Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1828. 301 



observe what part would be most likely to give way under the 

 impetus of the shocks. To the south I found many wide 

 openings and deep fissures ; but the suffocating acid vapours 

 and the rain of scoriae, which was then falling, obliged me 

 immediately to quit my position, which was, in fact, be- 

 coming extremely dangerous. I met with other fissures at 

 II Palo, where there appeared no present danger. 



The inhabitants of Naples, on the 21st, began to perceive 

 the spires of smoke, and in the evening the jets of fire, and 

 the country around to fear the effects of such appearances. 

 There was much electricity in the air ; the electric fire was in 

 constant motion, and appeared to incline to the negative pole ; 

 the barometer and thermometer indicated no sensible variation ; 

 the apertures at the base (la pedamentina) and along the cone 

 exhaled but little vapour, and remained at the temperature of 

 70 Reaum.* 



These phenomena remained in a state of continual pa- 

 roxysm till the evening of the 22d ; and far from abating in 

 violence, they increased so much, that two new apertures 

 broke out, which, together with those already existing, deto- 

 nated loudly, and ejected the melted lava to the distance of two 

 thousand feet. Although the force acted obliquely, the melted 

 matter reached a height exceeding that of the crater and of 

 Monte Somma; and fell at various times in the night at Ottajano, 

 in large and small pieces of perfect scoriaceous lava. 



The morning of the 23d, the bottom of the crater was 

 raised one-fourth, and seventeen volcanic mouths were in full 

 action, exploding, shaking the earth, and throwing out melted 

 matter in various directions, obliquely and even horizontally ; 

 vomiting also globes of smoke of various colours, which from 

 time to time filled the vast area of the crater, and then, rising 

 like huge machines into the air, assumed the appearance of 

 magnificent columns. A mouth, which opened on the southern 

 part from midnight till two o'clock the following day (24th), 

 ejected fused substances, and the scoria of the lava which was 

 within it, obliquely to the point del Palo, and they fell on the 

 external part of the cone in large and small masses. All the 

 spectators now abandoned the place ; but in a few hours after 

 this crisis, the activity of the volcano began to diminish and 



VOL. I. FEB. 1331. X 



