I7O TRAVELS THROUGH 



There is at prefent but a fingle artificial hole in the 

 floor,, where they gather falmiac, in the following 

 manner : They cover this hole with loofe fragments 

 of broken pots and tiles, in which the rifing hot 

 fleam depofes and fublimatcs the falmiac, which 

 here commonly is ydlow. In former times they 

 catched the falmiac in many other fuch holes, which 

 they cz\\ fumarole ; but you can dig many holes 

 in the ground without meeting with falmiac-fleam ; 

 which convinces me, that the fubterraneous mix- 

 ture of the minerals is not every where the fame. 

 I have mentioned already, that falmiac is fubli- 

 mated likewife on the furface of the lavas, and in 

 the crater of Vefuvius. This being confiantly 

 white, it Teems that the yellow colour of the Sol- 

 fatara-falmiac is owing to fome iron-particles. 



It is remarkable, that the foil of Solfatara, 

 which feems unfit for vegetation, and proves fo to 

 other vegetables, is covered with plenty of ar- 

 buftus unc do and erica car ma. 



To conclude this long epiftle, I mail add, 

 only, a few words on Ibme curiofities of Patiji- 

 Iij>p0j the adjacent country, and the Ifland Ifchia. 



The whole Paufilippo, as far as Cape Mifeno, 

 and further, confifts of hills of volcanic afhes 

 and fome lava- torrents. In thefe are the anti- 

 quities, which have been defcribed in many books, 



and 



