200 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 







The accounts which have reached us of the forma- 

 tion of this new mountain are not without interest. 

 Falconi, who wrote in 1538, mentions that several 

 earthquakes took place during the two years preced- 

 ing the outburst, and above twenty shocks on the day 

 and night before the eruption. " The eruption began 

 on September 29, 1538. It was on a Sunday, about 

 one o'clock in the night, when flames of fire were seen 

 between the hot-baths and Tripergola. In a short 

 time the fire increased to such a degree that it burst 

 open the earth in this place, and threw up a quantity 

 of ashes and pumice-stones, mixed with water, which 

 covered the whole country. The next morning the 

 poor inhabitants of Pozzuoli quitted their habitations 

 in terror, covered with the muddy and black shower, 

 which continued the whole day in that country flying 

 from death, but with death painted in their counte- 

 nances. Some with their children in their arms, some 

 with sacks full of their goods ; others leading an ass, 

 loaded with their frightened family, toward Naples. 

 .... The sea had retired on the side of Baiae, aban- 

 doning a considerable tract ; and the shore appeared 

 almost entirely dry, from the quantity of ashes and 

 broken pumice-stones thrown up by the eruption." 



Pietro Giacomo di Toledo gives us some account 

 of the phenomena which preceded the eruption : " That 

 plain which lies between Lake Avernus, the Monte 

 Barbaro, and the sea, was raised a little, and many 



