequent showers and the wet grass through which they had walked, they proposed to pitch their tent for the night. A temporary hut was erected with branches of the neighbouring trees, and covered with the leaves of the tall fern that grew around them. At one end of it, they lighted a large fire, and after the rains had abated, dried their clothes, partook of some refreshments they had brought with them, and having commended themselves to the kind protection of their heavenly Guardian, spread fern leaves and grass upon the lava, and laid down to repose. The thermometer, which is usually about 84° on the shore, stood at 60° in the hut where they slept.

10th. The singing of birds in the surrounding woods, ushering in the early dawn, and the cool temperature of the mountain air, excited a variety of pleasing sensations in the minds of all the party, when they awoke after a comfortable night's rest. The thermometer, when placed outside of the hut, stood at 46°. Having united in their morning sacrifice to the great Sovereign of the Universe, and taken a light breakfast, they proceeded on their way. Their road lying through thick underwood and fern, was wet and fatiguing for about two miles, when they arrived at an ancient stream of lava about twenty rods wide, running in a direction nearly west. Ascending upon the hardened surface of this stream, over deep chasms, and huge volcanic stones, a distance of three or four miles, they reached the top of one of the ridges on the western side of the mountain.

As they travelled along, they had met with tufts of strawberries, and clusters of raspberry bushes,

loaded with fruit, which, as they were both hungry and thirsty, were very acceptable. The strawberries were rather insipid: the raspberries were white, large, frequently an inch in diameter, but not so sweet, or well flavoured, as those cultivated in Europe or America.

Between nine and ten in the forenoon, they arrived at a large extinguished crater, about a mile in circumference, and apparently four hundred feet deep. The sides were regularly sloped, and at the bottom was a small mound with an aperture in its top. By the side of this large crater, divided from it by a narrow ridge of volcanic rocks, was another, fiftysix feet in circumference, from which volumes of sulphureous smoke and vapour continually ascended. No bottom could be seen, and, on throwing stones into it, they were heard to strike against its sides for eight seconds, but not to reach its bottom. There were two other apertures very near this, nine feet in diameter, and apparently about two hundred feet deep.

Walking along its giddy verge, they could distinguish the course of two principal streams, that had issued from it in the great eruption about the year 1800. One had taken a direction nearly north-east. The other had flowed to the north-west, in broad, irresistible torrents, for a distance of from twelve to fifteen miles to the sea, and, driving back the waters, had extended the boundaries of the island. The party attempted to descend the great crater, but the steepness of its sides prevented their examining it so fully as they desired.

After spending some time there, they walked along the ridge between three and four miles, and examined sixteen different craters, similar in their construction to the first they met with, though generally smaller in their dimensions. The whole ridge appeared little else than an assemblage of craters, which, in different ages, had deluged the vallies below with floods of lava, or showers of

ASCENT OF MOUNA HUARARAI.

37

burning cinders. Some of them appeared to have reposed for a long period, as they were covered with earth, and clothed with verdure. Trees of considerable size were growing in some of them. In the vicinity of the craters, they found a number of small bushes bearing red berries, in crowded clusters, which in size and shape much resembled whortleberries. Though insipid, they were juicy, and supplied the place of fresh water, of which the party had been destitute since the preceding evening. They continued ascending till 3 P. M. when, having suffered much from thirst, and finding they should not be able to reach the highest peak before dark, the sky also being overcast, and the rain beginning to fall, they judged it best to return to Kairua without having reached the summit of the mountain; particularly as they found difficulty in pursuing the most direct way, on account of the thick fog, which enveloped the mountain.

On their return, they found their pocket compass necessary to enable them to retain the path, by which they had ascended in the morning. At length they beheld with gladness the sun breaking through the fog, in which they had been so long enveloped, and, looking over the clouds that rolled at their feet, saw him gradually sink behind the western wave of the ocean. They travelled about three miles farther, when, being wet through, faint and weary, they erected a hut on the lava, and encamped for the night. They succeeded in making a good fire, dried their clothes, and then sat down to partake of the little refreshment that was left. It consisted of a small quantity of hard taro paste, called by the natives ai paa. A little water would have been agreeable, but of this they were destitute. They gathered some fern leaves, which they strewed on the lava, and laid down to repose.

11th. The party still felt unwilling to return without reaching the top of the mountain, and hesitated before they began again to descend; but having

38

DEPARTURE OF MR. ELLIS FROM OAHU.

been a day and two nights without water, and seeing no prospect of procuring any on the mountain, they were obliged to direct their steps towards Kai

rua.

They travelled several miles along the rough stream of lava, by which they had ascended, till they arrived at the woody part of the mountain. There Messrs. Bishop and Goodrich, in searching for a more direct road to Kairua, discovered an excellent spring of water. They soon communicated the agreeable intelligence to their companions, who hastened to the spot, and with copious draughts quenched their thirst. Having filled their canteens, they, with renewed strength and grateful hearts, kept on their way to the town.

Owing to the roughness of the paths, and the circuitous routs by which they travelled, they did not arrive at Kairua till a little after sun-set. They were considerably fatigued and almost barefoot; their shoes having been destroyed by the sharp projections in the lava.

Having refreshed themselves at the Governor's, and united with him and his family in presenting an evening tribute of grateful praise to God, they repaired to their lodgings, somewhat disappointed, yet well repaid for the toil of their journey.

CHAPTER II.

Mr. Ellis sails from Oahu.-Ranai.-Maui.Appearance of Lahaina.-Visit to Keopuolani, queen of the islands.-Native dance.-Evangelical labours at Lahaina.--Traditions.-Mr. E. leaves Lahaina.-Visits an aged English resident in a part of Hawaii.-Description of a heiau.-Arrives at Kairua.-Another native

On the 2d of July, eight days after the departure of Messrs. Thurston and his companions, Mr. Ellis fol

APPEARANCE OF RANAI.

39

lowed, in a small schooner belonging to Keopuolani, bound first to Lahaina, and then to Hawaii, for sandal wood. Kalakua, one of the queens of the late Tamehameha, and Kehauruohe, her daughter, were proceeding in the same vessel to join the king and other chiefs at Maui. The trade-wind blew fresh from the north-east, and the sea was unusually rough in the channel between Oabu and Morokai. The schooner appeared to be a good sea-boat, but proved a very uncomfortable one, the deck, from stem to stern, being continually overflowed. All, who could not get below, were constantly drenched with the spray. The cabin was low, and so filled with the chief women and their companions, that, where space could be found, it was hardly possible to endure the heat. The evening, however, was fine, and the night free from rain.

3d. At day-light, being close in with the west. point of Morokai, they tacked and stood to the southward till noon, when they again steered to the northward, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon were within half a mile of the high bluff rocks, which form the southern point of Ranai. A light air then came off the land, and carried them slowly along the shore, till about an hour before sun-set, when Kehauruohe said she wished for some fish, and requested the master to stop the vessel while she went to procure them among the adjacent rocks.

Her wishes were gratified, and the boat was hoisted out. Kehauruohe and three of her female attendants then proceeded towards the rocks, that lie along the base of the precipice, about half a mile. distant.

The face of the perpendicular rocks in this part of the island indicate, that Ranai is either of volcanic origin, or, at some remote period, has undergone the action of fire. Different strata of lava, of varied colour and thickness, were distinctly marked from the water's edge to the highest point. These strata, lying almost horizontally, were in some places from