Guide to the West Indies, Madeira, Mexico, Northern South-America, Comp. from Documents Specially Furnished by the Agents of the Royal Mail S

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1845 edition. Excerpt: ... a slight bluish flame. The precipitous sides of this magnificent amphitheatre were fringed with various evergreens and aromatic shrubs, flowers, and many alpine plants. On the north and south sides of the base of the cone were two pieces of water, one perfectly pure and tasteless, the other strongly impregnated with sulphur and alum. This lonely and beautiful spot was rendered more enchanting by the singularly melodious notes of a bird, an inhabitant of these upper solitudes, and altogether unknown to the other parts of the island. Nearly a century had now elapsed since the last convulsion of the mountain, or since any other elements had disturbed the serenity of this wilderness, than those which are common to the tropical tempest. But just as the plantation-bells rang twelve at noon, on Monday the 27th, an abrupt and dreadful crash from the mountain, with a severe concussion of the earth, and tremulous noise in the air, alarmed all around it. The resurrection of this fiery furnace was proclaimed in a moment, by a vast column of thick black ropy smoke, like that issuing from the furnace of an immense glass-house. The same awful scene presented itself on Tuesday and Wednesday, still gathering more thick and terrific for miles around the dismal and half-obscured mountain. On Thursday the memorable 30th of April, the reflection of the rising sun on this majestic body of curling vapour was sublime beyond imagination: any comparison of the glaciers of the Andes, or Cordilleras with it, can but feebly convey an idea of the fleecy whiteness and brilliancy of this column of intermingled and wreathed smoke and clouds: it afterwards assumed a more sulphureous cast, like what we call thunder-clouds, and in the course of the day, a ferruginous and...