Litchfield enquirer., 1878-10-24
Black Maiiers of Vesuvius.
NOCTURNAL LAUNDERING oFsToURIsTs ON THE
 CRATER's EDGE.

A Genoa correspondent of the London Times writes, under the date of September r: Dur ing the past week, two American ladies ot strength and pluck determined to venture in the crater of the volcano They were inform ed at the hotel, and also by trllsty guide, that there was no danger from the condition of the mountain, but that the. journey should be performed at night, as the heat of the day was oppressive. They were advlsed to be on the cone by sunrise. A gentleman whorwas a stranger to them, and perhaps less plucky, but who proved good company, agreed to accom- pany them; and the three of them employed a safe cour1er who spoke English sI , {,
 'The party went to Pompeii in the after noon, rested from to 12 o'clock, and then, at midnight, after cup of strong coffee, started out upon what they supposed must prove to them delightful excursion. Before the cone was coached, various attaches, of. the expedi- tion appeared, and they wereAtold these were all necessary When counted they proved to be ten in number; a mountain guide,' two torch bearers, six helpers for the climbers (two each) and one eFhelperh hfor the. chief guide.
 ''During' the ascent the wind, which had been blowing gently, increased to quite gale; the ashes and scori8 came into the ladies' faces, filling eyes, nose and mouth, blowing off hats, and, what was even worse, blowing out the two torches andpreventingS their use. Upin the dark on such a night-fancy itls 9~S .
 'eBut thus far, ones sympathy may not be with the ladies, because it would seem that the night only proved bad one, and that risk all must take who ascend Vesuvius in the night. The worst, however, was still to come and this surely, they could not have foreseen or prevented.
 ''By a. m. all were at the summit. The wind d.heYled and blew the sulphuroqs sneke into theif lungs and eyes, and the fires only partly lighted up the darkness and gloom. Then the ten Italians asked the ladies to de- scend into the outer crater in order to'eonlpel them to pay fee for an extra. They de- clined to go. The courier was appealed to for his influence to induce them to go. He simply asked them if they wishedfo- go, and upon their saying no, told the men so. They became only the more exasperated, and began quarrel ing with the courier He reniaiped good,na-- trlreds but they bantered him clinchedi their fists, and then went through a scene which beggars description. Fancy the night, the place, the persons ladies and stranger, with ten Italians bent onrobbing them of mep- ey-and these demons, before the glare of this little hell, fighting the courier himself! Im- agine, if you can, the terror which overcame the ladies, the fear lest they should be carried into the crater by force, or robbed or in some way prevented from descending the mountain peaceablys and fancy such a scene occupying nearly two hours, or almost till 6 a. m, when the day broke.
 'tIt would take column of the Timesto de- scribe the whole occurrence. only add, in relation to the above, that the ladies had desir- cd to be carried up the cone on the chairs al- ways in waiting, but were asked 40 francs each for their services nearly s5for the three; and that in consequence of the conduct of the men no pleasure whatever was derived at the summit. At 8 a. m. they reached Pompeii again, glad to be with civilized people again, although drenched to the skin by the rain which began at 7, and which they hurried through on horseback in order to be out off the reach of all the scoundrels whozseemed to infest the region of Vesuvius.
 Hast week, in Rome, gentleman told me that he had, two days before, been up sVesuE vius in the day time with guide; that when on the summit 90 francs extra was demanded by his guide and otherss and he was obliged to pay it in order to be permitted to descend"