Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-03-18

| panions, and of all those who had Joined us at
Amecameca not one remained. Two of my
| friends, with the guides, were above me shout
ing to us to follow. On we went, slowly and
tediousIy. The difficulty of travelling in
creased with every step. The servants who
accompanied us had all given out, and, taking
the barometer from one who had sank exhaus-
ted, joiued my companion above. On we
toiled some hundred yards further, and again
we stopped to rest. Our number was now
duced to four and our two guides. The same
sickness 1 had experienced was now felt by
others the oppression was extreme. An an
cry cloud swept around the brow of the noun
tain, and a snow-storm seemed inevitable
The cold was intense. My companions COM
planned loudly of their feet, and so great was
the suffering of one of them that persuaded
him to return. One only accompanied me for
short distance, when he returned, with one
guide, to follow his descending companions.
1 was now alone with one guide, and but half
way to the summit, and, as clinging to the ice,
looked down at my retreating companions
| and heard the shouts of those at the foot of
the mountain, / almost regretted that l had
;
ny them. Ny solitary guide now rebelled,
and l was obliged to bribe and even threaten
him to induce him to accompany me. Up, up,
| for what seemed an age, we clambered over the
fields of frozen snow. The ascent had become
more and more difficult, as, breaking the ice
at every step, we progressed slowly and tedi-
ously. Once more turned to look back from
the dizzy height. One mis-step and inevita
Bile destruction awaited US in the abyss below.
The stiffness of the grave was over every thing
and, recoiling from the sight, looked down
no more. To go on for more than eight or ten
PAGES without stopping to take rest was impos-
sible, so rarifed had the air become. At one
time, after an extraordinary exertion to reach
my guide, fell exhausted, and for some mo-
| ments was unconscious. The blood gushed
| from my nos,ris. Checking it with the fro
zen snow, / rallied and clambered on. My
guide more Injured to such trips, had now got
far ahead. The sickning sensation / had at
first experienced returned with redoubled
force. AS again sank exhausted on the snow
heavy weight seemed pressing upon me, aud
everything appeared to grow dim again, when
L was aroused by loud shouts from my guide,
as standing high above me he shouted ;'the
crater, the crater.'' Up, up, again l climbed,
clinging to his footprints; one long painful
struggle more, and 1 sank exhausted upon
| its brink.
| eight hours, hunger and cold were alike for
gotten, as, lying down upon the snow, drank
in, like refreshing draught, the sublmity of
! the scene. The huge crater yawned in horri-
BILE vastness at my feet; sulphurous odors is
sued from every side. An awful stiffness per-
| vaded every thing, and looked into its depths
with feeling 1 never before experienced
Before me stood the southwestern side, dark
and gloomy huge rocks rose from its depths
craggy and precipitous, while far below the
golden hue of the burning sulphur added to
the picturesque and sublime scene. looked
around me and the world seemed stretched be-
meath my feet. The lovely Valley of Mexico,
| with its lakes and mountains, lay like map
beneath me; to the south and west lay the Tt
ezra CalIente, its hills red in the setting sun.
misty rim of silver showed the Gulf of Mex
leo far to the eastward, and the frosty top of
Orizaba rose gradually from the purple land
SCdpc. lHOuRu COuNcTSdut Will udluTe, L
had never before beheld her in such magni-
| ficence. To remember that sight must ever
be glory to forget it can only occur with
the general decay of the faculties.
1t was fast growing late, and, planting my
snow spear, 1 hung up my barometer. Hook
| ed around for my guide he had fallen asleep
Arousing him to a sense of his danger he i'm
| nlored me to descend or we would he lost =
| Not foot would he return in any direction,
| as, deaf to my entreaties to assist me to enter
the crater, he protested and threatened to
leave me. descended little distance into
| the crater for some specimens Of lava and ba-
salt, and returned to again arouse my guide,
who, exhausted from his efforts and overcome
with the intense cold, had again fallen asleep.
1t was now highly dangerous to stay any longer,
and, carefully taking my barometrical and
thermometrical measurements, prepared to
descend. One more look at the abyss, black
and dreadful in the deepening shade, one more
longing gaze at the glorious prospect as it
grew more lovely in the evening twilight, and
1 left the scene. For awhile we descended
rapidly as We followed our ascending tracks,
but at last they had frozen and, as if sudden
ly, the whole mountain had become a sheet of
ice- 1t was this that my guide had feared
The sun had now set, and darkness was fast
coming on and our danger Increased at every
step. Ny guide lost me, and had to make
my dangerous way alone. The ice had now
become so hard that it was almost impossible
to break it, and it with great difficulty that
my snow spear sustained my weight. Strik-