The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-07-20
REy J ID. WIoKnAM, ID. d.,
President OF the Board.
LoNm.ASp MuSsoN. } Prudential
Dn. i. l.. WrMAN, rommi,taa
REy. A. {. REED, 0o'H"'''''e'
Baum, GrnMANY, June 5th, 1852,


BERLIN, GERMANY, June 9th, 1882.
About z, a. NJ, one promising morning
| started from Naples, distance of abou
seven miles TO make the ascent OF Mt
Nesuyius. At village on the bay o.
Naples near the mountain hired horse
a guide, and a boy to take care of the
horse, when he should be no longer use
ful, aud await our return. We at first
went a short distance in carriage road
then turned into lane that led right up
the ascent without any hesitation. The
lane runs between the vineyards that are
scattered all over the side Of the mountain.
The cultivators live in stone houses built
Of the lava. was much surprised to see
any cultivated land here still it looks very
prosperous and wine called Lachryma
Christi and the figs are quite famous.
We soon got upon the lava and it was so
rough aud quilted that expected every
moment to see the horse go down. The
particular lava that we were just passing
over was a grayish, porous mass and the
guide, who, at the time, the road being
pretty steep, had taken hold Of my horses
tail, SAID, "that it was the lava of "27"
which destroyed Tore del Greco, and the
lad who at the same time had hold of the
guides coat tail, agreed to the statement.
After passing over this lava we turned
suddenly to the left and skirted a ridge.
From here the bay of Naples the city and
the plain OF Campo Felicc looked superb
A little further up we got among the more
recent layas, those of 80, and 80 This
was quite quite different from that we had
passed below; il was almost black and
tumbled about promiscuously; it had the
appearance any pasty mass would assume
sliding along and hardening, it looked like
an immense field Of molasses tafiy. We
arrived about IL o'clock at place called
the Hermitage, II building in which they
have collection of minerals found in the
Java and there is an instrument for fore
telling the eruptions of the volcano. 1t
has several time been very nearly destroy.
ed by the lava but il stands on rid ge
and the lava has either flowed along on
the sides of its own accord, or has been |
helped to do so by throwing up walls The
top OF the mountain was still in the |
clouds and in fact the clouds kept run
ming away from us, as the Hermitage |
short time before had been covered by |
them From here 20 the front of the cone |
there was merely path to follow and the
lava was different and broken into small
angular fragments. At the dismounting
place had u stick given me and We start
ID for the top. From the front of that
part called the cone TO the top it is 100
md very nearly perpendicular. The po-
IONS black lava frequently sticks mp out OF
he large mass Of cinders aud If it
we've SGT Tor this | do not think / conll
iycr ..ave gniued the summit The guide
Ilways selected these places SO | took the
lint and found it comparatively easy
brought as 10 the top whera the wind was
flowing from the south and 1t was still
quite misty. | got behind a sort OF
tone house that had been put mp there, to
ret out Of the cold wind and ale a couple
Il sandwiches aud tried little OF that
amous Lachyrma Christi. The weather
lad nov turned out excellent and we start
d for the crater, several times thought
honld have to give 1t up for the wind
ouid give short pun from another
ERECTION aud bring our faces into. the sui
hurous fumes that were pouring out of
hundred cfeyices. II was one OF the most
drilling positions in which | was ever
laced; the mountain rumbling within,
nd at the same time was throwing thous-
nds of pieces OF red aud white hot lava
hundred feet into the air We gradually !
orkcd our way among these crevices to /
he edge OF the crater Here there is )
eseent oftwenty or thirty feet aud beyond
bis the eruption cone rises a. near As
onld see thirty.hye or forty feet I,
got the guide to go down into the crater t
Id We approached the eruption eone Of 7
,nrse on the side from which the wind y
ss blowing The staff thrown ont is very
little and porous and there being a
rong wind it WAS thrown of beyond our c
ach. | waited here while till large '
mp Of the lava fell not far of, ! rushe d ;,
ID put my stick through ii while 1t was 1
i'll soft have this piece with me nov
ID shall brug it home. II was certainly
and aud fascinating 10 stand here aud see
d Vesuyius belch forth FIRE. smoke and 8
va, la however considerable trouble ],
keep the guide quiet for he wished to N
down Immediately. conld have staid p
.h pleasure 10 so enchanting q place all 7
ght. think | should, had been prop r.
" equipped for such an adventure. As a
Wa ! managed TO keep the gnide with e.
, for an hour OF more by promises OF ex.
pay. We sat for half 80 hour on the
&c Of the crater just before going down I,
a,ching the eruptions They occurred 10
out every minnie and came with irem ar