The Dickinson press., 1883-10-13
preferred not to go beyond t he termin-
us of the railroad.

plolSlleu LOV W 80 OoyOuu Ao teIuuIu-
us of the railroad.
"The top ofthe cone is quite a large
| space; I should think as much as three
or four acres. The crater has been some-
| what given to shifting its place within
this area. At present it is rather to one
side of it. Though its edges are consid-
cradle higher than the general surface
of the summit, there is one point a few
rods away so elevated that one stands up
on 1t and look over into the vortex
whence issue steam and smoke, and tufts
!, of lava, and Kisses, and puffs, and some
times thunderings. We judged the era
ter to be about forty feet across. Look
ing into it was something like looking
into a furnace chimney when the heat
was N. While the escape of the steam
and smoke was constant, every few mo.
ments there W as. a s%piteful puff and
noise as if something had given way be-
low, and q shower of bits of lava that fell
around the base. These the guides, still
lowering around us like carrion-birds
a penny into them while still plastic,
for a franc each, 1 should say that the
stream of lava does not come from the
crater at present but from the side of
the cone some hundreds of feet below
it.
"The top of the cone-the area-is
not blackish brown, as are the sides; it
is in al shades from orange red to a
pale lemon. This is owing to deposits
of sulphur coming not only from the
crater but from many assures that
open here and there. From these hot
sulphurous gases rise that are extre mely
Irritating to the air passages ifbreathed.
Some OF these assures were SO hot that
L could not hold my hand over them.
The entire summit was overwarm to the
feet, and when l had stood looking / nto
the vortex the heat underfoot wa too
great to be endured long.
to be an Independent crater. Though
small, it had set up business on its "
account. 1t was a hole about the size of
a half-bushel measure an d ont of it a
hot brimstone.laden air was rushing as
III it were a rent-role for the internal re-
gions. Its sides looked like the fre-box
OF a long-used stove. A large chunk of
lava thrown into it gave 10 answer back,
showing that though not large, it was
deep. l spent considerable time in GO
ing owe this fissured and Scared and
sulphur-covered summit. In many
places my tread brought ahollow sound,
showing that | wa walking on a crust
and a%dmonishing to gentle foo!-falls.
"There Was a cool breeze blowing, as
l suppose there a ways is from the draft
Of the carter and the rising of hot air.
Otherwise the heat would have been
most oppressive and the sulphurous
carnations sitting.
"Wishing to get something nearer the
great vortex than l had yet been, l began
the ascent toward it. The heat was al
most too much for my feet, but l had
got within a few yards of it and stood
thinking whether l could venture fur
ther when there was a sudden loud re-
port, followed by a rush of smoke and q
shower of lava chunks, throwing some
of them to a distance beyond where l
was standing. My reception had not
been so cordial as to prompt to a closer
interview, and I came away rather pre-
%cipitately. The other members o fthe
company had gone down to the railroad
station some time before, and with some
chunks of warm lava stones in my hands
that l shall try to get to America, 1 lett
rather reluctantly n of the most nota-
bic spots 1 can ever hope to see"