Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-23

ts1 TiFal at Salun fat the foot Of the oxtlnct vol
oaao), praying for fair weather, geod lnck
AID sai6 feturn. 8an
TIE scenery, from the irst was so different
ffJm what bad ever seen outside Of Iceland
as b be worthy Of a better description than
an able TO give. Suffice it TO say that as
push on, ascending summit after summit
your way to the great and awful centre Of
al, yon ind the danger, dreariness and des-
olaton increase to the most terrible sublim-
~, till at last when you do finally stand on
the highest point in this unliving world Of
elaos, you instnctively pray God, with an
icy shudde- shivering through your miserable
fame, 20 restore you TO the life you seem to
have left forever behind you
.faA 20 how shall / attempt to convey to any
mind the sWful scene of desolation that sur
rounded me when at last | stood more than
four thonsand feet above the level Of the sea,
on the highest peak OF the barren Hecls Six
is1 mortal hours-three on horseback and three
on foot-hsd been elambering upward from
The world below and now, among the very
clouds that rolled aud swept around me,
stood in a world of lava mountains, ice aud
thoE-the lava black as midnight, the snow
of binding whiteness-aud not in all that re-
Eion a tree, bush, shrub even sOli-
5ary living thing, excepting myself and guide.
- Ear as the eye could reach when the moving
clouds permitted me TO see, was a succession
Of black, rugged hills, sn0W-crowned peaks,
into whose Inanimaie solitude no human foot
had ever peneurated-a world without plant
or Me-the very desolalOn Of desolstion-
hlled with yawning CHAINS dread nj aoysses
and midnight caves which have never echoed
any sound but the lhunders Of heaven, and
& = the grOanings and convulsons OF earth. So
wild and terrible was the scene, that felt
strange thrill, like madness run through my
shiveriug frame, and quiver about my dizzy
brain, aud shouted, 10 break the stiffness OF
death, and heard my voice come dismally
back in hundred echoes I'll it seemed to be
lostin the bowels OF the uuprOductiye earth.
Wrapping one of Ibs blankets about me
to protect me from the freezing cou, and
cautiously using ny pointed stick to try eve.
cry foot Of ground before me, now began
10 move about over blocks, and heaps and
bills of lava, and across narrow chasms and
pit falls and patches Of snow and ice my
a faithtal guide keeping near, and often warn
ing me TO be careful Of ny steps. In this
manner I at length assembled ridge Of con-
siderable elevation, stumbling my way
70 the top, and nov and then displscing frag-
msnts Of lava that rolled crashing down be-
hind me. As Yeti bad seen no signs Of the
crater, which eighty years before had vOmited
forth Is terrific and desolatng str ans Of
melied black sand; but on reaching the sum-
nit of this ridge, looked down in a sort OF
has n open st the lower side, and having
some three or four deep seams or chasms in
its center, into which the melting snow and
rics ca its sides were running in small streams
A peculiar and not very agreeable door came
up With G thin, smoky vspOr, and l fancied I
could hesr a distant sound, something be-
tween gurgle aud rumble
al suppose this is the original crater" |
said, turning to the guile.
The fellow was as pale as death, and every
feature expressed surprise allied TO fear.
HWhst is the natter" quickly demand
60; shave you never seen this spot before ?"
- Il have seen this place before master" he
cd replied, 'but never anything like this When
was here last there was no hollow here, bat
.4s15 only level plain Of snow and ice"
''lndeedP' exclaimed / feeling strangely
interested; aWhaf then do you infer 2 that
there Is about 70 be fresh eruption ?"
Il lear so, master; what else can have
~ caused this changer You see there is heat
below, which has melted the thiok glacier, |
and only few st eaks OF ice now remain up |
~ on the upper part Of the sides, while all the |
center is gone"
t"And the ground here has a slight feeling
Of va NTH, toop I7ejoined, as 1 kent down /
and laid my hand upon it.
"Let Us leave masterl returned the fellow /
H hurriediy, looking around with an expression
OF alarm. do not like to remain here; we |
nay be destroyed at sny moment. Let Us
hasten down and report what we have seen."
l1 1tNay, said |, feeling strangely interested /
6hu N1sclnhl5u Dy su5 peFiQuS novelty II 40 /
not think there is any immediate danger, for
the snow and ice as is plain to be seen, have
. mel ed slowly, and before / go away, never
to return, l should like TO venture into this /
basin and look down into one of those
ohasms.
"on, no, masterp replied the guide, with
nervous anxiety, ''d0 not dc it it might cost
you your life p
'sAt least 1 will risk it, If you will agree
to wait for mel" said I, fully determined on
the venture, even though | were to 60 with
ont his consent.
~ will watt he answered. ''but remem-
Der, master, you 20 down against my advice
The crater or hollow was about fifty feet
in depth, with gently sloping sides; and
using my pointed stick with the greatest
care, forthwith bega1 the descent, often
stopping to try the temper of the lava with
my hand, and finding it gradually grow
warmer IS I proceeded, though not sufh
cisntly 80 to excite any alarm. In q short
time reached the bottom, and stood on the
verge OF one Of the seams or chasms which
opened far down into the heart OF the
mountain.
Il was ABOUT four feet IN width, zigzag in
shape, and emitted strongly the peculiar :
odor before mentioned small, trickling
stream, from melting layer Of ice above |
was running into it, but 1 could only see ,
that IL was lost in the deep darkness below, :
from which crime up kind Of Kissing !
boiling, surging sound, with something {
ike rumbliDg shock at slight intervals,
and gentle puhs Of heated air.
- The place, the SC ;ne, sud withal the sense
Of danger connected with Il, held me there
with q sort Of magnetic fascination, and !
Soon found myself strongly tempted to make r
afatal plunge into the awful abyss. Know :
ing By experience that reason is not always
able to govern and control the actions in such ),
cases, forced myself back few feet, but
still remained near the opening, deaf to the
g entreaties OF my frightened guide, who now
oegan TO implore me to return eore itshould d.
be too late. As the dread volcano had not
been in action for more than thirty years be- "a
fore his birth, believed be could know no
more Of the danger than myself and thref re lo
preferred to at rom the dictates of my own
feelings rather than bis fears; aud as l
~ pay him well for his services, felt but little
disposed to be hurried from place which had
cosI me so much time money, and trouole to
visit
Giving no heed, therefore to bis earnest -
Solicitations now resolved 10 sound, IF pos :
sible the depth Of the chqsm before me, and u
then proceed 10 inspect the others; and for u
rrfaa q la / =