The Magic Vault

l [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the unexpected often happens but not always on such a scale as in this story in Ecuador stands the great volcano of Tonga a black pile of rocks frequently covered with snow 30 m away lies the town of Rio bber where I spent several enjoyable weeks looking for Porters to carry my packs to the summit of this sleeping giant no one was anxious to take part in such an adventure as this but after much talking a number of men agreed to go they all belonged to the same family fine energetic fellows the youngest member of the household could not come important duties kept him at [Music] home with everything in Readiness we turned our backs on Rio Bamba and the kindly people who had done so much to help us amongst many interesting facts which they told us was that the black giant we were on our way to visit had been asleep for 50 years as we wound our way over over a well-defined trail the occasional glimpses we got of dongara summit showed us that it was still slumbering peacefully the way it had been for half a century conditions could not have been more perfect for our adventure but had we known what was in store for us our mules would have been headed in another Direction deep gorges and Swift Rivers now began to B our progress [Music] in this wild Valley we left our mules behind us and started to climb the mountain side on foot around the corner conditions did not look encouraging storm clouds were driving over the mountain tops and before we kn it we were enveloped in Mist for 2 days we struggled upwards through fog and rain on the afternoon of the second day we came out on an open shoulder where all plant life ceased here we pass the last Sentinel of the vegetable world where it had stood for centuries bent and twisted but still defying the fur of the elements in a secluded Niche we made our camp and as the clouds lifted we saw the summit of the black giant towering over our heads to our surprise steam was seen pouring out of the crater we spent a chilly night and at the first streak of dawn we're on our way again up the bare Cinder slope where one false step would have St rolling to Eternity [Music] n [Music] at last the summit after 3 hours steady climbing here at 16,000 ft the air was warm for coming out from amongst the Rocks were innumerable Jets of steam this was no sleeping volcano at all but a bonfire such as Giants build without losing further time we hurried over to the main crater and cautiously approached the brink before forest was a great hole Bor deep down into the heart of the Earth the huge gaping mouth was streak with many colors of which purple and red predominated all was still except for the gentle hiss of steam and the sighing of wind that blew faintly from the East around about us Jagged rocks jutted up into the sky this was indeed a strange and fantastic world the like of which I had never seen [Music] before dense clouds now began to gather the wind increased in violence and the sound of escaping steam grew louder in our ears it seemed as if the sleeping giant resented this intrusion on his privacy gradually the din increased the noise of the escaping steam became terrific but in spite of all for boing we could not resist one final look down the Giant's thrope before we knew it a deafening Roar rented the air and everything went black before [Music] [Music] h [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] through fumes and dust we brok our way in search of those who had disappeared in the confusion [Music] [Music] reunited we waited in a sheltered spot for the worst to pass within an hour conditions began to improve so we made ready for our return as we did so a Sinister glow came from the main crater it attracted us like moths to a flame to the edge of that Inferno we went again anding into the great Abyss below we saw this pool of molten lava boiling heing and ring as if in a giant cor as we watched the spectacle Spellbound we realized to our dismay that the fiery liquid was Rising rapidly it was Madness to delay any longer so seizing our belongings we headed for home [Music] down the mountain side we hurried as we did so more rumbling sounded underfoot rocks were dislodged by the Tremors of the earth and came rolling down the slope just as we reached the safety of our camp the frequency of the shocks increased a d Roar followed and looking back we saw the most most or inspiring sight which human eyes had ever rested on [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] a [Music]