Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-04
Err 4. 1897, SALT LAKE CITY. UTAH,

\ the water from their coverings and
! gratefully accepted the coffee which
had been prepared.
The mozos wrapped our feet in fold
| upon fold of agate. a very soft bag
| cling. and over this they laced our
| leather sandals" says Mrs Llewellyn.
looming our large. heavy cone
| shaped straw hats. procured at
Amecameca, and putting on our wells
ana heavy gloves. we mounted our
horses at 4:45 and filed silently up the
narrow path. At O'Clock we gained
Las Cruces, cross, planted in a large
| bowlder, which marks the place where
| the horses leave us. If / should make
the trip again and in the rainless
| season l should endeaVor to pitch
| camp here, and thus save the fve-mile
trip from the cabin in the early morn
| ing,
The mazos returned with the horses,
! and we three, with our three guides,
turned our faces toward the great vol
cano. About two-thirds Of the way
up we had our last outlook. for when
we reached the top the clouds rolled in
and obscured our view.
AS we looked out over the vast ex-
| pance we We're filled with emotions
which come rarely in n lifetime. We
seemed to look from ocean to ocean.
Range after range of what had seemed
| nigh mountains lay like rolling land
below us To the north appeared LIT
| accihautlo. The White Lady with her
arms folded peacefully on her breast.
covered with "A fail of snow. Away to
the west-hfty miles as the CROW flies
we recognized a shadowy body of
water as Lake TexcOco. Beside ii,
hardly discerniblc, lay the CITY of
Mexico. On the other side Puebla
appeared as mere speclt in the dis
lance.
with infinite difficulty We node out
the pyramid OF Cholullu. greater in
size than any of Egypt. ana on It's top
most pinnacle the church Of the Rene
ulos' Il mere speck of white Here and
there' among the valleys threads OF
siiNer shlinmered In the sun marking
Mhere, amid the lowlands, the rivers
wound their devious ways. In The
uuts upon the plains we recognized SO
inhhy villages. At this great hight
me country loses detail. and even
AS We mount higher our proeress
Incomes slower, We dare not look
behind, lest we be completely unnerved
pg the appearance of the abysses
which yawn beside the trail. Step by
step we go through the lava and the
SNOW. The summit seems to reccde
ana mock our efforts. Every few mo-
ments we are forced to rest, feeling
thtt we can go no farther. But We
90 not give up the struggle, and at
ihst We reach the topmust summit,
Mhtfe we sink upon the snow, two
happy but terrified women
Not FOR some minutes do we dare
TO look down into the infinite depths.
As We do so we breathe the prayer of |
the mariner at sca-'Oh, God, we are
so small, and the creations of Thy |
handlwork are go great
No one who has not made this or |
similar ascent can imagine the ire |
mendous nervous strain of the strug- |
gle. The altitude of PopOcatapetl IL
lhb+O feet, but the physical endeavors |
necessary to reach Its summit are as
nothing 10 the effect on the emotions |
OF the awe-inspiring surroundings. The |
crater opens suddenly at our very feet |
and nils us with new terrors. | should |
judge the distance across at about
kilometer The crater seems to be
full Of water, from which arise Jets of |
sulphurous steam. The small stones
which We cast into the opening bound |
from side TO side to send up a noise |
that rolls and reverberates like thun-
der. One can climb down to n large
bowlder to about 80 feet below the rim |
and may then ascend another point on
the other side"
The travellers remained an hour on
the mountain top The descent pre-
scented new terrors and new sensa-
lions. The guides spread on til snow
for each OF the women n double square
of mating, to which was attached a
long rope. Each woman sat on her
wrapped her robes about her,
held on tightly and then the guide
took the long rope and started at
breakneck speed down the mountain
side.
when i placed myself on that bit
Of mating" Mrs. Llewellyn wrote, ut
was the supreme moment of my life.
Think OF IT, a toboggan slide from
hight of over 1900 feet. After n few
| realized that my guide had
perfect control of himself and of me.
and gave myself up to the exhilara-
ton and excitement Of that widest of
Wild rides In q few moments we safe
y reached the bottom of the snow line.
Yet. If the guide had gone a shade too
near those sloping depths, or had lost
MS footing"
The remainder OF the Journey back
to the starting point was common
place enough. after the exciting ex-
oeriences of the mountain. Mrs.
Llewellyn and Mrs. waithman were
lighly praised in the City OF Mexico
or Drawing old Popocatepetl.