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


From newspaper published in the city of
Mexico called "The Extraordinary" we copy
the srbjoined account of the ascent ofsM cunt
Popocatepetl, made by DR.. S. w. Crawford, of
the U. S. Army. The doctor was, We are
informed, preparing a second expedition to
Popocatepetl, with the intention of spending
night in the crater, of which he has promis-
ed to furnish the "Extraordinary" full ac-
count. 1t may be proper to note, by the way,
that this mountain is situated in the State Of
Puebla, and rises to the height of II ZIG feet
above the level of the sea:
MEXICO, JANUARY "a, 1857.
Mr DEAR SIR: In consequence of polite
| request that l would furnish you with an ac-
count of the ascention of the volcano Popo-
catepetl, made by myself on the 10th inst, l
have the honor to submit the following
Our party, originally consisting of eight,
| with servants, &c, arrived at Amecameca up
on the evening OF the 14th instant. Four of
our number had been obliged TO return, and
another, with servants, left us at Amecameca.
| AT this point, through the kindness of our hos
| pitable friends, we procured our guides and
made the necessary arrangements for the as
cent of the mountain. When our object be-
came known we were at once joined by a num-
Der of volunteers, all anxious to accompany us
to the summit. While some spoke of the sea-
son of the year and of the intense cold we
might anticipate, others told us of path to
the crater made by the Indians going up and
returning with the sulphur, and assured us
that at some seasons the ascent was by no means
as difficult as imagined. But we found that
| but few of our friends had been beyond the
sHo,c-liae, and that the mountain had not been
ascended by even an Indian for some months
tho working of the sulphur ceasing with the
commencement of the rainy season. AS we
sat at night watching the moon slowly rising
behind the mountains, and lighting with
| ghastly glare their frozen SUBMITS, stretching
| away in sublime beauty to the clouds, we felt
that the task we had undertaken was no light
one; but there was fascination about the un-
dertaking that we all felt. There, in her cold
shroud, lay the Iztachihuatl, or white woman !;
while there, in silent watch, wrapped in his
| icy mantle, stood the monarch of mountains
! of North America. An effete civilization had
invested him with q mystery that rivalled in
its poetic wildness the mythology of the
| cient Greeks. A God had dwelt there, and
for ages had controlled the sentiments of mil
| lions. The lion heart of Cortes has identified
| il with his wondrous career, and the genius of
| Humboldt has consecrated it to science.
The morning dawned beautifully, and, as our
arrangements were not yet completed, we
rambled over the Sacramento at the back Of
town and visited the beautiful grotto upon it's
summit. A lovely view awaited us, and we
have rarely seen more enchanting spot. AT
Amecameca our observations showed an ascent
from the city Of Mexico of some five hundred
| feet, and the increasing cold assured us of The
fact. At noon we took leave Of our kind host
and turned our horses heads towards the noun
tains. We soon reached Tomacoca, a small
rancho, where good mill is in operation, turn
ed by beautiful stream from Iztachihuatl.-
| We were here joined by party, among whom
was Don Pablo Perez, a gentleman who had
been engaged in extracting the sulphur from
the volcano, and who had pursued the occupa-
| tion for three years. His ascents had been fire.
| quent, and we felt re-assured by his resolution
| to accompany us. Our road now was up, over
steep ascents, through the cedars and pines; /;
wild flowers of every hue grew through the
tangled shrubbery. The labored breathing of
our horses plainly told of the change of at
mospherc, as our path gradually led us through
| the clustering pine trees to Tlamacas. We
are now ascending the mountain, and the rich
loamy soil and ashy earth through which our
way led gave evidence of the fact.
| BY sun-down we arrived, much fatigued
from our days journey, at Tlamacas, settle
| ment created for the convenience of those en-
| gagged in the extraction of sulphur. The night
was exceedingly cold and comfortless. The
| thermometer stood at % Fahrenheit, while our
| barometrcal observations showed an ascent
| from Amecameca of over 5000 feet. Instead
of the rest so necessary to us, we passed
another disturbed night, but day at last
dawned beautiful and clear and our guides
aroused us to tho ascent.
Our party numbered twenty including guides
and poems. We set out from Tamacas on
horseback as far as La Cruz, some thousand
! feet above. Here, with two of my compan-
| ions, set out on foot; the remainder rode on
some distance. At the same time We all join
ed, and after our final arrangements of our
packs, &c. we grasped our spears, and, protec-
ting our eyes from the reflection, set out upon
the snow, our guides ahead, the Indians with
our packs following. Our first start out was
steep and amid frozen snow. The guides and
indians struck boldly out without spear or
staff the rest of us, clinging to our snow
spears, slowly followed. Up we went some
eight hundred feet, when, getting in advance
or ,bo Marty we halted to take breath Res