HALEMAUMAU.
Halemaumau is always the place where the fire is to be seen. It might be called the core or nucleus of the volcano. While the pools of lava may appear elsewhere when the discharges are profuse, the fire will be seen only at the bottom of the pit when it is nearly extinct. The number of the lakes is variable. When it exceeds unity it is not easy to select the particular one which represents the chief avenue of the flow. As a matter of convenience I will present a resume of the history of these lakes of molten lava. The earliest account is rather indefinite. In 1825 Mr. Stewart is more precise.
1825—Size of lake, i mile wide ; observer, C. S. Stewart. 1838-3,000 by i,000 feet ; W. P. Alexander.
1834-3,570 by 2,100 and 657 feet in diameter ; D. Douglas. 1838—Five 12,000 square feet each, one of a million square feet ; Count Strzelecki.
1839—One by one-half mile; John Shepherd.
1840-1,500 by 1,000 feet ; Captain Wilkes.
1846-2,400 by 2,000 feet ; Rev. C. S. Lyman.
1848—No fire; T. Coan.
1849—Size of lake not stated ; T. Coan.
1855-400 by 25o feet ; T. M. Coan.
1857-50o feet in diameter ; T. Coan.
1862-600 feet in diameter ; T. Coan.
1864-80o feet in diameter ; W. T. Brigham.
1865-1,000 feet in diameter ; W. T. Brigham.
1866—Flood of lava two miles long; T. Coan.
1867—Eight lakes ; A. F. Judd.
1868—Twelve lakes just before eruption ; C. E. Stackpole.
1868-3,00o by 1,50o feet, no lava after eruption ; T. Coan. 1869—Three lakes; H. Bingham 2d.
I870—Variable.
1871—Variable.
1872—Two lakes ; D. H. Hitchcock.
1873—Two lakes each 500 feet in diameter ; Charles Nordhoff. 1874—Four lakes, largest 600 feet ; J. W. Nichols.
1874—Four. Southern called Halemaumau, 30o feet. Lake Kilauea, 800 feet. A third 500-600 feet diameter ; H. M. Whit ney.
1875—Four lakes ; Challenger Expedition.
1878—Halemaumau, 40o by ioo. Lake Kilauea too hot to be approached ; C. J. Lyons.
1879—Lakes disappeared in April, two in July ; W. H. Lentz. 1880--Halemaumau, 40o feet broad and ten others ; Rev. J. M. Alexander.
—Four lakes, average length 1,000 feet ; W. T. Brigham. 1881—Four lakes; W. W. Hall.
1882—New lake, 48o by 30o feet. Halemaumau, loofa by 600 ; C. E. Dutton.
1883—No changes ; C. H. Hitchcock.
1884—Both lakes enlarged; W. R. Castle.
1886—Lakes unusually full just before breakdown ; E. P. Baker. i888—Central pit, Dana lake and small pools. Conditions the same as in 1886; F. S. Dodge.
1894—Highest lake in whole history, 800 by 1,200 feet; L. A. Thurston.
1907—Return of molten lava after long periods of slight ac tivity, Li.00 by 80) feet ; L. A. Thurston.