New-York tribune., 1882-03-05

farther edge the final cone of Vesuvius n steep
mound OF black cllnkcrs, some fifty feet high, like
tho cinder heaps around a great irOnwOrks. From
its mouth rose thick column of light-cO0rcd
smoke, and at intervals of n few seconds deep
soft roar heard like the rushing OF distant
waters. and gush Of ashes and dark cndeI humps
shot up some hundreds of feet into the air with
speed gradually decreasing till they reached their
eliminating point, where they lowered for q mo-
ment before they went swOOplng downward into
the crater once more.
After little while we went across this little
plateau for the final cone. II was q strange sens1-
ton to feel the tTcachcrOus floor of reeking sulphur
crunch beneath ones feet ia the deep silence Ol tho
mountain tep-a silence. broken only at regular
intervals by the Of each fresh discharge from
the crater and the rustng OF the lighter cindets as
carried by the wind, they fell on the outer slope ot
the cone. Walking over the iurrOwcd and issurcd
held Of crisp sulphur here called up IN the memory
recoeGt9ns OF tTamps across Swiss glaciers at day
Dreak, before the frost crystals have begun To melt
beneath the sun; but the crunch of the footballs
was, perhaps. the only link connecting the actual
picture with the one stirred up in the memory
The last ten minutes work up the steep slope Of
loose cnkcTs was more tatIguing than all that had
gone before. The SULPHUR fumes curling up from
every CreYce between the cinders grew stronger aJ
went on taking away our breath, and caus-
ing us to halt and cough spasmOdcally every half
dozen steps made. Added 10 the reek of tho
sulphur was the unpleasant heat OF ihe ground
beneath feet, enough TO scOrCh the sOlts Ot our
boots. and to become absolutely palniu' when Ohe
happened to sink to his ankles in the clnders.
Measured with a pTotraStGr on the sharp PRONE or
an excellent photograph bought IN Naples the i0l-
lowing day, | found the angle OF inclination here
was fully thrty-fOur degrees slope only lew de-
grces less than that which humboldt, IN his ac'
count of the Peak of Ieneriie. points out ~ belnA
quite impracticable on firm smooth ground without
the cutting of steps But our feet, bedding them
selves IN the shifting clinkers, which Slid under OuH
weight with metallic tnkle, cut their own steps
as hurried up. making squirt 10 yet over tho
business quickly and emerge into the pare air once
more. We could not get right up to the brlnk ot
the crater. The sitting smoke was too much fer ~.
Curling over the edge 10 crcpt some feet along thd
slopes and held there at bay; bnt even If we had
been able to hang over the treacherous cTumbIlng
RIM there could have been nothing 70 see IN the
cavity of the crater itself but more smoke. - wa
stood gasping about feet below the brink, al
mlrng the grand discharges of flaming red cinder5
popping mp some hundreds Of feet into the air and
falling back again softly rs Roman candles. Now
and then a large lump of cinder would tumble back
over the edge and roll TO feet or shoot ont be-
yOnd Us, and set rs lodging here and there, or
absurdly ducking our heads and Struggling our
shoulders as il that could have made the blow
lighter when 1t came
Some time afterward we turned our backs on the
crater and retired in rather dis0rdeTy fashion,
coughing and sliding and stumbling down thd
scorching hot cinder cone until we reached the lava
rampart which bounds the small sulphur plateau
on the right. Here breathing freely once more, wa
sat down and enjoyed the spacious prospect OF lau
and sea beneath us or perhaps | should say |. ana
not We enjoyed it, since Mr. Rukin will not hear ~
an uncutiyated peasantry having an eye tor tha
beautiful in landscape.