The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-10-03
WOMEN IN A VOLCANO.
THEY MAKE A PERlLOUS DESCENT
INTO POPOcATEPETL.

Plucky Amorlc0ns-Anoy otAEtt0 sHO
Guides by Going Into the Crater-Slid-
ing Down the Mountain Side.
At midnight they rose from the rude
couches in the mountaineer's hut where
they had rested, and made ready. Howf
By dressing warmly, wrapping their
feet and limbs in fold upon fold of cloth.
since at every step they must break the
glazed crust, covering the unmeltlng
SHOWS beneath, and by shielding with
thick wells their eyes and skin against
the glare and sharp needles of the snow.
though it was but moonlight.
Slowly then the three ladies, with
their masculine friends, began the long
walk. To each lady was assigned
guide familiar with the route, and 1t
was his duty, as well as pleasure, to
break the way for them by putting his
larger foot down and through the crust.
80 that their labor was only to put their
feet into his tracks.
Six mortal hours of plodding YEARLY
onward and upward, hardly daring to
look behind, at least not often, upon the
world, seemingly lying in chaos behind
them, but themselves pressing up the
snowy heights before them, wrapped in
the moist. cool glissance of the cloud
land. Long. long before the sun broke
through the clouds at their feet upon a
sleeping, mist wrapped world below did
they see his glorious flames spring from
the far seas and reflected upon the
heights toward which they climbed,
though faint his glow till late hour Of
that very, very early morning.
But at last, with their feet wrappings
cut to pieces, they stood upon the Dor
ders of the volcano Popocatepetl. Glad
enough were the wornout ladies to rest
in a poor shelter, while their Indian
guides and cook prepared their break
fast.
INVESTIGATING THE VOLCANO.
A faint mist lay rather than rose upon
the air of the crater. and the odor of sui
phur was already perceptible. When.
breakfast being done and all prepare
tons made, it became evident that the
three Americans actually intended to de-
scend to the sulphur beds in the bottom
of the crater, the poor Indians were
seized with terror. No woman's foot
had ever touched these dens and caves
these mines of sulphur, from which their
labor had drawn for centuries, from
which Cortes obtained the means for the
fiery conquest of their forefathers. These
sources of supply would be bewitched
despoiled, should a woman's foot ever
touch them.
They fell upon their knees and begged
them to desist from the attempt. But
the Americans had not braved the tot
and danger of the ascent to return I'm
satisfied Go down they would The
Indians shook their heads and sighed
beneath their breath, and wondered
what kind of men those fair gentlemen
could be who did not seem to be able tt
hinder their wives from carrying GU
this awful resolution. But, since there
seemed to be no help for it, they pre-
pared themselves to let down these ex
traordinary burdens upon the wind
lasses.
Yes! there was nothing else for it bu
to go down as the gentlemen did upo1
the crossbeam of the rope, which the In
dams slowly unwound from above tn
fair artist, if SO she might be called
keeping herself from being dashe'
against the craggy, yellow scanned an
stained walls by means Of a strong can
or stick, with which she pushed herseI
away from the crater sides as she de
scended.
One of the ladies. not so strong as tn
others, became unconscious from tn
fumes of sulphur and had to be hurriet
up to the air again.
FASTER THAN TOBOGGANING.
What was the interior like? An in
mense, nearly circular chamber, {
which the fioor was an uneven, yello'
tinted surface, like caldron whose col
tents have hardened, while boiling, i
huge bubbles. Crags and huge spikes, {
half pillars or sulphurous masses file
in the weird shop of the sulphur gnome
No language can fitly describe such a
interior. Only those who are willing
pay the price which the Americans pal
can have the remarkable sensation ,
seeing and being inside of a volcan
But once more restored to the upper al
not the least remarkable part Of this q,
venture remained to be tried.
Standing on the border. the desce1
over the snow slopes up which they hs
toiled the night before looked sharp al
dangerous: and too sharp and dangero'
it was to attempt by foot as they hs
come up. The guides must take the
down on the patatas. Broad plated stra
mats were these, as stiff as an ordinal
half inch board. The guide sat in fro
with steering pole, which was also
crook of safety, since, If the descent b
came too rapid, there was immine
danger of the whole party being pitch
head over heels down the steep, perilo
slope of ice. Behind the guide sat Il
ladies. as boys slid down hill. and at
given signal away a. Law.
Such a sled trtalf Tobogganing
childis play compated to it. The distan
which it had taken Six hours to elm
was passed over again in just fifte
minutes Then the whole party we
once more below the snow limit al
feeling that they had once more return
n fha vvorld ", which fhov bod vxo,