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of liquid fire, another a whirlpool, each flowing at a rapid rate. The heat was so intense, that to go near enough to look down into, or to stand for a moment near it, was to burn our clothes, singe our hair, and blister our skin. We knew not how thin the crust that held us above this fearful cauldron beneath us. We took a hat, held it up before our faces, and ran as near as we dared, to take a peep into the pit. The heat was fearful, and the sight terrible. We made our way onward through steam, smoke, and so much sulphurous gases, keeping to the windward as much as possible. Sometimes we held our breath and for a moment shut our eyes, while we rushed through a jet of gas or smoke. We came to an elevation which was made of blistered, glassy, crisping, congealed lava, and this was the outer formation of another inner depression. We soon found ourselves standing on the edge of another perpendicular, broken lava bank, and overlooking three lakes of liquid, boiling, foaming, seething fire. This was a wonderful sight! The guide said we could not go to them. Mr. Hitchcock had been here many times, and was a persevering, energetic man, and soon found a place of descent. It was dangerous descending, but we were down at last, and standing within five or six feet of the edge of the middle lake, whose liquid red surface was only thirty or forty feet below us. It was so hot that we had to turn and cool our faces; and under our feet was so hot as to oblige us to keep stepping. We stood sometime at this lake, which is called Kilauea Keike, which means child of the Kilauea. This was much like the other, but much larger. There is a current underneath the surface, that connects with the three lakes, and we were walking over it. My pen fails to describe, and words are weak. When I have done my best it is a tame picture. We staid as long as we could, as we must get to the Volcano House before dark. We had walked