COURSE OF THE ERUPTIONS. 



327 



it, but behind it is a higher mountain, which commands 

 a view of the burning crater. The whole volcano was 

 in full sight, spouting into the air a column of black 

 smoke and an immense body of stones, while the earth 

 shook under our feet. Crossing the plain, we com- 

 menced ascending the mountain. At eleven o'clock we 

 sat down by the bank of a beautiful stream to break- 

 fast. My companion had made abundant provision, and 

 for the first time since I left Guatimala I felt the keen- 

 ness of returning appetite. In half an hour we mount- 

 ed, and soon after twelve o'clock entered the woods, 

 having a very steep ascent by a faint path, which we 

 soon lost altogether. Our guide changed his direction 

 several times, and at length got lost, tied his horse, and 

 left us to wait while he searched the way. We knew 

 that we were near the volcano, for the explosions sound- 

 ed like the deep mutterings of dreadful thunder. Shut 

 up as we were in the woods, these reports were awful. 

 Our horses snorted with terror, and the mountain quaked 

 beneath our feet. Our guide returned, and in a few 

 minutes we came out suddenly upon an open point, 

 higher than the top of the volcano, commanding a view 

 of the interior of the crater, and so near it that we saw 

 the huge stones as they separated in the air, and fell pat- 

 tering around the sides of the volcano. In a few min- 

 utes our clothes were white with ashes, which fell around 

 us with a noise like the sprinkling of rain. 



The crater had three orifices, one of which was in- 

 active ; another emitted constantly a rich blue smoke ; 

 and after a report, deep in the huge throat of the third 

 appeared a light blue vapour, and then a mass of thick 

 black smoke, whirling and struggling out in enormous 

 wreaths, and rising in a dark majestic column, lighted 

 for a moment by a sheet of flame ; and when the smoke 



