Effects of the Eruption. 371 



ceivable violence and velocity to an immense height ; 

 it gave a grand idea of the power that was still in 

 action in the fiery caverns below. 



Immense injury has been done by this eruption, 

 and much more would have been done had not the 

 lava flowed to a great extent over that of 1868. 

 Still the streams ran through Massa di Somma, San 

 Sebastiano, and other villages scattered about the 

 country, overwhelming fields, woods, vineyards, and 

 houses. The ashes, too, have not only destroyed 

 this year's crops, but killed both vines and fruit 

 trees, so that altogether it has been most disastrous. 

 Vesuvius was involved in vapour and ashes till far 

 on in May, and one afternoon at sunset, when all 

 below was in shade, and only a few silvery threads of 

 steam were visible, a column of the most beautiful 

 crimson colour rose from the crater, and floated in 

 the air. Many of the small craters still smoked, 

 one quite at the base of the cone, which is a good 

 deal changed it is lower, the small northern cone 

 has disappeared, and part of the walls of the crater 

 have fallen in, and there is a fissure in them through 

 which smoke or vapour is occasionally emitted. 

 * # * * 



On the 1st June we returned to Sorrento, this 

 time to a pretty and cheerful apartment close to the 

 sea, where I led very much the same pleasant life as 



