Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-06-17
Kane in the Great Manila Crater.

Dr. Kane trayersed the island from Ma
n lila to its Pacific coast, and, with his usual
audacity, explored its Businesses, balbed in
the forbidden waters of its aspbaltic lake,
descended to the very bottom of its great
vo lcano, and periled his life in a contest
ith band of savages who were incensed
by his proclamation of their sacred myste-
-ies. His descent into the Tacl was
feat which only one European had at
tempted before, and he without success
DR.. Kane was in company with Baron Loe,
relative of Prince Metternicb. They had
an escort of natives, provided by the eccle-
siastics of the neighboring sanctuary of
Cassaisay, who pointed out the only path
way to the brink of the crater. The two
gentlemen attempted the descent together,
but they soon reached a projecting ledge,
from which further progress was absolutely
precipitous. After searching in vain for
some more practicable route the aron gave
I'D the project, and united with the rest of
the party in efforts to persuade the doctor
to abandon itaalso. Blu, that was out of the
question. 1t was his temper to meet diff
Guilty with proportioned endeavor, and to do
mis- best to master it before he yielded. The
attendants very reluctantly gathered from
the Jungle parcel of bamboos, and fasten-
ed them into rude but strong rope, by
which, under the guidance of the baron,
they lowered him over the brink. He touch
ed bottom at depth of more than two hun
dred feet from the platform he had left and,
detaching himself from the cord, clambered
slowly downward till he reached the smo-
king lake below, and dipped his specimen
bottles under its surface. The very next
thing in order was to get back again with
the trophies of his achievement. This he
used to spetk of as the only dangerous part
of the enterprise. The scalding s.hss gave
way under him at every step of his return;
a change in the air-current stilled him with
sulphurous vapors; he fell repeatedly, and,
before he got back to the spot where his
rope was dangling, his boots were So char
red that one OF them went to pieces on his
| foot. He, however, succeeded in tying the
bamboo round his waist. and was hauled up
almost insensible. When he sank exhaust
ed in the hands of his assistants, the natives
protested that the Deity of the Tael had
avenged himself for the sacrilege; but the
baron, who had less faith in the divinity Of
birthstone, dashed him with water, and aP'
piled restoratives brought by a messenger,
whom he had despatched to the neighbor-
ing hermitage. The remedies were SO far
successful that he could be carried to the
halting- place OF The night before. He had
saved his bottles of sulphur-wster, which he
sent home to be analysed. aud with them
some line specimens of porphyritic tuia.-
But this was not quite the end OF the ad-
venture. As his companion and himself
pursued their journeying the story of the
proclamation to which the Tael had been
subjected went before them. A pigmy mob
gathered angriy arourd than, their escort
dwindled away or took part with their as
sailants, and, before they were rescued by
some of the padres, the gentlemen were
forced TO en,rench themselves in thicket
and throw up dust with their revolvers.-
Biography Of Kane.