The Hawaiian Archipelago - Six Months Among The Palm Groves, Coral Reefs, And Volcanoes Of The Sandwich Islands By Isabella L. Bird
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The Jets, Which For Long Had Been Playing
At A Height Of 300 Feet, Suddenly Became Quite Low, And For
A few
seconds appeared as cones of fire wallowing in a sea of light; then
with a roar like the
Sound of gathering waters, nearly the whole
surface of the lake was lifted up by the action of some powerful
internal force, and rose three times with its whole radiant mass, in
one glorious, upward burst, to a height, as estimated by the
surrounding cliffs, of six hundred feet, while the earth trembled,
and the moon and stars withdrew abashed into far-off space. After
this the fire-fountain played as before. The cold had become
intense, 11 degrees of frost; and I crept back into the tent; those
words occurring to me with a new meaning, "dwelling in the light
which no man can approach unto."
We remained in the tent till the sun had slightly warmed the air,
and then attempted to prepare breakfast by the fire; but no one
could eat anything, and the native from Waimea complained of severe
headache, which shortly became agonizing, and he lay on the ground
moaning, and completely prostrated by mountain sickness. I felt
extreme lassitude, and exhaustion followed the slightest effort; but
the use of snow to the head produced great relief. The water in our
canteens was hard frozen, and the keenness of the cold aggravated
the uncomfortable symptoms which accompany pulses at 110 degrees.
The native guide was the only person capable of work, so we were
late in getting off, and rode four and a half hours to the camping
ground, only stopping once to tighten our girths.
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