The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-11-16
4 PERILOyS ADVENTURE.


the following is IA brief nalr ration of II fear
iul adventure which happened I" me upon
thar sublime and drsoaie eleva; ion.
Having procured Il guide, | Sc off at AN
eaiiy hour un tie morning following my
arrival III SalZun lat the foot Of the extinct
vulcauol. pIaIIng for fair weather, good
luck, aud 4 safe return.
A. you push ON. ascending summit after
summit. your way to the great and aw-
full c,utre of all, ,ru find The danger, dieari-
I ness aud drsulation gradually increase I"
lhe most terrible sunlimiIy-iill at last,
Hhem y.hu do finally stand ,'I the hivhest
poIut IN tins uulivIug world Of ciiaos, you
! IustInctIv, ly pay 10 leaven, with a" icy
>huider shIveIIug thrrugn y"ur miser H. Z
| iIam-, to restore ynu 10 iire lille you seem
To have left forever behind YOU.
Oh, how shall | attempt To- convey to any
miud the awful scenes uf drsola,lon tina
surrounded me when at lasI stood muIe
I.Iau foui Thousand :, ct above the level of
the sea. on the h ghest peak of the ban i:e:
| iIrrla
SIX mortal hours three on horseback
| aud thI,e fouI-had | been clanh iug
| Upward from the Won Id ueluw !; and then.
among the very clouds THAI roli,d ana
swept around m. | stood in worid ol lava
! mountains, ice and SNOW the lava black
! tS uIdniy hi, the snow If biIn,i ing white
ne>>-aud mol in all that region "A tIee. Il
| bush. a shrub, blade ~ even a SOLITARY
living thing excepting m.Srn and guide
! Far .is the eye could reach, When the NOV
luy ch,ud> permitted me to ste, Was a suc
ccssi"u of black. rugged hills, SHOW crown
I'd peaks gli>IeuIng glac"Is, and ice bound
streams, INTO " / ',Se. inauinate soItudtS no
human fuut had ever I'enetra,ed-a ild
Without plant ~ LIT. -tilled With yawnIng
chasms and dreadful ahy >ses.
Wiaupiuy one Of the blankets about me
To protect me from the !Irt ziug cold, and
cautiously using my Ipintrd stick to try
every foot of ground before me. | now bc
pan to move about. over blocks aud heaps
and hills ui lava, and across naIr Nv cl'asms
aud t,IttiliS and patches OF SNOW ani ice,
my faithful guide Keeping near. anh nf en-
warming me to be careful uf my Steps. In
this mauuer at length ascrudei 4 ridge of
cons ierabe elevation, stumbling my way
,r tie top, and now aud theu di%placi
fragments uf lava that rolled crushing
down behind me. AS yet | had seen u"
siuus of the mouth Of the crater, which
lightly years bef"ie had v"mIted forth ITS
terrific and d, s',la ing streams "f melted
black sand, but reaching the summit "f
Ihi, ridge | iuuked down iu;o "A Soit al ba-
,iu open at the lower side aud having
some three or four d cp seams "r chasns
IN the centre. into which the Wcltihg sn"*
and ice on Its sides, were running III small
streams. A peculiar and not very agieta-
bile odur came up with a thin, smoky va
nor. and iaucied | could hear Il distant
,nuud, something between Il gurgie aud "a
rumble.
:, suppose this is TIE orig inal cratcr?'
I said Iur ing To the guide.
The fellow was as pale as death, ana
! every feature expressed surpiIse allied IL
| fear.
| ..Wha, is the matter?" quickly de
I ,,uo.d "Ilaye you ever scen this spot
| bef,re?'
Il have seen this place before. master"
h,. rn,lted ..but never anything like his.
| When | was here last there WAS no hollow
! here, but only a level plain oi sno" ana
| zee"
| lv Interested. What. then, do yoi inter
,b,, there is to he II fresh eIupti"n?
! II f.,r so. master. What can hlve
| ,,xed ,L,s change? You see there II heat
| boio., " hich has melted the thick GIaZ'ef'
and only A few strraks of ice now remain
| ,bnve the upper part Of the sides' while III
| he centre Is gone .
| narm,h. too" wj"iuad, as 1 bent down
At q laid my hand upon 1t: =,
| II ,, n. leave uaStpr.' returned the Tel
low hu,lirdlv, looking around WITH an ex
| pIe>sinn of alarm. II a" not IKE 7" re-
! n,,i, here: we may toe destroyed at any
| ,u,meut Let us hasten down aho Ifl'oi'
| nhat We have seen.
| ..N,y y said I, FEELING strangely inter
ss,.d aud fascinated hy the I'eIll"'i> novel
Y: Il do not think there is any immediate
| y,,,.r for the snow aud ice. "a Is pla'n -
| na ,e.u. have melted slowly aud h'.t"'e
.oawmy, never t" return. | Should like :"
r..r,,,e INTO ,his basin, and look down into
| nne of hose cIiasms -
..oI, no. ma.ter. replied he gnide with
| ..,,,,,,s ,rxiety do not do ii. Ii might
cost you your lite"
Al least. will risk II, II y"n VIII agree
w.i, for me-" SAIL |. fun, determined
,L. v..utu g, even though were To K,
| without his c"nsrh'. ~.
| ~ will wait" ne answered; 'hnf- re-
member master. You go down asa'"s' my
| advice" -, sc Co,
in drp'h. with gently sl.r,ng s., sides ; ana
t,bwi,b began the descent. often
s,o,,niup to try The temperature ~ the lava
;,Lm nv hand. and finding it growing grad
-l.ssl 81 a.. p