The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-03-13
WHOLE NUMBER POI
The Ascent OF Popocatcpetl.


Popocatepetl. llc WAS one of Il l:.r'v of
eighteen, who set out for that purpose from
the city OF Mexico, OH the I2;h instant
ihe following Is from his own account cf
the feat
We arrived ut Amcca,nera on Tie eve
nlng OF the lth inst. -Four of our num-
her had been obIi.- to return. and :uo.
thcr with servants, left It's at Ancca.nccu.
AZ this point, through the Kindness Of our
hoSpi"h'" friends, we procured our guides
an" Made the necessary arrangements ior
the ASCENT of the mountain. When ,ur
object b"c:,lnc known, we were at once
Joined 10y IA number Of Volunteers, ,l auy
lous TO accompany us to the summit.
While some spoke Of the season Of IL,
year, a'''l OF the intense cold We Nigh; an
ucilmtc others told us uf Il path TO the.
crater, made i'y the Indians gniur up AMI
returning with the sulphur: bat We found
that but few of our friends lad lccn b.:
you'd the SHOW line, and that the mountain
had not been assembled by even an I,.,liau for
months, the working Of the SULPHUR cc;siur
with the COMMENCEMENT of the rainy sea-
sou.
at noon, on Tie 18Th, we took leave Of
our KIND host aud turned our horses heads
towards the mountains We soon reached
Iomacoro. We were here ju:ncI hy u
party, anon" whom WAS Don Pablo Perez.
gentleman who had been engaged in en-
tracting the sui lphur from the Volcano. and
who hal pursued the Occupation for three
years. His ascents had been frequent, aud
we felt reassurcd by his Resolution to uc
company us. Our road HOW was I'D, over
steep asccnts, through the cciars and p;ucs
wild flowers of every hue grew throurh tn.
ngled strubbcrv. Ey sundown we arrived
much iatigucd from our days journey, at
Tlanacas.
Our party numbered twenty, including
guides and poems We set out from Tia.
macas llcNt morning, on horseback as far
as La Cruz, some thousand feet above.
Here with two of my companions, set out
OIL foot, the remainder road on solnc dis
tancc.-At the same time VIC i'll ioincd.
and after the final arrangements Of our
packs, DC, VIC graspcd our spears, and pro-
tcctIng our eyes from the reflection, set out
upon the SNOW, our guide, ahcad-ile In
dlans with our packs followed Our first
start out was steep and AMID frozen SNOW.
he guides and Indians struck boldly out,
without spear or staff the rest of us cling
ing to our SHOW spears, slowly followed.
Up we went some eight hundred feet, when
getting in advance of the party, we hated
to take breath-rcspralon had become Ia
bored and ditficult-anL as sat exhausted
on the snow, a dead feeling, akin to sea-
sickness, came over me. Rallyiug howev-
CT, looked around me for my companions.
and Of all those wl:o had joined us at A.
mecameca, not one remained. Two of INV
friends with the guides, were above me
shouting to us to follow. On we went
| slowly and tedousIy. The difficulty sof
travelling increased with every step. The
| servants who accompanied lis had all oiven
out, and taking the barometer from one who
had sank exhausted, joined my compan-
ions above. On We toilcl some Hundred
yards further, and again we stopped to rest.
Onr number was how reduced to four and
our two guides. The same sickness had
experience! Was now felt by others the op-
preston WAS extreme.
The cold was intense BY companions
complained loudly Of their feet, and so
great was the suffering Of one of them that
persuaded him 10 return. One only ac-
! companlcd INC for Il short distance when ho
returned with ono guide to follow his de-
sccndlng co,npanious. | was now alone
with one guide and but half way to the
summit. The ascent became more and
more dillicul:, as breaking Tie ice at every
step we progressed, slowly anil telious!v.
Once more turned to look back from my
dz@y Height. One mis- sep, and uev-
liable obstruction awaited lis in the ABYSS
below. Tie stiffness of the grave vas over
every thing, and .rccoilng from the sight
looked down 40 more. 10 90 on tor more
than eight ortrn PAGES without stepping to
take rest was impossible, SO rariiicl had the
alr become. Al one time, after :.n cxtraor-
dinary exerlion TO reach my guide, I fell ex-
baustcd and for some moments was uucon.
scious. The blood gusbcd from my nos
trs. Checking j. with the frozen SHOW, I
rraliied and clamIercd on. My guide, more
Injured TO such, trips, had got far ahead.
The sickcni4g sensation had at first cxpe-
rienced, rctpulel With redoubed force. As
again salk exhausted on the Snow, a
heavy weight sceluc.l pressing upon me,
and everything appeared to grow dim a.
gain, when was aroused by loud. shouts
from my glide, as standing high h.ali6ye me
he shouted, '.thc caicr! {" '"tlle cratef!'
Up, again climbed, clinging to his
footprints; one,long, painful struggle more,
anil sank exhausted ,upop j,s bii:ik. &.
! looked AROUND me, andthe4world seem-
ed stretched beneath my feet. Tho loRely
valley Of Mexico, With its lakes and noun
tains, LAY like map beneath me-. to The
south aud west laythe Tierra Calisnte,. It's
hills Sea:in the sitting SUM q mist rim of
silver showed the Gulf, of Mexico filrrto the
eastward, and the aftes,y top Of Orizaba
rose grandly from the purple Landscape.
Though conversantwi,b b nature, Flad never
before bebeld her in suci, magnifceucc.. TO
f'remember that sight mist ever be a glory
TO forget canonIyy OCCUR with o generaI
decay Of tieffaculties ~ = f.r
The Doctor is now in Mexico, preparing
for another ascent, in order to make a thor
ough examination of the crater Of tho
| volcano. e
-,,,.'-..'., = -. 49,, :. . - ';s>f
There appears to besdpite mania for
| in /. f.:.