New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-04-14
A YIGHT-STORM on VESUVlUS.
.alisn Correspondence Of The Tribune.

dsys--ths frst time with a party and annoyed by 3
crowd Of xuides--the second with single companion
and 10 the night ! picked my way BY the light of a
torch ovcr the masses Of SCORES and followed stream
of Laws from its source 1t poured slowly down the
side Of the mountsn--now scrsmoling along Hdge Oh
loose stones add ashes which formed bank twenty
feet high for the molten current now actually Rang
on the burning river the rate at least Of mile per
hour. and now picking my way over thin crust "D'
psepng through the cracks Ia the hardening s'one 81
the glowing mixture below.
On the frat occasion We rode 10 the Hermitage, M
sdcs erected for the accommodation oil vsltes some
tvothirds Of the distance 10 the crater. winding
rosd conducts you amid the vineyards and bJ the sac
of fearful rsvnes and from every turn some ne" ana
varied prospect Of this Bay and City oil Naples the
Islands and the shore opens before you Al the hef
mitsge crowd Of miserable fellows offer the vi''er
Canes donkeys and less agreeable STILL their own COM
psuy and assistance up the mountain. shoos tnem
Of and trusting TO good stick and tried pair OF reg"
sot out on foot The region which succeeds desoA'e
beyonds expression hesps Of score and ashes spreso
out on every side, and not living thing shows hseh
among them No Pbesethesn fields could ever be SO
soorchsd or desolase. After two or three miles amid
this scenery you come TO the cone where the real
Dor Of the accent commences. II IL In word scrsm
bio up hssp OF loose ashes at an angle OF some fory
Ave degrees. to height Of a thousand feet small
cone sleeper than the fret, rests upon scompsrshse
,sve and surrounds the mouth OF the Volcano, which
sml,s constant stream Of smoke II 10 most APPALLING
and vet fascinating sight to gaze into the depths Of the
crater You hear the Kissing and secthins below, asd
strain your eyes to find amid the Irregular cavities
which appear on every side, some evidence Of the
strange process when suddenly immenre column OF
smoke pours up. hides everything from the view and
rolls swsy over the distant hills while you start back
blinded with ashes choked with sulphurous blast and
slu,ost ready to turn your back and aee for lie.
Fsel. d.,census Aserns for 1t is from Avernus here
Tho descent 10 really pleasure We bounded down
the steep decvity like goats lespng at one bound ten
or twenty feet 10 the loose ashes shouting like school
boys and sxhiaaed either by the mountain air or the
Lscryms Christi I'LL we hardly knew whether feet or
head supported us-s mistake not objectionable when
moving over oned like the Of Vesuvlus
Nv second visit was full of adventures. set
out on foot from my hotel and escaped from the city
after having boon pursued without exaggerstion Tor at
least mile and hall by two rival cabmen- Since !
have been In Naples have learned to think New'fork
hsek drivers quiet and iorbesrng Here at every SIP
they call TO pedestrian beckon TO him. solicit his a,
tsnsion by most insinuang crack Of their whips and
even sometimes drive directly his path On thi'
occasion my friend struck Of the rascas with
his cane We threatened them. told them we preferred
TO walk, without any success: st they followed cry
ias sieno signor carriage, carriage" AT last the
insulting offer Of for drive OF miles, seemed
70 produce an effect aud they left ne.
Al the foot Of the mountain we took some asses
While making bargain, for one makes bargain Tor
everything In Naples. even for an orange, VT
wore surrounded by crowd OF moot nefariou
wrctches. cutthroats TO q man. IL was nearly niehs
end I stipulated that only man should accom-
pany u.s. Asw crswed slowly up the bin at DONKEY
pace the night on, the moon was covered witt
couds and wc numbers OF lsborers returning from
the vineyards. was reminded Of the evil stories hs
heard of the mountaia, and Of the soldier who AWAY
asceuds with party to guard them One man pa''e
us and took path the hs and no less than lou
times did guide attempt to make US turn from tn
beaten track into the mountains, whore W. ielt sur
there could be road but we kepts good watch an
trusting TO our knowledge Of the way kept steadily OF
Al last began to rain and a. our only resource wa crei
under gateway and looked out ON the clouds an
wondered what was coming next But We resche
The Hermitage safsly-msde our bargain for night
rest ON . ssssse--pro vided bottle Of Lscryma Christ
four esss TO roast upon the lava and after inseroir
our nance ON the album and drying ourselves befol
rbs arst part Of the walk was not little gloomy.
p,eksd our wsy through the barren region Of which
spohe over the scors BY the light Of torch and soi
--now iosing the pats. now seeking for the tracks
ao,ksvs and men, which the heavy shower had slmo
eaeced Once our ,orch suddenly went out and for
uossus both literally and hgurasively. the prospe
va gloomy enough. bat we succeeded In re,ivipg
and in rcsainias the path after all our errors
When We reached the other side OF tho cone.
torch began to pale before the glow Of the lava wh'
lighted up the sky and the heavy cloud Of smoke Whit
rose and hang above 10 like burning city. The who
sosne vas srikins In the extreme On one side "
The cone dimly dehaed axsisst the black sky, m suI
nit coacesled BY heavy MAS Of DARK clcuds on Il
oshsr the companion hAl shnssinS Ne In behind, Il
,lv object visible the defiant line Of hsh,s alo,
,Ae shore, which marked tbs City Of Naples while
6. us the ruddy glare OF the red hot lave lighted
~. .hv Boon We stood by the aide OF the surren,
a. oraco WHARF /, frat escaped from the interior
~. uoa.ssin. There 10 flowed slowly and ssesdi
..m,as TO pres up with great force In current sss
-. s,st vide and. Judging from the vest quantity v
a.. h.,.~ where the stresm grew wider, % or
-. a..p. Although liquid and dowing, Il was mt
49, han II appeared and heavy stones thrown az
!. h.,.a OF, and rolled the surface, OF reuas'
- v.r. borne along without sinking IN. No' Oh
40 vss the central portion the mig hest ea' ran
80, inches above the rock through which IL forced
~.v. without lowing over Il, presenting the 'ns'
.,se,.cls OF q current higher than It's sAnks
Hardly were We suitably placed to enjoy the spe
- ves. drops Of rain esssn TO hss and spu'ser u
~. ,,v. and 70 strike upon our heads There vs'
ss.,,er within miles We looked In vain tor cave
=, l..s seated ourselves eose 10 each other oy 'ns
Of psrpsndiculn roch, with no prO,'eaos 'as
bl,uss. made - merry - we could VIVA SAs : :
ulshspa For time s''ure you, y - ~ "ss'
-.,,sr the rsia came dOwn heavily "'s, e'osa'
sred the moaasAin above and below US ~. -
u,s or rwo-for WI were unfortuna'sy " '-e
- ,.x.. strong wind blew the heavy sap'
-. "A .,e.m toward US. until We were
..s.s.,.a and was not without few iors'
iass. Only few days before INC .'ss ~ 80 ..-,
- ..Sssnlv burs, open and throws out nov cur,
-, - nrsvious warning. Way miSl