nished with long, iron-pointed staves, and proceeded to ascend the cone of the large crater. It was exceedingly steep; and the ascent was rendered more difficult from the surface being thickly covered with ashes and loose pieces of lava, which yielded to the pressure of our feet, and often carried us down as fast as we could mount. But by agility, and plunging our staves deep into the ground, we gradually scrambled up this hill of difficulty. So the Christian pilgrim climbs up the mountain of holiness with great labour, and often, alas! slips down as fast as he ascends, because he sets the foot of his confidence on the opinions of men, or places his desires and affections upon the vanities of this life.

My agility was quite a match for Salvador's greater experience in climbing slippery mountains, and we reached the top of the cone in half an hour, which was a very rapid ascent. This had formerly appeared to be the top of the mountain; and I was surprised to find that it was only a large plain of lava, with a smaller crater rising on one side to a considerable height. So alp upon alp rises before the Christian as he climbs the rugged steeps of Mount Sion; and when he has gained a point of elevated experience, which he thought was "the mark for the prize," he finds a higher point above him, to which he presses forward with renewed strength; for the atmosphere becomes more elastic, and heavenly hope gives new vigour to drooping spirits.

As we passed over the pavement of lava, the atmosphere became oppressive, through suffocating fumes of sulphur, which were felt, though not discerned. We had nearly reached the middle, when Salvador stopped short, and struck the ground with his stick.

"Do you hear that?" said he, as the hollow sound seemed to reverberate through the whole mountain.

"Yes," I replied; "why is that echo?"

"Formerly," said he, "this was an open crater, two thousand feet in circumference, and fifteen hundred in depth; but it was covered over by an eruption two years ago, and that small crater was formed on the top: it is over that crust that we are now walking."

"Is it so ?" I exclaimed.

If this thin pavement were to give way, should we be precipitated fifteen hundred feet into a burning fire?"

"Yes, indeed,” he replied; "and there are many presages of an approaching eruption, when all this pavement will probably give way. The mountain is very uneasy at present; hold your hand here."

I did so, but instantly drew it back; for a stream of hot vapour emanated from a small fissure in the lava. Salvador smiled, and wanted me to put my face over the spot; but the air was too sulphurous to breathe. My feet began to feel the heat of the ground, through this momentary stoppage, and I directed my guide to proceed, thinking that I might safely follow in his track-like a schoolboy walking upon a piece of ice, which he deems to be insecure; but he thinks himself comparatively safe whilst a bigger boy goes before, in whose steps he carefully treads, at a short distance behind, that he may have some opportunity of escape should any accident happen to the foremost.

My mind mused upon the thin crust of time on which we are all walking, and which will some day, perhaps before we think so, give way beneath us; but we are so accustomed to its dangers that we think no more of them than Salvador did of the volcanic crater; and the most timid hope that, whilst walking circumspectly, they will be able to avoid many contingent accidents to which bolder men seem peculiarly exposed. Yet it often happens that whilst the latter get into many difficulties, they somehow manage to get out of them; and, whether by an instinctive foresight when danger is approaching, or by a dexterous expedient in its immediate presence, they brave out the usual term of life as well as the more circumspect and calculating. Salvador's announcement gave me a momentary startle, but he saw in me no signs of fear, though the truth of his statement seemed to be proved by the echo of the pavement as we walked on in silence, only sometimes sounding with my stick to try how far the hollowness extended. At last it ceased, as we approached the foot of the little crater, which I now found to rise from one edge of the large one.

Small jets of sulphurous smoke broke out on every side of us, of which my guide told me to beware, as stones were sometimes violently emitted, one of which had recently broken the leg of a traveller. This upper crater was about 400 feet in circumference; and its ascent was difficult, both on account of the scoriæ on its surface, and the suffocating character of the atmosphere. Salvador said

G

that these numerous jets of sulphur betokened a very unsettled state of the volcano; but after two or three days the ascent would be impracticable, and that probably an eruption would take place within a fortnight. But I considered the last piece of information to be only one of those interesting speeches by which guides endeavour to attract the regard of their employers, and show the importance of their own office; and I eventually missed the opportunity of a glorious sight.

When we looked down from the brink of the crater, it was almost free from smoke, and we could only see a faint flame in its lowest corner. Hereupon I inquired if it were not practicable to descend into the mouth, to collect some of those beautiful specimens of sulphurous mineral with which it was strewed. My guide told me that the footing was so insecure that no person could adventure down without having a rope tied round his waist, and held by two men ; and that, even with this precaution, nobody durst go down at present, on account of the unsettled state of the volcano. He had scarcely finished speaking, when the crater was filled with a dense smoke of sulphur, in which no animate creature could long have survived; which even compelled us to retire from the brink, that we might be able to breathe.

