Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-02-10

and falling but at that distance looking like sparks
ball of ire seemed to roll up from the crater,
swelling it rose Into the form of balloon, from
the top of which proceeded blazing column,
which at length burst on its summit, and fell in
soft showers OF slowly descending fire. Next
morning we arranged for our excursion up the
mountain and sturted ut ~ at night. The lava
light grew stronger as we advanced, and in turn
ing u projecting point of the mountain, the crater /
aud the upper part of the stream of lava burst up
on our sight in nll its magni6cence. We were
now 1870 feet up the mountain, aud about six
miles distant from the crater. do not think II |
looked grander at any higher point. The volcano |
was spouting out fire and red hot STOKES to pro
digious height fully twice as great as that Of the
cone, which is 100 feet high) in large column,
apparently OF the size OF inartello tower at the
mouth of the crater and disending, to an enor-
nous bulk, till, ut its utmost height it burst into
myriads of fiery fragments, those on the left being
particularly colspicuous, because there was no la
va there, and the red hot stones contrasted with
the dark side of the mountain. As they fe thcy
cast n bright glow OIL the snow, and each parlicu
lar fiery fragment liz up its own portion OF the
snowy surface, while II column OF Illuminated
steam wherever tue Kissing balls of fire sunk
upon the ground
The higher we climbed the longer line
we saw of Laval aud after another hour and
n halls ascent we reached plain OF SEEM
ing sand being, in fact pulverized scori@,) of a
bout mile square in extent, ana studded with ge-
nlsto, or broom the only plant that grows at this
height which was above that Of the Casco del
Bosco. Here the guides required us to stop, as it
would he highly dangerous TO proceed further du-
ring the night. We were, however, well content
to- halt in the position we had now attained, us we
enjoyed u complete view OF the crater and Of the
whole stream of lava from its 10 the lowest
depth il had yet reached. The crater, thus seen,
resenbled an enormous bowl Drumming over with
molten metal such as in the common
fOuudries, which sireained down ia cascades Of
living fire, aud ii struck against some supendous
rock Oh the mountain side, and separated into va
rious currents, twisting and winding i'll rvulets OF
fire. snake like, along the surface OF The mountain
so tOrtuuus in It's course that where the stream OF
lava was full tel miles long, part OF ii had yet
reached above Two miles from It's source IN the
volcano Along with the volume Of fame nces-
sanity vomied forth by The crater, we now heard
ut every burst booming sound, like The roaring
of the sea against irun-hound coast, gradually
swelling louder aud louder, us it beginning far
down in the bowels OF the earth, and believing
more feariuIly as it Approached the outlet, whence
il issued ever and anon with fresh explosions, like
terrible peals Of thunder. In the prodiglous blaze
Of iglt we could not for some time perceive that
le lava did not, As we at first supposed, brim over
the top OF the cup, but burst n passage through the
| side Of the cone some 300 feet below the top,
whence it gushed forth in an inpeIuous flood, and
presently flowed in bubblug runnels OF liquid fire
|
streams, sometimes MS fine as chains of torked
! lightning linked together flushing along the snow,
but these as they descended, fell into ono another,
and united in one wide meandering lava food.
Another current swept down the hillside with
n saielior march, the Hood Of fire occasionally
overlooking its banks, and flingng golden glare
upon the surrounding snow, till, at distance oil
about two miles from its source, it struck against
a tail rock overhanging shelving preciplce, many
hundred feet Deep and splitting ilsef on the rock
into two divided torrents, like the falls Of the
Rhine, at Schefi'hansen, il leaped in twin cascades
OF fiery flood sheer down into the gulf OF desoa
ton that yawned below. Occasionally we could
see huge rocks spoued out from this fall OF fire
and shot away in separate masses into The ravine
laundering along The blocks OF old lava in the Va
del Bove, into which this fresh stream poured
stretching, like strings of burning beads, along thu
distant snow. When the first excitement which
this sight, horribly beautiful, produced, had par
TALLY subsidized, we began to feel the pinching COLI
insuerable. Our feet were stony ms if all rircu
lalion had departed and OH Gisnounng from OH
mules it was with great difficulty that we coult
, stand Indeed, no WONDER for we were within
lew hundred feet of the line of perpetual snow
, aud the wind, though happily very moderate, GU
through us like razor, bringing water TO our eye
and freezing our ears and noses. But any tempo
rary suferings, any toll, would have been atnpl
repaid by the spendor and magnihcence of Tn
majestic sight upon which we were gazing. 1t
pleasant to know that the eruption has not cause
3 and is not likely 10 cause, much damage by RET
y son of The desOlate soil over which the lava hi
y this time directed its course. 1t is not expecte
, TO last much longer"
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