The remainder of our party not yet appearing, we sent back for our asses and guides, and determined to proceed.  About half a mile beyond, our companions came up, and here a division took place; some agreeing to go forward, the rest turning back to wait at the Hermitage.  I was of course one of those who advanced.  My spirits were again raised, and the grand object of all this daring and anxiety was to approach near enough to a stream of lava to have some idea of its consistency, and the manner in which it flowed, or trickled down.  The difficulties of our road now increased, “if road that might be called, which road was none,” but black loose ashes, and masses of scoria and lava heaped in ridges, or broken into hollows in a manner not to be described.  Even my animal, though used to the path, felt his footing at every step, and if the torch was by accident extinguished, he stopped, and nothing could make him move.  My guide, Andrea, was very vigilant and attentive, and, in the few words of Italian he knew, encouraged me, and assured me there was no danger.  I had, however, no fear:  in fact, I was infinitely too much interested to have been alive to danger, had it really existed.  Salvador, well known to all who have visited Mount Vesuvius, had been engaged by Mr. R. as his guide.  He is the principal cicerone on the mountain.  It is his business to despatch to the king every three hours, a regular account of the height of the eruption, the progress, extent, and direction of the lava, and, in short, the most minute particulars.  He also corresponds, as he assured me, with Sir Humphry Davy;[L] and is employed to inform him of every interesting phenomenon which takes place on the mountain.  This man has resided at the foot of it, and been principal guide, for thirty-three years, and knows every inch of its territory.

As the lava had overflowed the usual footpath leading to that conical eminence which forms the summit of the mountain and the exterior of the crater, we were obliged to alight from our sagacious steeds; and, trusting to our feet, walked over the ashes for about a quarter of a mile.  The path, or the ground rather, for there was no path, was now dangerous to the inexperienced foot; and Salvador gallantly took me under his peculiar care.  He led me on before the rest, and I followed with confidence.  Our object was to reach the edge of a stream of lava, formed of two currents united in a point.  It was glowing with an intense heat; and flowing, not with such rapidity as to alarm us, but rather slowly, and by fits and starts. Trickling, in short, is the word which expresses its motion:  if one can fancy it applied to any object on so large a scale.