The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-31 00:00:00

A magnificent eruption of Mount Etna, the first
which h taken place NW* 1143, was witnessed on the 20th
inst. The scene is described in the fo lowing lettered-
dressed to the Vann .Ikii by one of an English party shout
to ascend its cone just as the fires were vomited forth :
Catania, August 22.
At 8 p.m. of the 2'lth August, a party of English, corn.
d of Captain and Mrs. Hallett, two Misses Sankey, the
lion. Lieut Finch, 68th Lt. Infantry, and Lieut. Rsvenhill,
kl. Engmeers, with three guides, three muleteers, and a
servant, together with 11 mule., left Nicolini, with an inten-
tion of ascending Mount Etna, and taking a shelter at the
Casa logics,. At 11 o'clock the party, in excellent spirits,
risehed •he Bosco, wLere they put an their light clothing.
The wind wr. blowing fresh from the westward, so much
so indeed that the guides penmaded a small Italian party to
defer their ascent till the morning, bet could not succeed
with nor friends, the leader of whom had weathered too
many stiff breezes at ace to turn his back on one on shore—
on. therefore, they went.
Passing the Bosco *bout two miles, the huge crater below
Ems, railed the Colossi, glared awfully, and shortly threw
up large bodies of fire and smoke. Immediately after Etna
vomitsit forth its fire and ashes, and as the wind set towards
the Cara Ingiese, it was not prudent to seek its friendly
slither, as in all probability It would be destroyed—their
course was therefore dimmed, the Colossi being now the
point to which it was ilir .eted.
The ...ether, which hid been very cold, was ineveuing
in its comtutless intensil, and when our travellers had
got *bore the height of the Casa Inglese, in a narrow defile,
of which sand and small 'mowers: its component parts, they
were overtaken by a hurricane so violently strong, that in
an instant seven malts and their riders were blown over,
and not only sn, but to render the *mac more terrific, it
was afterwards found they were Ilown to the very edge of
ilk Crater.

F..r the gentlemen to descend in search of their comps.
Bins. won the result of a moment's decision. At this time
toe was indescribably grand—heaven and earth pre-
sented one ianfleeut g*.are of light—Etna above vomiting
p. sy.illitlTlC &ore—the Culowii ts low L:ching forth its
d. n.e in oat, of stizoki., lurid from the furnace below—the
hue: mountain pour. 4 out front its intiri if prolonged
satianitier—without, the hurricane roared iu all its mighty
asirfal majesty. eianling on lb. it haves and hands,
unable to face the viol. nce of the hurricane, the gentlemen
relight the ladois, who an re cot discovered and collected till
after a worth of twenty minute'. They were then placed
under columns of lava, their light clothing literally blown
etf their backs, and a pyramid of Firing beings was formed
'mind them for their safety and prottetion.
As by magic the teen, soddenly changed. An earth-
quake book the land—up jumped the guides, bawling
their unmusical :lean& Avast, ! (.. Get on, get on !").
WO, broke from their keepers, and were abandoned to
Obit fate—the hurricane ine, eased in strength—the scene
monad was too majesty, for contemplation—too diversified
for d. scripting In ten minutia the little party had fallen
trim aster eabanation °tithe pointed lava. To face the
wool. charged with sant and small stone, was beyond
th.a pow. r. In this lUJIITIOsf two hours passed away,
and mat anxious:3i 4.4 they look fur the approach of
daises

N obis the crater, whieb some of the party mem.
rowny 'Remained, forty small furnaa.i nacre burning aer-
ie., these, as they readied Catania, •V• .0111 to maga.
may, mad one eat nave rimmed to carry destruction to
sane "theme end psytere land., ..hith, ao mParted, bore
seitotialy injured.
Ott• n has the indomitable course' of the faller mei wires
been proved to be great• r then that of am. Ne-
thao this manias couid equal their mom than 1111•111U1.
On ',elfin* forth on their resin., the sharp points of the
lava pre...etrd no nbateelr —eourageosoly did they usidnr-
tea,- char es mile walk, rtgerdlas of all inoonarniestes,
lad r,aehed the Bono at 7 sea , whew, alter an abstinence
rt osNoti boors, a hasty fivenner me a welcome event.
Ater vindinm a few minutes in this employment, they
re,,•...,.,,-4 their jourisi-y by mules. and reacted Nieolini by
anise* they started for Catania, wbien they reached at
in The Italian party wbioh had preseded them had
• il their ohatioacy is proceeding against the opinion
• tf...r vu.dits, SA.I this led to the natural report that they
tier. nylfitlefed With the deed.
Thi ir v ty indeed is miraculous, for had rain sassed, an
Nur happens adore an eruption, they would ham been
washed may : had the wind chsaged they amid have died
mar the sulphur itOleftieltlattal sir. As it gra, the Caba-
l", nut and haJ.ol the rrturn of the brave party es
arts• and women miraculously used from a fearful doom.
.118, editor of the Molls Man add. to the foreimisg..--
"U. learned on Wt•dnesday that thew Caaa Inglese bud
Ste berated—the farm of Brent" dettroyed by the lava,
when however rolled as but •lewly—and the affrighted
Pr... try were getting away as feat ae putaibia from the
r by which they were IDeheeed."

StrAnn ex-director or the Theatre
at obtain. d advances from Me'.... Leroy de
I.:Lerui end Company, lumbers; and as he did not pay all
M thi y %smut a judgment against him for the
ina.oosuarouubting to 147.0t101r. Stare lb.n M. ltonconi
.1•11.1 Madrid, St. Petersburg, and London, and be
messed consult rebla sums by the ezerciwe of h• *ideate.
11.1,b.. • aid aut go to Paris for fear of arrest by the ban•
k."• dusmo• to visit the capital, be in April last, oh.
to.. loon the l'rtudent or the Civil t tribunal an order to
.t Unit his arrest should not be eft tied provided be
so It o..uk to pay at neat 20,0t1Ofr. a yeas from his attains
In 1..iu,1 atm of the d.•bt. Myna... Leroy de Chabrel and
,pp.•lad armies' this decision ; and on Yriday t.
list, alt., oartng liagthened arguinsats, set it sail"