The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-10-11
H7tna.--A Thrilling Tale.

a.. nU.u n
iu,t pre-cmncncc. Renowned by ra,t
aud present history. sublime by its Gle.
yaiiom its form. and the awful scenery
If unkuown terrors which lie concealed
within its bosom, the SiciIian volcano
will always be viewed with tho lcrnost
the most sole mn awe.
1t was with such feelings and with
such thoughts as these. that began TO
ascend the volcano o., the morniny Of
the 9Th Of May, ;Sio. | had left ca.
taria on the day before, in order to visit
this wonderful SPOT. ] did not wish to
dance carclessly unon i,--rn..f t,,,,.
'hcrc WAS alwa,s sometliss r,yereo,i.
something almost divine. IL connection
with tins great mass Of urAcayca lava.
which he'd M to- look earnestly at its
rugged sides. | wished to ascend fo
view from It's summit the !aircsr regions
on earth: to glance down into the uu.
tathomablc depths where fire. fire in all
its terror. forever Gwells. forever strug.
giles
1t was with slow STEPS that ascended
the cone. after the patient and hardy 10.
mics had been dismissed had been an
invalid. and the fatigue Of climbing up
the stcep and rocky docli,ity might well
have dauntcd me. But after many rest.
ings and haltings, was able to attain
the summit.
The summit Good heavens can
ever forget the delirium. tho TRANSPORT
Of joy which the boundless prospect
there awakened within me2 Can ever
forget the glimpse which | first caucbt
of all the rlories and all the horrors Of
nature mingled together in such fearful
unison?
Far away on one side ;s snrco1 ,bo
co.,;Io ,i.;ys ,l ~ ~
~ '"o P", I,o e'ec" "hea''"s; anu
.uo se".'o '"'ioyS Vi 0'c,'y; lhere
were streams g'ahcl"g ana flashing IN
'ne sun as 'ney wandered 10 the sea with
'c'' 'nouSanu iapyrih'h'ah tnrh'nga,lakes
"nose eaSsE sufiacc showed not rune,
ho' ,,'PP'c thcre were terraces upon
'nc sues oi q huhureu NUS where vine-
ya'us ', were pian'ea' ana where the trel,
,'seu vines passed aiohg' all green, all
oioomihg 'nefe were groves OF orange
'rees, a,nid inc darK green foliage OF
whlco 'he go.aei' oranges peeped forth
'ike naShes Oh phosphorescent light IN
ni'un'eh' Sea tnerc were long avenues
ot Expresses Vi a'ao,as, OF noble trees
Oh many hihos' amiu which klngly AS
sImoiage AZ ,imes couid pe seen tue no.
Die summit OF some stately palm, as 1t
'owcrea on h'gh ABOVE all others
Anu 'he seaGtne wide' the bonndless
'ho oeeP oiue Meuiterrahean-there 1t
'Ple'u ""'y' on 'ne other side, as Ia as
sne "a eye .,p couIa reacn; reach spreading away as
lar as thoughts could run-glorious as
size nS aashing' aashia.
surges Of San Salvador
But turn asidc-apd there beneath
lies an abyss like that Of which Milon
has sung in sublimest mortal strain,
paused upon the brink and sbnddsr.
ing | gazed down-down The tbick
and fuuereal volumes of tortuouslv.os.
ccnding smoke came scetLipg unw,rds
as from a cauldron. 1t escaned from
MYRIAD creyices in the rocky nrccipitous
sides it poured forth from behind ,ro.
iections and united with the vast mass
which camc sublimely upward from ,Le
unfatlomaLle deptLs
Here, unon tho sandy rockv odcc
where sulphur. and crumblcd lava nnd
pumicc.stono were all mingled toge,Ler
to form n horriI soil beTs sa, anI
looked down. From the scene bcyond
from that glimpse of earth which made
il seem like bcayep. from tL,t vision os
all that was most oyely and all that was