Rollo in Naples

Su

d up the sandy slope that still remained between the place where he stood and the margin of the crater; but he checked himself, and stopped where he was, to wait for the rest of the par

e mountain to the Hermitage-"Philippe payera, là bas

out of her chair. The guide who had come up the mountain with them then led

cular pit or depression in the top of a volcano, formed by the sinking of the ground in that part. This sinking of the ground

, which you have to fill up by pouring in a little more lead. The reason is, that lead, as well as most other melted substances, shrinks when it cools. In the case of the bullet, for instance, all the lead which forms the mass of the bullet within the mould shrinks. The effect of this would be to collapse the sid

e and more melted, and formed into lava. The water, which is all the time filtering in through the crevices and openings, in the rocks around the sides of the mountain, is forced down under this molten mass by the immense pressure given to it by the height of the mountain. There it is turned into steam. For a t

he opening, where it is melted again. The rest falls on the sides, and in process of time it begins to build up a small hill, as it

. The puffs and explosions gradually cease. The lava within the bowels of the mountain shrinks as it cools. The sides of the mountain being firm and solid, do not collapse; but the top, being still more or less soft, falls in, not suddenly

them in the bottom of the crater, and some, perhaps, in the sides. This steam is changed into visible vapor when it comes out where the air is cool, and the several streams, min

around the hole, and gradually builds up a mound around it, like a little dome, while the successive blasts keep the outlet open all the time at the top. This small cone, rising up gradually thus, in the bottom of the crater formed by the sinking in of the mountain before, and the chimney opening up through the centre of it, gives vent to all the steam from below, while a great many of the other orifices are stopp

nt of the cooling below, and two great craters had been formed. Now, the furnace had been for some time heating up again, and in each crater a black cone, with

the party now advanced, and the engraving will g

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F THE

her into the abyss. The sides of it were formed of precipitous cliffs of rocks and sand, all beautifully colored, in every shade of red and yellow, by the deposits of sulph

e rose a great, black, rounded cone, like the cupola of an immense blast furnace. This cone was about fifty feet high, and there was an opening at

med to come up from a great depth below, and threw into the air a shower of stones and scraps of molten lava, which, after ascending to a great height, came down

count of the explosions, but for fear that the cliff might cave in. Indeed, the cliffs all around were cracked off, and in some places leaning over, apparently ready to fall; and even at the

"but that the whole mass will fall and c

en in the engraving, which had become separated entirely from the cliff behind them, leaving a chasm open two or three feet wide; and ye

. She was alarmed to see

id she; "come back. Yo

led the boys back

then afterwards the lava that had been thrown up had spread over the floor, and covered it with a bed of a half-fluid looking substance, that was as

hundred feet across, and the walls of

xplosions, the guide who had come up with them from the Hermitage beckoned to Mr. George, and saying somet

r. George; "he wants

want us to go

e. "I cannot understand what h

owever, held her firmly by the hand, and he charged Rollo and Josie to follow very carefully. After going on in this way for some distance, they came to another crater very similar to the first, only the sides of it, instead of being formed, like the first, of perpendicular cliffs, consisted of steep, sloping banks of volcanic sand and grav

other crater!"

is smaller than the first.

de came by, conducting two young men; and they, instead of stopping on the brink, as Mr. George and his party had done, began at once t

llo, "they are going down into th

were led by one of the regular mountain guides; and besides, there was a track in the sand

George, "and then you can come up and take c

epest places. The black lava covered the whole floor of the crater, and Mr. George and Rosie supposed that those who had gone down would be able only to go to the edge of it; but, to their great surpri

Rosie, "they are walking over t

said Mr. George. "I

is still in motion. Its fluidity at the best is very imperfect, and its motion is very slow. The lava which Rollo was upon in the floor of the crater, though pretty nearly cool and hard on the surface, was hot below. Ro

the lava which was thrown up from it fall upon their heads. Here they found some boys, who belonged to the mountain, engaged in getting out small pieces of the lava, where

rge and Rosie, on account of the puffs of vapor which the wind blew over them. Rosie was very much afraid wheneve

would be a great dea

f my own judgment. But I do not go

t do you go by

for years, and they can tell where it is safe to go, and where it is dangerous, better than any stranger. So I give up my judgment e

d rolled off towards the other side, and in the openings Rosie could see the boys coming back over the black surface of the lava, their footsteps making a cur

hat they had seen at the bottom of the crater, and near the

osie," said Josie, "

ture, and Mr. George told he

of?" asked Josie. "There is no da

re to young ladies as it does to such courageous young gentlemen as you. But I wi

nts. Mr. George led the way to this place, and then he found that what seemed to be a fire was really a jet of hot steam and sulphurous gases that was issuing from a cleft among the rocks. The place was very near the crest of the crater, and the people that stood around it were watching to see men cook in

e way. In about ten minutes Mr. George returned, and found the three children standing round the cuisine, as the men c

these boiled eggs, or baked e

steamed eggs,"

t here in the sand, we might find a place wher

," said M

llowed down into the crater were standing at a little distance, and atte

see what they are

's face, and waited to see if Mr. Ge

l," said

strangers were showing him the instrument, and apparently explaining it to him. Pretty soon Rollo returned and reported that the two young men

sses with considerable force upon the ground, and upon every thing that is exposed to it. If, however, you go up from the ground, as, for instance, when you ascend a mountain, the higher you go, the less the pressure is. This is naturally to be expected, for the higher you go in such a case, the less air there is above you to press. Now, a barometer is an instrument to measure the

hut up your barometer if you please, and put it in your knapsack, or in the chaise box, or any where else you please. Wherever you put it, the pressure of the air will find it out, and penetrate to it, and as you gradually rise from the surface of the earth, the index, which is connected with the curious brass ring, moves slowly backward as the pressure diminishes. This motion continues as long as you continue as

h he had never seen an instrument of this particular kind. He was accordingly very much in

I thought you would like to see it, and they said

hey were quite pleased to find a person on the mountain who sympathized with them in their scientific inquiries and pursuits, and was capable of understanding and appreciatin

ain down through the back ravines, to study the geological

oy more, were it not that he had ladies under his charge,

y cordially falling in with the plan of allowing Mr. George to go, he might, perhaps, be the means of accomplishing it. Many boys, in such a case, when they find that a plan of enjoyment that is proposed is one wh

ke care of Rosie down the mountain to the Hermitage, and then we s

as to let Rollo take charge of the party going home from the Hermitage in the carriage; but he felt bound, h

. Gray seems cordially willing to go home with the children alone, I will come back here and join you; but if I find she does not seem entirely willing

willing to release you,"

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doubt that she will

ent. One of the students went down with them, in order to accompany Mr. George back. The descent was very easy, for the path led down a slope, where, instead of being rocky as it was wh

donkeys there. Rollo and Josie insisted that Mr. George and the

e you can get there quicker, and a

that Mrs. Gray would give her cordial

boys. Besides, I shall want to hear an account of your adventures on the mountain in the night, and in crossing over b

eed," said Mr. George. "Philippe

the carriage and set out for Naples, while Mr. George and