As respiration now became difficult, and there was no more to be seen, I expressed a wish to descend. Salvador led me back by a rather different way, so as to cross the large crater to another side of the mountain. It seemed fearfully steep, almost precipitous. "Look at your watch," said he, "mark the time, and follow me." And away he sprung, like a stone bounding down the side of a hill. I looked with momentary amazement, and dashed down after him, thinking that I might go wherever he preceded. I soon discovered that this side of the cone was thickly covered with a fine dust of ashes, so that treading upon it was like treading upon wool. It yielded under our feet, so that every leap we took carried us much further than the actual distance we had bounded; and had we, by mischance, fallen down, we could not have been bruised, so soft was the almost impalpable dust on which we trod. We stopped once to take breath, for the velocity with which we proceeded was really fearful, and arrived at the foot of the large crater in five minutes. Here we found the donkey

and attendant, and I slowly rode down the steep mountain towards Resina.

There is something exquisitely beautiful as well as touching in the song

66

'Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone;" though we do not say that we should come to the same conclusion as the poet, to cut off this lonely flower, and send it to destruction after its lovely companions; but might feel a melancholy pleasure in watching its bloom and smelling its fragrance as long as nature would permit it to live; and thus, also, permit the numerous insects which inhabit its leaves to enjoy the whole of their life's short day. Such were the sentiments of Cowper, who would not number in the list of his friends the man who would heedlessly set foot upon a worm. Under feelings like these, I watched the movements of a beautiful butterfly that fluttered around us near the foot of the mountain. As it was near the end of November, I might fairly conclude that this insect had been strangely preserved, and was the last of its kind to enjoy the light for that year. "What a beautiful specimen! what a nice memento of Vesuvius!" No, you shall live on, uninjured by me, and at least enjoy the rest of this lovely day; and if the chilly night do cause you to sleep the sleep of death, you shall die in the course of nature; my hand shall not ruthlessly destroy such a beautiful work of the Creator, or cut short your fleeting pleasures.

Salvador's prophecy was true. Next day I left Naples in a speronari, to sail along the coast of Italy. The covered part of this boat allowed us to lie down at full length, or to sit upon a low stool, but precluded us from any kind of locomotion. The seamen creep along the shore, not even daring to cross a large bay, and never venture to sail in blustering weather. Opposed by a sirocco, or south-east wind, they hauled the speronari ashore at a small landing-place in the Gulf of Salerno, under the promontory which separates it from that of Naples. We wandered about the adjacent country, and even crossed the promontory to reach Sarento. This is one of the loveliest spots on earth-the garden of Europe. Here nature seems to have lavished her gifts, uniting sublimity with beauty, luxuriance with romance. The country is intersected by deep ravines, and watered by precipitous torrents. Its vales are full of orchards and

orange-groves; its mountain sides covered with olive trees, and their summits crowned with vineyards. The deep dells are as magnificent as the plains are luxuriant, and the hills are beautiful. Language cannot describe the richness of the country.

One night, a bright light illuminated the scenery. Mount Vesuvius was enveloped in flames. An immense volume of fire rose to the clouds, scattering the darkness of night, and enlightening the surrounding country as if with mid-day lustre. The pavement of lava, on which I had trod a few days previously, was belched into the air; the little crater was swallowed up and scattered; the large crater was re-opened; and a torrent of lava issued from a new opening in the mountain's side. My sojourn on earth will soon be like my transient visit to Vesuvius; and the very fashion of the world shall pass away. Its palaces, riches, and all that dwell upon its surface will resemble the crust of the crater, which in one moment was dissolved.

DIG DEEP TO FIND THE GOLD.

Dost thou seek the treasures hidden
Within earth's rocky bed-

The diamond for beauty's tresses,
Gems for the queenly head?
"Tis not on the dewy surface
Their radiance they unfold;

In the cryptic world beneath thee,
" 'Dig deep to find the gold!"

Dost thou long thy fields shall brighten

With golden harvest ears,

And thy pastures yield in verdure
Riches for coming years?
Dream not by vain imaginings
Earth's bounties are unroll'd;

Striving unlocks her treasury:

"Dig deep to find the gold!"

Dost thou sigh for wealth of knowledge,
The lore of ages past,

And o'er the bright domain of science

Thy longing glances cast?

Then with patient, earnest labour,

Seek for the wealth untold;

In the soul-lit mines of genius,

Dig deep to find the gold!"