Year: 1862

1e45. and the following IS his narrative Of a
fearful adventure which happened to him upon
that sublime asd desolate elevation:


Having secured guide. set of, at an early
hour on the morning following my arrival in
Salsun, lat the foot of the extinct volcanoe,)
praying for fair weather. good luck, and safe
return.


The scenery. even from the first, was so DIFF
ferent from any l had ever seen outside of
Iceland as 10 be worthy of better description
than am able to give. Suffice il TO say that.
as you push on, ascending summit after summit
on your way to the great and awful center of
all, you find the danger, dreariness and desola-
ton increase to the most terrible sublimity,
till at last, when you do finally stand on the
highest point in this unliviDg world of chaos,
you instinctively pray God with an icy shuddef
shivering through your miserable frame, to
restore you to the life you seem to have left
forever behind you.


how shall l attempt TO convey to any
mind the awful scene of desolation that sur
rounded me when at last l stood more than
four thousand feet above the level of the sea,
on the highest peak of the barren Heca Six
mortal hours-three on horseback ard three on
foot-had l been clambering upward from the
world below and now, among the very clouds
that rolled and swept around Eie, l stood in
world of lava mountains, ice and snow-the
lava black as midnight, the snow Of binding
whiteness-and not in all that region tree,
bush, shrub, blade, or even a solitary living
thing, excepting self and guide.


Far as the eye could reach, when the moving
clouds permitted me to see, was a succession
of black. rugged hills, snow-crowned peaks,
glistening glaciers and ice bound streams, into
whose inanimate solitude no human foot bad
ever penetrated-a world withou. plant or life
the very desolaton of desolation-fled with
yawning chasms. dreadful adysses and mid
night caves which have never echoed any
sound but the thunders of heaven, and the
groanings and convulsions of earth. So wild
and terrible was the scene, that felt a strange
thrill, like madness, rush through my shivering
frame, and culver about my dizzy brain, and
shouted, to break the stiffness Of death, and
heard my voice come dsmally back in hun
dred echoes till it seemed to be lost in the
bowels of the unproductive earth


Wrapping one of the blankets around me,
to protect me from the freezing cold, and eau
tiously using my pointed stick to try every
foot of ground before me, now began to move
about over blocks and heaps, and hills of lava,
and across narrow chasms, and pitfalls, and
patches of snow and ice, my faithful guide
keeping near and often warning me to be care
full of my steps. In this manner l at length
ascended a ridge of considerable elevation
stumbling my way to the top, and now and
then di>placing fragments Of lava that rolled
crushing down behind me. As yet | had seen
eighty years before, had vomited forth its
terrific and desolating stream of melted black
sand but on reaching the summit of this ridge
| looked down into a sort of basin, open at the
lower side, and having some three or four deep
seams, or chasms into which the melting snow
and ice on its sides were running in small
streams. \ peculiar and not very agreeable
odor came up with a thin, smoky vapor, and
fancied I could hear distant sound, something
between gurgle and rumble


a suppose this is the original crater" l
said, turning to the guide.


The fellow was as pale as death, and every
feature expressed surprise allied to fear.


What is the matter p quickly demanded
" have you never seen this spot before p


Il have seen this place before MASTER be
replied, e but never anything like this. When
was here last there was no hollow here but
only level plain Of snow and ice."


Indeed y exclaimed l, feeling strangely in
terested Z" what then do you infer that there
is about to be fresh eruption?' p


a fear so, master; what else can have
caused this change? You see there is heat
below, which has melted the thick glacier, and
only few streaks of ice now remain upon the
sides, while all the center is gone"


And the ground here has slight feeling
of warmth, too" rejoined, as 1 bent down
and laid my hand upon it.


"Let Us leave, master :" returned the fellow,
hurriedy, looking around with an expression
of alarm. a DO not like to remain here; we
may be destroyed at any moment. Let US
hasten down and report what we have seen"


Nay" said /, feeling strangely interested
and fascinated by the perilous novelty, al do
not think there is any immediate danger, for
the snow and ice, as is plain to be seen, have
melted slowly, and before go away, never to
return, l should like to venture into this basin,
and look down into one of those cbasms."


"Oh, no masterl" replied the guide, with
nervous anxiety do not DO it . it might cost
you your life


q 4. I,ast will risk II If vor, will arrrna IN