Remarks on Mount Vesuvius. 13 



At lengtli the edge of the crater grew much lower, forming a 

 gap in the side of the cone next to Pompeii, which we first 

 descended, and then scrambled inwards towards the centre 

 of the mountain, being a fall on the whole of J 000 feet. 



In this gulf nature presented herself under a new form, and 

 all was unlike the common state of things. We were, in truth, 

 in the bowels of the earth, where her internal riches are dis- 

 played in the wildest manner. The steep we had descended was 

 composed of minerals of the most singular yet beautiful de- 

 scription. The heavy morning rains were rising in steam in all 

 directions, and had already awakened each sulphureous cre- 

 vice, while almost every chink in the ground was so hot that 

 it was impossible to keep the hand the least time upon it. 

 But this sensation was in unison with the objects around ; the 

 great crater of the volcano opening its convulsed jaws before 

 you, where the rude lava was piled in every varied form, in 

 alternate layers with pozzulana and cinders. Below us the 

 newly formed crater* was pouring forth its steamy clouds, 

 and at every growl which labouring nature gave from below 

 these volumes burst forth with renewed fury. At our feet, and 

 on every side, were deep beds of yellow sulphur, varying in co- 

 lour from the deepest red orange, occasioned by ferruginous 

 mixture, to 'the palest straw-colour, where alum predominat- 

 ed, and beside these, white depositions of great extent and 

 depth, which are lava decomposed by heat, and in a state of 

 great softness. Contrasted with these productions of beauty, 

 we find the sterner formations of black and purple porphyry, 

 which occasionally assume the scarlet hue from the extreme 

 action of heat ; add to this the sombre grey lava, and that of 

 a green colour glittering throughout with micaceous par- 

 ticles, with the deep brown volcanic ashes, and you will 

 have a combination which, for grandeur and singularity, must 

 be almost unparalleled. It is singular enough, that, among so 

 many sulphureous fires, we should have suffered from pinch- 

 ing cold. At the lowest point to which we went the thermo- 

 meter stood at 43 \°. We employed ourselves for a considera- 



* A small crater burst out in the bottom of the large one on the morn- 

 ing of the 18th. This excursion was on the 21st November. 



