_ 



. ..v- '' 



478 DOMAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



ner. It is, moreover, of a deeper colour than 

 the lava of Scala, more porous, and like that 

 contains many crystals of augite, and fragments 

 of felspar. On an excursion to the gulf of Sa- 

 lerno, the sand of its shore, and more especially 

 that of the coast of Amalfi, presented similar 



crystals in abundance, as well as augites, both 

 substances indigenous of this country, whither 

 it is unlikely they should have been transported 

 from Vesuvius. A rock of a similar kind also 

 may possibly have supplied that volcano with 

 them on one of its eruptions. 



Lava of 1794. Next to this lava is found that of the erup- 

 tion of 1794. Of the different eruptions of Ve- 

 suvius this is the most recent, and was one of 

 the most considerable. Having had occasion 

 to observe it myself, and trace it with attention, 

 it possibly will not be displeasing to my readers 

 that I should present them with a description of 

 it in this place. 



ti?e eru"tion " Vesuvius had continued tranquil for a long 

 ' tinie. On the 12th June, 1794, towards eleven 

 in the evening, a very violent shock of an earth- 

 quake was felt, which induced many of the in- 

 habitants of Naples to leave their houses for the 

 night. The tranquillity of the mountain did 

 not however appear to be disturbed either on 

 the 13th, 14th, or 15th, nor did it exhibit any 



