ASCENT OF VESIVUS BY LADIES.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 79, 5 April 1879, Page 3

ASCENT OF VESIVUS BY LADIES.

A correspondent writes as follows to the. Times from Naples:—During the past week two American ladies, of strength Mad pluck, determined to venture to the cratei of the volcano. They were informed at the hotel, and also iiy a trusty guide, that there was no danger from the conditibnof the mountain; but the journey should be performed at night, as the heut of the day was oppressive. They were advised to be on tue cone by suurise. A gentleman, who was a stranger to them, and perhaps less plucky, but who proved good company, agreed to accompany them, aud the. three employed a safe courier, who spoke English. The party went to Pompeii in the afternoon, rested from 7 till 12, and then, at midnight, after a cup of strong coffee, started out upon what they supposed must prove to them a delightful excursion. Before the cone was reached various attaches of the expedition appeared, and they were told that these were all necessary. When counted, they proved to be ten in number—a " mountain guide," two torch-bearers, six " helpers " for the climbers (two to each), and one " helper" for the chief guide. During the ascent the wind, which had been blowing gently, increased to quite a gale; the ashes and scoria came into the ladies' faces tilling eye*, nose, and mouth, blowing off hats, and, what was even worse, blowing out the two torches and preventing their use. Up in the dark on such a night—fanoy it. By 3 a.m. all were at the summit. The wind howled and blew the sulphurous smoke into their longs and eyes, and the fires only partly lighted up the darkness an gloom. Then the ten Italians asked the ladies to descend into the outer crater, in order to compel them to pay a fee for an " extra." They declined to go. The courier was appealed to for his influence to induce them to go, he simply asked them if they wished to go, and upon their saying no, told the men so. They became only the more exasperated, and began quarrelling with the courier. He remained good-natured, but they bantered him, clenched their fists, and went through ascenewhich beggars description. Fanoy the night, the place, the persons—two ladies and a stranger, with ten Italians bent on robbing thorn of money—and these demons, before the glare of this little hell, fighting the courier himself! Imagine, if you con, theJ terror which overcame the ladies, tHe fear lest they should be carried into the crater by force or robbed, or in some way prevented from descending the mountain peaceably —and fancy such a scene occupying nearly two hours, or almost till S a.m., when the day broke 1 At 8 a.m., they' reachod Pompeii again, glad to be with civilised people although drenched to the skin by the rain, which began at 7, and which thoy hurried through on horseback in oH»t to be out of the reach of all the ii.-oum'ucls who seemed to infest the region of Vesuvius., .