roughing it-第92部分

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exactness。　　The　gradual　narrowing　of　the　wall　from　the　base　upward　is
accurately　preserved。

No　cement　was　used；　but　the　edifice　is　firm　and　compact　and　is　capable　of
resisting　storm　and　decay　for　centuries。　　Who　built　this　temple；　and　how
was　it　built；　and　when；　are　mysteries　that　may　never　be　unraveled。
Outside　of　these　ancient　walls　lies　a　sort　of　coffin…shaped　stone　eleven
feet　four　inches　long　and　three　feet　square　at　the　small　end　（it　would
weigh　a　few　thousand　pounds）；　which　the　high　chief　who　held　sway　over
this　district　many　centuries　ago　brought　thither　on　his　shoulder　one　day
to　use　as　a　lounge！　　This　circumstance　is　established　by　the　most
reliable　traditions。　　He　used　to　lie　down　on　it；　in　his　indolent　way；　and
keep　an　eye　on　his　subjects　at　work　for　him　and　see　that　there　was　no
〃soldiering〃　done。　　And　no　doubt　there　was　not　any　done　to　speak　of；
because　he　was　a　man　of　that　sort　of　build　that　incites　to　attention　to
business　on　the　part　of　an　employee。

He　was　fourteen　or　fifteen　feet　high。　　When　he　stretched　himself　at　full
length　on　his　lounge；　his　legs　hung　down　over　the　end；　and　when　he　snored
he　woke　the　dead。　　These　facts　are　all　attested　by　irrefragable
tradition。

On　the　other　side　of　the　temple　is　a　monstrous　seven…ton　rock；　eleven
feet　long；　seven　feet　wide　and　three　feet　thick。　　It　is　raised　a　foot　or
a　foot　and　a　half　above　the　ground；　and　rests　upon　half　a　dozen　little
stony　pedestals。　　The　same　old　fourteen…footer　brought　it　down　from　the
mountain；　merely　for　fun　（he　had　his　own　notions　about　fun）；　and　propped
it　up　as　we　find　it　now　and　as　others　may　find　it　a　century　hence；　for　it
would　take　a　score　of　horses　to　budge　it　from　its　position。　　They　say
that　fifty　or　sixty　years　ago　the　proud　Queen　Kaahumanu　used　to　fly　to
this　rock　for　safety；　whenever　she　had　been　making　trouble　with　her
fierce　husband；　and　hide　under　it　until　his　wrath　was　appeased。　　But
these　Kanakas　will　lie；　and　this　statement　is　one　of　their　ablest
effortsfor　Kaahumanu　was　six　feet　highshe　was　bulkyshe　was　built
like　an　oxand　she　could　no　more　have　squeezed　herself　under　that　rock
than　she　could　have　passed　between　the　cylinders　of　a　sugar　mill。　　What
could　she　gain　by　it；　even　if　she　succeeded？　　To　be　chased　and　abused　by
a　savage　husband　could　not　be　otherwise　than　humiliating　to　her　high
spirit；　yet　it　could　never　make　her　feel　so　flat　as　an　hour's　repose
under　that　rock　would。

We　walked　a　mile　over　a　raised　macadamized　road　of　uniform　width；　a　road
paved　with　flat　stones　and　exhibiting　in　its　every　detail　a　considerable
degree　of　engineering　skill。　　Some　say　that　that　wise　old　pagan；
Kamehameha　I　planned　and　built　it；　but　others　say　it　was　built　so　long
before　his　time　that　the　knowledge　of　who　constructed　it　has　passed　out
of　the　traditions。　　In　either　case；　however；　as　the　handiwork　of　an
untaught　and　degraded　race　it　is　a　thing　of　pleasing　interest。　　The
stones　are　worn　and　smooth；　and　pushed　apart　in　places；　so　that　the　road
has　the　exact　appearance　of　those　ancient　paved　highways　leading　out　of
Rome　which　one　sees　in　pictures。

