roughing it-第76章

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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
imagination　to　work！　　You　could　imagine　those　lights　the　width　of　a
continent　awayand　that　hidden　under　the　intervening　darkness　were
hills；　and　winding　rivers；　and　weary　wastes　of　plain　and　desertand　even
then　the　tremendous　vista　stretched　on；　and　on；　and　on！to　the　fires　and
far　beyond！　　You　could　not　compass　itit　was　the　idea　of　eternity　made
tangibleand　the　longest　end　of　it　made　visible　to　the　naked　eye！

The　greater　part　of　the　vast　floor　of　the　desert　under　us　was　as　black　as
ink；　and　apparently　smooth　and　level；　but　over　a　mile　square　of　it　was
ringed　and　streaked　and　striped　with　a　thousand　branching　streams　of
liquid　and　gorgeously　brilliant　fire！　　It　looked　like　a　colossal　railroad
map　of　the　State　of　Massachusetts　done　in　chain　lightning　on　a　midnight
sky。　　Imagine　itimagine　a　coal…black　sky　shivered　into　a　tangled　net…
work　of　angry　fire！

Here　and　there　were　gleaming　holes　a　hundred　feet　in　diameter；　broken　in
the　dark　crust；　and　in　them　the　melted　lavathe　color　a　dazzling　white
just　tinged　with　yellowwas　boiling　and　surging　furiously；　and　from
these　holes　branched　numberless　bright　torrents　in　many　directions；　like
the　spokes　of　a　wheel；　and　kept　a　tolerably　straight　course　for　a　while
and　then　swept　round　in　huge　rainbow　curves；　or　made　a　long　succession　of
sharp　worm…fence　angles；　which　looked　precisely　like　the　fiercest　jagged
lightning。　　These　streams　met　other　streams；　and　they　mingled　with　and
crossed　and　recrossed　each　other　in　every　conceivable　direction；　like
skate　tracks　on　a　popular　skating　ground。　　Sometimes　streams　twenty　or
thirty　feet　wide　flowed　from　the　holes　to　some　distance　without　dividing
and　through　the　opera…glasses　we　could　see　that　they　ran　down　small；
steep　hills　and　were　genuine　cataracts　of　fire；　white　at　their　source；
but　soon　cooling　and　turning　to　the　richest　red；　grained　with　alternate
lines　of　black　and　gold。　　Every　now　and　then　masses　of　the　dark　crust
broke　away　and　floated　slowly　down　these　streams　like　rafts　down　a　river。
Occasionally　the　molten　lava　flowing　under　the　superincumbent　crust　broke
throughsplit　a　dazzling　streak；　from　five　hundred　to　a　thousand　feet
long；　like　a　sudden　flash　of　lightning；　and　then　acre　after　acre　of　the
cold　lava　parted　into　fragments；　turned　up　edgewise　like　cakes　of　ice
when　a　great　river　breaks　up；　plunged　downward　and　were　swallowed　in　the
crimson　cauldron。　　Then　the　wide　expanse　of　the　〃thaw〃　maintained　a　ruddy
glow　for　a　while；　but　shortly　cooled　and　became　black　and　level　again。
During　a　〃thaw；〃　every　dismembered　cake　was　marked　by　a　glittering　white
border　which　was　superbly　shaded　inward　by　aurora　borealis　rays；　which
were　a　flaming　yellow　where　they　joined　the　white　border；　and　from　thence
toward　their　points　tapered　into　glowing　crimson；　then　into　a　rich；　pale
carmine；　and　finally　into　a　faint　blush　that　held　its　own　a　moment　and
then　dimmed　and　turned　black。　　Some　of　the　streams　preferred　to　mingle
together　in　a　tangle　of　fantastic　circles；　and　then　they　looked　something
like　the　confusion　of　ropes　one　sees　on　a　ship's　deck　when　she　has　just
taken　in　sail　and　dropped　anchorprovided　one　can　imagine　those　ropes　on
fire。

Through　the　glasses；　the　little　fountains　scattered　about　looked　very
beautiful。　　They　boiled；　and　coughed；　and　spluttered；　and　discharged
sprays　of　stringy　red　fireof　about　the　consistency　of　mush；　for
instancefrom　ten　to　fifteen　feet　into　the　air；　along　with　a　shower　of
brilliant　white　sparksa　quaint　and　unnatural　mingling　of　gouts　of　blood
and　snow…flakes！

We　had　circles　and　serpents　and　streaks　of　lightning　all　twined　and
wreathed　and　tied　together；　without　a　break　throughout　an　area　more　than
a　mile　square　（that　amount　of　ground　was　covered；　though　it　was　not
strictly　〃square〃）；　and　it　was　with　a　feeling　of　placid　exultation　that
we　reflected　that　many　years　had　elapsed　since　any　visitor　had　seen　such
a　splendid　displaysince　any　visitor　had　seen　anything　more　than　the　now
snubbed　and　insignificant　〃North〃　and　〃South〃　lakes　in　action。　　We　had
been　reading　old　files　of　Hawaiian　newspapers　and　the　〃Record　Book〃　at
the　Volcano　House；　and　were　posted。

