24 Eruption of Vesuvius, 1867-8. 



having been previously obliged to resign the Presidency before his 

 term of office had expired. 



Votes of thanks to Mr. Bradby, and to Heberden, late Secretary, 

 were passed unanimously. Meek was elected Secretary vice 

 Heberden ; and Parsons, Treasurer, vice Pilcher. 



A vacancy in the Committee was filled up by the election of 

 Woodward. 



The exhibitions were : — 



A Celt from Assam ; a Flint Arrow-head from Abbeville ; a Flint Chisel 

 from Denmark . . . . . . . . By Mr. Fakkak. 



A Stuffed Pomerine Skua . . . . . . . . By Balfour. 



Two Electrotypes of Early Coins — one of Rhodes ; the other of 

 Artaxerxes, supposed to he the first instance of a likeness 



By Evans. 



Several specimens of Lava from "Vesuvius . . . . By Mr. Young. 



Mr. Young then read the following Paper on the 



ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS, 1867-8. 



Sir John Herschel, in a little book he published last year, begins 

 an interesting chapter on volcanic phenomena, with the statement 

 that though he had never been fortunate enough to see a volcanic 

 eruption, or to be shaken out of bed by an earthquake, yet he had 

 thought a good deal about such things, and had wandered over 

 and geologized among almost all the principal scenes of volcanic 

 activity or inactivity in Europe. I have devoted, I regret to say, 

 but little thought to the subject and still less geological enthusiasm, 

 and the only excuse I have to offer for venturing to talk to you to 

 day upon matters of which I know but little, is just that experience 

 to which he could not appeal, and that alone ; I have been startled 

 out of bed by the shock of an earthquake, and I have seen 

 Vesuvius in eruption. It is the latter piece of good fortune I will 

 try and describe as graphically as I can, in hopes of giving you a 

 clearer idea than you can get from the Times, of the strange 

 grand sight that just now is riveting all eyes along the Campanian 

 Coast, as " the blue wave rolls nightly " on the Bay of Naples. 



Well then, I shall suppose you to ask me two very simple 

 questions: — "What did Vesuvius look like at a distance ?" and 

 "What did it look like close?" These questions I will answer to 

 the best of my power. 



Our first view of the burning mountain was from the window 

 of our railway carriage, as we wound round the base of the hills 

 that back Naples on the north. We had been travelling all day 



