The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-05-26
darkness might be produced by the heavy

darkness might be produced by the heavy
clouds of smoke from the crater.
The rain manifested no disposition to
cease, and weary of our comfortless posi-
sitiOn, we determined to have our breakfast
i'm spite of it. We crawled on the crust,
yet hot, though tolerable to our feet, and
finding a spot where the heat from below
still kept the rock red, placed our eggs upon
it to roast, toasted our bread and cracked
the bottle of Lacryma Christi. had eaten
breakfast in a more comfortable position
and under brighter auspices, but | never
tasted better eggs, nor ate them with bet
ter appetite. lt will be long time before
forget that meal by the light of the burning
lava on Nesuvius, of winters morning,
before day-break and in heavy storm of
wind and rain.
AT last we determined that it would he as
well to die by fire as by water, and attempt
ed to place the two elements in opposition
to each other and see if fire would not dry
faster than rain could wet. The heat was
almost iutolerable, but our plan succeeded
to perfection. We placed ourselves by the
SIDE of the fiery stream and ere long learn
ed TO laugh at the storm, for although it
continued, our clothes dried rapidly. To
be sure we were almost roasted, and once
or twice when the wind blew the smoke up
on us, it singed our hair and eye brows.
NV blouse was burnt when | laid it for a
moment upon the rock where had been
standing, but it was dried. AS the day adj
vaHced, for day did come at last, we salts
fed our curiosity by examining the spot
from which the lava flowed; just above it
was steep cone, yellow with sulphur, con-
tanning three craters, one choked up but TOO
hot to remain in, although we entered it;
the others emitted blasts of hot air; while
from one rose the sound of a roaring fur
mace. Meanwhile the rain turned into snow
and while we were crawling out of an open
ing IN The mountain too hot TO hold us, and
walking over surface which nearly burnt
our shoes, il heavy snow storm was whiten-
Ing the rocks and falling upon our heads.
But we were al last obliged, though unwil-
lingly, to leave so many delights and set out
to descend the mountains by the side OF the
burning river. We had become familiar
with the apparent danger, and ran over the
crust which sounded hollow beneath our
feet, aud upon which the rain Kissed as 1t
fell, stepped across the flood and picked up
masses OF soft lava to stamp with a CON.
The current flowed large part Of the
way beneath thin crust, occasionally APP
pearing again and then retiring. AT one
point we observed what seemed to be new
influx frOm.-the primary source, where
new current flowed in, mere liquid than the
other and SO brilliant that ii Was Impossible
to look at 1t steadily. After walking by It's
side some distance, now scrambllng over
loose scora, now walking upon the smooth
level rock, we came to a portion where the
stream bore with it, on its surface, huge
masses of stone which rolled along and jos
tied one another like something living. We
though of Giving rock" and of the fable of
Orpheus. After a moment 1t occurred to
our minds that we, too, might he borne
along like the lava, and stepping upon
large mass at the risk of burnt shoes and
scorched garments, for four or five minutes
we rode down the mountain as no Emperor
had ever done; but it was not method of
conveyance that one could enjoy for long
time, and when it grew too hot and our car
rage began to threaten an Overturn upon
something worse than snow bank, we
jumped off.
The scene became more and more majes-
tic as we descended; the current grew WI
der; the banks, so to speak, became higher;
the descent more precpitous, till the stream
of lava with which we had made so fainil-
lar. was now a river some twenty or even
fifty feet wide, flowing between banks thlr-
~ feet high, bearing huge masses of rock
and scOri2 upon its surface and sending out
a heat intolerable at distance of thirty or
forty feet. The banks also were hot, and
at last so much so that were forced tO1eave
them. At one point the spectacle was most
striking. A new branch united with the
one we had followed, and formed at the
confluence a lava cascade some twelve feet
in height. The molten mass still preserved
its slow and majestic motion but bent with
graceful curve over tine slope. We could
perceive the line of the stream marked by
ascending smoke far down the mountain
and into the valley. but we had seen the
most interesting portion of it, and were glad
to relieve our burnt aud weary feet by step
ping upon the sand, and continuing our
walk among the vineyards upon which the
lava here and there intruded.
We lunched at peasants hut upon cake
of Indian meal seasoned with a draught of
Vesuvian wine, and after few miles more
among the fields green with the springing
wheat, were glad to terminate our excursion
al the Railway Station near Pompeii.
am told that for many years no eruption of
lava has occurred SO extensive as this, and
after my experience of its extent, can well
believe it.
Mrs. Scruggins on California.
"It's nuthin' but Calaforny, Calaforny,
-