these
volcanoes is Jorullo, which closely resembled Monte Nuovo, described in
Chapter XIII., in its mode of origin.

Popocatapetl, the hill that smokes, in the Mexican language, the huge
mountain clothed in eternal snows, and regarded by the idolaters of old
as a god, towers up nearly 18,000 feet above the level of the sea, and
in the days of the conquest of Mexico was a volcano in a state of fierce
activity. It was looked upon by the natives with a strange dread, and
they told the white strangers with awe that no man could attempt to
ascend its slopes and yet live; but, from a feeling of vanity, or the
love of adventure, the Spaniards laughed at these fears, and accordingly
a party of ten of the followers of Cortes commenced the ascent,
accompanied by a few Indians. But these latter, after ascending about
13,000 feet to where the last remains of stunted vegetation existed,
became alarmed at the subterranean bellowings of the volcano, and
returned, while the Spaniards still painfully toiled on through
the rarefied atmosphere, their feet crushing over the scoriae and
black-glazed volcanic sand, until they stood in the region of perpetual
snow, amidst the glittering, treacherous glaciers and crevasses, with
vast slippery-pathed precipices yawning round.

Still they toiled on in this wild and wondrous region. A few hours
before they were in a land of perpetual summer; here all was snow. They
suffered the usual distress awarded to those who dare to ascend to these
solitudes of nature but it was not given to them to achieve the summit,
for suddenly, at a higher elevation, after listening to various ominous
threatenings from the interior of the volcano, they encountered so
fierce a storm of smoke, cinders, and sparks, that they were driven back
half suffocated to the lower portions of the mountain.

Some time after another attempt was made; and upon this occasion with
a definite object. The invaders had nearly exhausted their stock of
gunpowder, and Cortes organized a party to ascend to the crater of the
volcano, to seek and bring down sulphur for the manufacture of this
necessary of warfare. This time the party numbered but five, led by
one Francisco Montano; and they experienced no very great difficulty in
winning their way upwards. The region of verdure gave place to the wild,
lava-strewn slope, which was succeeded in its turn by the treacherous
glaciers; and at last the gallant little band stood at the very edge
of th