The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-08-02
From the Indiana State Sentinel.
From the Indiana State Sentinel.
w We have been permitted to publish the
following letter addressed to the most beauti-
full and accomplished lady Of our city:
Letter from Hon. Robert Dale Owen.
NAPLES, June 25, 1855.
NAPLES, June 25, 1855.

preserve So pEdtciui iccoo.c ioCot-
lections, my dear -, of the pleasant
hours in your parlar at Indianapolis, for which
| was indebted to yourself and the Judge.
that l am fain to persuade myself, that a let
ter from an old friend, dated from this distant
Italian home, may not be wholly uninteresting
nor unwelcome.
| have heard You express great desire to
visit this region of the world, celebrated in
the past, so beautiful in the present, And
very surely you would not be disappointed
High as were my expectations from the
counts | had read of the bay of Naples, the
reality came up TO them all. One of their
poets has described it as ''pa pezzo di cieio
auto in terra"-(a bit of Heaven dropped
down upon earth, and when one looks upon
it at its best moments and It's various aspects
of loveliness, the hyperbole seems not out of
place l do not wonder that Neoapolitans,
driven to other lands by tyranny want, yet
droop and pine after the delicious climate and
luxurious scenery of their own.
The thermometer ranges from about 90
to 80 . its extreme range being abou. 90 ;
instead of 90 > as with us. l have not seen
snow, except on the distant mountains, for two
years. and in summer the heat can but rarely
be called oppressive There Is always pleas
ant evening sea breeze, under the invIg goratIng
influence of which no one can walk out with
out utinconvenience.
The one object of most interest. perhaps, is
Vesuvius, about eight miles from the city, seen
from every portion of the bay and neighbor-
hood-the marked feature in every landscape
a slight smoke issuing from its summit, ter
ribly suggestive of the devastation it has often
spread around and which it still retains the
power to reproduce.
Ifyou could but have visited us last month!
n
the lava pouring forth in an incessant stream
some nine or ten miles in length, for twenty
six days! l would have willingly gone a
thousand miles to see it. 1t is sight To re-
member while one lives.
1t was late in the evening of the 30th of
April, | think, that my servant entered the
soom with face of eagerness, exclalming:
"H uesuvio ta .fusco." (that is, "makes fire" },
| ascended TO the terrace of the house, and
there became aware that l was at last to wit
ness an eruption. Through good telescope
l could distinguish on the Northern slope of
the cone and about two thirds of the way up
the mountain, a small crater throwing up red
hot stones, and the lava descending from it.
l subsequently visited the spot twice, at
night, but despair of conveying to you any
adequate idea of the scene. There had
been formed five craters or '.moulds of fire"
rs lney Cdil6u litili, IOiic SACCSOiuS ~ VI ~
feet in height-one or two giving flame only,
the others throwing up at intervals, with
low rumbling or moaning sound, slight show
ers of red hot stones, ashes. scorioe. &c, re-
sembling artificial fireworks grand scale
From these poured forth two streams of lava
in perfectly liquid state. flowing down the
steep descent with velocity of 4 or miles
an hour Each stream might be some 30 or
40 feet wide and exactly the color Of gold
Down the center of each was broad, perfect
" smooth, FURNISHED stripe, while on each
side it was somewhat roughened like dead
gold. No partial cooling had yet darkened
its surface or arrested its flow. Ii some vol
cano in California should ever pour forth. in
liquid form, her hidden treasures. the stream
would not appear other or more brilliant than
that which now flowed before US.
To reach the edge of this stream, l crossed
the lava of the preceding day, the surface of
which had already hardened. so that there
was but little risk except to the soleS of one 5
boots | approached within eight or ten feet
of one of the craters, which was then vomit-
ING forth flame There, however, the heat
was so excessive, that | could only re
main few seconds. So | quickly returned
10 gaze at 4 safer distance on the uneartEiy
scene. Never, never can | forget it! The
entire course of the lava was marked by su-
perncumbent curtain of dense vapor, lighted
up By the lurid glare of the river Of fire be-
low. This sulphurous canopy rolled up the
mountain. settling upon ii In heavy masses of
dark clouds, completely concealing its sum-
nit Immediately around US, every thing
showed clearly as by day. But what light!
such one as We may suppose shed over
Milteps Satan and his audience, when lie WAS
stirring the fallen angels TO second rebellion.
Men looked like spectres in it. The pitchy
darkness which brooded on the upper noun
tain was momentarilv illuminated from time to
time by the sudden flaming forth of the high
est among these newly formed craters, situated
some three or four hundred yards up the slope
of the cone. l experienced a strange desire
to ascend and penetrate the mysteries of that
region of mingled fire and gloom. But il
would have been madness, fer at every step
on the road one would have been exposed TO
showers of red hot stones; to say nothing oil
the chance of a new crater suddenly opening
beneath ones feet. SO l refrained. calling to
mind some lines from my fsvorite Schiller,
occurring in his ballad, ''The DIVER
Mad der Meuch versache die Goster nie..t
Mud begehre wiwmer uad ~iWmsr schau n
Was sic suaiisbaieeken wit Naeht uDd Wit graveu.'
l forget whether you read German or not
but in case You do not, these lines may be
thus translated:
And les no man tempt The Gods.
And never. never let him seek to behold
What t-ey. in their mercy, Up with night and
darknsss.
Following the curren. Of lava 10 about a
mile and half from It's source, We reached a
perpendicular ledge of rock, over which il
poured in catarac. Of fire some 50 or i0
feet in depth, and 50 to 100 feet in width. di-
vided in the centre by dark projecting rock
which stood out in bold contrast with the red
hot stream Large masses of lava. often IL
or 90 fees in diameter, some still OF white
heat. others already darkenej in color by par
tial cooling. rolled slowly over, toppling down