The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-10-28

| NeSiNt Hhtute VScuPyibB oFeiy INV VI
space with forest trees and tropical
vegetation. Tho forest beerudged the
natives narrow foot-path, aud they
were obliged to throw up stono wall
four feet high on each side Of the path
NJ defence against the rank yegeta
tion. Between these walls there II
just room for riding hiagle tile, and
through tho entire jungle, distance
OF fiYe miles, the track is arbored over
with the donsest tropical gros tbs. The
leafy tre6s ere cntwined, entangl0i
and almost sutFocsted by Dumeron
climbing plants and vines. from ih'
size of n whip cord 10 hs Mzs of mam'.
arm, forming n net ~o,k from th,
ground up, and oytrl,np.,g tb. L,p'
of the highest trees. TIE s,n va,
wholly excluded and the shall, 80 Jlacet
vas almost total darkness. Tbr nil
was still closs and st'iling. "oi T.
emerge from This drisr ~ilierar-I wa-
n great relief. Tbis spot has All IL.
conditions that favor proIigai growtI
Of Vegetation, rich soil, llundauee ol
rain and constant heat. Outside ol
the jungles of Central America have
never seen anything 10 compare with
this tropical wilderness.
But once out Of the woods. III. way
becomes more toilsome. The trail,
almost ilIegiblc, extends over an
expanse Of hard, rough, Jagged
lava, in plac - clifTy and almost i'm
passable. There was just sufficient
gro @th OF grass and scrubby trees to
make the trail. No water can he
reached along this route except what
falls IN the form Of rain and settles in
little pools on bare rocks. For thirty
miles ] followed np an old lava stream,
aud could distinctly trace the channel
70 the brink OF It's fountain, the crater
from the north. for q mile the earth
was cracked and assured. Evidences
OF existing volcanic action rapidly in.
creased, whizzing, blowing aud roaring
sounds fell with increasing intensity on
the ear. Bu. on coming near the
giddy verge Of the crater the eye could
only see vast cbasm in the earth
tiled with dense smoke This chaam
or pit Is almost round, AID said to H.
ten miles in circumference aud one
thousand feet doeI. Tn. walls are
perpendicular, except "a section ia the
northeast that has been shsken. down
by earthquakes, aud over this crumbled
down wall the descent is made To the
floor Of the crater. Imagine, apou the
floor Of this great. yH~nIns nt c,uli
be built the city "f NJ. Pa"i, ard then
It would require u,-gn,fy iny glss. 10
sec the churrl spires FROM 81. sur
rounding clifi'G
The snrfsef of III. crater hOor IL nn-
even and divided ini0 grrat fields Of
different forms at lava the solid Llock
as cnmls-ct and hard ~ granite the
smooth streaai. enng,.~lS lSI ia tho act ui
tlJ~ing the cone. the h.mn"s,k. -.
r"neh eiinker ard i,,,n,.r.- -, ,..,.,a
cinderH. Ihr latter -, ,t1n d.. tsY..
lses.n "A scum of f,sm oa the 80 ,.ra of
the dsuSrr molten Inass. Tie u,ld
lava is streAkr'l ~i;h d.sn cracks or
assures. ranging from few isclit,s To
several i'ct ia width, anil the entire
floor Is constantly shaken and rent by
earthquakes Once reaching the floor
l. struck out for tho center of the sratet,
over cold boiled lava in tho form of
plains, bills, rivers, waves, whirlp )ols,
knols and caves over region Of
blackneas aud desolation, over lava
twisted and distorted in every con-
csiva6ls shape and janmed together
like fields Of ice.
After proceeding a mile the lava on
which ] walked became hotter and
hotter, and the whole floor and river,
by deep cracks, emitted smoke and hot
sulpEurous steam, and before reaching
the center of the crater, rel hot lava
could be seen in the deep assures. and
in the lower portions Of the floor
streams Of livid, cleaning lava oozed
mp through every crack aud crevice.
Dodging from knoll to knoll, aud from
hillock to hil!ock, through streams Of
lava, | at length reached an immease
embaukment, built up with irregular
slabs and ropy waves, piled in confused
heaps. Leap;ng from salb to slab,
across deep fiery assures, l reached the
upper ledge of this gorge, and found
myself on cliff 100 feet above a lake
Of boiling molten lava. The form of
this lake is round, and more than half
= mile in diameter. The walls are alb
solutely perpendicular, bold aud
craggy. and not less than 100 feet
high. Although / spent three hours
in this nelghbo, hood, the heat wa, so
great and the fumes Of sulphur 80
sitting that wax obliged to retire
froln the brink of the lake every few
minutes to get u supply IT better air.
Here il the widest scene in nature,
and new words must be added to our
language before it can be faithfully
described. / will mention only few
OF the acts in the eternal play 81 this
fiery fnrnRce. In many respects this
lake behaves ike Stony see, the
boiling lava takes tho form .ot mighty
waves /; then impelled bv some intern
nj force, they are dashedheavlly against
the red.hot lava cliffs, sounding like
the roar uf a stormy ocean. These
seething, blood-red hillows immsdiate-
ly reform and roll against the cliffs
on the opposite side of the lake, aud
continue dashing 10 and fro, AS though
determined to break down their prison
walls. Whirlpools then form on the
face Of this boiling canldron and great
molten masses would wallow round
and round in the most vinleht ,naaner,
tossing CORY waves higl, in the air an |
all was horror and confusion. As if
weary, this sea of fire does a. intervals
nnt,n 20 :. t,art;al .auk ~ - f..fl,. 90. !