At an inconsiderable distance from us was one of the largest of the conical craters, whose laborious action had so greatly impressed our minds during the night; and we hastened to a nearer examination of it; so prodigious[77] an engine I never expect again to behold. On reaching its base, we judged it to be one hundred and fifty feet high, a huge irregularly shapen, inverted funnel of lava covered with clefts, orifices, and tunnels, from which bodies of steam escaped with deafening explosion, while pale flames, ashes, stones, and lava, were propelled with equal force and noise from its ragged and yawning mouth. The whole formed so singularly terrific an object, that in order to secure a hasty sketch of it, I permitted the other gentlemen to go a few yards nearer than I did, while I occupied myself with my pencil. One of the company with his servant ascended the cone several feet, but found the heat too great to remain longer than to detach with their sticks, a piece or two of recent lava, burning hot. So highly was our admiration excited by the scene, that we forgot the danger to which we might be exposed should any change take place in the currents of destructive gas—which exists to a greater or less degree in every part of the crater—until one of the gentlemen, after two or three intimations of the propriety of an immediate departure, warned us in a most decided tone, not only as a friend, but as a professional gentleman, of the peril of our situation, assuring us, that three inspirations of the air by which we might be surrounded, would prove fatal to every one of us. We felt the truth of the assertion, and notwithstanding the desire we had of visiting a similar cone covered with a beautiful incrustation of sulphur, at the distance from us, of a few hundred yards only, we hastily took the speediest course from so dangerous a spot. The ascent to the ledge was not less difficult and frightful than the descent had been, and for the last[78] few yards was almost perpendicular. But we all succeeded in safely gaining its top, not far from the path by which we had in the morning descended the upper cliff. We reached the hut about two o'clock, nearly exhausted from fatigue, thirst and hunger, and had immediate reason to congratulate ourselves, on a most narrow escape from suffering and extreme danger, if not from death. For, on turning round, we perceived the whole chasm to be filling with thick sulphureous smoke; and within half an hour, it was so completely choked with it, that not an object below us was visible. Even where we were, in the unconfined region above, the air became so oppressive as to make us think seriously of a precipitate retreat. This continued to be the case for the greater part of the afternoon. A dead calm took place, both within and without the crater, and from the diminution of noise, and the various signs of action, the volcano itself seemed to be resting from its labors.