JOURNEY TO THE SILVER MINE 



and even luxury of man ; that it was the inex- 

 haustible reservoir from which the plains were 

 supplied with water, — made us feel that there is 

 no spot in creation which man should term barren, 

 though there are many which Nature never intended 

 for his residence. A large cloud of smoke was 

 issuing from one of the pinnacles, which is the 

 great volcano of San Francesco; and the silver 

 lode, which was before us, seemed to run into the 

 centre of the crater. 



As it was in the middle of the summer, I could 

 not help reflecting what a dreadful abode this must 

 be in winter, and I inquired of our guide and 

 of the miners concerning its climate in that season. 

 They at first silently pointed to the crosses, which, 

 in groups of three and two and four, were to be 

 seen in every direction ; and they then told me, 

 that although the mine is altogether inaccessible 

 for seven months in winter, yet that the miners 

 used to be kept there all the year. They said 

 that the cold was intense, but that what the miners 

 most dreaded were the merciless temporales, or 

 storms of snow, which came on so suddenly that 

 many miners had been overtaken by them, and 



