The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-02-06

GiOn 61OQ0 10 llSnL up LA0 aQl lacenG part
of the mountain and sky. This contin
ued for space of three months or SO
the brilliancy and frequency of the
flash increasing with the growth of the
moon, and dying away as she diminish
ed-when all at once, without any furth
er warning than what have endeavoret
to describe, there appeared a thin, rib
bon-like streak of fire, extending from
nearly the top of the cone (through the
side of which it had forced its way) tC
the bottom. OF course all was excite.
ment and commotion among the visi
tors; and, after allowing the first rush
of tourists to pass, party of us organ,
lied trip for the purpose of reaching
the point where the lava had burst from
the mountain, and exploring the whole
affair, with as much ease to ourselves as
possible. So, after good luncheon,
off we started in two carriages, each
drawn by three good (for Neapolitan)
horses for the ascent is made by a
sort of zigzag road, parts of which are
very steep, and without any wall of pro-
lection to speak of; SO, unless the hor-
ses are stauncb, one stands very good
chance of being jibbed over on the
rough lava and seriously hurt.
Leaving N pies at 2 o'clock, we ar
rived safely and in comparative comfort
at the observatory at half-past four,
and, after a short rest, started along
the ridge of ground that leads from
there to the foot of the cone and dur
ing our progress we were amply re-
warded for any trouble we had been
put to, by the most gorgeous sunset I
have ever seen.
By the time we reached the "Arttrio
del Cavallo,'' or waiting place for horses
(for by riding it is easier to get mile
farther on the joul ney than in a car
riage), it had become quite dark and
the streams of lava, which by day ap-
pears a stream of smoke, was blazing
away in it's sublime brilliancy about a
quarter of mile ahead of us.
Then came the tug of war; to reach
the fiery current it was necessary to
cross this quarter of mile of old lava
"a difficult task by daylight, but much
more so by night, when the only light
was from the glowing stream of lava
above, which sent lurid glare over
objects, rendering still
more dark and deceptive the numerous
pits and holes, to which its reflections
did not penetrate. The elder ones of
the party determined to remain where
they were, and wisely too; but five of
US had made up our mind to reach the
brink of the lava stream and have a
good look at it. Two of the less vigor-
0us, however, soon gave in, and We had
10 leave them to find their way back to
5he others as we'll 9s they could. We
lad. in fact, determined to climb the
zone to the fountain-head, as it were ;
1ut we very soon called a council of
var. with the excuse that there was too
much danger of the stones thrown up by
he big crater falling on our heads,
hough I really believe that the almost
lerculean effort of ascending such a
ugged precipice was the true deterrent !;
% we determined to make for the foot
# the cone where the stream joined
he plain.
The space to be crossed was certainly
lot more than a quarter of a mile as
he crow flies, but 1t seemed uever-end-
ng, and took us at least an hour and a
lalf to get over it. The only descrip-
ion that will convey an idea of this bad
luarter of mile is that of a good cross |
ga, with waves from ten to fifteen feet
Ugh, suddenly petrifed the sides of
ach wave composed of those large Gin
lers known in foundries as clinkers, each |
tinker being nice and loose, so that |
vhen you stepped on one you might |
expect to slip foot or two, |
i'll it chanced to fix itself firmly in its |
leighbors, which if it did not happen |
O do, you slid on till the bottom of the
Iescent was reached, lucky if you kept |
our perpendicular, but peculiarly un-
ucky if you did not, as in your slide,
IL the neighboring clinkers having been
ct in motion, if you reached the bottom |
Irst, they took the greatest pleasure in |
ife in falling on the exposed portions |
f you1 defenceless body. 1 found the |
,est plan was to outwit them by pre-
ending to go back again directly I felt
was in for a good slide; for although |
" struggling back 1 never reached the
,oint started from, yet I reversed the
rider of things, and letting the clinkers
recede me, had the satisfaction of fall
ng on them.
When ihe bottom of one wave had
een reached, the side of the next had
0 be climbed-a still more tedious,
hough not so dangerous, operation,
living one an idea of the mode of pro-
ression experienced on a treadmill
s just as one had raised ones head
bove the crest, the foothold would
i've way, and down to the bottom one
,ould go again, with a rather aggrava-
ed repetition of the sexton-like episode
f the clinkers. There is a sameness
i any quantity of this mode of pro-
eeding that soon becomes irksome,
.hich, Joined to the rather severe toll,
lade me heartily rejoice when our goal
as reached.
What a sight was there On the
ight of q cascade of living fire from
ight hundred to thousand feet high
hen I say cascade I use the word as
ne best I can think of, but it was not
cascade in the least, all the noise,
olash, and dash of which was absent
le lava descending noislessly, majesti-
ally, with a peculiar serpent-like,
Iiding motion, which gave one an idea
{ resistless, infexible power when
sed cruelty and revengefully, or, if an
osurd simile may be used, of large
uantity of treacle poured downstairs
n the left the said stream winding away
ke calm river till it rounded corner
1d was lost to sight. Just where we
ruck the stream, it began to slacken
1eed after pouring down the almost
erpf ndicular side of the cone, and was
as fast as one could walk
lat is, the centre was, for the sides had |
ready begun to cool, aud consequntly
.oved less swiftly. The heat was tre-
endous, and we could only look on
le molten current for few seconds at
ose quarters, when we were forced to
tire behind the banks to cool. This
as easily done, as the lava had sunk
II itself a regular channel in the ashes,
le banks of which rose about six feet
Dove the surface of the stream, which
as about twenty feet wide its depth
e could not tell, but I should guess
at about six feet. Like a river, the
rther from its source the wider it be-
me. and, as it cooled, moved more
Id more slowly, until at last it seemed
have solidifed and stopped entirely,
rming itself in cooling into a ram
art Of immense masses of some tons
eight. through the chinks of which
red-hot places could be seen.
1ddenly crash would be heard, and
Ie front of the rampant would roll
7er, pushed by the weight from be-
nd. and a fresh front would be
rmed. to be pushed over in its turn.
Id SO on, till the lava power behind
Id ceased to exert itself, through the
.zz.I..., &c +Io nr1110Fion T., 4I;o NOV