The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-05-07
M Mt ET N A.
BY LEIGH HUNT.

We cannot quit Mount Htna without saying
something more Of it, especially as it has lately
been in action, perhaps is so still, not without an
intimation Of its existence as far as Scotland,
where there have just been some shocks Of
earthquake Every body knows that it is the
greatest volcano in Europe, some twenty miles
in ascent from Catania, and with circumference
for is base of between eighty and ninety. All
the climates of the world are there except those
of the African desert. AT the foot are the palms
and aloes of the tropics, with the corn, wine,
and oil Of Italy. The latter continue for four
teen or fifteen miles of ascent. Then come the
chesnuts of Spain, then the beeches of England,
then the frs of Norway, the whole forest-belt
being five or six miles in ascent, interspersed
with gigantic park-like scenery, and the most
| magnificent pastures. The dove, the nightin-
gale, and the bee are there, with abundance Of
game The rest, thousand feet high, is a ma
kedpeak, covered for the greater part of the year
with snow, but often hot to the feet in the midst
OF 1t, tollsome to ascend, and terminating liz the
great crater, miles in circumference, tuning and
blind with smoke-the largest Of several others.
The whole mountain, with an enormous chasm
in its side four or FIVE miles broad, stands in the
midst of six and thirty subject mountains, "each
a Vesuvius," generated by its awful parent
Horror and loneliness prevail alternately through
out, or together. You look from mountain to
mountain, over tremendous depths, to the most
beautiful woody scenery. The lowest region is
paradise, betraying black grounds of lava and
beds of ashes, which remind you to what it is
liable. And the top is CHASTITY white peak,
shivering with cold. though mouth Of fire, but
lovely at a distance in the light of the moon at
night, and presenting view from itself by day.
especially at sunrise, which battles description
with ecstacy. Count Stolberg, a German poet,
who beheld this spectacle in the year 1892; when
the mountain was in action, says that by the
dawning of light of the day he saw nothing
around about him but snow, and black ashes,
vast masses of lava, and smoking crater, to-
gether with huge bed of clouds, the darkening
exremities of which the eye could not clearly
distinguish either from the mountains or the sea,
"till the majestic sun rose in fire, and reduced
every object to order" Chaos seemed TO unfold
ITSELF where no four-footed beast no bird, inter-
rupted the solemn silence of the formless void.
"Wo sic keinen Todten begruben, und keiner cratehn
wrd,"
as Kopstock says Of the ice-encircled pole
No dead buried there any there will rise
I" Etna cast his black shades over the gray
dawn of the western atmosphere, while round him
stood his sons, but far beneath yet volcanic noun
tains all, in number six and thirty, each Vesuvi-
us. To the north, the east, and the south, Sicily
lay at our feet, with its hills, and rivers, and lakes
and cities. In the low deep, the clouds tinged
Win purple, we're uiSptIocu, duu VdHioncu HUN
the presence Of the golden sun while the shades
flying tefore the west wind, were scattered over
the landscape far and wide"
Mr. Hughes's description is at once minuter,
and still paore effective. "At length" says he,
faint streaks of light, shooting athwart the hori-
zon, which became brighter and brighter, announ-
ced the approach of the great lumnary and when
he sprung up in his majesty, supported on throne
of radiant Clouds that fine scrptural image of the
giant rejoicing to run his course, flashed across
my mind AS he assembled in the sky, the noun
tain tops began to stream with golden light, and
new beauties successfully developed themselves,
until day dawned upon the Catanan plains. ST.
city then lay expanded like map beneath our
eyes, presenting very curious effect; nearly all
its mountains could be deserted, with the many
cities that surmount their SUBMITS; more than
half its coasts with their bays, intentions, towns,
promontories, could be traced as well as the entire
course of rivers, sparkling like silver bands that
encircle the valleys and the plains. Add to TINS
the rich tints Of SO delightful an atmosphere add
the dark blue tract of sea rolling its mysterious
waves, as it were, into infinite space; add that
spirit of antiquity which fingers in these charming
scenes, infusng soul into the features OF nature,