On ascending one of the abrupt pinnacles, which rose out of this extraordinary mass of rock, he beheld a region, the desolation of which can scarcely be paralleled. Fantastic groups of hills, craters, and lava, leading the eye to distant snow-crowned jockuls, (inferior mountains,) the mist rising from a waterfall; lakes, embosomed among bare, bleak mountains; an awful profound silence; lowering clouds; marks all around of the furious action of the most destructive of elements; all combined to impress the soul with sensations of dread and wonder. The longer himself and his companions contemplated this scene, the more unable they were to turn their eyes from it; and a considerable time elapsed before they could bring themselves to attend to the business which had tempted them to enter so frightful a district of the country.

Having proceeded a considerable distance along the edge of a stream of lava, a narrow part of which they crossed, they gained the foot of the south-end of Mount Hecla. While, in ascending, they had to pass over rugged lava, they experienced no great difficulty in advancing; but when they reached the steepest part of the mountain, which was covered with loose slags, they sometimes lost at one step by the yielding of these, a space which had been gained by several.

Having passed a number of fissures, by leaping across some, and stepping along masses of slags which lay over others, they at length reached the summit of the first peak. The clouds now became so thick, that they began to despair of being able to proceed any further: it was, indeed, dangerous even to move; for the peak consists of a very narrow ridge of slags, not more than two feet broad, having a precipice on each side, several hundred feet in depth. One of these precipices forms the side of a vast hollow, which seems to have been one of the cra ters. At length the sky cleared a little, and enabled them to discover a ridge below, which seemed to con nect the peak they had ascended with the middle or principal one. They lost no time in availing themselves of this opportunity, and, by balancing themselves like rope-dancers, succeeded in passing along a ridge of slags, so narrow that there was scarcely their feet. After a short, but very steep, ascent, they

room for

gained the highest part of this celebrated mountain

Its earliest eruption is said to have happened in 1004, since which time upwards of twenty have occurred. That of 1693 was the most dreadful, and occasioned terrible devastations the ashes having been thrown over the island in every direction, to the distance of more than one hundred miles. In 1728, a fire broke out among the surrounding lava; and also in that to the west of the volcano, in 1754, which lasted for three days. There has not been any eruption of lava since 1766; but for some years after flames issued from the volcano.

TOPOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, NO. VIII,

CANTON.

With an Engraving.—Sce page. 267.

THE city of Canton is situate upon the east side of the large river Ta, from the mouth of which it lies about fifty miles. It is defended towards the water by two high walls, and two strong water castles, built in the middle of the river Ta.

Canton is the greatest port in China, and the only one frequented by foreigners. The city wall is about five miles in circumference, with pleasant walks around it. On the east side is a large ditch close to the wall. From the tops of some adjacent hills, on which forts aire built, you have a fine prospect of the surrounding country. It is beautifully interspersed with mountains, little hills, and valleys, all green; and these again pleasantly diversified with small towns, villages, high towers, temples, the seats of Mandarins and other great men, which are watered with delightful lakes, canals, and small branches of the river Ta, on which are numberless boats and junks sailing different ways through the most fertile places of the country.

The city is entered by seven iron gates, and within side of each there is a guard-house. No foreigner is allowed to enter these if known; I have myself been frequently expelled, after I had been a good way within the city, when they discovered that I was a stranger,

The soldiers, who keep guard, are armed with spears, darts, swords, match-lock guns, but most of them with bows and arrows, which they still esteem more. than any other warlike weapon. The streets are very straight, but generally narrow, and paved with flag stones. There are many pretty buildings in the city, great numbers of triumphal arches, and temples well stocked with images. The streets of Canton are so crowded, that it is difficult to walk in them; yet you will seldom see a woman of any fashion, unless by chance, when coming out of their chairs. And, were it not that curiosity in the Chinese ladies make them sometimes peep at us, we should never get a glance at them.

Though there are no magnificent houses in Canton, most of them being built only one, and none more than two stories, yet they take up a great extent of ground, many of them having square courts within their walls.

They have all such a regard to privacy, that no windows are made towards the streets, but in shops and places of public business. None of their windows look towards those of their neighbors. Within the gate or entry of each house, a screen is placed, to prevent strangers from looking in upon the opening of the gate; and you enter the house either on the right or left side of the middle screen, where there are little alleys to the right and left, from whence you pass into the several courts, which are walled on all sides.

Their entertainments are held in a sort of hall at the entrance of their houses, which have no other ornament, beisdes a single order of painted columns, which support the building. The roofs are open to the tiles, without any ceiling. In these they use no looking-glasses, hangings, or fine chairs; and their beds which are the principal ornaments of their houses, are seldom seen by strangers, who are not permitted to go farther than the first great hall. The Chinese, who keep shops, were less reserved, and would frequently invite us to their houses with great freedom, as they observed it would be agreeable to us.

The furniture of the best houses is cabinets, tables, painted screens, china, pictures, and pieces of white taffety upon the walls, upon which are written in Chinese characters, religious and moral sentences. They have

no chimneys; but in their stead, they place a shallow iron pot, filled with charcoal, in the middle of the room in winter, which is ready to suffocate people who are not accustomed to it. They have a copper built in brick-work in their kitchen for boiling, much about the height of an English stove. The inside of their houses are never wainscoted nor painted, but are covered with thin paper. The windows are made of cane or rattan. In winter they cut oyster-shells into diamond shapes, and set them in wooden frames, which afford them a very dull light.

It is reckoned, that there are in the city and suburbs of Canton 1,200,000 people; and you will scarce find a day in the whole year, but there are 5000 trading vessels lying before the city.

The temples and places of public worship are the most magnificent buildings in Canton. They are well filled with images. The people pay profound adoration to them, by falling down on their knees before them, wringing their hands, and beating their foreheads against the ground. These temples are decorated with a great number of artificial flowers, embroidered hangings, curtains, and fringes. One of them, situated in the skirt of the north-east side of the suburbs, makes a splendid appearance. It is four stories high, has a fine cupola, with many houses and galleries. The lower part of it is built with fine hewen stone, but the upper part is all of timber. We went first into the lower hall, where we saw images of all sizes, of different dignities, and finely gilded, and kept exceedingly clean by the priests. The lesser images were placed in corners of the wall, and one of a larger size in the middle of the hall. This large god, who is placed in the centre, sits in a lazy posture, almost naked, and leaning on a large cushion. He is ten times larger than an ordinary man, very corpulent, of a merry countenance, and gilt all over. We were next conducted up stairs, where we saw a great many images of men and women, who had been deified for their brave and virtuous actions.

Though Canton is but twenty-four degrees from the equator, and is scorching hot in summer, yet, about the months of December and January, it is subject to high winds, and very heavy rains. The sudden alteration