The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-02-13

look full upon him, and when | wake in
the night my eyes open on the burning
rivers of lava. A few clouds along the
west were hunying to get out of hit,
and soon the sky shone blue and clear as
that of a perfect June day All Naples
turned out of doors to enjoy the sun and
the delicious air, and as we dove along
the Marina. Vesuvius, towering 50 grand
y before us, was no more Storehouse
of terror and ptiless destructive force.
1t rose, rather, like a Titanic sun-gllded
altar wherein smoked offerings to some
peaceful and benefcent god The silver
edges of the ever ascending and unfold
ing clouds cleaned softly In the hollow
blue; the houses and villages on the
middle slopes of the mountain basked in
the sun, as if the death and ruin upon
which they were built were not hanging
over them. The angry fires were all
quenched in the light Of the divine day,
and below the bright sea smoothed his
waves ever the mouths Of dead craters
and the burrows of ancient lava.
On reaching Resina, we found ourselves
IN advance of the crowd of travellers,
whose conf lg was as certain as that OF
MONDAY. Houses and guides were there
fore on hand Everybody goes led by
Murray. | presume, to the Office of the
guide Cozzolini, tail important looking
man, who farms the top OF Nesuvlus, and
looks on eruptions as good haryests. |
think we should have done better to have
gone to the other office for Cozzolinl
gave US a guide both useless and insolent.
| The boys who had charge Of the horses
were careful and attentive, and the day
itself was such piece OF good fortune
that we allowed the so-called guide to
lay in the rear as much as he pleased.
Mounting between gardens OF orange
and lemon trees, clumps Of cactus, glossy
carob trees, and vineyards OF Lacryma
Christi vines, we reached the limit OF the
cultivated fields in three-quarters OF an
hour. The entire Bay Of Naples, from
the Cape of Minerva to Ischia, was con
stantly in sight below US. The ragged
black crests of the lava-helds OF 1888,
which had been in sight since leaving the
suburbs of Resina, now gl0omed close at
hand, and the path, winding around
| spur of the mountain, struck at last across
the surface.
[ had seen streams Of cold lava before.
In Sicily, Mexico, and other parts of the
world [ have gone over the track or
eruptions. ancient or recent; but never
beheld such chaos of hideously, horrl-
bly, distorted forms. Torn and twisted
in every direction, rising into peaks or
ridges, split in clefts or sinking into ra-
vines, the lava, of dismal dead-black
hue, suggests a world Of monstrOus, abor-
tive shapes. which have first purified
and then been petrifed. Hides OF rhl-
noceros, strange crushed beasts and saurl-
ans, with the entrails protrudmg, backs,
legs, and bellies of lumpish haif-human
beings; huge scalps and rolls OF sodden
hair, and shapes which represent you
know not what, only you know that 1t Is
something disgusting, are here tossed to-
gether- Everything is solid, yet it seems
falling to pieces from corruption. Ma
ture must have been momentarily insane
when she did such thing as this.
Ugh! 1t was frightful The path was
built with great labor through the heart
of the lava-felds, the ridges of which
shut out almost everything else from
view. When we caught glimpse OF
! Naples. down one of the clefts, it was
ike looking upon Paradise from some de
serted corner of Hell. Notwithstanding
all the surface soil must have been plowed
up and fused together with the lava, there
is yet no commencement OF vegetation.
cultivation has been resumed along the
borders of this region, and every httlt
islet or inlet of friable earth IS planted
with wheat, horse beans, and olives. Ii
so to 100 years more, all this hldeous de
ISOLATION viii be terraced and planted
the patience of Man will conquer Nature
in the end
Winding and climbing for half an
hour more, we finally reached the hi
upon which stand the hermitage and the
observatory. These buildings crown thu
summit of spur, thrust out at the bas
of the cone. A ravine on either side at
fortls passage for whatever lava may com
in that direction, and thus the building
are tolerabIy secure. At the hermitage
; a monk ia very dirty gaberdine sold u
! some professed Aacryma Christi at tw
!, francs the bottle-in reality the common
est-sort of rin orlhnaWe. The building
was cold and dreary, and with Nesuvlu
smoking so near at hand we did not tarr
longer, but pushed forward to the burn
: ing district. :,
1t was scarcely three-quarters OF NIL
| further to the foot of the great cone
which now rose dark against the sky
: pouring from its crater immense volume
; of steam. white and loustrous as new 81
: yer. The growth OF young oaks on tn
ridge soon terminated, giving place to
4 dead. waste region Of black Java, opef
: inc on the left into the Afro del Cayall(
4 The bare, red precipices OF Monte Son
g ma, once a part OF the mountain ltsel
l shone in the sun, but on the right han
all was smoke, confusion, and IRE. LII
: double stream of lava from the crater Wa
/ pouring its fluid, incandescent rock INT
: the valley. and the burning mass, COZ
J stantly pushed from behind, had alread
entered the ravine we had crossed IL
:. tie distance below, moving doWnWar
over the distorted lava-beds OF 1885,
l There was much smoke but little flame
; at times a roaring, rafting noise va
: heard, but [ noticed no tremor or osclll;
= ton in the earth, either then or later.
q At the edge of the old lava-whic
t here took only the shape of loose stone
= we left our horses, and went forwar
! on foot There was a trodden path ;
r first, but it soon disappeared, and OF
r progress over the rolling and sildln
. heaps, which had the sharp grit of groun
/ glass, was rather painful. We had d
( ready passed the lower point OF the lav
! current, and reached it at point whel
r the larger eruption Of the previous nigi
: had come down The heat and smek
increased at every step; the rafting no
+ ses were continuous, and lines Of CREEP
. ing fire became visible There appeare
i to be two streams, both moving in til
f same manner-that is, only partly flown
n upon the surface of the old lava, but bul
d rowing under It's loose crust, splitting an
4 upheaying it, and mixing its matera
4 with the new mass. The noise Of tn
/ ow was thus produced. The Are was 5
e lent and irresistible: there was no hi:
e or suffering of the molten elements, 81
Il the stream lifted and threw on solid mas