Analyses of Books. 65 



fsulphuretted hydrogen, sal am- 



Vol canoes give out <( moniac^ boracic acid, muriatic 



(^ acid, steam ; 



, S deposits of sulphur, of sulphuric 



^°^^*"^^ ( salts, of muriatic salts, &c. 



Moffettes, connected geographical-^ 



ly with volcanoes either novir in > the same principles, 



action, or extinct, give out . .J 



J ( deposits of sulphur and of sul- 



^"^'^""^ t phuric salts. 



Many tertiary clays, some of whichl ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^j_ 



are connected ffeo<?raphically )- , , -x l ^. 



. , 1 fe & r J < phates, and of common salt, 



with volcanoes, contain . . .J ^ 



Most salt formations are associated ) i i /• 



^ith . J beds of gypsum, 



some with sulphur, 



others with sal ammoniac." 



The traveller it would appear is not only in bodily danger from 

 subterraneous convulsions but also from the ignorance and supersti- 

 tion of the peasantry. 



"Almost the last scientific traveller before myself, who made 

 Mount Vultur the object of his researches, was the celebrated Italian 

 geologist, Brocchi, who, burdened, not only with a hammer, but 

 likewise with a barometer and other philosophical instruments, pro- 

 ceeded some fifteen years ago to ascend the mountain. 



'* The peasants, at a loss to conjecture the nature of his objects and 

 his manipulations, set him down as a magician, but not knowing whe- 

 ther he might have come to do them good or harm, contented them- 

 selves at tirst with watching him, very attentively, but at a respectful 

 distance. Unfortunately, in the very midst of his observations, the 

 heavens lowered, the wind betokened an impending tempest, and 

 drops of rain began to descend. 



''The peasants regarded all this as the first-fruits of his incanta- 

 tions, and awaited with silent dismay the result; but when they saw 

 a furious thunder-storm invading their crops, and demolishing their 

 hopes of a coming vintage ; whilst the philosopher continued inspect- 

 ing with redoubled attention those instruments of his craft, which 

 had been regarded by them before with so much suspicion, fear gave 

 way to indignation, and they rushed forwards in a body with the 

 full intent of demolishing the mysterious author of all this mischief. 



'^ Fortunately for Brocchi, he had with him three or four resolute 

 gens d'armes, as his escort; and these, with their muskets and 

 bayonets, contrived to keep the unarmed peasants at bay long enough 

 to enable him to escape, or his zeal in exploring the secrets of volca- 

 nic action might have been as fatal to him, as it was of old to Empe- 

 docles.*" 



* Accordinp^ to a recent tourist in Ireland, a similar adventure lately befell a 

 botanist herborizing in the mountains of Connemara during the time the cholera 

 was raging. 



He was nearly murdered by the country people, in consequence of being mis- 



VOL. IV. F 



