MAUNA LOA, a volcanic mountain which occupies much of the central and southern portion of Hawaii. From the sea it appears domelike in shape, of no great elevation, and -with very gradual slopes, partly covered with forests and sometimes crowned with snow. The top of the mountain is one expanse of lava, in some parts smooth and solid, in others cellular and scraggy. No ashes, rocks or sand are seen. Its terminal crater, called llo Rua weo-weo, is near 15,000 ft in length and 8,000 in breadth, the nearly perpendicular walls of its interior being in 1864 1000 ft. deep. In its quiet period the bottom is traversed by rithres from 10 to 50 ft. high, by deep chasms, beds of smooth lava, and fissures throu.,ga which steam and smoke escape. The crater of Kilauea, the largest known in the world, Is on the s.e. side of the mountain. It is 3+ in. long, 2+ wide, 1044 ft. deep. At the depth of 650 ft. a ledge of black, hard lava from 600 to 2,000 ft. in width has accumu lated around the sides of the cauldron, within which billows of liquid fire toss and rage, Even when comparatively inactive, red hot lava is occasionally thrown up to the height of 60 or 70 feet. In times of eruption a crater will sometimes fill with melted lava and overflow; or the internal fires will make for themselves new vent by forming fresh_ craters; or they will form lava fountains, throwing up continuous jets of molten material, and receiving them anin in their raging depths. A sunken crater 38 ft. deep
by 200 in diameter (called byblieut. Wilkes Judd's lake, from the fact that Dr. Judd, who accompanied him, was overtaken while in the crater by a sudden eruption and. narrowly escaped death) discharged in 1841 by estimate 200,000,000 cubic ft. of lava. An eruption in 1835 lasted 13 months, and discharged lava over 300 sq.m. of territory. In Jan, 1859, three new craters opened in the side of the mountain, one of which,-1000 ft. in diameter, threw up a column of white hot fluid lava from 200 to 300 ft. high, con tinuing to play for four or five days, and illuminating the sea for 150 miles. This crater discharged itself through a subterraneous passage, and a half mile distant came to the surface and leaping a precipice of 50 ft. spread by numerous streams over the slope of the mountain, and reached the sea 40 m. from the crater in five days still at a light red heat. The meeting of the lava and the waves produced a scene terrific beyond imagi nation. The lava continued to flow from January to November.