Traveller.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 62, 13 November 1880, Page 2 (Supplement)

Traveller.

ON* VESUVIUS.

An hoar and a half of interesting walking brings us to the top, where we bait a moment to take a look into the crater, thinking this is the end ot our joarnej ; bai the gaide beckons as over, and, folk Wtog him down the Bide ot the crater, we soon find ourselves on a level with the ornsted lava, whioh covers nearly the whole surface of the crater, abont 150 or 200 feet below the top of the oone, and at a point where it broke down the wall of the latter in the eruption of 1872. This ornsted lava of the orater is black, and looks much like Blag from a furnace, bat in tbis case it is extremely hot aai Btnokhog, and it regnires, great 03re in the crater not to have the boots barnt off, or the clothes set on fire, both oi > which accidents often happen. I walked oat a considerable distance on the crust, whioh, gave forth ominous, hollow sounds in response to my footsteps' and strokes- from my stiok. Here and there sadden puffs of steam would throw np sprays of molden lava and sprinkle . people'who happened to be near. One lady of my acquaintance thus had hor umbrella barnt ap, while a gentleman had his clothing eet on fire, another- lost the soles off his boots by walkfng on the hot crast, and a lady saw the crust slowly rfse up at her feet and the molden mass flow slowly over. Of courße a baßty retreat is the thing in such oases. The molden mass flows to the surface at various points, and dipping it up on my stick, 1 embedded a number of copper coins in Jittle masseß of it. As I walked sbont in this hot aimospbete the oomiction gradually dawned upon me that the orater oi Vesuvius was a hollow and deceptive mockery, and an excellent place to get away from. It seemed as if I were literally standing over the jaws of perdition and within a single Btep of entering the seething realms of infernal spirits, and as this ooriviotion gained strength I tamed to retrace my steps, and as I did so I found an open scam, about a foot wide, in the crust behind me, and as I was about to step otoe lays, on ioofciog tfcmnwai! I saw the wbite-hot maBS within about three feet of the surface and direotly beneath my feet. I quiokly regained the smoking aßhes of the oone at the side of the lava and immediately felt safer, and here I sat down to make farther observations. — Cor. Boston Advertiser.