Travels in the United States, etc.,: during 1849 and 1850./ By the Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.

TIlE CRATER OF COTOPAXI.
Some of the volcanoes of the Cordillera throw out scorified
rocks, or water, and often clay, with a mixture of carbon and
sulphur. The most elevated of the mountains of the Andes from
which in late years there have been eruptions, is Cotopaxi. Its
height is 18,890 feet. This volcano in 1758, shot its formidable
flames to a height of 2700 feet above the edge of the crater. In
the eruption of 1744, its roaring was heard in Honda at a distance
of two hundred leagues.
The eruption of 1803 was preceded by an awful phenomenon.
The snows covering the mountain suddenly melted. For above
twenty years no distinguishable vapor or cloud of smoke had risen
from the crater; but in one night the subterranean fire had so
rapidly done its work, that the outward walls of the cone were
heated till they had become bare, and exhibited the black color
that belongs to vitrified scorim. Humboldt heard at the port of
Guayaquil, fifty-two leagues from the edge of the crater, the
roaring of Cotopaxi day and night, like almost continual discharges of artillery.
By degrees we began to advance a little quicker, as our coal
somewhat diminished. We fell in with the English steamer, and
the Captain tried to speak her, but in vain. It was in the eveninl, and at first we thought we saw lights on shore, and fancied
that we must be near the coast, but we soon observed that those
lights changed their bearings, and saw that it must be a ship.
Soon after, the Captain sent us down word that it was the
English mail steamer. Cosmopolite as I am, to a certain extent
-I felt that that steamer looked like a little bit of our " fatherland," sailing as we were on the great Pacific in an American
ship-though under the shadow of the stars and stripes I always
feel at home, "un poco mas o menos," as the Mexicans so often
say.
One morning a huge shark, that had been pertinaciously following our vessel, was caught, but the floundering monster got loose
again. We saw a great number of whales another day, spouting
up splendid fountains of water: it was a beautiful sight.
We had an alarm, which did not, however, last long, one night.
We had been watching the beautiful phosphorescence on the
cloven waters, when, on a sudden, the bell was rung sharply and
violently, and almost immediately the engine stopped. Soon, very
soon after, we saw from the cabin windows an enormous black
object drifting by, so close that we fancied it must touch the side
of the steamer. It was a ship. She had crossed our track, and a
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