DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0346
kirby’s wonderful museum,
314
to have exceeded two hundred within the last year, portend-
ed some great movement or eruption. The apprehension,
however, was not so immediate as to restrain curiosity, or to
prevent repeated visits to the crater, which of late had been
more numerous than at any former period, even up to Sun-
day the 26th of April, when some gentlemen ascended it, x
and remained there for some time. Nothing unusual was
then remarked, or any external difference observed, except
rather a stronger emission of smoke from the interstices of
the conical hill, at the bottom of the crater. To those who
have not visited this romantic and wonderful spot, a slight
description of it, as it lately stood, is previously necessary
and indispensable to form any conception of it, and to the
better understanding the account which follows; for no one
living can expect to see it again in its former perfection and
beauty.
About two thousand feet from the level of the sea (calcu-
lating from conjecture) on the south side of the mountain,
and rather more than two-thirds of its height, opens a cirT
cular chasm, somew’hat exceeding half a mile in diameter,
and between four or five hundred feet in depth: exactly in
the centre of this capacious bowl rose a conical hill about two
hundred and sixty or three hundred feet in height, and
about two hundred in diameter, richly covered and variegated
with shrubs, brushwood, and vines, above half way up, and
for the remainder powdered over with virgin sulphur to the top.
From the fissures in the cone and interstices of the rocks, a
thin white smoke was constantly emitted, occasionally tinged
with a slight bluish flame. The precipitous sides of this mag-
nificent amphitheatre were fringed with various evergreens and
aromatic shrubs, flowers, and many Alpine plants. On the
north and south sides of the base of the cone were two
pieces of water, one perfectly pure and tasteless, the other
strongly impregnated with sulphur and alum. This lonely
and beautiful spot was rendered more enchanting by the sin-
314
to have exceeded two hundred within the last year, portend-
ed some great movement or eruption. The apprehension,
however, was not so immediate as to restrain curiosity, or to
prevent repeated visits to the crater, which of late had been
more numerous than at any former period, even up to Sun-
day the 26th of April, when some gentlemen ascended it, x
and remained there for some time. Nothing unusual was
then remarked, or any external difference observed, except
rather a stronger emission of smoke from the interstices of
the conical hill, at the bottom of the crater. To those who
have not visited this romantic and wonderful spot, a slight
description of it, as it lately stood, is previously necessary
and indispensable to form any conception of it, and to the
better understanding the account which follows; for no one
living can expect to see it again in its former perfection and
beauty.
About two thousand feet from the level of the sea (calcu-
lating from conjecture) on the south side of the mountain,
and rather more than two-thirds of its height, opens a cirT
cular chasm, somew’hat exceeding half a mile in diameter,
and between four or five hundred feet in depth: exactly in
the centre of this capacious bowl rose a conical hill about two
hundred and sixty or three hundred feet in height, and
about two hundred in diameter, richly covered and variegated
with shrubs, brushwood, and vines, above half way up, and
for the remainder powdered over with virgin sulphur to the top.
From the fissures in the cone and interstices of the rocks, a
thin white smoke was constantly emitted, occasionally tinged
with a slight bluish flame. The precipitous sides of this mag-
nificent amphitheatre were fringed with various evergreens and
aromatic shrubs, flowers, and many Alpine plants. On the
north and south sides of the base of the cone were two
pieces of water, one perfectly pure and tasteless, the other
strongly impregnated with sulphur and alum. This lonely
and beautiful spot was rendered more enchanting by the sin-