The Shasta courier., 1862-03-29
SH ASIA COURIER.
terrible Adventure ON a Volcano.

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of fearful adventure which happened tc
him upon that sublime and desolate eleva
tion:
Having secured guide, set off, at an ear
" hour, on the morning following my arri-
val in Salsun, lat the foot of the extinct
volcano,) praying for fair weather. good
luck, and a safe return.
The scenery, even from the first, was SO
different from any had ever seen outside OF
Iceland as to be worthy of a better descrip-
tion than am able to give. Suffice it to
saw that, as you push on, ascending. submits
on your way to the great and awful center
of all. YOU find the danger, dreariness and
desolation increase to the most terrible sub
Unity, till at last, when you do finally stand
on the highest point in this unliving
world of chaos, you instinctively pray God,
with an icy shudder shivering through your
miserable frame, to restore you to the lille you
seem to have left forever behind you.
o shall attempt to convey to any mind
the awful scene of desolation that surround
cd me when at last stood more than four
thousand feet above the level of the sea, on
the highest peak of the barren Iecl;i
Six mortal hours-three on horseback and
three on foot-had been clambering up
ward from the world below; and now,
among the very clouds that rolled and swept
around me. / stood in u world of lava black
as midnight, the snow of binding whiteness
and not in all that region a tree, bush,
shrub, a blade, or even solitary living
thing excepting selfand guide,
Far as the eye could reach, when the
moving clouds permitted me to see, was a
succession of black, rugged hills, snow
crowned peaks, glistening glaciers, and ice
bound streams, into whose inanimate soli-
tude no human foot had ever penetrated-a
world without plant or life-the very desola-
tion of desolation-filled with yawning
chasms, dreadful abysses and midnight caves
which have never echoed any sound but the
thunders of heaven, and the groanings and
convulsions of EARTH So wild and terrible
was the scene, that | felt strange thrill,
like madness, rush through my shivering
frame, and quiver about my dizzy brain,
and shouted, to break the stiffness of death
and heard my voice come dismally back in
a hundred echoes till i. seemed to be lost
in the bowels of the unproductive
earth.
Wrapping one of the blankets around me.
to protect me from the freezing cold, and
cautiously using my pointed stick to try ev-
cry foot of ground before me, now began to
move about over blocks and heaps, and hills
of lava, and across narrow chasms, and pit
falls, and patches of snow and ice, my faitE-
full guide keeping near and often warning
me to be careful of my steps. In this man.
ner / at length ascended ridge of consid-
cradle elevation, stumbling my way to the
top, and now and then displacing fragments
of lava that rolled crushing down behind
me. As yet l had seen no sign of the
mouth of the crater, which eighty years ago
had vomited forth its terrific and desola.
ting stream of melted black sand but on
reaching the summit of this ridge looked
down into a sort of basin, open at the lower
side, aud having some three or four deer
seams, or chasms, into which the melting
snow and ice ON its sides were running in
small streams. A peculiar and not very
agreeable odor came mp with thin, smoky
vapor, and fancied l could hear distant
sound, something between gurgle and a
rumble,
g suppose is this the original crater,
l said turning to the guide.
The fellow was as pale as death, and every
feature expressed surprise allied tc
fear.
g What is the matter? quickly demand
ed Is have you never seen this spot be-
fore?'
'' have seen this place before master,
he replied, " but never anything like this
When l was here last there was no hollow
here, but only level plain of snow and
ice"
90 Indecdl'' exclaimed /, feeling strange
ly interested what then do you infer
that there is about to be fresh erup
ton"
'' fear so, master what else could have
caused this change? You see there is hea
below, which has melted the thick glacier
and only few streaks of ice now re
main upon the sides, while all the center i:
gone"
And the ground here has slight feel
ing OF warmth, too ~ l rejoined, as | ben
down and laid my hand upon it.
Let us leave master ~ returned the fel
low, hurriedly, looking around with an ex
preston of alarm. g i do not like to re
main here; we may be destroyed at an,
moment. Let us hasten down and repor
whatwe have SEEM
Nay said |. feeling strangely interes
ted and fascinated by the perilous novelty
do not think there is any immediate
danger for the snow and ice, as is plain t,
be seen, have melted slowly. and before | q,
away, never to return, l should like to ven
fure into this basin, and look down into on,
of those chasms.H
Oh, no master l''replied the guide. will
nervous anxiety g do not do it. it NIGH
cost you your life ~
At least l will risk it if you will agree
towait for me J" said l, fully determined or
the venture, even though were to go with
out his consent.
viii watt" he answered, but re
member, master, you go down against my
advice
The crater or hollow was about fifty feet ir
depth, with gently sloping sides and using
my pointed stick with the greatest care,
forthwith began the descent, often stopping
to try tho temper of the lava with my
hand, and finding it gradually warmer as
proceeded, though not sufficiently so to ex
cite any alarm. In short time | reached
the bottom, and stood on the verge of one o
the seams or chasms, which opened far. fal
down into the heart of the mountain. 1t wa.
about four feet in width, zigzag in shape
and emitted strongly the peculiar odor be
fore mentioned. A small trickling stream
from q melting layer of ice above, wa.
running into it but could only see that i
was lost in the deep darkness below, from
which came up kind Of kissing. boiling
surging souEd with something like. rum
bling shock at slight intervals, and puffs, o
heated air.
The place, the scene. and withal the sens
OF danger connected With it, held me Their
with sort of magnetic fascination. and
soon found myself tempted to make fata