Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-10-05
A THRILLING TALE.
ETNA.

hold Just pre-eminence. Renowned
by past and present history, sublime by
its elevation, IT'S form, and the awful
secrecy of unknown terrors that lie
concealed within its bosom, the Sicilian
volcano viii always be viewed with the
deepest, the most solemn awe.
It was with such feelings and with
such thoughts as those began to ascend
the volcano on the morning of the fifth
of May, 1849.. / had left Catania on
the day before, IN order to visit this
wonderful spot. / did not wish to
glance carelessly upon it-no, for to me
there was always something reverend,
something almost divine, in connection
with this great mass of upheayed lava,
which led me to look earnestly at its
rugged sides. I wished to ascend, to
view from its summit the fairest regions
on earth; to glance down into those un-
fathomable depts where fire, fire in all
its terror, forever dwells, forever strug-
glesi 4
1t was with slow steps that 1 assembled
the cone, after the patient and hardy
ponies had been dismissed. had been
an invalid, and the fatigue of climbing
up the steep and rocky decliyity might
well have daunted me. But, after
many restings and haltings, l was able
to attain the summit.
The summit! Good heayensl can 1
ever forget the delirium, the transport of
Joy, which the boundless prospect there
awakened within me? Can l ever for
get the glimpse which l first caught of
all the glories and all the horrors of
Nature, mingled together in such fear
full unison?
Far away on one side spread the fer
tile plains, the green meadows and the
gentle valleys of Sicily. There were
streams glancing and flashing in the
sun, as they wandered to the sea, with
ten thousand labyrinthian turnings;
lakes whose CLASSY surface showed not
rufie, not ripple; there were terraces
upon the sides of hundred hills, where
vineyards were planted and where the
trellised vines passed along, all green,
all blooming; there were groves of
orange trees, amid the dark green foliage
of which the golden oranges peeped
forth like the flashes of phosphorescent
light in a midnight sea; there were long
avenues of expresses, of acacias, of
noble trees of many kinds. amid which
kingly assemblages at times could be
roor, Il, = .,oblo erp,-,it Of Soma ctatalu
palm, as it lowered on high above the
others.
And the sea-the wide, the bound
less, the deep blue Mediterranean
there it spread away, on the other side,
as far as eye could reach, as far as
thoughts could run-gloricus as
"The dashing,
Silver flashing,
Serges Of San Salvador"
But turn aside-and there, beneath,
far beneath, lies an abyss like that of
which Milton has sung in sublimest
mortal strains.
1 paused upon the brink, and, shud-
dering, l gazed downtown! The
thick and funeral volumes of tortuous-
ly-ascending smoke came seething up
ward, as from caldron. 1t escaped a
myriad crevices in the rocky, precipitous
sides; it poured fourth from behind
projections, and united with the vast
mass which came sublimely upward
from the unfathomable depths.
Here, upon the sandy, rocky edge,
where sulphur, and crumbled lava, and
pumic-stone, were all mingled together
to form a horrid soil, here l sat and
looked down. From the scenes be-
yond, from that glimpse of earth, which
made it seem like heaven; from that
vision of all that was most lively and
all that was most oVerpowering; to turn
and gaze into volcanoes awful depths
what a change!
Involved in a thousand thoughts 1
sat there. thinking myself alone, when
a sudden grating struck my ear. 1
was startled exceedingly, and turned
around. The place where l had been
sitting was a peninsular projection of
the cliff which formed part of this in
fernal chasm. Upon the narrow strip
of land which joined it to the other
cliffs upon the isthmus, I saw mild
looking, middle-aged gentleman ap-
proach me.
He was dressed in plain black clothes,
and in his hand he held light stick.
4 beg your pardon, signOr,' said he,
in polite manner, and with great soft
ness of tone, L beg your pardon for in
truding myself upon your company
But it is not often that / see any visitor
so far up oF
MY dear siri 1beg you will make no
excuses Ireplisd. i was just admir-
ing this scene below
'Ah! yes, tbs glorious sight
'Gloriousl Say, rather, terrible one.'
Terrible, perhaps, to you; but do not
be surprised if 1 say that to me it is
lovely, absolutely loTely!' -
! And as he spoke smile Of bewitch-
ing beauty crossed his features
1 suppose Your tastes are different
from those of many people, signor. l
have not such feelings. But may / ask
you if you are often here?'
4 'Oh, yesi I live here he replied,
waving his stick around. I live here
thought that he meant me to under
i-t,,d thot his honna mo. -, A.