The Portland daily press., 1864-09-30
" esuvius.


~ Hto DUteOT " the FfeSS
We left our hotel in Naples about II o'clock
A. NJ, bound to the top of this famous vol
canie mountain. l say aoe-i. e., Col. Hush
and wife of the English Bengal army, one
German of Berlin, two Frenchmen and my
self. All could use the French language more
or less, and four of US were quite at home in
English. We went first by coach to Resina,
which stands on the lava that covers Hercula-
neum. Having walked through the streets
of this subterranean city, 80 feet or more be
low the present surface, each of us mounted
horse, mule, or donkey and started for the
summit of Vesuvius. After riding, perhaps
an hour, we came to place high up the
mountain called the Hermitage, where we
rested a few moments and then rode on to the
foot of the grand peak on the top of which is
the crater. Here the ascent is too steep for
mules and horses; so we take the long sticks
or poles furnished by our guide, and slowly
climb up the rough lava which once rolled
down here in about the consistency of melted
wax. The distance from the place where we
leave our mules and horses is little over
iulCs ACUOPpuS OiuCn W ACcby VIC az ACnStu
reach the summit without much fatigue
Here we are on the rim of the crater, which
is simply great cup or bowl, and may be a
quarter of mile, more or less, in diameter.
We walked along the edge of this great bowl
for some distance, surveying the scene around
us. This gigantic cup is about half full OF
stifened lava, still warm in most places, and
in few spots red hot. Near the centre of
the crater is an opening in the lava, perhaps
ten or fifteen feet in diameter, through which
the volcano may be said to breathe. The lava
and other matter thrown up at this opening
has lodged round about it, until quite chin
ney has been formed not less than 80 feet
above the general level around it. Thus we
were able to ascend and look in at the tor.
1t was at the time throwing up large quaint
ties of steam and smoke and flame. Now
and then there was an explosion-or rather
rapid succession of explosions-loud almost
as thunder, when red-hot stones and Jumps
of burning lava were thrown up hundred
! feet or more above our heads, rendering our
position there rather perilous. After few mo
ments, therefore, on the top of this chimney, we
descended to the general level of the stiffened
lava, and wandered about on its surface for
little while, and then went up again to the edge
of the crater-the rim of the great bowl. Here
we tarred till the sun had set In the waters OF
the Mediterranean, and the stars had come
out. Then was presented to our view min
gled scene of beauty and awful grandeur moi
4
! to be described. The lava in the great bowl,
over which we had walked, assumed in many
places reddish appearance, and it was a.
most lrightful to think we had walked Oh
such fiery surface; and then the laundering
lava hurled up from the abyss below, through
the central chimney of which l have spoken,
was truly terrific. No wonder that the boots
aud shoes worn on that occasion were of yer,
little service after that day. In some places
the forces underneath had pushed up the stiff
ened lava and caused small quantities Of melt
ed lava to appear. These fearful revelations
were the result of darkness. Meanwhile the
starry sky above and around us had put on o
beauty and brilliancy more easily imagined
than described.
After surveying this thrilling scene for az
hour perhaps, we descended by diferen
route from that by which we had assembled:
not over rough lava but in soft sand, which
gave way under our feet in such manner
that we could not well avoid a very rapid de-
scent to the place where we left our mules
and horses.
The summit of Vesuvius is about 5000 feet
above the sea. Far below its foundations, and
below the bottom of the sea which washes it,
roots, there is without doubt vast ocean
liquid fire, extending, we know not how far
When the waters of the aea break through
and come in contact with this burning lake
they are instantly converted into steam, which
must find uent Somewhere. Hence earth
quakes and volcanic eruptions.
No one, think, can visit this mountain
without perceiving that, at some remote peri
cd, the crater was immensely larger than it
now is. There are the walls of that ancient
crater, forming semi-circle on the north, east
and south. The present crater is nearly in
the centre of what was the ancient one. M,
theory is, that when the western side of that
great original crater gave way the cite sof Her
culaneum, Pompeii, Stabia and all the regions
about them were buried under the overwhelm-
ing mass ofearth, gravel, rocks and lava, which
rolled down upon them. All my observations
in the neighborhood of these buried cities.
and especially of Pompeii, went to strengthen
this theory. This awful eruption occurred in
A. D. 70, ten or twelve years after Paul's
last voyage to Rome, and nearly 1900 years
ago. may perhaps say something of these
buried cities at another time. AGAMEMNoN.
Sept. 23d 1864.
Vote for Governor.