The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-11-30

remember them uhen this var ID over.
fear ora portion. il here, would. the 6rs
they kues, 6nd themselv . defending shei,
country against their will, BY compulsory
hard labor on Fort R,lla. The Bagls With
its Union pretenssons, and tra;torsus blasts,
would either chsnge i,s tone. or take quar-
tiers in the Block House. Il is we'll Il 10 mol
under martial law - that works a. charm
on all traitors 1t heart. They either Iedus,
or swear extra for the Union. Oas Of Col.
Dodse's scouting parties came 10 so-nigh,
from Wright Co. In 6shs they killed nine
rebels, wounded four, aud brought in II
prisoners, sOd . large amount Of properly.
Occasional.
TERRIBLE ADyESruRE ON VOL
| Mr. Carl Sseiman visited Mount IIecla, in
| iceland just before the terrible eruption in
! lSi5, and the following is his narrative uf
! u fearful adventure which happened to him
upon that sublime and dssoiate elevation /:
| Having secured aguide set OF, at an
early hour, on the morning following my
arrival in Salsun, lat she foot OF the ext,ne,
volcano,) praying for fair weather, good
| luck, and = safe return.
| The scenery, even from the 6rst, was 50
different from any had ever seen outside
OF Iceland as to be worthy of better des,
erip,ion than am able to give. Suffice il
to say thas, as you push on. ascending sum
init after summit on your way to the great
and awful centre Of al, you ind the danger
drearnsss and desola ioa increase 10 the
most terrible subimity, till Mt last, when
you do finally stand Sn the highest point
10 this uniiving world Of chaos, you ins,inc-
lively pray God with an icy shudier SILVER.
| ing tai ough your miserable frame. to res
tore you 10 life you seem TO haveieft for
ever behind you. Bows tasafat
. how shall l attempt to convey to any
mind the awful scene Of desolation that sur
rounded me when as last | stood more than
four thousand feet above the level OF the sea
on the highest peak Of the barren liecI, =
six mortal hours three on hors sback and
three on foot had been clambcring up
ward from the world below; and now
among the very clouds that rolled and
swept around me, stood in world OF lava
mountains, ice and s.ow-the lava black as
midnight, the snow OF binding whi;eness-.
and not in all that region u tree, a bush, n
blade, or even solitary living thing except
self aud guide.
Far an the ego could reach, when the NOV
ing clouds permitted me TO zee, was sue
cession OF black rugged hills, snow-crown-
ed peaks, glstening glaciers. and ice bound
streams into whose inanimste solitude no
human foot had ever penetrated IA world
without plant or life-the very desolation
OF desolaiion-illedw with yawoinS chasms,
dreadful nbysess and midnight caves which
have never echoed any sound but the thun
ders Of heaven, aud the groan,ugs and con.
vulsiuns of earth. So wild and terrible
was the scene that felt strange thrill like
madness, rush through my shivering frame
and qn,ver about my dizzy brain, and
shouted, to break the stiffness Of death, and
heard my voice come dsms!ly back in q
hundred echoes till il seemed to be lost in
the bowels OF the unproductive earth.
Wrapping one Of the blankets about me,
to protect me from the freezing cold, and
cautiously using my pointed stick to try
every foot of ground before me, now be-
gan 20 move about over blocks and heaps,
and hills Of lava, and across narrow charms
and pitfalls, and patches Of snow and ice,
my faithful guide keeping near and often
warning me to b. careful of my steps. In
this manner at length ascended sr,dgs OF
considerable elevation, stumbling my way to
the top, and now and then dsplacing frag.
ments Of lava that rolled crashing dowo
behind me. Asyet ihad seen no signs OF the
mouth Of the crater, which eighty years be-
fore, had vomited forth its terrific and desc
la,ing streams of black sand; but on reach
ing the summit Of this ridge looked down
a 4 -.
INTO sort OF BASIN, open at the lower side
and having some three or four desp seams
or chasms. in its centre, into which the
melting snow and ice on its sides were run.
ming ia small streams. A peculiar and not
very agreeable odor came up with a thin
smoky yapor, and | fsnciej | could hear u
d,.tan, sound, something between a gnrgle
and rumble.
~ suppose this - the original crater" !
said, turning to the gaiie.
The fe.low was a. pale "A death. and
every feature expressed surprise allied TO
fear.
"Whas is the mattcr?" Iqniekly de-
m handed; shave you never seen this spot
before"
s'I have seen this place before master,"
he replied, "but never anything like his
When | was here last .hers VAS no hollow
here. but only q level plain CT snow aud
ice.'' a. e.a..s .....ss. ...-. s..-s.
"IndeedE" exclaimed feeling strangely
interested: "what, then do you infer
that there is abont TO be fresh eruption Z
~ fear so master; what else Can have
caused this change9 You ses there IS heat
below, which has melted the thlcx glacier,
ard only few s,reaks Of ice now remain
upon The nrpsr part Of the sides, while aii
the eeasre IS gone"
..Asd shs ground here has eight feeling |
Of warmth, too ~ irejoioed, As bent down