Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Italian Journey: 1786-1788
Schocken Books, New York, 1968 (original: 1816-1817)
Translated by W.H. Auden & Elizabeth Mayer
Cover of Penguin London Edition (1992)
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Fig. 29— Goethe: Imaginary Landscape at the foot of Vesuvius |
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Fig. 30— Goethe: View of Vesuvius from the coast near Portici |
Naples, March 2, 1787
Today I climbed Vesuvius, although the sky was overcast and the summit hidden in clouds. I took a carriage to
Resina, where I mounted a mule and rode up the mountain through vineyards. Then I walked across the lava flow
of 1771 which was already covered with a fine but tenacious moss, and then upward along its edge. High up on my
left I could see the hermit's hut. Climbing the ash cone, which was two-thirds hidden in clouds, was not easy. At last
I reached the old crater, now blocked, and came to the fresh lava flows, one two months, one two weeks, and one
only five days old. This last had been feeble and had already cooled. I crossed it and climbed a hill of ashes which
had been recently thrown up and was emitting fumes everywhere. As the smoke was drifting away from me, I decided
to try and reach the crater. I had only taken fifty steps when the smoke became so dense that I could hardly see my
shoes. The handkerchief I pressed over my mouth was no help. In addition, my guide had disappeared and my steps
on the little lava chunks which the eruption had discharged became more and more unsteady. I thought it better,
therefore, to turn back and wait for a day with less cloud and less smoke. At least I now know how difficult it is
to breathe in such an atmosphere. (p. 179)
Otherwise the mountain was perfectly calm, with none of the flames, tumbling or showers of stone there had been
during the weeks before we arrived. Well, I have now made a reconnoitre, so that I can make my regular attack as
soon as the weather clears. (p. 179)
Naples, March 6, 1787
But there is something about an imminent danger which challenges Man's spirit of contradiction to defy it, so I
thought to myself that it might be possible to climbe the cone, reach the mouth of the crater and return, all in the
interval between two eruptions. While we rested safely under the shelter of a projecting rock and refreshed ourselves
with the provisions we had brought with us, I consulted our guides. The younger one felt confident that we could risk
it; we lined our hats with linen and silk handkerchiefs. I grabbed his belt, and sticks in hand, we set off. (p. 184)
The smaller stones were still clattering, the ashes still falling aboout us as the vigorous youth hauled me up
the gowng screes. There we stood on th llip of the enormous mouth; a light breeze blew the smoke away from
us but also veiled the interior of the crater; steam rose all around us from thousands of fissures; now and then,
we could glimpse the cracked rock walls. The sight was neither instructive nor pleasing, but this was only
because we could not see anything, so we delayed in the hope of seeing more. We had forgotten to keep our
slow count and were standing on a sharp edge of the monstrous abyss when, all of a sudden, thunder shook
the mountain and a terrific charge flew past us. We ducked instinctivey, as if that would save us when the
shower of stones began. The smaller stone had already finished clattering down when, having forgotten
that another interval had begun, and happy to have survived, we reached the foot of the cone under a rain
of ashes which thickly coated our hats and shoulders. (p. 185)
Naples, March 20, 1787
The news that another emission of lava had just occurred, invisible to Naples since it was flowing towards
Ottaiano, tempted me to make a third visi to Vesuvius. On reaching the foot of the mountain, I had hardly jumped
down from my two-wheeled, one-horse vehicle before two guides who had accompanied us the last time appeared
on the scene and I hired them both. (p. 205)
When we reached the cone, the elder one stayed with our coats and provisions while the younger followed me.
We bravely made our wa towards the enormous cloud of steam which was issuing from a point halfway below the
mouth of the cone. Having reached it, we descended carefully alone its edge. The sky was clear and at last, though
the turbulent clouds of steam, we saw the lava stream. (pp. 205-206)
It was only about ten feet wide, but the manner in which it flowed down the very gentle slope was most surprising.
The lava on both sides of the stream cools as it moves, forming a channel. The lava on its bottom also cools, so that
this channel is constantly being raised. The stream keeps steadily throwing off to right and left the scoria floating on
its surface. Gradually, two levels of considerable height are formed, between which the fiery stream continues to flow
quietly like a mill brook. We kept steadilyy rolling down its sides. Occasionally there were gaps through which we
could see the glowing mass from below. Further down, we were also able to observe it from above. (p. 206)
Because of the bright sunshine, the glow of the lava was dulled. Only a little smoke rose into the pure air. I felt a
great desire to get near the place where the lava was issuing fom the mountain. My guide assured me that this was
safe, because the moment it comes forth, a flow forms a vaulted roof of cooled lava over itself, which he had often
stood on. To have this experience, we again climbed up the mountain in order to approach the spot from the rear.
Luckily, a gust of wind had cleared the air, though not entirely, for all around us puffs of hot vapour were emerging
from thousands of fissures. By now we were actually standing on the lava crust, which lay twisted in coils like a soft
mush, but it projected so far out that we could not see the lava gushing forth. (p. 206)
We tried to go half a dozen steps further, but the ground under our feet became hotter and hotter and a whirl of
dense fumes darkened the sun and almost suffocated us. The guide who was walking in front turned back, grabbed
me, and we stole away from the hellish cauldron. (p. 206)
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(5-17-2018)