.MTA3Nw.NzI3MTc

From Newberry Transcribe
Jump to navigation Jump to search

seven miles in all, afer our long ride. I was some tired when we got to the top but did not rest very well, it being damp in the house, from the steam, constantly coming out of the cracks in the ground all about the house. The water they used is condensed steam, impregnated with sulphur and other minerals. We were surprised that Mr. and Mrs. Peebles had got there when we got back. They were friends who started later, not thinking to go through in a day. We all had wet clothes and it was cold. We sat around a fireplace, by a wood fire, but did not keep warm. As soon as it was dark the volcano lighted up its reflection on the clouds, and bright spots about here and there. Mr. Hitchcock studied the different points and laid his plans for the next day. Before breakfast we went about to see the steam cracks and sulphur banks. The steam comes up and as it is more or less impregnated, leaves crystals and forms comes of sulphur, gypsum &c. After breakfast we started again for the crater. We took no guide this time. Mr. and Mrs. Peebles and their guide went with us. We went direct towards the lakes and Mr. Hitchcock brought us to the flowing lava which oozes out of cracks and seams, or bursts a place for itself. Here we dipped out the flowing lava with our sticks, and imbedded silver pieces as specimans. Here it is exactly like melted ore in an iron mill, but hundreds of times larger quantity. It flows slowly, and soon crusts over, a hard, black surface, and will bear the weight of a man, if he could stand the heat. We went to what we supposed was the very point upon which we stood the night before, and to our astonishment we saw only two lakes where were three, and we seemed farther away. We were looking about to satisfy ourselves that the pit had filled and overflowed and crusted; and where we had stood on the elevation above had crumbled off, so that we were really twenty or thirty feet farther away than when standing there before. All at once Keike began to break her crust and boil up, and splash and dash, assuring us that she