116 Physical Notices of the Bay of' Naples. 



was buried by the eruption of A. D. 79, along with Hercula- 

 neum and Pompeii, is the most general, though not very dis- 

 tinctly warranted by classical authority. We are, however, dis- 

 tinctly informed in the remarkable epistle of Pliny just quoted, 

 that the ashes fell in such quantity, that at the time of his uncle's 

 death at Stabiae, they had almost filled the adjoining court of 

 the house in which he was, — an irrefragable proof of the mag- 

 nitude of the catastrophe, especially when taken in connection 

 with the imperfect modern accounts we have of the excavation 

 of the ruins. Hamilton * mentions the state of the covering 

 soil indirectly, by observing that the ejected masses of scoria 

 at Pompeii weigh sometimes eight pounds, but at Castel-a-mare 

 never above an ounce. From the only circumstantial ancient 

 account of the phenomenon, therefore, we have reason to be- 

 lieve Stabiae to have been overwhelmed. A second argument 

 in favour of this opinion arises from the style of the objects 

 dug from its ruins, which, if I mistake not, closely resemble 

 those from Herculaneum and Pompeii. At least, the dissimi- 

 larity must have been glaringly obvious had they borne a date 

 so far back as the year 89 B. C, or so late as the sixth century 

 of our aera, according to the two other hypotheses. A third 

 evidence that at least it did not fall to natwral decay during 

 the middle ages, is derived from the fact, that skeletons and 

 personal ornaments have been found among the remains, 

 though very few,-|- but a considerable number of papyrus 

 rolls. Lastly, the present appearance of the excavations, as 

 far as the imperfect accounts we have go, (the work being al- 

 ways filled up as they proceed,) and not having been on the 

 spot myself, I must be satisfied with these accounts, — the 

 modern excavations correspond perfectly to the idea of a vol- 

 canic eruption ; and in fact it is almost incredible that any other 

 event could produce a similar effect. I shall state the appear- 

 ance of the locality towards the close of this essay. 



The third hypothesis which I have already been combating, 

 that Stabiae existed till the sixth century at least, is supported by 

 Cluverius,j who confirms my opinion of a new town having risen 



* Campi Phlegrceiy i. 57. 



+ " Pochissimi Spheletri" — " pochissimi mobili preziori," — Ferrari, 

 Guida di Napoli. 



X Italia Antiqua, ii. 1159 — 1161. 



