The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-05-29
MISCELLANEOUS.
w. From the United States gazette.
EXCURSION TO MOUNT VESUVlUS.
Naples, February 10, 1888.


was splendid; not cloud obscured the sky, and
the sun shone out bright and warm, rendering the
temperature of the air as moderate rs fine pnre
day in Philadelphia. We rode in carriages, five
miles, TO the village of Resna, just at the foot of
Vesuvius and here were obliged to mount
on mules, the road being too rough and the ascent
too great tor carriage ...
The hiring of mules is made regular business
of by the inhabitants Of Resina, and the spirited
competition occasions great annoyance to vsiters,
who are surrounded, the moment they enter the
village, by at least from forty to fifty of these moi
sy Italians--all anxious to be engaged. We Sc
leced guide, of whom we had some know-
edge, and in the course of few minutes were
all snugly mounted. Mounting mule, and rid
ing mule, are, however, in this country quite
different things, as we fully experienced this
morning. for, with single exception, all of the
animals refused to advance a step; and for ten
minutes, the prospect of seeing VeSuvius was ex-
ceedingy gloomy.
During this period OF suspense, our guide and
his attendants, in number, about three TO each an
inal, were by no means idle. On the contrary,
each one hastily provided himself with huge
knottY club, the which instrument were mostdeX-
terously applied, and with no mean force, to the
backs and bones of the poor beasts, in the most
murderous manner possible. The cruelty was
shocking, and despite our renonstrance, contin-
ued, until the animals began to move. The Ital-
ians call this treatment codring, ana it really seems
to be necessary, for the mules well accus
toned to it, that they will scarcely ever move off
without it. Added to this demonstration offorce,
against the poor beasts, were the shouts, screams
and vocifemtions of the Italian drivers, and an
immense crowd of LazzaroneS, whose 9iscordaut
yeipings almost deafenrd us. The whole scene
was ludcrous, beyond description.
We Iourne Jed on the mules three miles, dur
inc which we overcome some sharp ascents on
the mountain. The mule pain was rough and
uneven, and principally through lava, either fine
as ashes, or in jagged Jumps, resembling pun.ice
stones, though not so white. Not particle of
the mountain, in this rout, is cultivated, and no,
II single bush, and scarcely spear OF grass, is
vsible-so general is the deso|ation caused by the
eruptions of the crater Reaching an apparent
ly almost perpendicular rise in the mountain, we
were obliged to descend from the mules, and
make the ascent on foot, aided 10y walking sticks.
The lady of our party seated in chair, with
poles, and placed in charge of men, who, four
at a time took the chair upon their shoulders,
and progressed slowly upwards. This ascent
was exceedingly iatjguing, and nothing short of
the expectation of an ample reward, in the crater
above, would have sutiiced to keep up our spirits
1t occupied about forty minutes of the most pain
ful exerton. The soil on the mountain being
ashes and loose Dumice stones, our
feet gave way at every step; and but for our
walking sticks, we should, ever and anon, have
been down on our faces. To our Italians attend
ants, this ascent appeared to he even more difil-
cult than to us strangers. They grunted, groan-
ed and shouted, alternately, the entire distance,
and absolutely kept us in II laugh the whole rout,
with their complaints of excessive tatigue.-With
them it was matter of interest to exaggerate the
labor of the ascent, as, by so doing, they hoped
to claim larger reward
Atlength we reached the top--and here scene
opened such as cannot well be described. The
summit on which we stood, was about three miles
IN circumference the whole of which appeared TO
have been the crater of former eruptlons The
surface which descended all around towards the
crater, was completely covered with puniice
stones, lava, and rough stones, mpregnated with
iron and sui hur lying in heaps, some larger, |
and some smaller, over the whole distance. Ire |
mendous chusms, many ofthem four and five feet
wide, from which smoke WINS constantly issuing, |
were visible i'm every direction, while, in places,
he heapsof stones assumed every shade of color, !
from an iron black TO bright yellow. The |
eading object of interest, was, however, Il cone,
,r hillock, which rose up in the centre of this |
.ratcr from which streams of smoke and loud
explosions of ashes, stones and fame, were lssu-
ng almost every minute This, were told,
was the present crater, and up this hillock we re-
solved to ascend whatever might be the hazard.
The attempt was accordingly made, and success
fully, rs we stopped not until we had reached the
outer rim of the hillock, from which looking
greater by the eruptions, we distinctly saw the
mouth of the furnace of this tremendous and ap-
Dalling volcano. AS near | can Judge the
,rater about one hundred feet in crcumfer-
,nce, the bottom of which very nearly resembed
he coal fire of blacksInitl's forge. The whole
vas mass of coals-some of bright red, and
others of dark black color--in constant agitat
ion, tunbng and rolling about, as if some tre-
nendous influence were operating from below,
md eiectng constantly, streams of smoke and
lashes of flame, so strongly impregnatea with
sulphur as to render our breathing extremely
ifficult.
We remained in this situation, the stones and
ava upon which we were standing was SO hot as
o be almost unbearabe, about twenty minutes,
perfectly fascinated by the appalling spectacle.
splendid eruplions, preceded by loud reports like
no rumblins ofdistant thunder, and accompanied
y showers of ashes and lava, were taking place
very minute; but still we were unwilling to
cave, without witnessing the still grander erup-
ion. OF which these frequent elections Of ashes