DOMAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



found in modern and undisputed beds of 

 lava, but in supposed ancient currents, 

 found himself much embarrassed : ' there 

 is/ says he, * such uncertainty in the cha- 

 racters of compact lava, that independent- 

 ly of local circumstances, the most expe- 

 rienced eye may be deceived*/ Yet these 

 circumstances not properly attended to, 

 are those which have seduced him into the 

 most palpable mistakes. 



" Gioeni, though in many instances mis- 

 led by Dolomieu, yet acknowledges that 

 lava, so compact as to be totally destitute 

 of pores, is not to be found. Litholog. 

 Vesuv. p. 85'f*. Padre Torre, who, inde- 

 pendently of any system, has candidly and 

 impartially examined the products of Ve- 

 suvius, expressly denies the existence of 

 lava destitute of pores ; none other but the 

 porous being found of modern datej. 

 Galeani, in his catalogue of the lavas of 

 Vesuvius, drawn up in 1772, hardly men- 



* Isles Ponces, 17 1. 

 f (It is 157; but not expressly. P.) 

 Ponces, 174. 



