72 Earl of Minto's Measurement irf Vesuvius, 



the Palo I measured on the 17th March, was a very narrow 

 ridge, scarcely affording us suflBcient footing to stand upon, 

 being all that remained of a small cone thrown up by the 

 eruption of February 1822, immediately over the crater from 

 which the lava issued on that occasion ; for in that eruption 

 the lava did not burst through the side, but overflowed from 

 the crater itself. 



The following are the heights as estimated by me :— 



Feet. 

 The Hermitage of St Salvadore above the sea, - 1963 

 Palo summit of Vesuvius above the Hermitage, - 2000 



Palo summit of Vesuvius above the sea, - - 896S 



N.B. — This was the height of Vesuvius above the sea 



in 1817. 



Edge of the crater from whence the lava flowed in Fe- 

 bruary 1822, above the Palo summit, - - 45 



Summit of the New Cone, or ridge, above the edge of the 

 crater, - - - - . 157 



Highest point of Vesuvius in March and April 1822, 4 -i /»- 

 above the sea, - - . . 



The mountain had therefore added 202 feet to its height 

 since I had seen it in 1817. But, as a great part of the ridge 

 which I have called the New Cone was composed of loose 

 materials, I have no doubt that it must have crumbled down 

 considerably since 1 measured it in 1822. 



In 1837 I also made two barometrical measurements of 

 Vesuvius in company with the late Mr Playfair and his 

 nephew ; but as our observations were only made in ascend- 

 ing, and from various accidents could not be repeated in our 

 descent, I have not referred to them, although they agree 

 within a few feet with these observations of 1822, which were 

 made under much more favourable circumstances, and with 

 every attention to insure their accuracy. 



MiNTo, 6thAprinS27. 



