The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-04-16
THE CRATER OF VEsuWus.
Climbing the BIountain-Yiew OF the
Crater-An Awe Inspiring Scene.

Climbing the mountatn-S1eW o. INC
Crater-An Awe-I Inspiring Scene
Edinburgh Scotsman
a party of adventurous Scots assembled
the laboring pile of FesuYIus during the
recent erupfion. One of the travellers
writes: 1t was beautiful, clear, cold,
starry morning, and we all felt in the
hest of spirits At last we turned off
the main road and made straight through
narrow lanes for the burning mountain.
It seemed to be in good working order
the fire fountain playing on the summit,
the streams of lava pouring down its
sides and collecting into five red, glow
ing caldrons. By 4 o'clock we reached
a little plateau called the Atrio del
Cavallo, where we all dismounted to
make the further ascent of the noun
tain on foot, it being too steep and rugged
to take the horses. After half hour
struggle among loose ashes we came 10
slopes o. lava, the appearance OF when
was most striking. Itexactly resembles
the entrails of a great monst T, literally
''the bowels OF the earth. :" AGAIN we
passed through ashes, and in some
places. where the former were very
Steep and deep, a sort Of scorlB cause
way was l. d to assist the toilsome as
cent.
We were now thankful to reach a
''half-way house." or rather sort of
'rest-and be thankful sheltered seat
formed Of blocks of lava. Again We
bent our steps upward, going zigzag
among scori@ and lava, passing various
little extinct craters until we came TO
where the mountain was hot, and where
white sulphurous smoke was rising all
about. We soon saw where we we're
at the fountain-head of the two streams
of burning lava. These we must cross
before we could make a further ascent.
We approached as near the streams of
burning lava as its seorching heat per
mitted We saw it issuing from what
looked like huge, black, cast-iron
cylinders. These were formed OF the
outer rim of lava that had gradually
cooled somewhat and hardened. The
burning mass moved constantly, but not
equally. 1t seemed to pulsate and throb
in its tioWing-to be jerked out OF the
cylinders.
think the worst and most dangerous
part of the whole ascent had now to be
made. This was an almost perpendicu-
lar cone of loose ashes. At every step
We sank to the knees, so our progress
was exceedingly slow. Right below us
were the burning streams OF lava, into
which it seemed we were bound to slide.
Above us was the crater, whose thun-
behring's we could hear and whose trem-
blings at times we thought we felt.
Breathless and exhausted, we frequently
lay down amo2g the ashes. But at last
we gained the summit and all our eX-
ertions were rewarded.
Such a sight. The crater of Vesu-
vius A perfect hell Of sulphur, fire.
and smoke, cinders and ashes, and red
hot stones; its flooring of hardened lava
everywhere rent by seams and CRACKS
and yawning ehasms emitting sitting
vapors, while in the midst of it all rose
the last-formed central cone of smoking
debris, belching forth clouds of sui
phurous vapor, and at Intervals with
loud thunderings, and with an effori
that shook the mountain, throwing, like
a mighty fire fountain, showers of rock
and scoria high into the air.
Amid the terror of the scene there
was an element of great beauty. The
rich and varied coloring that every
where prevailed was wonderful, from
the purest white up through all shades
of yellow and rich orange to deepest reds
the deposits of salts and sulphur and
iron and chemical matters. Near the
cone there were two tremendous chasms.
To the edge of these we could 2s2I2gfS
The guide explained Tia; nat thew opened a
&c 80. when the present eruption
took place They were the reservoirs
from which flowed the two rivers of
lava that were now coming down the
mountains sides.
The guide did not wish US to llnger,
so we undid our baskets and set about
having breakfast. 1t was now o'clock,
and we thought we had earned this
meal after a five hours climb. But our
appetites were not worthy of the occa-
sion; a little seemed to satisfy US.
There was some excuse for this, for the
thin crust of lava on which we sat was
hot and trembling, and the ''crater, SC
far from being appeased by our pres
ence, seemed to be extra irritable, fol
we had scarcely started breakfast, and
were doing admirably, when, with 8
noise like thunder, he cast a cloud oil
smoke over and about us, which has
tened our bidding him ''good-morning.
TaaFnI COlIaotinu.