About five hundred volcanoes have erupted throughout history. One such eruption occurred in Hawaii in 1790. That

year, there was warfare on the Big Island of Hawaii. One chief, Kamehameha, had threatened to attack the people led by another powerful chief, Keoua. A large group of Keoua's followers, including women and children, chose to escape the threat of war. During their flight, they marched across one of the most sacred areas of the Hawaiian Islands, the summit of Kilauea. The area near Kilauea, a four-thousand-foot volcano near Hawaii's southern coast, had recently been shaken by earthquakes.

A Terrifying Tale

Keoua's group, unaware that the earthquake activity in the region signaled a possible eruption, camped near a temple dedicated to Pele, the goddess of fire. Later, survivors told Western missionaries what happened to the people who had camped close to Kilauea. It is the terrifying tale...