VESUVIUS. 183 



the loudest thunder. The stones which followed were 

 by the flames converted to pumice, and some of these 

 were larger than an ox. The stones went about as 

 high as a cross-bow will carry, and then fell down, 

 sometimes on the edge, and sometimes into the mouth 

 itself. The mud was of the colour of ashes, and at 

 first very liquid, then by degrees less so ; and in such 

 quantities that in less than twelve hours, with the help 

 of the above-mentioned stones, a mountain was raised 

 of 1,000 paces in height. Not only Pozzuoli and the 

 neighbouring country were full of this mud, but the 

 city of Naples also ; so that many of its palaces were 

 defaced by it. This eruption lasted two nights and 

 two days without intermission, though not always with 

 the same force ; the third day the eruption ceased, 

 and I went up with many people to the top of the 

 new hill, and saw down into its mouth, which was a 

 round cavity about a quarter of a mile in circumference, 

 in the middle of which the stones which had fallen 

 were boiling up just as a cauldron of water boils on 

 the fire. The fourth day it began to throw up again, 

 and the seventh day much more, but still with less 

 violence than the first night. At this time many 

 persons who were on the hill were knocked down by 

 the stones and killed, or smothered with the smoke.' 



And now, for nearly a century, the whole district 

 continued in repose. Nearly five centuries had passed 

 since there had been any violent eruption of Vesuvius 

 itself; and the crater seemed gradually assuming the 

 condition of an extinct volcano. The interior of the 



