U.2 RBPOET— 1856. 



William Hamilton ; but Mr. Morris also states the light was so strong at Sorrento, 

 nearly fourteen miles off, that he could read large print by it. The column fell partly 

 perpendicularly, filling up the valley of the Atrio del Cavallo, and partly around 

 Ottajano. After its fall, the black cloud advanced towards Naples, putting the citi- 

 zens in great fear, but it did not fall on it. Next day another vast column arose, 

 but there being no wind, it fell back into the crater. On the 11th some lava was dis- 

 charged, and Vesuvius was covered with a mass of white cotton-hke clouds, piled one 

 over another in a colossal mass, scarcely possible to describe. 



The last eruption from its proximity was the most interesting. 



The fifty-fourth and last eruption of Vesuvius took place on the 1st of May, 1855. 

 The warning of its approach was given early in January, by the opening of a new 

 crater at the summit of the cone, between the old one and the city of Naples, and 

 directly across the route of ascent. This crater differed from the others, insomuch 

 as it was neither sulphurous in its character, nor was it of the usual chimney form. It 

 was from sixty to eighty yards wide, and a slight smoke issued from its blackened sides. 

 After its appearance, the report of an immediate eruption was spread, and was 

 kept up without intermission for many months; but on Monday, the 30th of April, 

 the symptoms were so apparent, that the guides declared to a party then making the 

 ascent the number of hours it would be before it occurred. On Tuesday, the 1st of 

 May, Vesuvius was invisible at Naples, and it was not till the afternoon that the 

 fact became known that the eruption had commenced. A rush was then made for 

 Santa Lucia, the spot of Naples from which the mountain can best be seen, and 

 here the truth became apparent, as the mountain was blazing from several points. 

 Upon accomplishing the ascent, and after passing the Hermitage, the intense heat 

 betrayed the approach of the burning element; and after leaving various cascades of 

 fire, down which half-melting blocks of lava were dashing at a pace to overcome all 

 resistance, the current of the eruption was reached, and resembled a liquid fiery river 

 rushing from the side of the cone, and apparently fed from an orifice about half-way 

 up it, which, amidst flames of fire, was throwing out stones to an immense height, 

 accompanied by volumes of dark smoke ; whilst all below was clear, and the lava at 

 times even assumed a bright phosphoric blue. This was the most magnificent part 

 of the scene, as the ascent of the cone did not repay the risk and trouble. During 

 this scene daylight dawned, and so earnest had been the attention given to it by the 

 thousands assembled on the mountain, that although a perfectly visible eclipse of the 

 moon occurred during the time, it passed, with few exceptions, unobsei'ved. The 

 eruption continued till the end of the month (27th), and before its close eleven cones 

 were in active operation, the discharge from which was so great, that at one time 

 a total falling in of the mountain was dreaded. This discharge, almost unaccom- 

 panied by the ejection of stones or ashes, was the peculiarity of the last eruption. 



On the Homolographical Maps o/M. Babinet. By Prof. Hennessy. 



Prof. Hennessy explained the nature of the new system of maps, invented by 

 M. Babinet, Member of the Institute of France, and referred to a letter which that 

 gentleman had written on the subject to General Sabine. In the new projection all 

 the meridians are ellipses, and the parallels straight lines ; whence it follows that 

 the areas included between any two pairs of equidistant meridians are always equal. 

 It follows that all areas lying between the same parallels and having equal bases 

 on these parallels will be also equal. This property is not possessed by any of the 

 ordinary modes of projection, all of which, more or less, distort the actual configu- 

 ration of the surface of the globe. This new projection, designated by its author 

 the Homolographical Projectiou, alone possesses the property of making the areas 

 of the different parts of a map comparable among each other, like corresponding 

 areas on the surface of a globe. Its value in geography is thus obvious, especially 

 in such cases as those where relations of surface are important, such as the distribu- 

 tion of vegetable and animal life, of population, of races, and, generally, in all ques- 

 tions of physical and statistical geography. 



On the Arctic Current around Greenland. By Capt. Irminger, R.D.N. 



