, 1843-03-18

particular hrey iIaHmeLtlightrd up It|
portion OF the snowy suffice.
While Il column IF Illuminated steam
arose wherever the Kissing balls Of
IRE sunk upon the ground.
The higher we climb-i the longer
line We saw oflna, and after anoth.
er hour and n halls ascent we reach
ed a plain Of seeming sand AMI (brin.
IN iac'. pulvtrIzed >c"rIn,l al at"nt II
mile squire IN exieht. and studded
with senlsta or broom. the only Plant
thai grows Al tbs height. WHICH w,>
ab' We that of the Casa del B,scn.
Here the guides required us t" stop,
as II would be li-hiv dangerous To
ir"ceed further during the ni.h,.
We were, however, we'll content
10 hall IN The position we had nov
attained. as we enloved Il complete
view of the crater. and Of tie whole
stream of lava from lis source TO the
lowest depth it had reached. The
crater thus seen. reSembled an ennr-
nous bowl %brlmming over with mol.
ten metal. such as one sees 10 the
cannon tound,ies, which st7eamed
down in cascades of living fire, aud
It struck against some ]stupeniovs
rock upon the mountain side, and
separated into vari:us currents, twist
ing and winding in ~rivule,s Of fire,
snake like, along the surface Of the
mountain; so Iortuous in its course
that where the stream of lava was full
ten miles long. no part of it had vet
reached above two miles from its
source in the volcano. Along with
the volcano o! flame necessarily vom-
lied forth by the crater. we now
heard al every hurst Il booming sound
like the roaring of the sea agains, an
Iron-bound coast, gradually swelling
louder and lou Ter as It beginning far
down in the bowels of the earth. and
believing more fearfully as it ap,
preached the outlet, whence it issued
ever& anon with fresh explosions, like
terrific Peals Of thunder. In the prodi
gious blaze of light we could not fol
some time preceive that the lava did
moi. as we at frs, supposed, brim ovel
the lap OF the cup, but burst a passage
through the side q! the cone some 800
feet below the top whence it gushec
forth in an impetu"us food, and pres
emily flowed m bubhling r%unnels o
liquid fire that ran along the ground
at first in morrow streams, sone,irne4
as fine as chains of fnrked lighlnin!
linked together, Flushing along TN
snow, but these, as they d'>cende'
fell inin one another. and united il
one wide me ,ndering lava fool.
Another current swept down th
hill, site with a s,atelier march. ,h
flood or fire /" c:asinnaIIv OVERFLOW in.
its banks, and fin Ing COLLEEN glar
upon the surrounding snow, till at
distance of about two miles from il
source it struck against a tail roc
> overhanging n shelving preclplce
many hundred feel deep, and splirtin
e. iisrii un The rock into I 40 divided lol
m rents. like the falls of the RHINE Il
- SciefhauSrn. it lraI,ed in twin ca,
in c;u'es al Fl cy flood sheer down int
the gulf "f ,ir>olaii III tia, vawned b,
ne low. Dec rsiunailv We c"uld 81
N huge rocks ~sp"nled nu frm this /.
n OF fire, and hot away Ia s"paral
=. masses Into the ra,inr. numbering
or lonu the blocks Of old law, in lie Y;
~ del Bow. into winch TINS iic-h sire II
,e rnu ed. st eIchin. like strIn.s al bur
n. M beads along the distant snow
Nv When the first excitement which Il,
-, sicht, ..Hnrrlbly beautiful" produce
al had partially subsidized, we began
a. ie.l the pincliiug cold insuifrratl
of Our feet were stony. as it all ciicul
,.h ton hao departed. and on dism"Gn
IN inr from our mules it was with gre;
ell difficulty that we could stand. ]
no deed. no wonder, for we were with
Cor a few hundred feet Of the line of pc
nd ~petual snow. and the wind, thous
n, happily very moderate cut throus
nd us like a razor, bringing wafer 10 d
he ewes, and freezingour ears and nose
.er But any temporary s~uilerings, al
on toll would have been amply repa
We by the splendor and magnificence
m. the majestic siIht upon which v
nm were gazing. 1t is pleasant TO kno
ed that the eruption has not caused, al
n. is not likely TO cause much damag
~, BIZ reason Of the desolate soil ov
n, which the lava has this time direct,
ne. its course. 1t is not expected to la
.ue much longer.
he Slam afraid said lady to her hu