The　object　of　our　tramp　was　to　visit　a　great　natural　curiosity　at　the
base　of　the　foothillsa　congealed　cascade　of　lava。　　Some　old　forgotten
volcanic　eruption　sent　its　broad　river　of　fire　down　the　mountain　side
here；　and　it　poured　down　in　a　great　torrent　from　an　overhanging　bluff
some　fifty　feet　high　to　the　ground　below。　　The　flaming　torrent　cooled　in
the　winds　from　the　sea；　and　remains　there　to…day；　all　seamed；　and　frothed
and　rippled　a　petrified　Niagara。　　It　is　very　picturesque；　and　withal　so
natural　that　one　might　almost　imagine　it　still　flowed。　　A　smaller　stream
trickled　over　the　cliff　and　built　up　an　isolated　pyramid　about　thirty
feet　high；　which　has　the　semblance　of　a　mass　of　large　gnarled　and　knotted
vines　and　roots　and　stems　intricately　twisted　and　woven　together。

We　passed　in　behind　the　cascade　and　the　pyramid；　and　found　the　bluff
pierced　by　several　cavernous　tunnels；　whose　crooked　courses　we　followed　a
long　distance。

Two　of　these　winding　tunnels　stand　as　proof　of　Nature's　mining　abilities。
Their　floors　are　level；　they　are　seven　feet　wide；　and　their　roofs　are
gently　arched。　　Their　height　is　not　uniform；　however。　　We　passed　through
one　a　hundred　feet　long；　which　leads　through　a　spur　of　the　hill　and　opens
out　well　up　in　the　sheer　wall　of　a　precipice　whose　foot　rests　in　the
waves　of　the　sea。　　It　is　a　commodious　tunnel；　except　that　there　are
occasional　places　in　it　where　one　must　stoop　to　pass　under。　　The　roof　is
lava；　of　course；　and　is　thickly　studded　with　little　lava…pointed　icicles
an　inch　long；　which　hardened　as　they　dripped。　　They　project　as　closely
together　as　the　iron　teeth　of　a　corn…sheller；　and　if　one　will　stand　up
straight　and　walk　any　distance　there；　he　can　get　his　hair　combed　free　of
charge。




CHAPTER　LXXIV。

We　got　back　to　the　schooner　in　good　time；　and　then　sailed　down　to　Kau；
where　we　disembarked　and　took　final　leave　of　the　vessel。　　Next　day　we
bought　horses　and　bent　our　way　over　the　summer…clad　mountain…terraces；
toward　the　great　volcano　of　Kilauea　（Ke…low…way…ah）。　　We　made　nearly　a
two　days'　journey　of　it；　but　that　was　on　account　of　laziness。　　Toward
sunset　on　the　second　day；　we　reached　an　elevation　of　some　four　thousand
feet　above　sea　level；　and　as　we　picked　our　careful　way　through　billowy
wastes　of　lava　long　generations　ago　stricken　dead　and　cold　in　the　climax
of　its　tossing　fury；　we　began　to　come　upon　signs　of　the　near　presence　of
the　volcanosigns　in　the　nature　of　ragged　fissures　that　discharged　jets
of　sulphurous　vapor　into　the　air；　hot　from　the　molten　ocean　down　in　the
bowels　of　the　mountain。

Shortly　the　crater　came　into　view。　　I　have　seen　Vesuvius　since；　but　it
was　a　mere　toy；　a　child's　volcano；　a　soup…kettle；　compared　to　this。
Mount　Vesuvius　is　a　shapely　cone　thirty…six　hundred　feet　high；　its　crater
an　inverted　cone　only　three　hundred　feet　deep；　and　not　more　than　a
thousand　feet　in　diameter；　if　as　much　as　that；　its　fires　meagre；　modest；
and　docile。But　here　was　a　vast；　perpendicular；　walled　cellar；　nine
hundred　feet　deep　in　some　places；　thirteen　hundred　in　others；　level…
floored；　and　ten　miles　in　circumference！　　Here　was　a　yawning　pit　upon
whose　floor　the　armies　of　Russia　could　camp；　and　have　room　to　spare。

