10 
Account of a Descent 
the sign of the cross over his whole body, and, having in- 
voked the Madonna, and St. Anthony of Padua, threw 
himself along with C. Debeer to the bottom of the first 
precipice : soon after they arrived at another, but being of 
less height it was passed with more ease. At length, 
amidst a continual torrent of falling lava, ashes, and 
stones, they arrived at the bottom of the crater, and stretch- 
ed out their arms to us, sending forth shouts of joy, which 
we returned with the utmost satisfaction and enthusiasm. 
C. Houdouart, engineer, immediately followed C. De- 
beer; and after encountering the same difficulties, and 
passing dangerous precipices, joined him at the bottom 
of the crater. Being there both convinced of the almost 
insurmountable difficulty of ascending, they threw them- 
selves into each other’s arms, like two friends reduced to 
the necessity of terminating*their lives together in a desert 
island without any hopes of escaping from it. 
They then began, but with cautious steps, to walk round 
this immense furnace, which still smokes in several places. 
The intrepid Wickar, who was very desirous to partici- 
pate in their fate, called out to them to send some one to 
assist him in passing the two cliffs ; but seeing no one 
coming, and growing impatient, he rushed forward, and 
rolled down towards them amidst a torrent of stones, 
ashes, and volcanic matters. Adjutant Dampierre, C. 
Bagneris, physician to the army, Fressinet and Andras 
French travellers, and Moulin inspector of posts, soon 
followed, and arrived at the crater after having incurred 
the same dangers. 
Wickar immediately sat down on a heap of scoriae, 
and, with that superiority of talents for which he is dis- 
tinguished, sketched out in profile, with a perfect re- 
semblance, the portraits of the eight Frenchmen who had 
descended. Each then formed a small collection of the 
