VESUVIUS. 189 



Of late, Vesuvius has been as busy as ever. In 

 1833 and 1834 there were eruptions ; and it is but 

 twelve years since a great outburst took place. Then, 

 for three weeks together, lava streamed down the 

 mountain slopes. A river of molten lava swept away 

 the village of Cercolo, and ran nearly to the sea at 

 Ponte Maddaloni. There were then formed ten small 

 craters within the great one. But these have now 

 united, and pressure from beneath has formed a vast 

 cone where they had been. The cone has risen above 

 the rim of the crater, and as w r e write torrents of lava 

 are being poured forth. At first the lava formed a 

 lake of fire, but the seething mass found an outlet, and 

 poured in a wide stream towards Ottajano. Masses of 

 red-hot stone and rock are hurled forth, and a vast 

 canopy of white vapour hangs over Vesuvius, forming 

 at night, when illuminated by the raging mass below, 

 a glory of resplendent flame around the summit of the 

 mountain. 



It may seem strange that the neighbourhood of so 

 dangerous a mountain should be inhabited by races 

 free to choose more peaceful districts. Yet, though 

 Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabiae lie buried beneath 

 the lava and ashes thrown forth by Vesuvius, Portici 

 and Resina, Torre del Greco and Torre dell' Annun- 

 ziata have taken their place ; and a large population, 

 cheerful and prosperous, flourish around the disturbed 

 mountain, and over the district of which it is the some- 

 what untrustworthy safety-valve. 



It has, indeed, been well pointed out by Sir Charles 



