A more minute description has been given by Professor Lyons as he sat by the brink of the lake in a secure position. "As daylight fades the walls of the pit begin to glow with the reflection of the lurid volcanic fire ; the clouds which the trade wind brings over the crater catch the same unearthly light which brightens with the outburst of each new fountain below. As the darkness deepens, the light from the lava jets and surges becomes fairly dazzling to the eyes, and the action is kept up almost without intermission, now at one point only, again along half the circumference of the lake, or over areas of an acre or two in the center. There were certain lines along which the ebullition would take place repeatedly, sometimes continuing hours together, sometimes only momentarily at somewhat regular intervals ; the lava would be thrown to a height of fifteen to thirty feet, small clots, appearing like sparks, shooting often to double that height. The peculiar sullen or angry roar of the fiery surf could be often distinctly heard and was at times startlingly loud. Frequently, too, the radiated heat could be distinctly felt when there was an unusual outburst.
"The crust which by daylight had appeared to be uniformly black is seen in the night to be crossed with a net work of cracks and fissures through which the light of the glowing metal can be seen. These appear sometimes simply as sharply defined lines, forming a more or less intricate pattern, which is, however, momentarily changing. This is when the lava crust is under no particular tension. Again the lines of light will be seen perhaps sharply defined on one side but shaded through tints of red to darkness on the other, the effect being produced by a force drawing the crust bodily away from the crack on one side. Frequently a crack will be shaded in this way on both sides, and, will presently divide into two parallel lines of light which will slowly separate from one another. When the current pushes the crust before it on the other hand, it will yield suddenly, one edge will be forced up and the other down, so that presently the crust will break into blocky which will he successively engulphed. Then a fountain will perhaps suddenly burst through the crust, tossing about its fragments, some of them a ton's weight, like bits of drift wood in the eddies of a mountain torrent. Then at some point the flood will rise above its embankment, and almost without warning a lava stream will begin to flow, becoming presently a river of living fire. The whole pit will be ablaze with vivid light ; the flood will spread until it reaches the foot of the enclosing wall, glowing at first like molten iron drawn from the smelting fur nace, then changing to a lurid red except where the feeding river continues to flow, and so fading until it shows only here and there glaring eyes of fire looking out from cavernous depths. It is as futile to attempt description as for the painter to try to present on canvass anything but a travesty of a volcano." The conditions as above described are shown in the draw ing of Mr. Dodge for August, 1892, Pate 39B.
Explanation of Plate 39B. a. b. c. small fire openings in the floor, which average two hundred and sixty-five feet below two hundred and eighty-three. Diameter of lake N. E. and
S. W. eight hundred and twenty-five, E. and W. eight hundred and forty, S. E. and N. W. eight hundred and ten. Diameter of Halemaumau N. and S. 2,500, E. and W. 2,25o, N. E. and S. W. 2,340, N. W. and S. E. 2,40o. The ledge south of the lake seems to be the precursor of a ridge developed later.
Sept. 28, 1892. E. P. Baker. Went to molten lava ascend ing the rim. No large flows from it. Lake higher than before ; about two hundred and forty feet down.
Jan. 9, 1893. Lake eight hundred and forty feet long, eight hundred and twenty-five feet wide ; the rim two hundred and forty feet below top of cliffs, which are about sixty-five feet high and rise twenty-five feet above the hot circumambient black ledge. Is rising from accretion not elevation.
Jan. 26. Rim broken in a dozen places, and lake lowered twenty-five feet.
Feb. 1. Height of cliffs said to be one hundred feet.
May 14. Charles Nordhoff. In January, 1873, one had to ascend a hill to reach the lake ; now there is an ugly descent of perhaps fifty feet and then a slight climb to reach the lava. Action less mild than before.
June 20. E. P. Baker. Lake one hundred feet below banks, or one hundred and forty feet lower than at previous visit.
July 29. W. R. Castle speaks of the lake one hundred to one hundred and seventy-five feet down, which has built a rim about itself thirty-five feet high. The rim gives way and the lava falls a foot; then rises from accretion and then falls again. Every outburst of lava accompanied by fumes of sulphur.
Aug. 4. Lake full to the brim.
Dec. 25. W. Goodale. Since 1847 the uprising of the whole floor has been the noticeable feature of the volcano, and after every breakdown the lava comes back to Halemaumau. This word means "the fixed, lasting, unchanging, everlasting, ever continuous, house." No sense in saying "Fern house" or "House thatched with ferns ;" any such structure was back of the Volcano House. (Westervelt.) No Hawaiian has ever written the name Halema'unia'u ; and they call the Caldera Ka lua o Pele "The pit of Pele." Jan. 8, 1894. Entire lake very active ; tending to fill the pit.
March 20. F. S. Dodge. Whole pit filled up. Lake eight hundred by 1,200 feet, two hundred and eighty-two feet below Volcano House. Has risen two hundred and forty feet in nine teen months.
March 21. The north wall suddenly elevated eighty feet above the lake. J. M. Lee.
March 26. W. R. Castle. Entire lake in condition of in tense agitation, spouting and boiling with lava flowing over the sides. Suddenly on the west side stones, lava and dust thrown high into the air with spouting columns of fire, and in less than five minutes the north bank was tilted up to a height of one hundred feet, leaving an abrupt wall over the lake with a steep, broken slope toward the north. It appears to have been lifted up by lava pressing from no great distance below, and a stream has constantly emerged from the northeast slope of the hill ever since. Much more steam than usual comes from all the cracks, even up to the sulphur banks.