The Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1822-1822, 1822-05-04

a Go rolling along "iuc uo0",
OF hrs . aJ the path by which we were
81 apPlo "n. i was then, however. at con-
go dosssS}e distance. and its course was
Ve veg, srsacbing the hermitage We refreshed
N w as we'll as the crowd there as
ours sisS could permit; we then continued,
81 seuee r.. .hortness traversed the lava Chiefly
anu ~ by the eruption Of January 1871 !;
|or'ns socbed the foo. of the cone just where
we s,rs.m was descending; we found It
4 ubont thirty feet wide; it was not liquid
i s but composed Of ashes lgnlted stones
n nd old masses OF volcanic elections,
S on AWAY in IFS course and heated again;
s sr".s lnmps rolled over each other, pro.
S ;T a strange clinking noise; some OF
.Snn, were of very great size, and the
,"sols stream, though descending steep
VIZ VIZ moved but slowly.-Beyend this
ur;ncipal stream; midway up the cone,
ras an opening, whence very large stones
"a ether burning matter were continual.
q ~ tbrn,t out;sthis mouth fed scattered
stream, beyond which was another mar,
row stream, proceeding like the prlncipai
one) from the crater; they both uniteo
1 with the main body in the deep hollow pc
4 low and rolled on towards the road which
lad, from Resina up to the hermitage.
The quantity OF spectators standing by
,be sides of this burning river was asto>
Wishing. we with great many OF the most
adventurous, determined to ascend the
cone. we therefore passed little to the
lett of the great stream, and began to
scramble through the deep loose clnders
and ashes which cover this part OF the
mountain and renders il at times a most ia.
tiguing climb. A little path OF tract tor.
merly existed, in which the guides had laid
masses of lava to facilitate the mounting,
but il was lust IN that line that the present
eruption decended, and we were IN con.
sequence obliged to go up over the SAND
and cinders, in which we stuck up to our
knees, and at every three steps lost one on
an average After most breathing toll,
al an hour and an halt, we found ourselves
with few others, on the edge OF the grand
crater: hence the coup deal was terrihcal-
" sublime; the flames rushed out OF the
mouth and threw themselves in the air in
a broad body TO the elevation OF at least
hundred feet, whilst many OF the hery
stones, few up twice that height; the
flames fell back into the mouth, and then
burst out again, as though impelled by a
fresh impulse, like the blast OF bellows );
in the decent some OF the stones and Jumps
of cinder returned into the mouth, but the
greater parl fell outside the flames like the
lscts of fountain.
= While we were standing on the exposed
side of the crater. very intent in obServa-
ton, all OF sudden tine volcano gave a
tremendous roar; it was like the crash OF
long line ofartillery, and was instantly sue
ceeded by such discharge oi stones as We
had never before seen, at the same mo-
ment the wind, which was very high, gave
an irregular gust, which directed good
part of the stones towards where We were
posted; our situation was for minute OF
two very perlous, but there was no shelter
near, and we stood still looking at the de-
sceuding shower which fell around US; we,
however, happily sustained no other iDJu-
~ thana short alarm, and having some ash
es in our faces by stones which tell near
MS. Two or three gentlemen who were as
cending the cone alter US, were hot quite
so fortunate, for many OF the stones falling
outside of the ridge, rolled down the side
with great velocity, loosening and carry.
iDg with them Jumps of cold lava, some OF
which struck those persons on the legs with
great violence, and nearly precipated one
Of them headlong 70 the foot OF the cone.
After this we thought we bad seen e.
pough, and turned to 60 down; the de-
scent is as easy, as the ascent is difficult;
tbe cinders and ashes slide away beneath
the feet; nothing is necessary but TO step
out tthe quicker the better) to keep ones
equilibrium, and to avoid the fixed or large
stones and pieces of laVa-we were not
more than ten minutes in reaching the
point, whence it had taken US an hour anc
a half TO mount. In coming down, we
were struck with the strange appearance
of the torches OF companies ascending and
descending; they formed pale waVer'ng
line from Resina to the hermitage aud
thence to the cone they were scattered IN
thick and fantastic groups.
On reaching the hermitage, we found II
so crowded that we could not enter, the
large fat around, was covered like crow.
ded fair, by people of all nations, and OF all
ranks, from the beautiful and accomplish
ed countess of Fiquelmont, wife OF the
Austrian Ambassador, TO the Austrian SER
geant and bis wife, who had come to see
the blazing mountain; numbers OF people
had come from the towns and villages be-
low with bread and wine, and fruit and &C.
quivita, all OF which articles seemed in
very great demand.
The motley scene was light by the bright
shvery moon, and the red towering hames
at the summit Of the volcano. We took
some slight refreshment, and repaired
hOmewards in the midst of as gay groups
as ever returned from scenes OF testivity
Joy. When we GOT lower down we found