374 Account of a Visit to the Volcano Goenong Apie. 



rated in the air. The rays of the sun falling on the crust of 

 sulphur, mixed with a very brilliant saltpetre, produced a magi- 

 cal effect ; but when we arrived at the edge of the second region 

 of the bottom of the crater we perceived a thick and boiling va- 

 pour. 



This vapour not permitting us to advance, or remain any longer 

 where we were, we turned back, and went out of the crater loaded 

 with beautiful pieces of lava and crystallized sulphur. We were 

 the more eager to get out, as we feared being suffocated by a 

 change of the wind. Our Indians were still more afraid to re- 

 main than we were ; and it must be confessed that our situation 

 was imminently dangerous, since a few months after we had vi- 

 sited this place the south part of the crater, into which we had 

 entered, sunk in, with all the rocks which it contained. 



When we had got out of this abyss, we rested for half an hour, 

 and then proceeded to the most difficult part of our expedition 

 —this was to descend. One of our companions was so terrified 

 at the sight of a declivity of four thousand feet, and of a slippery 

 and almost perpendicular road which we had to pass, that his 

 fear checking his respiration gave us a great deal of trouble ; but 

 with the assistance of the Indians he safely reached the forests 

 of the inferior region. 



I found that the best way to descend this cone covered with 

 lava, was to keep to the places where the ashes of the lava are 

 the finest, leaning upon a bamboo cane, and to let myself glide 

 down till I was up to my knees in the ashes, then to extricate 

 myself and begin the operation again. It was in this manner, 

 which is, however, very fatiguing and painful to the feet, that I 

 succeeded in reaching the end of the barren part of the mountain. 

 In such cases great care must be taken not to fall forwards, as 

 such a fall might be fatal. 



We were all extremely fatigued and thirsty, our stock of liquor 

 being exhausted; and proceeding with difficulty from one tree 

 to another, we arrived, at length, weary and overcome, at a little 

 Indian hut, where we lay down upon the grass. One of our 

 party was unable to utter a single word : however, the cocoa- 

 pine and a piece of water-melon, which each of us took, soon 

 restored us, and at noon we regained the valley of Neira, with 

 our clothes in tatters, almost without shoes, and bruised and 

 scratched all over. During all the time of our expedition our 

 friends below had observed us with telescopes. 



The standard which we had placed on the upper rock was seen 

 for along time floating in the air; but at last it disappeared, be- 

 ing consumed by the sulphureous vapour. 



LXIII. Ac 



