VESTA 



VESUVIUS 



engaged for a time in trade, at first in his na- 

 tive city and later in Cadiz, Spain, he became 

 connected with a firm which fitted out vessels 

 for long voyages, and Vespucius himself doubt- 

 less had a part in fitting out the second expedi- 

 tion of Columbus (1493). 



As to the voyages of Vespucius himself, there 

 is much uncertainty. The only contemporary 

 account of them was given in his letters, but 

 the originals of these have been lost, and exist- 

 ing translations are far from clear. That there 



THE COAST HE EXPLORED 

 The black area bordering: on the Atlantic rep- 

 resents the supposed extent of the explorations of 

 Vespucius. 



were four voyages, in 1497, 1499, 1501 and 1503, 

 respectively, the first two undertaken for Spain, 

 the latter two for Portugal, seems certain; but 

 is not definite knowledge as to the coun- 

 visited. Probably the first expedition 

 reached the coast of South America or of Cen- 

 America, a few days before Cabot reached 

 North America, and at least a year before Co- 

 lumbus reached the mainland of South America. 

 he three later voyages various parts of the 

 coast of South America seem to have been 

 explored. In none of these expeditions did 

 Vespucius take the leading part; he was prob- 

 ably pilot, or "astronomer." 



In 1,507 there was published by Waldsee- 

 ;r a translation of the letters of Vespucius, 

 in this work appeared the first suggestion 

 name America be given to the newly 

 rered continent, "because Americus dis- 

 Gradually the title became widely 

 at first for South America, but later 

 whole western hemisphere. A.MCC. 

 Consult Harrisse's Discovery of North America ; 

 'a Life of Amcricu* Vcspuciu*. 



VES ' T A , who occupied a distinguished place 

 ig the divinities of the Romans, was the 

 of the In irtli. It was her province to 

 domestic life, and she had h-r 

 rino in the inner part of every house. 



temple, circular in form, was situated in the 

 center of Rome. Here she was worshiped un- 

 der the symbol of the eternal fire, watched over 

 by the six Vestal virgins. Their most impor- 

 tant duty was to keep this sacred fire burning, 

 for were it permitted to be extinguished a na- 

 tional calamity might be looked for. The home 

 of these virgins, situated near the temple, was 

 large and magnificent. In Vesta's temple were 

 preserved the highly prized Palladium of Troy 

 and the six other mystic symbols of the wel- 

 fare of the city. Every community had its 

 hearth where a fire was constantly burned in her 

 honor, and colonists, upon leaving the city, 

 took with them some of the old fire to kindle 

 a flame in their new home. The great festival 

 in honor of the goddess, called the Vestalia, 

 was celebrated on the ninth of June. I 

 legends are associated with Vesta. 



VESUVIUS, vesu'vius, the most widely- 

 known volcano in the world, is situated on thr 

 Bay of Naples, about ten miles southeast of the 

 city of Naples (see illustration, page 4061). 

 The mountain has two summits, the higher one 

 of which, Vesuvius proper, is the cone from 

 which the volcano pours out its streams of lava. 

 Mount Somma, the lower summit, partly en- 

 closes the active cone. The circumference of 

 the base of the volcano is about thirty miles 

 in extent, and the active cone is about 4,000 

 feet above sea level. Somma has an altitude of 

 3,730 feet. 



At the top of the active cone is a cup-shaped 

 crater, varying in diameter from 50 to 400 

 feet. Within this there is always more or lev 

 activity. Columns of steam, cinders and, occa- 

 sionally, small quantities of lava are being 

 thrown into the air. Under the direction of a 

 guide visitors may descend into the crater for 

 some distance, but the presence of poisonous 

 gases makes the descent dangerous to those 

 who do not know how to avoid them. An elec- 

 tric railway takes passengers from Naples to 

 within 450 feet of the crater, and Vesuvius is 

 visited by thousands of tourists every year. 

 The mountain can also be ascended on foot 

 horseback and by a cable railway, which hauls 

 one car up as another goes down. The plains 

 at the foot of the mountain and its lower slopes 

 are densely populated and are laid out in 

 vineyards, which are in a high state of cultiva- 

 tion. The upper slopes of the mountain and 

 the summit are uneven and are covered with 

 loose fragments of lava and volcanic ash. 



The first recorded eruption of Vesuvius oc- 

 curred in A.D. 79, when the cities of Hercu- 



