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with salts of the most vivid green, red, and yellow 
colours ; the chasms from which issue smoke and 
heated vapours, with snow at three feet distance 
from them. All this I had no conception of, much 
less of the lava, of which we saw a fine stream, 
about a yard in breadth, issuing from one side of 
the hill: we dipped our sticks into it, and it imme- 
diately cooled into a cinder around them ;—the 
melted iron running froma furnace gives the best 
idea of it. We descended much faster than we 
came up, after having gratified our curiosity, and 
enjoyed the view, which is beautiful and extensive 
beyond description. As to the hazard we ran, I 
believe it to have been none, however formidable 
in the description; for there was no rumbling in 
the mountain, as there always is before any change, 
and all the top is an iron crust firmer than any 
other rock in the world, and very safe to wall on. 
We descended into the theatre of Herculaneum, 
which is all that is left open, the rest having been 
filled again for security, as Portici stands upon it. 
Next day went to Pompeii, many of the houses of 
which are quite laid open, with their beautiful stuc- 
cos and mosaics in full view ; the streets, gardens, 
&c. are quite perfect: nothing can be more interest- 
ing, and they daily discover more. The museum at 
Portici contains most of the things that have been 
found: vases, bronzes, statues, paintings, imple- 
ments, even dates, figs and bread, with many other 
such things, in their perfect form, although disco- 
loured. At the porcelain manufactory at Naples 
we saw a superb set of china, intended as a present 
