70 AUTUMN VISIT TO LIPARI ISLES 



Lipari, and thus ended one of the most eventful days of 

 our life. How we escaped death I do not know." One 

 of the bombs that fell during this eruption measures ten 

 yards in diameter. Ever since the volcano has remained 

 in an incessant state of activity, sometimes ejecting 

 volumes of steam and ashes, at others bursting forth in 

 paroxysms like that described by Mr. Narlian. 



This was the volcano that we were climbing the moun- 

 tains of Lipari by night to see. It was a picturesque 

 ascent ; a dozen happy little ragamuffins scampered along 

 with us ; merry Bartholomeo, gaily singing, hurriedly led 

 the way ; the blazing torches * and every one carried a 

 torch cast a brilliant glare far into the night. We 

 scrambled up as fast as possible, sometimes running and 

 leaping, sometimes going more cautiously where a 

 precipice cut too far into the path, only occasionally 

 stopping when a vineyard proved too inviting. It was 

 not long (about an hour) before we reached our coign of 

 vantage, and there before us, seemingly not far away, 

 loomed the regular conical outline of Vulcano, rising to 

 about 1,000 feet above the sea ; far away to our left lay 

 Stromboli, flashing forth in vivid gleams at frequent 

 intervals. Torches were now ordered to be put out lest 

 they should extinguish the volcano pipes were lighted, 

 and we sat down to wait, in a state of excited expectancy. 

 For more than an hour nothing happened, and a good 

 many of us in despair began to talk of returning, but on 

 appeal to their better feelings these agreed to make one 

 more pipe the measure of our stay. Long before this 

 was finished we were startled by a sudden explosion, and 

 with a roar like thunder there burst upwards from the 

 crater a dense fiery red column of steam and ashes. Boar 

 succeeded roar in quick succession, with accompanying 



* These were bundles of canes tied together, such, Mr. Thomas 

 remarked, as may be seen sculptured on old Boman monuments. 