Perched　upon　the　edge　of　the　crater；　at　the　opposite　end　from　where　we
stood；　was　a　small　look…out　housesay　three　miles　away。　　It　assisted　us；
by　comparison；　to　comprehend　and　appreciate　the　great　depth　of　the　basin
it　looked　like　a　tiny　martin…box　clinging　at　the　eaves　of　a　cathedral。
After　some　little　time　spent　in　resting　and　looking　and　ciphering；　we
hurried　on　to　the　hotel。

By　the　path　it　is　half　a　mile　from　the　Volcano　House　to　the　lookout…
house。　　After　a　hearty　supper　we　waited　until　it　was　thoroughly　dark　and
then　started　to　the　crater。　　The　first　glance　in　that　direction　revealed
a　scene　of　wild　beauty。　　There　was　a　heavy　fog　over　the　crater　and　it　was
splendidly　illuminated　by　the　glare　from　the　fires　below。　　The
illumination　was　two　miles　wide　and　a　mile　high；　perhaps；　and　if　you
ever；　on　a　dark　night　and　at　a　distance　beheld　the　light　from　thirty　or
forty　blocks　of　distant　buildings　all　on　fire　at　once；　reflected　strongly
against　over…hanging　clouds；　you　can　form　a　fair　idea　of　what　this　looked
like。

A　colossal　column　of　cloud　towered　to　a　great　height　in　the　air
immediately　above　the　crater；　and　the　outer　swell　of　every　one　of　its
vast　folds　was　dyed　with　a　rich　crimson　luster；　which　was　subdued　to　a
pale　rose　tint　in　the　depressions　between。　　It　glowed　like　a　muffled
torch　and　stretched　upward　to　a　dizzy　height　toward　the　zenith。　　I
thought　it　just　possible　that　its　like　had　not　been　seen　since　the
children　of　Israel　wandered　on　their　long　march　through　the　desert　so
many　centuries　ago　over　a　path　illuminated　by　the　mysterious　〃pillar　of
fire。〃　　And　I　was　sure　that　I　now　had　a　vivid　conception　of　what　the
majestic　〃pillar　of　fire〃　was　like；　which　almost　amounted　to　a
revelation。

Arrived　at　the　little　thatched　lookout　house；　we　rested　our　elbows　on　the
railing　in　front　and　looked　abroad　over　the　wide　crater　and　down　over　the
sheer　precipice　at　the　seething　fires　beneath　us。　　The　view　was　a
startling　improvement　on　my　daylight　experience。　　I　turned　to　see　the
effect　on　the　balance　of　the　company　and　found　the　reddest…faced　set　of
men　I　almost　ever　saw。　　In　the　strong　light　every　countenance　glowed　like
red…hot　iron；　every　shoulder　was　suffused　with　crimson　and　shaded
rearward　into　dingy；　shapeless　obscurity！　　The　place　below　looked　like
the　infernal　regions　and　these　men　like　half…cooled　devils　just　come　up
on　a　furlough。

I　turned　my　eyes　upon　the　volcano　again。　　The　〃cellar〃　was　tolerably　well
lighted　up。　　For　a　mile　and　a　half　in　front　of　us　and　half　a　mile　on
either　side；　the　floor　of　the　abyss　was　magnificently　illuminated；　beyond
these　limits　the　mists　hung　down　their　gauzy　curtains　and　cast　a
deceptive　gloom　over　all　that　made　the　twinkling　fires　in　the　remote
corners　of　the　crater　seem　countless　leagues　removedmade　them　seem　like
the　camp…fires　of　a　great　army　far　away。　　Here　was　room　for　the