Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-03-31

/ .N oho III T1verS Q0Wn the noun
tam sides, or . mighty eructation throws
IL up into the Air, to descend in q storm
Oh req not stones and scoria. Enysloped
IN the thick sulphurous vapor that rose
from the abyss, we we sometimes un,bIe
TO see up OF down, and appeared to our.
selves to be lost in the vsstibule of sona
purgatorial cavern, from which del;var.
ance was doubtful. For few moments
the cloud would clear away. and We then
launched huge stones into the abyss lis.
tening to hear their roll and their bound
after they bad passed entirely out of our
write these lines sitting on the rocks
As near the bottom of the crater as
could reach. 1t WAS harder to get out of
1t than IN. But once more on the yeroe
above, we pursued our iootway around
the crater, perhaps mile and half in
circumference; but the strong sulphur
clouds of smoke and steam so nearly
choked me, that was obliged to cover
my face with my handkerchief, and
trust to the guide to lead me through.
Happily, the wind was favorable. and
when we came round to the western side
we were relieved, and could look off on
the magnificent prospect which the sum.
init OF tesuvlus commands. 1t was an
entrancing sight. There IS no other like
1t In the earth. II this has been said of
score of other scenes, let them all be
unsaid, that the view from Vesuyius
may bear the palm. We can now look
far off into the country, where cities
have been, and white villages now are.
and smiling vineyards, down into whose
bosom these black streams extend from
the sides of the mountain. And here is
beautiful Naples, girding the sea with its
suburban villages; and there lie the
islands Of Capri and Ischia, and this
"great and wide sea-" But we must
not be looking of. We plunge our walk.
ing sticks into the ground, and cut
rushes the smoke and sulphurous gas
We walk on and find new openings, and
hot steam issues, before which we could
not hold our hands. We step across wide
assures from which the scalding yapor
was ascending, and we could distinctly
hear the roar of the boiling caldron be-
low. AT last we completed the circuit
of the crater's rim, and sat down again
to rest and think. What a wonderful
past has been around this burning noun.
tain Before the Phenicians came hither
these flames had been burning, and the
Syriac language gave the volcano its
name. Jupiter Tonans, the Thunderer,
once had temple on the summit-"Joyi|
Vesuvio sacrum, ID. c." Pliny's graphic
story of that awful eruption, which de-
stroyed the cities of the plains, we read
while in full view of all the localities
which he describes. 1t gave a terrible
reality to the scene. Other cities are
now lying nearer to this crater than
Pompeii, aud are thoughtlessly treasur-
ing up wrath against . similar day ofI
wrath. May God save them from such
a DOOM
1t is time to descend. The sun is on |
the dOwnhill side. and we have q buried
city yet to see. Away we went through
the soft ashes which had been soaked by
a heavy rain the night before, and now
made yielding bed for our feet, as by |
successive leaps of ten or fifteen feet at
every bound We came down, and never
paused to look back, and had no need to
rest till we were at the foot of the cone.
This operation did not occupy more
than ten minutes, and was full Of excite
ment.
Mounting our horses, we were called |
On = pay q man who w& dressed as a |
soldier, marching around with q gun on
his shoulder. ...........
"What for, pray p
"Oh, the rascals who are here pre-
tending to be guides would plunder eve
rybody who fell into their hands, if it
were not for the guards which the gov.
ernment places here for your protec
tion."
This being done, and half q dozen
more being paid for some service or 9TH
er, we hardly knew what, we got away,
and had an easy and pleasant ride down
again to Resina.-Trauels in EU ope.