76 AUTUMN VISIT TO LIPARI ISLES 



work ascending the gigantic dust-heap which formed 

 the cone ; the sun burned unmercifully above us, and 

 scorched the ground under our feet ; the ashes, of course, 

 were always slipping, and it was often two steps down 

 for one up. Sambon and I were in front, and when 

 about 100 feet from the edge of the crater we rested 

 to get breath for a final rush. This was necessary, for 



FIG. 11. Volcanic Bomb, fallen at the foot of Vulcano. 

 (From a photograph.) 



no one knew what state the crater might be in, and 

 we might have to retreat faster than we wished. The 

 final rush was made, and behold ! the crater w T as a com- 

 paratively shallow pit (Fig. 12), filled, not with lava, but 

 with ash and fragments of stone, a little steam escaping, 

 but, on the whole, looking so peaceful that one might 

 count the chances of safely walking across it. Down 

 into it Sambon and I ventured a little way, but did 



