The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-11-03
A PERILoUs ADVENTURE.

and The following is brief narration OF
a fearful adventure which happened TO
me upon that sublime and desolate ele-
walton.
Having procured a guide, I set off at
an early hour on the morning following
my arrival in SalZun (at the foot OF the
extinct volcano }, praying for fair weath-
er, good luck, and sale return.
AS you push on, ascending summit
alter summit, on your way to the great
and awful center OF all, you hnu the
danger, dreariness and desolatl0n grad
ually increase to the most terrible sub
limity-till at last, when you do finally
stand on the highest point in this unlIv-
ing world ofchaOs. you instnctively prya
heaven, with an icy shudder shiVerlng
through yout miserable frame, to restore
Won TO the lie you seem TO have lett for
ever behind you.
Oh, how shall / attempt to convey TO
any mind the avail scenes of desolatlon
that surrounded me when at last stood
more tnan i0ur thousand feet above the
level OF the sea, on The highest peak OF
the barren Hecla!
Six mortal hUurs-three on horseback
and thee on fOot-hau l been clamDel-
ing upward from the world below; and
then, among the very clouds That rolled
ana swept around me, L stood III Worlu
of lava mountains, ice and snoW-tne
lava black AS midnight, the snow oil
bli indlng VIII. eness-and NOT IN all mat
region u tree, bush, shrub, Dlade OF
even a solitary living thing, excepting
my sell and guide! Far as Lhe eye couiu
reucn, when the moving clouds permit
| .eu me TO see, was succession OF back,
rugged hills, snOw-croWned peaks, gllst-
| ri h.
| into whose Inanlmate solitudes no hu-
| man foot mad ever penetrated-a world
without plaut or life-tne very uesola-
lion OF deeOlalion-Glied with yaWnlng
chasms and dreadful abysses.
Wrapping one OF the blankets about
me to project me from Lne lIeeZlng COLI,
and cautiously using my pOlnteu stick
| To Try every foot UI Z. ound before NE, l
NOW began to N I'VE about, over blocks
| and neaus anu hills OF lava, and across
| narrow cnasms aud pitfalls and patches
| OF snow aud ice, my faithful guide Keep
! ing near, and often warning me to be
| careful of my Steps. In TINS manner AT
| length ascenued Il ridge OF considerable
| elevation, stumbling my way 10 the top,
aud now and then dlsplacng fragments
of lava that rolled cru ming down behind
me, AS yet | had seen no signs OF the
before had Youlted form its terrific and
dpsol ,tlpg streams OF melted back
sand, but OIL reaching the summit OF
Ia ridge. | looked down into sort OF
| hasiu. open al the lower side and having
| some three Or four deep seams or
cnasms in the center, into Wnlch the
! melC,ug snow and ice, on It's sldes, were
| running in small streams. A peculiar
and not very agreeable odor came up
| with q thin, SMOKY Vap0r, ana lahcleu
| could hear distant sound, something
| between gurgle and rumble.
| II suppose THIS is the original era
ter ?" | SAID, turning to the guide.
| The fellow was as pale as death, and
every feature expressed surprise allied
| to Tear.
| .tWnat is the matterW 1 quickly de-
manded. "HaVe you ever seen this spot
pelore?n
81 have seen this place before, mas.
ter" he replied, 'but never anything
like this, When | was here last, there
was 10 hollow here, put only leVe
pIain OF snow ana Ice"
,sIndeedV exclaimed /, feeling
strangely Interested. "Wnat, then, d.
won i1IeI-thAt there is to be u fresh
uptiunW
ii lear so, master. Whist can have
lcaused this change? You see there is
lueuL below, when has melted the thick
u cier, and only lew streaks OF ice
NOW remain above the upper part Of the
sides, wMle al the center IS gone"
"a nu vAe ground has slight feeling
of warmth, too" l rej0ined, as l bent
down and laid my hand upon it.
LET us leave, master," returned tbs
fellow, nurriedly, looking around will
an eXpression OF alarm. 81 DO not like
to remain here; we may be destroyed AT
any moment. Let US nasten down and
report what we nave seen."
tNay," said |, feeling strangely inter
estvu and fasc. mated by the perilou,
novelty; II DO not thlhk there is an!
inmeulate danger, for the snow AM
, ice. as is PLAIN Lo be seen, have mellet
! SLOWLY; ana before L g. away, never t
: return, [ should like TO venture int
: thls basin, and IoOk down into one o
those Cnasms."
"On, no, MASTER" replied the guide
with nervous Anxiety; "do not DO 1t. l
, might cost you your l.le."
sat least, Will risk 1t, if you viii
agree to wait for me-" said l, iully dc
; termlned on the venture, even though
were to 20 without his consent.
81 will wall," he answered.; "bu
remember, master, you 90 down agains
4 my advice"
: rhe crater or hollow was about fit
| ieet in depth, with gently sloping sides
and using my pointed STICK, with th
+ greatest care, l forthwith begun the d.
s scent, often stopping to try the tcmperi
ture of the lava with my hand, and inC
ling it growing gradually warmer as
It proceeded, though not sufficiently SO
u excite any alarm. In q short time
$ reached tue bottom, and stood on I'll
l. verpe of one of the seams or chasn
: which opened far down into the heart
l the mounLain. 1t was about four feet
o width, zIgZag in shape; emitted strongl
neculiar the oder before mentione
h A small, trickling stream, from mel
10 ing layer of ice above, was running I'M
"a it: but could only see that it was To-
a in the deep darkness below, from whit
Ia came up a kind OF Kissing, boiling, CUR
" ling sound, with something like q rum
"a ling shock at slight intervals and gent
is putfs OF heated air.
Giving no heed to my guides earnet
solicitations, l now resolved to SCUM
IN if possible, the depth of the chasm befo
y me, and then proceed TO inspect the OF
le ers; and for this purpose l broke (
sC from a larger one a small block OF Law
9, and, advancing to the very edge OF t.
% cnasm, dropped 1t down, and listen
y to the hollow reverberations, as it we
10 bounding from side to side, long after
was lost IN the eve The denim WAS