The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-03-31
Vesuvius.


vesuvius.
and we very properly reserved one day
for visit to that mountain and for MAX
ing an ascent to the summit. The first
stage of the journey is made by car
riage along good road which winds up
from the base to the observatory, first
through vineyards and then over vast
beds of lava This ride occupies about
an hour and half The second stage is
on horseback from the observatory to the
foot of the cone, the road becoming mar
rover and rougher every moment. This
requires three-quarters of an hour Then
the third and most difficult stage of the
ascent begins. This can be accomplished
only on foot, and owing to the depth of
the ashes, and the steepness of the slope,
one is almost obliged to rely. on the
help of the guides, who walk be-
fore, and literally pull the traveller up
the steepest parts of the ascent The
edge of the crater is reached this way in
about another hour, but asst isapproached,
the side of the cone becomes more pre-
cipitous and the walking more toilsome
and painful because of the loose ashes and
clnders into which one sinks at every step,
and because of the increasing heat, now
sensibly felt through the thickest shoes.
There is still one other hindrance, greater
than those already mentioned, and that
is the sulphurous vapors which mingle
with the heated air. very similar in flavor
to the smoke3f lucifer matches-not the
modern perfumed parlor match, but the
old-fashioned, big, blue-headed birthstone
and phosphorus match of our earlier
days. The friend who accompanied me
in the ascent, when within thirty feet of
the top Of the cone, was so overcome by
the mephitic gas as to be obliged to aban-
don the attempt, but determined to see
the top, and the bottom too, as far down
as we could look into the interior of the
crater. | was almost strangled by the
smoke, but very soon the wind drifted it
away partially and enabled me to breathe
more freely and to see the bestrepresenta-
tion on earth of Tophet ordained of
old The deep reverberations from be-
meath, the whirling eddies of black smoke,
the intense heat, the vast desolations all
around made the view an ever memora-
rable one
The seeming danger of the position
arose from the stones which were contin-
ually projected high in the air. but they
were all falling on the other side of the
crater and so the risk, if any, was small,
though Mr.. Duneary, the American Con-
sui in Naples, told me that few days
before man had been struck on the
head by fragment and severely wound
ed. But whatever may be the painful
fatigue of the ascent, one is abundantlv
compensated, not only by the inspection
itself, but by the view which the summit
commands of the city of Naples, and
scores of villages scattered around the
base of the mountain GO miles in circum-
terence), together with Misenum, Pro
clda, lscia, and Capri in the distance, and
the blue Mediterranean beyond all.
The Departure.
The vessel we selected for our VOYAGE
was the Mendoza, one of Messagerie line
of French steamers. The appointments
of these ships are so good, the arrange
ment of the state-rooms is so convenient
and the little comforts furnished the vow
ager so numerous, that one wonders w6v
great line like the Cunard continues to
be so destitute of all these little advan
tages, attending to little else than the
mere safety of the passenger. 1t is true
that is the chief thing, but if safety and
comfort were incompatible things there
would be more excuse for the Cunard
people. The scene that attended,eur de-
parture was Enthusiastically Neapolitan.
AS the passengers were coming on board
by the Little boats that brought them
from the wharf to the Mendoza, two other
boats filled with strolling musicians came
along side. In one Of them were six men.
each with guitar in his hand and when
they got under our lee, they commenced
a merry song, with loud, twanging ac-
compartment. Soon the musicians Of the
other boat boarded our steamer and began
to play and sing on the deck Presently
a circle of passengers was formed around
them, and some joined in the song and
others began to dance, so that the depar
ture of the ship instead of being, as it
generally is, a lugubrious affair, was anv
thing else. When we got under steam.
the musicians descended to the boat but
followed us some distance, playing and
singing as they went, one man standing
up IN the boat and catching the money
thrown to them in large inverted UNI
brella, which he had opened and Eeld up
for the purpose. | suggested to Mr.. P.