I　could　see　the　North　Lake　lying　out　on　the　black　floor　away　off　in　the
outer　edge　of　our　panorama；　and　knitted　to　it　by　a　web…work　of　lava
streams。　　In　its　individual　capacity　it　looked　very　little　more
respectable　than　a　schoolhouse　on　fire。　　True；　it　was　about　nine　hundred
feet　long　and　two　or　three　hundred　wide；　but　then；　under　the　present
circumstances；　it　necessarily　appeared　rather　insignificant；　and　besides
it　was　so　distant　from　us。

I　forgot　to　say　that　the　noise　made　by　the　bubbling　lava　is　not　great；
heard　as　we　heard　it　from　our　lofty　perch。　　It　makes　three　distinct
soundsa　rushing；　a　hissing；　and　a　coughing　or　puffing　sound；　and　if　you
stand　on　the　brink　and　close　your　eyes　it　is　no　trick　at　all　to　imagine
that　you　are　sweeping　down　a　river　on　a　large　low…pressure　steamer；　and
that　you　hear　the　hissing　of　the　steam　about　her　boilers；　the　puffing
from　her　escape…pipes　and　the　churning　rush　of　the　water　abaft　her
wheels。　　The　smell　of　sulphur　is　strong；　but　not　unpleasant　to　a　sinner。

We　left　the　lookout　house　at　ten　o'clock　in　a　half　cooked　condition；
because　of　the　heat　from　Pele's　furnaces；　and　wrapping　up　in　blankets；
for　the　night　was　cold；　we　returned　to　our　Hotel。




CHAPTER　LXXV。

The　next　night　was　appointed　for　a　visit　to　the　bottom　of　the　crater；　for
we　desired　to　traverse　its　floor　and　see　the　〃North　Lake〃　（of　fire）　which
lay　two　miles　away；　toward　the　further　wall。　　After　dark　half　a　dozen　of
us　set　out；　with　lanterns　and　native　guides；　and　climbed　down　a　crazy；
thousand…foot　pathway　in　a　crevice　fractured　in　the　crater　wall；　and
reached　the　bottom　in　safety。

The　irruption　of　the　previous　evening　had　spent　its　force　and　the　floor
looked　black　and　cold；　but　when　we　ran　out　upon　it　we　found　it　hot　yet；
to　the　feet；　and　it　was　likewise　riven　with　crevices　which　revealed　the
underlying　fires　gleaming　vindictively。　　A　neighboring　cauldron　was
threatening　to　overflow；　and　this　added　to　the　dubiousness　of　the
situation。　　So　the　native　guides　refused　to　continue　the　venture；　and
then　every　body　deserted　except　a　stranger　named　Marlette。　　He　said　he
had　been　in　the　crater　a　dozen　times　in　daylight　and　believed　he　could
find　his　way　through　it　at　night。　　He　thought　that　a　run　of　three　hundred
yards　would　carry　us　over　the　hottest　part　of　the　floor　and　leave　us　our
shoe…soles。　　His　pluck　gave　me　back…bone。　　We　took　one　lantern　and
instructed　the　guides　to　hang　the　other　to　the　roof　of　the　look…out　house
to　serve　as　a　beacon　for　us　in　case　we　got　lost；　and　then　the　party
started　back　up　the　precipice　and　Marlette　and　I　made　our　run。
We　skipped　over　the　hot　floor　and　over　the　red　crevices　with　brisk
dispatch　and　reached　the　cold　lava　safe　but　with　pretty　warm　feet。　　Then
we　took　things　leisurely　and　comfortably；　jumping　tolerably　wide　and
probably　bottomless　chasms；　and　threading　our　way　through　picturesque
lava　upheavals　with　considerable　confidence。　　When　we　got　fairly　away
from　the　cauldrons　of　boiling　fire；　we　seemed　to　be　in　a　gloomy　desert；
and　a　suffocatingly　dark　one；　surrounded　by　dim　walls　that　seemed　to
tower　to　the　sky。　　The　only　cheerful　objects　were　the　glinting　stars　high
overhead。

By　and　by　Marlette　shouted　〃Stop！〃　I　never　stopped　quicker　in　my　life。
I　asked　what　the　matter　was。　　He　said　we　were　out　of　the　path。　　He　said
we　must　not　try　to　go　on　till　we　found　it　again；　for　we　were　surrounded
with　beds　of　rotten　lava　through　which　we　could　easily　break　and　plunge
down　a　thousand　feet。　　I　thought　eight　hundred　would　answer　for　me；　and
was　about　to　say　so　when　Marlette　partly　proved　his　statement　by
accidentally　crushing　through　and　disappearing　to　his　arm…pits。

He　got　out　and　we　hunted　for　the　path　with　the　lantern。　　He　said　there
was　only　one　path　and　that　it　was　but　vaguely　defined。　　We　could　not　find
it。　　The　lava　surface　was　all　alike　in　the　lantern　light。　　But　he　was　an
ingenious　man。　　He