Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-06-15


horses, and pedestrians, which we
joined, and with which we assembled
to the Hermitage. Crowds we're
J coming down, having already sotis-
, fed their curiosity, with their torches
streaming wildly in the air and,
shouting or shrieking or else singing
in a chorus of a hundred voices some
cdnzOncino in a minor key added
vastly TO the picluresqueness Of the
scene. From the Hermitage a road
leads over beds of volcanic deposit
in the direction of the cone, to the
foot of vi ich is, perhaps, an hours
walk. Diverging, however, from this
road, we traversed, on the left, what
appeared now to he a mass of coke
the deposite of last night. TWAS
still hot We took up huge pieces
of the lava, and the fire rowed be-
meath Us. We threw in puper, or
other combuslblc matter, aud kept
up continual flame. At last we
came TO the edge of a cascade of
fire, over which the burning stream
precipitated itself into the abyss be-
meath. 1t is this point of view We
have undertaken to represent, in pre-
ference TO a more distant one which,
though it might have given a pleas
ing general effect, would have con-
veyed no adequate idea Of The gor-
geons spectacle on the mountain
Divided by an imaginary line only
from the stream which was flowing
down, we looked on the cataract |
have endea,ored to describe. A plain
of burning coke some 200 feet wide,
was moving on before our eyes, al
most touching our feet until, accu-
mulatlng in large masses, over it
Numbered into the valley beneath
Down, down, we watched the red
line in the distance, burning and de-
stroying every thing ii met with. A
whole plantation OF chestnut-trees
yielded 10 It's power; they twisted,
and screeched, aud groaned, like
martyrs'in an auto d1 fe, and then
gave signals by a brilliant fame,
that their sutieungs were over. Mo-
wing away from this point we de-
scended a little by Jumping from mass
TO mass, and crossing channels of
fire, until we were in face OF TIE cat
aract. The noise Of the advancing
stream was as that Of an Alpine food
over a shingly bed-sh--sh--sh-sh ;
such was the continued murmur Of
the thousands of tons of burning
coke which were ever moving on and
tumblIng mass over mass. The out
er crust here and there became cool
ed and blackened, and then de,ach-
ing itself the burst Of heat and light
was sufficient, for moment, TO blast
and scorch US. Involuntary we
held up our hands as il to shield our
selves; but, unable any longer to re-
slst II, were compelled 10 retire.
gulf, reminding one of what Martin
or DANNY has done. Behind us, with
"A group Of soldiers. are their Males
ties aud two OF the Processes IN por-
: fdntini. The Hereditary Prince is
on foot and a crowd of soldiers,
policemen, and courliers are around.
After gazing on this wondrous
spectacle Tor an hour or two, we light
ed our cigars in the crevasses, aud
started to go up the cone. lis
dangerous SAID some q parties
have Just turned back" But we
were ben, on seeing it and, taking
a man who was selling pieces of cop
per which he had Incrusled with lava
for our guide, we returned TO the
main path. The torches indicate
the road by which we assembled. As
we began to mount the cone, before
and behind us the view was startling
Crossing, as before, the deposit Of
yesterday, we placed ourselves close
to the edge of one of the six mouths
which are now opened on the side
one other has opened more in the
rear, and is, therefore, invisible. The
main crater Was inactive, throwing
ont only smoSe. The next below it
threw ont red-hot stones and fire -
The others were pouring out tons of
lava aud the one by which we stood
threw out also stones, some of which
fell amongst us. The surface around
il was red as heated copper boiler,
and destructive indeed were the in
gradients which were seething with
in. As material was thrown out,
the noise was like the discharge of
WHlIonl- Tiltlvh,. ~"d S0.is 0,sis Yod
pencil can describe the scene which
presented itself on looking back
Two streams of lava were flowing
down the cone, their crisped undula-
tons being strongly marked. Down
they went, serpeni-like, into the val
ley we had passed through, until, ar
irving at the cataract we have de-
scribed, they were hurled over. The
form of the whole length of the
main stream was that of the letter S,
and, until il reached the cataract,
measured between one and two miles.
The background was composed OF
red, rusty looking clouds, which rose
from the lava aud gave a mysterious
aspect to the SCENE. Above the
mountain on the right we have plac-
ed the moon, which was eclipsed the
first night after the eruption; she is
looking down as cold as any Stole on
= the ruin that is going on below
Torches were scattered about, and