A cinder path had been made along the edge of the cone, having on the left side a steep ridge of ashes, and on the right a sheer drop of many thousand feet.

From this strange road there were weird and beautiful effects--for it was above the region of the clouds, which floated below, sometimes hiding the landscape, and sometimes revealing glorious stretches of country, with gleams of sunshine falling on the white houses of towns miles below, and blue reaches of sea with mountains beyond.

Great volumes of smoke kept coming down from the summit, and blowing in a dense cloud, then clearing for a few minutes and forming again.

There were booming sounds like the firing of cannons that seemed to issue from the smoke.
Very much awed by these impressive surroundings the party kept close together.

The guides, in their gray uniforms and caps with red bands, were a comforting feature of the excursion.