The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-03-12
NO 3.
The Ascent of POpocatepetI.

n w 'ehciiing The summit Of Mount
toPocatePet. lie was one ola parly of
e,gh'een' who set out for That purpose from
tne cry OF Mexico. on the 18th inst, The
following is frotn bis own account of ths
feat. VI '"o
we arrived at Amecameca on Tho sve,.
ing OF the lth inst. -Four of on, n,uha.
had been obliged 10 return. and ano,Io,
with servants left us at Amecamsc. A,
'n's point, through the kindness of Our hos.
P.ao'e friends. we procured our guides and
made The necessary arrangements for the
ascent OF the mountain. When on, Oh.
Jeet became known, we were at once ioin.
ed ny number of volunteers, all anxious
10 accompany us 10 the summit.
While some spoke Of the season of tho
year, and Of the intense cold we michl AN.
ilcipaie, others told us of \ pa,b 10 tIe -,
ter, made by the Indians going nm and ~
turning with the sulphur; but we found
.'"' ou' lew OF our friends had been be.
yond the snow line, and that the mountain
nad not been ascended by even an Indian
ior months the working Of the sulphur
eeas'ng with the commencement of ,ho
rainy season.
AL noon, on the 18th, we took Leave NJ
our KIND host and turned our borses' heads
towards L, The mountains. We soon reached
iomacoca. We were here Joined by a mar.
", among whom was Don Pablo Perez
gentleman who had been engaged in ex.
'ractIng the sulphur from the volcano and
VINO mao pursued the occupation for three
years: Ills ascent had been FREQUENT. and
we 'e't feas 'ured by his resolution TO ae.
company us. Our road now was nm owe,
s'eeP ascents' through the cedars and pines.
via Mowers OF every hue grew ,hrouob the
tangled shrubbery. BY sundown we arr.
we'd, much fatigued from our dav's ;on,nar
at Tlamacas. jo"'"e!'
Our party numbered twenty. includino
guides and poems. We set on, from TIa
,hacas next morning, on horseback as far as
La Ciuz' some thousand feet above. IIe-e.
WIN Two Of my companions, / set ont ON
'oo'' the remainder rode on some distance
AZ .ne same time we all joined, and af,er
ne hu"i arrangements of our packs. DC
We stasped our spears, and protecting our
eyes from The reflection, set out upon the
snow our guides ahead-the Indians with
our packs followed. Our first start ont wa.
steep and amid frozen snow. The puide.
and Indians struck boldly out, without smear
VI SIAN; the rest of US, cinging TO our snow
spears, slowly followed. Up we went some
e'gn' hundred feet, when, getting in adj.
vance OF the party, we halted 10 take breath
respiration had become labored and diff.
eun-and as sat exhausted on the snow a
ue"d-'eehng, akin to sea sickness. came over
"e' ha'iy'ng, however, | looked around
'le 'of my companions, and Of all those
VINO had Joined us at Amecameca. not one
remained. Two Of my friends. with tho
guides, were above me, shouting 10 ps ,o
follow. On We went, slowly and tediopsly
The difficulty of travelling increased u;t,
every STEP The servants who accompan ed
Us nad all gwen out, and taking the barome.
'er from one who had sunk exhausted. ioin.
ed my companions above. On we toiIed
some hundred yards further, and again we
stopped 10 rest. Our number was now re.
duced TO four and our two guides. The
sumo sickness had experienced wa, now
'e't by others; the oppression was extreme
Inc cold was intense. NV companions
complained loudly of their feet, and So Great
was The suffering of one Of them. that ner.
suauea MN 10 return. One only accom-.
panied me FOR a short distance, when he re-,
.u'hed with one guide 10 follow his descend.
ing companions. l was now alone with one
guide and but half way TO the summit Tha
ascent became more and more difiicult "a
breaking the Ice at every step we p,oora,soJ
slowly and tediously. Once more I ,n,,od
" 'ooA o"ck from my dizzy height. One
nus sep and inevitable destruction awaited
Us w the abyss below. The stiffness of the
grave was over everything, and recoiIipo
rom the sight, looked down no more To
60 on for more than eight or ten paces
"''n""' stopping TO take rest was impossi.
ule' SO rarehed had the air become. At one
ume' alter AN extraordinary exertion TO
reach my guide, fell exhausted, and for
some moments was unconscious. The blood
gushed ION my nostrls. Checking il with
Ihe frozen snow, | rallied and clambarat
on MY guide, more Injured TO such Trims
h"u now got far ahead. The sickepino
sensation had at first experienced returned
with redo bled force. As again sank eY.
hauSted on the snow, a heavy weight seem.
ed pressing upon me, and everything an.
peared TO grow dim again, when [ was
aroused by lodd shouts from my guide, ss,
standing high above me, he shouted, "tbs
crater! the cr"Ier!' Up, up, again | climb,
w, "s'"S 10 MS footprints; one long,
Pa'n'ui struggle more, and sank exhaust.
ed upon is brink.
l looked around me, and the world
seemed stretched beneath my feet. The
lovely valley of Mexico, with its lakes and
mountains, lay like map beneath me; to
the south aud west lay the TERRA Calente,
It's hl!is red in tho setting sun. A misty
nm OF silver showed the Gulf of Mexico f,r
10 the eastward, and the frosty top Of Or.
]"oa rose grandly from tho purple lands
cape. Though conversant with nature, |
had never before beheId her in such mag.
nlncence' 10 remember that sight must
ever be glory-to forget it can only occur
with general decay Of the faculties.
The Doctor is now in Mexico, preparing
Tor another ascent, in order TO make a tho.