Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-03-18
VISIT TO MoUNTvRsuytUs.

lear SLY esterday mornnE, we deter
mined to make a visit to mount Vesuvius and
inquired for guide. An aged man present.
ed himsef with an old paper in his hand.
written IN French. and purporting to he a
certificate from Sir VIM Hamilton, formerly
an English Minister resident ut Naples By
thispaper, it appeared, that the old man had
besa. distinguished as an intelligent and faithful
guide. The old mans son presented another
paper from SIR Williams successor at Naples
of like import in his favor We engaged
the soa--the father was too old to 60
/ On calling for mules, we we're surrounded
in a minute by ttoe,tty with their owners, each
urging us to choose his as the best There
were but three of It's, and the twenty mueteers
became so inapo.tunate aud troublesome, that
we seemed In great danger of drubbing
The whole posse had hemmed us in on all
ssdes--Ihes mules squeezing us, and tn
masters holding the stirrups, and Selling Ms
by the arms and bawling in our ears to mount
left the choice of mule to the guide, and
made rapid retreat ID
The ascent from Portoci to the top OF We
snvius is eight miles. For the first three
miles. the pathway is steep; narrow. rugged
and stony, and cannot be safely travelled, ex-
cept on mules. 1t is walled on both sides,
and passes through fine vineyards Of the
grape that produces Lach,ypa Christi The
next mile passes most of the way, through
| the black lava, that was rolled down during
the last great eruption. After crossing this
lava stream, we assembled very steep hill,
that turns oil the lava on each side, and has
"a not been Overlooked in modern times Near
the height of this ridge you come to white
cottage called the Hermitage, commanding
the finest view in the world. After getting
to the top Of the lofty ridge, on which the
Hermitage stands, we went for mile or so
along pleasant, comfortable road. At the
end of this ridge, wooden cross is erected,
which seems 10 awe the approaching torrent
of lava, that divides and passes off on each
side. Here we descended into the lrightful
valley called a trio del CaUulio. This valley
is barren, covered with lava, rocks, sand, and
substance like the melted matter thrown from
a forge. s 81
Passing part Of this valley over the black
rocks Of lava, we arrived at the steep ascent
to the crater. Here commences the moving
sand, with which the eruptions have covered
the upper part of the mountain. We slid
back at every step, and our shoes, and often
our feet, were torn and burned. Our mules
were Of course left behind, as no longer ser
viceahle. The ascent seemed to me TO form
an angle with the horizon off to 75degrses,
and false step must inevitably have tuiabled
US some distance down on the sharp points of
the lava. When at the top of this laborious
and difficult ascent, we were still quarter Of
a mile distant from the crater, and the re-
mander of tho way lay over an uneven, bro
ken ground, bearing no small resemblance to
the abrupt waves produced by the meeting Of
the wind and strong current of water. The
ground is covered with craggy fragments OF
lava, and the smoke is constantly issuing
from crevices in all directions The surface
near these crevices is covered with sulphur,
alum, and ammonia, ana so hot, IN many pla-
ces. that it cannot be touched with the hand.
When we arrived at the brink ofthe crater,
the wind. veering little, blew the smoke
full upon US, and the stencil Of birthstone was
so suffocating, that we were obliged in
stantly to change our position. The descent
lintothis frightful opening is about one humid
red feet, almost perpendicular The surface
| of the bottom is crust composed entirely OF
| substance thrown up from the abyss below,
over which it hangs, and into which it is of
ten precipitated, when the weight becomes
lponderous. Near the centre of this crust in
the bottom of the crater, appeared the new
lcrater upon the top Of the mound, that wore
the shape Of cone. This mound has been
Horned mostly within thefour preceding days.
land might be 20 or so feet diameter at the
lbasc. and IS in perpendicular height Stand
ling above it at the brink of the crater, at the
nearest point, / could. with my utmost exer-
ltion, but just throw a stone into the burning
Icrater OF the mound. As we were dstermin-
: ed to venture down the abyss, we descended
lon the weather side to avoid the smoke. and
found ourselves at the base of the mound IN a
few minutes.
~ Eye,y thing around US was now terrific