The long sweeping
curves of the three great Hawaiian mountains spring from this level.
The huge bulk of Mauna Kea without shoulders or spurs, rises
directly from the Waimea level on the south to the altitude of
14,000 feet, and his base is thickly clustered with tufa-cones of a
bright red colour, from 300 to 1000 feet in height. Considerably
further back, indeed forty miles away, the smooth dome of Mauna Loa
appears very serene now, but only thirteen years ago the light was
so brilliant, from one of its tremendous eruptions, that here it was
possible to read a newspaper by it, and during its height candles
were unnecessary in the evenings! Nearer the coast, and about
thirty miles from here, is the less conspicuous dome of the dead
volcano of Hualalai. If all Hawaii, south of Waimea, were submerged
to a depth of 8000 feet, three nearly equi-distant, dome-shaped
volcanic islands would remain, the highest of which would have an
altitude of 6000 feet. To the south of these plains violent
volcanic action is everywhere apparent, not only in tufa cones, but
in tracts of ashes, scoriae, and volcanic sand. Near the centre
there are some very curious caves, possibly "lava bubbles," which
were used by the natives as places of sepulture.
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