338 DOMAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



found the only method to avoid this inconve- 

 nience and continue my journey, was to step 

 only on those large pieces of scorias which, on 

 account of their weight, remained firm j but the 

 length of the way was thus more than doubled, 

 by the circuitous windings it was necessary to 

 make to find such pieces of scoriae as, from their 

 large size, were capable of affording a stable 

 support. I employed three hours in passing, or 

 rather dragging myself, to the top of the moun- 

 tain, partly from being unable to proceed in a 

 right line, and partly from the steepness of the 

 declivity, which obliged me to climb with my 

 hands and feet, sweating and breathless, and 

 under the necessity of stopping at intervals to 

 rest, and recover my strength. How much did 

 I then envy the good fortune of those who had 

 visited Etna before the irruption of l?87j when, 

 as my guides assured me, the journey was far 

 less difficult and laborious ! 



" I was not more than a hundred and fifty 

 paces distant from the vertex of the cone, and 

 already beheld close to me, in all their majesty, 

 the two columns of smoke. Anxious to reach 

 the borders of the stupendous gulf, I summoned 

 the little strength I had remaining to make a 

 last effort, when an unforeseen obstacle for ai 

 moment cruelly retarded the completion of my 



