The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-01-03
Terrible Adventure on Il Volcano.

fearful adventure which happened to him up
or that sublime and desolate elevation:
Having secured guide | set out at al
early hour. on the morning following my ar
rival in Salsun lat the foot of the extinct vol
cano,) praying for fair weather, good luck
and IA safe return. The scenery, even from
the first, was 50 different from anv had ev-
er seen outside of Iceland as TO be worthy
of better description than am able to give
Suffice 1t to say that, as you push on, ascend
ing summit after summit on your way to the
great and awful center of all, you find the
danger, drearincss and dcsolation increases
to the most terrible subimity, till at last
when you do finally stand on the hishes,
point in this uninvting world of chaos, you
inStinctively pray God, with an icy shuGder
shivering through your miserable frame. to
restore YOU to the life you seem to have left
forever behind YOU.
o how shall attempt to convey to any
mind the awful scene of desolation that sur
rounded me. when az las: stood more than
four thousand feet above the level Of the sea
on the highest peak Of barren Hecla =
Six mortal hours-three on horseback
and three on foot had been clam
bering upwards from the world below
and now. among the Very clouds that rolled
and swept around me, stood in world of
lava mountains zee and snow-the lava black
as midnight, the snow Of binding Whiteness
and not IN all that region a tree, bush. a
shrub, blade. or even a solitary living thing
excepting self and guide. Ear as the eve
could reach, when the moving clouds permit
ted me TO see, was a succession Of black, rug
ged hills. snow-crowned peaks. slistening gla
ciers, and icebound stream. into whose IMAM
innate solitude no human foot had ever pene-
trated-a world without plant or lte-,he
very ahominati0n of deSola,on-tilled with
yawning chasmS, dreadful abysses and mid
night caves which have never echoed any
sound bat the thunderS of heaven. and the
sroaning> and commissions of earth. SO wild
and terrible was the scene that felt strange
thrill, like madness, rush through nv shiyer-
ing frame. enI quiver about my dizzy brain.
and shouted 10 break the stiffness Of death.
and heard my voice come di>nally back in :.
huiIred echoes Ill ii seemed to be lost in
the bowels OF the unproductive earth.
Wrapping one Of the blankets aboli, me.to
protec' me from the freezing cpld, and can
tiou>y using my pointed stick TO try every
foot Of ground before ne. ] now began 70
"tra,s a.J anrn. ",o "'.i' ",'J' '.':.S ~.
f,us .nl ,,,cb.s of r,ov a,J ;aa ti
.'I :,' "'" 'S.' III, ''!'ii-
r. H., c.r..,'i s. - ~ "' ..''r
nMr >. I..".,h ,>r.+i.I Was "i'''- :I'-
III .I,;,, .,..II;. -
a.,I ,,'.,,. .,i ,bor ,!,I,,I-.;', .''' .JP'
'''0'' ''H '%S"', ii's u! ~
I' %,I s, nn ',,,' .;r@s 4. ,I .,','J ] ''e .h N
,,.r ,,b;oh I,n.n i'.- l, VI Inv
- g,r,s -. ~ lI' .'" ,"'''''-
,.t,,..i,..I ,lacl ..,,,L. ;,,. ar na,oL: .I'
,.,,,, ae ', ,t r;i, 81 'e'.''l '"'
''tl.a.;- '',,',,',, ''''o i.
L.,;a, ,' ,h.," t. sue anu
"h,ln', ~ - ~ n"n,.r y" .o .rh;ob & 'e.nI, VI
'"'>'''> IA .'' !'i'o WINCH '"e h!ei!hs
s.."H ''." '.s vi 10 >'1r; "t't running IN
.'''''' 81 '''I''> :, P..D-.a. anu n"' YER! a
0'''""'' u'p' '''i'e uP WIN tA'i' smoky
'"P''' "it'' '"'''''' '""'" near d "'Ntah'
so,'iiu' !t SUM ''''''r' "''"'''' su'se anu
1,,'o.''
suppose 'h'S IS 'he Original crater sad,
turning III, TO '''e Su'"e-
Inc leil"W was as pait as Ceatn, and ev-
tf! feature expressed surprise mingled with
itM;
"a' II '''e matter 4u'cAiy deman-
He"' h''' sou never seen TINS spot be-
loFt
nave seen 'h'S place before master he
I''ie", 'oul never atyth!nS Ike this
a'H was mere !a>l mere was no hollow
hE't' ""' 'nis 'F'el pam OF sno" and
;.
NJ ''a'''U l. ,''i''S >u"nSe!s III
.y'eN':" " h'', '''eh 20 You ihf'f mat
'"'iT - "oout 10 pe an o'hef eruption:
iI", No. master Wrat else can nave
t"uN'" 'i's cHaASe. lou see lhere IS hea;
"''o"' "''''t' Han "'eI''" 'iP 'hich S'acitr
ait" OILY d 't" S'ttaAS OF ice no" remain
"i'"'i '''' VI 'i'' SUES While 'ile center IS
gone
Ahu 'Iie ground mere has slight feeling
"' "HF'','h' 100 rtloined, ~ bent down
"'',, 'i'u NY ia''u upon H.
i'T' S u> i1a''; I ma ef. returned the t"!-
ioN' i.'i ''e,''i' 'ooN'lS round win an es-
''e>>'o'' 'i aIa[m' q" not Ike to remnn
, '"'' T' u'suo!'u AT an. moment
a. '',, ""'''' "o" Il ''o report what We nave
:,,
- S''" l. t'.,'"S strangely interested
anu '"s.,ia,'" .! '.ie 'eriiou> noSeIy. i
40 vol 10 ''''nA 'h'rt Is an! immediate danger
;or 'i'e snow ana zee II is PLAIN I" be seen
nave ni'''''i SLOWLY, ana before l 90 away,
r'>'i 10 'e'"rn' Shoaiu Ike 10 venture into
'n'> oa>.h anu looH Gown INTO one OF those
'naShs' S1
'h' no. master rpled the guide, with
nervous ANXIETY; do not do 1t; 1t might cost
!oa your HE. =.
~ least i Will RISK H. II You Will agree TO
wal. @ !or me- sal" l. i'IIy determined on the