New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-02
Errptian of Asount zstna.


The following account of The recent eruption o
Mount Etne, is from correspondent of The Lon
don Dispatch. The eruption took place in the
fore par. of December last:
"We started from Palermo, By the Mcssino
read, a, half past o'clock on Monday morning
December 5, and toward sunset on the following
day, arrived at Aderno, (l44 Siciian, or Us Eng
lsh, miles froa the Capi;al) and thence, whis
changing horses, we had the frs, view of the erup
tion. We could plaialy discern the fiery stones
rising and falling, bat at ,hat distance looking ike
sparks. A ball of fire seemed TO roll up from the
crater, swelling as it rese into the form OF
balloon, from the top Of which proceeded blazing
column, which at length burst at its summit, ano
fell in soft showers of slowly descending FIRE
Next morning we arranged for our excursion up
the mountain, and started 81 IL at night. The
lava light grew stranger as we advanced, and OF
isrnipg projecting point of the mountain, the
crater and the upper part OF the stream ct laws
burst upon cur sight in all its magnihcence. We
were now 4 500 feet up the mountain, and aboui
six miles distant from the crater. do not think
il looked grander at any higher point. The vol
cano was spou,ing out fire and red-ho, stones to
prodigious hight tully twice as great as that Of h
cone, which is 100 feet high in large column,
apparently of the size o. mariello tower az the
mouth of the crater, and dstending, to an ener-
1nous bulk, a at It's utmost hishs, it burst into
ln.riads of fiery fragments those on the left being
particularly conspicuous, because there was no
lava there, aud the redhot stones contrasted with
the dark side OF the mountain. As they TELL they
cast bright glow an the snow, and each particu'
lar ery frsg ment gh,ed up its portion of the
snowy surface, while column OF Illuminated steam
arose wherever the kissing balls of FIRE sunk upon
ahe ground.
The higher we Climbed, the longer line We saw
of laws; and after another hour and halts aseen,
we reached plain Of seeming sand (being, in fact,
pulyer;sei scorise.l of aboa, mile square in ex-
tent, and studded with genista or broom. the only
plsn, that grows a; this hight, which was above
.has of the Casa del Bosco. Here the guides re-
euired to stop, IS it would be highly dangerous
20 prcccea farther during the night. We were,
however, we'll coate nj 10 hal, IN the position
had move attained, as enjoyed complete view
OF the crater and of the whole st.saa, of lava from
its souree to the lowest depsh it had vet reached
The crater, thus seen, reseNaled as enormous bowl
brimmlng with molten metal, such as one sees
in the cannon toundries, whish s,reamed down in
cascades Of living FIRE, and II struck against
slapendoIS rock upon the mountain side, and sepa-
rated into various currents, twisting and winding
in riyuets of fre. saahe-le, aleng the surface OF
the stream Of lava was full ten miles long, no part
OF i, had yet reached above two miles from its
source IN the So'eaeo. Along with the volume of
aane. incessansy sorsited forth BY the crater, we
new heard 81 every burst boon,iss sound like the
roaring OF the sea agains, an iroa,bound coast,
gradually swelling louder and louder, as if begin
ming far down in ,hc bowels of the earth and bel
lowing more fsarfaliy j, approached the eu,les.
whence It issued ever aud anon with fresh ex.
plasions, like terrific psals OF thunder. In the
pro6igsoas hlass Of hgh, we could not for some
time perceive that the lava did not. as we a, Srs,
supposed, hrim ever the lip of III. cup bu, burs,
a passage through she side of the cone some 500
fee, below the top. whesce il sashed forth in an
iraessaoas flood, and pressn.ly flowed in tuboEng
raanels es liquid tire that along the sreand, al
frst in narrow streams, sometimes aae as ehaiss
az forked lightning linked together, flashing along
the sacw, bus shess, as they deseeaded, fell in,s
ese another, and united in one wide nieandegins
lave aeod.
.Ausiher cnlren, swepsaown the hillside with .
ssasesisS march, the Hood OF FIRE occasionally over
flowing It's banks, and aiasing golden glare uYon
she sesrroaadiag snow. Till, at distance OF asoa
,wo niles srors It's source, il struck against ta
rock o.erhsngiag shelviag preeipice, many hun
asea fes, deep. and splitting 'ssf On she Foos asa