26th. Next morning, at sun-rise, the Thermometer was at 26° and the air was excessively keen and piercing: we made a scanty meal on the remainder of our provision, before we set out, but for want of fuel, had the greatest difficulty in getting our chocolate boiled, though we burnt mats and everything we could think of. Those of the natives who appeared less able to withstand the cold or further fatigue were sent down to the Encampment, and at the same time we set forward with the rest of them, up the Moun tain, carrying with us the remainder of the liquor and a few Cocoa Nuts as our only resource of refreshment in case of emergencies. As we went on we soon found the ascent become less steep and everywhere chequered over with large patches of snow which was so hard that we walked over it with ease, and we marched a pretty quick pace to keep ourselves warm. We found the sum mit of the mountain nearly flat for several miles, strewd over with huge lumps of loose lava, and here and there deep snow. About 11 in the forenoon we arrived at the mouth of an immense crater at least three miles in circumference, and looking round us we conceived the western edge of it to be the highest part of the mountain. I was therefore desirous to make that the place of observation with the Barometer, but being on the south side of the crater, to get to this eminence we had to cross over a large hollow full of hideous chinks and chasms in all directions, and strewd over with large masses of broken and peeked lava in ir regular piles, exhibiting the most rugged and disruptive appear ance that can possibly be conceived. Mr. Howell's shoes being already cut and torn in pieces with the lava, and his strength being much exhausted with fatigue, he declined attempting this dreadful place : we therefore left him and the natives on the South side of it, to wait our return, while Mr. Baker, Mr. Mc Kenzie, and myself, and the servant who carried the Barometer, crossed over this rugged hollow after a hard and persevering struggle, and by noon got to the highest part of the mountain, on the western brink of the great crater, where I observed the Baro meter and found the Quicksilver stood at t8in 4o pts, and that on board 'The Discovery' at Karakakooa Bay, observed at the same instant of time, was found to be in 3oin i6pts so that the difference is IIin 76pts, which will make the height of this im mense mountain 13,634 feet above the level of the sea ; but it is necessary to observe that the correction for the temperature of the atmosphere has not been allowed for in this calculation nor at any other station upon the mountain, which will make some difference in the result of the observations. The Thermometer here was at Mowna-Kaah bore by compass North by East of us ; Highland of Wowee North West by North ; and Whararai, which appeared under us like a hilloc, bore North West by West. I regretted much not having a spirit-level or some
other instrument to ascertain whether this mountain or Mowna Kaah is the highest, though from the Peak of the latter being at this time more whitened over with snow, I am inclined to think it would have the pre-eminence in this respect, to Mowna-roa. The sides of the Crater (which was, as near as we could guess, about a mile in diameter), were quite perpendicular and, as we conjectured, about 400 yards in height, all around, excepting op posite to the hollow already mentioned, where the height was much less: the bottom of it was quite flat, being filled up with lava with a wavy roughness on its surface, apparently in the state in which it could in this immense furnace. At the edge of it we observed some smoke in two or three places which we con ceived to issue from hot springs, as on our way back to the party we visited the entrance to a cavern out of which there issued a very hot stream. In undergoing our struggle again across the rugged hollow we all felt less or more exhausted with fatigue, but Mr. Baker in particular became so weak and faint, that we were obliged to stop for him two or three times till he recovered his strength, and when we came back to the place where we left Mr. Howell and the natives, we found only two of the latter in waiting for us, faithful (poor fellows) to their trust, though shivering with the cold at the risque of their lives, and patiently enduring the pangs of both hunger and thirst ; but when they informed us that Mr. Howell and the rest of the natives had gone off for the encampment, and had carried away with them the small quantity of liquor which we had carefully preservd for emergencies, it sounded like the knell of death in our eyes, and we could not help blaming Mr. Howell for thus deserting us ; but the absence of our cordial, on which we had built our only hope of cheering comfort to enable us to go through the long journey still before us afflicted us most : thus overwhelmed, spiritless & faint, we threw ourselves down upon the bare rocks and for some moments revolved our melancholy situation in silence. The distance we were from the party, which was considerably more than half the height of the mountain ; the ruggedness and steep ness of the declivity ; and our weakness and inability to undergo fatigue without some miraculous support, all obtruded themselves on our minds in the most gastly shapes. On further enquiry we found that our trusty friends had still a reserve of three Cocoa Nuts : the liquor of these we gradually sipt and it greatly revivd us, and after eating some of the kernels which were carefully divided amongst us, we set out on our return to the encampment where we were so fortunate as to arrive safe at ten at night, after the most persevering and hazardous struggle that can possibly be conceived.