New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-20

6ed PLANE and far do IN 10 the forest TO ward O.
Early iD the morning Friday, the 9Th. We lea
our cavern, snd at "a a IN. were on that black
and smoldering stream for which we had been
searching for more than three days. Almost as
far as the eye could reach these regions had been
flooded with seas of fusiOn-DOw, for the most
part, hardened, but still smoking and cracking
with hes. ard escaping gases
We passed several miles up the left verge OF
the stream, and finding narrow, we-sohtfed
place, we crossed over to the right verge-our
passage occupying an hour and quarter We
now asceDded rapidly along the right bank Of the
stream, sometimes upon it and again skirtiDg IL,
according to the facility of trav ling or the direct
ness of its course. The stream is very tort1ous.
making ample detours and sudden zigzags, so that
We saved much by cutting of bends or folio Tiog
the bases of the triangles described 10 it's course.
All this day we came to DO open fire. Tne hrst
OveIfowi1 o. bad stifirned and sOdifed in contact
With the atmosphere, forming broad ebon pail
Under this self made cOunterpane the contlnuons
stream bad formed vast duct; and 10 this SUD-
terrsne an pyrcduct it now flows like oil, at the
depth of from twenty to one hundred feet, unex-
posed TO the stifeniDg action of the air.
At night we slept on the higher regions OF the
mountain, beyond the line of vegetation with the
slsg for our pillow, the heavens for our canopy,
the stars for our watch-fres and Israels Shepherd
for our guardian.
We were astir early on Saturday morning. CLIMB.
ing over indescribable hills, cones ridges, aud
masses of hot and smoking debris and scoria,
scattered wild and wide over those PutOnic re-
pions We soon came to a line of Jagged cones
with open Orfces Of from twenty TO one hundred
feet in diam eter, standing over the molten river,
and furnishing vents for its steam aud gases.
We approached the vents with ave, and, look.
ing down their fiery throats, we heard the internal
surgibgs and saw the mad rushiDgs Of the great
etr fus cd IN xNhi
of descent was from 3 10 250 and we judged the
velocity to be forty miles an hour
The maddeniDg stream seemed to be hurryiDg
on, as if on swift commission from tia Eteroal to
execute work of wrath and desOlation in the
realms below. Upward and onward we went
climbing ridge after ridge, parched wi h thirst,
painting in rare atmosphere, blinded by smoke,
almost scatbed by heat and excorated by sui
phurOus gases.
All the rest Of the way we saw frequent open
iDgs into the fiery canal, upon whose arched cell
ing we walked for miles, with the fearful stream
rushing mady beneath our feet. At p. m. we
ft uud ourselves at the terminal crater and stand
ing on its craggy and smoking crest
This was the high fountain of erupton-the
great chimney whose throat goes down immeas-
urable depths into those fearful realms where
mans eye never penetrated, and where he cannot
look and live For nearly five days we had strug-
gled to gain this point; and now we were here
startled by internal hissings, cOnfoonded, stunned,
annihilated amid these wild wonders, these sful
displays of power which had scattered such
tempest of fiery hail ard raised such a raging sea
of molten rocks ON these everlasting hills. The
grandeur, the sublimity, the terror of the scene
were uDutterable. A vast chasm bad opened hori-
zontally on the top of the mountain, and along this
yswning fssure stood series of elongated j aged
and burning cones, about one hundred feet high,
rent thr, ugh this larger diameter, and throwing
up Dense columns OF blue and white smoke, which
covered the mountains summit, rolled 10 feecy
masses down its SIDES and spread out like the
wings of chaos over uDmeasured regions Still no
fire could be seen in this fOontain-crater. We
could feel iE everywhere, aud we could see a,d
hear its etcapiDg gases but the tbroats of the
cones were clogged with hot masses of einders,
pumice and ashes, with cracks, crivices &c, for
the escaping smoke The fusion had long since
found vent In a lateral subterraoeau duct several
hundred feet below the rim of the Crater, aud in
this covered way il flows off until il makes it's ap-
pearance, as described some two miles down the
side OF the mountain.
After satisfactory survey of the terminal
Crater, and of the vast floods of ignition on the
summit of the mountain, we descended few miles
down the eastern slope and took our lodgings among
the rocks, without wood and with only a few
spOohfuls of water UnwittDRDy we passed. the
last watering place ca ly on Friday morning, and
having only quart in our canteen, this was Our
whole allowance till 9 q m, on Monday. We were
reduced TO single spoonful escb, (six Of u.s. and
this only ut our meals
In this high and rocky nest we spent toe Sab
bath, having full view Of the fires from the high
furnace above to the terminus of the stream as it
ate its way, like fiery serpent through the fOrest
and Jungle far below.
On Mordsy we decamped early, and laid our
course for old Klauea At noon we were be-
logged lost our way, aud encamped &C pm On
a., NoH and oh I'D
On Wednesday we explored, took measurements,
collected specimens, &c and on THURSDAY reached
home, having been absent ten days.
Oct 23-It 10 DOW seventy three days since the
great mountain eruption commenced, and still ire
visor is rot asat d. Bad we fouod the incsodes-
cent stream fowicg into the sea on our return
frCn the mount, we had not been dsap dated
Nothing but the great distance, the tortuous
course of the sire am, and the msny distractions
in the route, could have prevented it from reach
ing the se. in one week. Down the side of the
UouDtain proper, say twenty five miles, II foTs
with terrible swiftness A: the base of the mo Int
il flows over plain of scorform mater, cooled
when sg'tated like the ocein in tempest, aud
presenting fosming surface of hills, valleys,
Gomez, pits, ISges, gorses, caverns, &c, Of GONE
ten miles broad. Here the molten stream str1g-
gles, expanding, contracting, dividing, struggling
to overcome distractions, filling up vast basius,
&c, and thus pdsbiDg sluggishy on to its third
stage. This 10 that broad and dense forest already
spoken Of extending from the plsins at the base Of
the mountain TO within a. few miles of the shores of
Bilo Here the fiery stream has found its great.
est Instructors
Through this forest the slope is very gradual
say 800; while, in addition to hills, ridges gorges,
basins etc, it meets hundreds Of enormous trees,
and dives into swaDps of mud, pools Of water sad
wet jupgles, which act as q prompt damper.
Here, also, il finds deep soil which il must cen
IN an md i,pa att fhara
fore il does not progress an eighth of mile day
In the Mnnds and thus our tOHn hss henn mora