Having crossed this strip, we had to stop for the night in a cave made of lava, and called Zdje breopsa 4 Sartoe, that is, goat cave, because in bad weather small animals often find shelter in it. From here the view is already vast and majestic. It seemed to me that I was standing above the globe, as if in another world! The cave is surrounded by ancient bast trees, and their dried leaves were useful for our bedding. We lit a big fire, collecting branches for this. There was already a strip of snow close to us, and because of the lack of water, we consumed it; They made tea, drank it with the bread and butter they brought with them, and thereby completely strengthened their strength. Everyone went to bed immediately. At first, the noise inside the mountain, although quite distant, on the right side of us, encouraged me to fall asleep. There, thick, smoky clouds were visible, and explosions, loud as cannon shots, were heard; but we didn’t see the slightest sign of fire. This mountain was formed three years ago, during an eruption in 1834; the fire in it has not yet gone out, and even the lava has not completely cooled down. For several centuries, the entire oak forest was destroyed, deep ravines were dug, and lava filled them after, according to the guide, “one hundred heights high.” In these places she still retains her heat. Tired, tired, we, having become accustomed to the noise, finally fell asleep quietly. The next day, much before it had cleared, we stepped onto the ice strip, and I saw the head of a giant: it was depicted on the dark blue sky, surrounded by a crown of stars. The clouds disappeared, the morning became clear but cold; it shot right through me; My Circassian cloak barely protected me from the cold. I felt a bit of a frost, got off the donkey, and wanted to get very wet, but it was impossible to walk: we were in the middle of lava, and it was so hard that it hurt my legs, and I stumbled at every step. I again mounted my Arcadian horse. Accustomed to these storms, he skillfully made his way along the uneven path, and I surrendered to his quiet, but bold step. We reached Saza 4ezG:t1e5: this is a stone hut built by English officers at the time when, during the last war, they occupied the island. It is located at the foot of the main volcano vent, and consists of a small stable for donkeys and a covered shed for people. No matter how meager this shelter is, it is a blessing for the traveler when bad weather catches him in the desert heights. We stopped here, fed the donkeys, and had breakfast ourselves.
The sun began to rise: this phenomenon cannot be described, and without seeing it it is impossible to imagine! We stood almost at the very top of Etna. The rays of the sun illuminated the smoke coming out of the vent; the giant's shadow spread across the island, like another dark blue mountain. This ghost is so deceptive that although I was warned, I was completely deceived. It was seen for quite a long time, but it began to disappear little by little, and then a new and great thing began to appear: such scenes can be seen, felt, but not described: there are no words to depict them. How can one describe thousands of transitions, overflows of shadow, and their struggle with the sun, which drives darkness away from everywhere, like a victorious king? First it takes possession of the high peaks, then the slopes, valleys, the sea, and the creature, freed from darkness and ghosts, joyfully meets its savior! It feels the presence of the life-giving luminary and greets it with a long tremble. But the rustling of leaves, the splashing of sea waters, the thousands of sounds awakened by the appearance of the sun did not reach me: the noise of the earth always remains below! The spectacle was great, elegant, but not mine! One thing was not invited to this triumph of nature, and if any sound came to him, it was the menacing voice of the wolf, the screech of the vftra and the roar of the vfch storm.
When the shadows disappeared, the whole island was in front of me. These hills, these mountains, which Yaya climbed with such difficulty, lay at my feet, and I looked at them; they merged all together and represented one vast, varied valley. From here, the whole of Sicily looks like an expanded geographical map: you want to pick it up! The details are visible, everything is divided, all the diversity of the island is before the eyes, and the gaze rests, across the sea, on the stroma of the shore of Calabrli.