At about two thirty or so they came back to the shore again and Uncle Will had such terrible cramps in his legs he could hardly stand. They said that they only went to the nearest place from which the smoke was coming. It was so hot underfoot they had to keep going, it was impossible to sit down or rest because of the heat. So when they finally reached it after much climbing and walking, there was only time to take some samples, make a few notes, test the gas, and return.

Uncle Will named the two volcanoes Mt. Williams and Mt. Whiton, after Mr. Harrison Williams and Mr. Henry D. Whiton, two gentlemen who helped most in making the Arcturus trip possible.

The volcano was erupting on the slope of the mountain, not on the top, and there were many other little places from which smoke and cinders were coming through besides just the one big crater. At night when the fire [[44]]showed more in the dark it looked like trains of brightly lighted cars running down the mountain side.

Next day I went ashore with Betty and Lin. I saw three sea lions, two huge crawfish, or speckled lobsters, many sharks, and lots of different kinds of small fish. I stayed right in the little bay because it was so hard walking around on the lava, which was just like clinkers.

This day the groupers, big heavy rock fish, were so hungry they even attacked the moving propeller of Bill’s evinrude engine and when he shook his sock at them they actually grabbed it. I would not want to jump over near that shore. I believe the big groupers would attack a man. We saw more big devil fish jumping near here than at any other place. And the crew hooked several sharks. [[45]]

[[Contents]]

A DAY ASHORE

[[47]]

When I go ashore I usually take a net for fish or butterflies and bottles in which to put insects, a canteen of fresh water, a helmet to keep the heat of the sun from my head (and in the tropics this is very important, especially to protect the back of the neck from the sun). Also I like to have a gig or spear with which I can get some of the kinds of fish which do not bite at bait.