Beyond the lake there is a horrible region in which dense volumes of
smoke proceed from the upper ground, with loud bellowings and
detonations, and we took our perilous way in that direction, over
very hot lava which gave way constantly. It is near this that the
steady fires are situated which are visible from this house at
night. We came first upon a solitary "blowing cone," beyond which
there was a group of three or four, but it is not from these that
the smoke proceeds, but from the extensive area beyond them, covered
with smoke and steam cracks, and smoking banks, which are probably
formed of sulphur deposits. I only visited the solitary cone, for
the footing was so precarious, the sight so fearful, and the
ebullitions of gases so dangerous, that I did not dare to go near
the others, and never wish to look upon their like again.
The one I saw was of beehive shape, about twelve feet high, hollow
inside, and its walls were about two feet thick. A part of its
imperfect top was blown off, and a piece of its side blown out, and
the side rent gave one a frightful view of its interior, with the
risk of having lava spat at one at intervals. The name "Blowing
Cone" is an apt one, if the theory of their construction be correct.
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