VESUVIUS. 203 



showers of rain, generated by the steam evolved dur- 

 ing the eruption, caused in their turn an amount of 

 destruction scarcely less important than that resulting 

 from the lava-streams. For, falling upon the cone, 

 and sweeping thence large masses of ashes and vol- 

 canic dust, these showers produced destructive streams 

 of mud, consistent enough to merit the name of " aque- 

 ous lava " commonly assigned to it. 



An interval of thirty-five years passed before the 

 next eruption. But, since 1666, there has been a con- 

 tinual series of eruptions, so that the mountain has 

 scarcely ever been at rest for more than ten years 

 together. Occasionally there have been two eruptions 

 within a few months ; and it is well worthy of remark 

 that, during the three centuries which have elapsed 

 since the formation of Monte ISTuovo, there has been 

 no volcanic disturbance in any part of the Neapolitan 

 volcanic district save in Yesuvius alone. Of old, as 

 Brieslak well remarks, there had been irregular dis- 

 turbances in some part of the Bay of Naples once in 

 every two hundred years ; the eruption of Solfatara 

 in the twelfth century, that of Ischia in the fourteenth, 

 and that of Monte Nuovo in the sixteenth ; but " the 

 eighteenth has formed an exception to the rule." It 

 seems clear that the constant series of eruptions from 

 Yesuvius during the past two hundred years has suf-r 

 ficed to relieve the volcanic district of which Yesuvius 

 is the principal vent. 



