Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-09-22
We SUVIUS.


A CoRREsPovDENr of the New York Tribune
dated Naples, March 1543, thus describes what he
saw in and about the crater
At length we reached the verge of the
crater and the immense basin with its black
smoking cone in the centre below us. From
the red hot mouth boiled out fast and fierce
an immense column of smoke, accompanied
at intervals with a heavy sound, and Jets OF
red hot scoria. | was disappointed. ex-
pected to see only a crater and shoulder
ing heap. But the mountain was in more
than common agitation, and had been
throughout the winter. 1t seemed to sympa-
thise with Etna and other volcanoes that APP
pear to have chosen this year for general
waking up Every one has been anticipating
an eruption, and think there will be one. ]
could compare it to nothing but the working
of an immense steam engine. 1t had steady
sound like the working of heavy piston
while at short intervals the valve seemed to
lift and the steam escape with an explosive
sound, and at the same time the black smoke
and Iurid blaze would shoot from the mouth,
and the red hot scoria rise 40 or 80 feet into
the air At the moment of explosion, the
mouth OF the cone seemed in a blaze, and the
masses of scoria thrown out some of which
would weigh or pounds, resembled huge
gouts of blood-they were Of the deep red,
flesh color. ] deemed myself fortunate in
the time | visited it, for saw real hiring
--or as Carlyle would say, an authenticated
volcano There was a truth and reality and
power, about it that chained and awed me-
i could count the strokes of the tremendous
engine as it Numbered in the bowels of the
earth and see the fruits of its Internal labor
as it hurled them into the upper air as If on
purpose to startle man with the preparations
that were going on under him.
That mountain, huge as it was, seemed
light to the power that was under it, and
thought it felt unsteady on its base, as if con-
scious of the strength Of its foes But the
1udicrous is always mingled with the sublime.
AS sat on the edge of the crater, awed by
the spectacle before me, our guide approach
ed with some eatables, and two eggs that had
been cooked in the steam issuing from one
of the apertures we had passed. My friend
sat down very deliberately to eat his. ltook
mine in my hand mechanically, but was too
much absorbed in the actions of the sullen
monster below me to eat Suddenly there
was an explosion louder than any that had
preceded it, hurting a larger angrier mass
into the air. My hands involuntarily closed
tighter over the eggs, and / was recalled TO
my senses by my friend calling out very de-
lberately at my feet to know what was do
ing. looked down, and he sat quietly pick
ing the shell from his egg, while mine was
running miniature volcano over his back
and shoulders ! opened my hand, and there
4 Ill -. IL ba
fast spreading over my friends broadcloth
laughed outright, sacrellglous as It was
So much you see for the Imagination you
have so often scolded me about. ] had los
my egg, while my friend who took things
more coolly, enjoyed not only the eating o
his, but the consciousness of having eaten ar
egg boiled in the steam Of Vesuvus. Blu
it isn't the first time have experienced the
evils of too excitable nature.
We next descended into the crater, ant
however slight thing one may deem 1t II
ordinary times it was grave matter Tor me
Both hands and feet had never before beer
in such urgent requisitiOn. The path a
times was not foot wide, and indeed IT wa
not path, but clefts in the rocks, where OF
ten single misstep would have sent one t.
Tic DOllOU Ol Tue u dlCI, WuhN a"'o 'SNh
cracked at their base and apparently waiting
but slight touch to shake them down OF
you as they hang over head. Frequently M
only course was to lie against the rock ant
cling with my hands to the projecting points
while ever and anon from out some aperture
would shoot Jets of steam so impregnate'
with sulphur as almost to strangle me- M
guide then would be out of my sight, and ha
nothing to do but hang on and cough. A
other times the crater would be filled wit
yapor. even to the rim, shrouding every thin
from our sight, even the fiery cone, while W
hung midway on the rocks and stood an
listened.
Amidst the rolling vapor ! could hear tn
churning Of the tremendous engine and tn
explosion that sent the scoria into the ali
and then, after moment of deep silenc'
the clatter of the returning fragments, lik
hail stones on dry leaves, far, far below mi
twas sufficiently startling and grand to stan
half way down that crater, with your feet o
smoking sulphur and your hands on rocks s
hot that YOU shrink from The touch, and ga;
dOva on the terrific fre-eagerly, withou
wrapping it in gloom and adding deeper my
terry 20 its already mysterious workings.
puff of air would then sweep through Il
cavity, dashing the mist against Its sides All