VESUVIUS. 207 



over the bottom and sides of the great one, poured 

 forth lava loaded with scoriae. Thus, up to October, 

 1822, there was to be seen, in place of a regular 

 crateriform opening, a rough and uneven surface, 

 scored by huge fissures, whence vapor was continually 

 being poured, so as to form clouds above the hideous 

 heap of ruins. But the great eruption of 1822 not 

 only flung forth all the mass which had accumulated 

 within the crater, but wholly changed the appearance 

 of the cone. An immense abysm was formed, three- 

 quarters of a mile across, and extending 2,000 feet 

 downward into the very heart of Vesuvius. Had the 

 lips of the crater remained unchanged, indeed, the 

 depth of this great gulf would have been far greater. 

 But so terrific was the force of the explosion that the 

 whole of the upper part of the cone was carried clean 

 away, and the mountain reduced in height by nearly a 

 full fifth of its original dimensions. From the time of 

 its formation the chasm gradually filled up ; so that, 

 when Mr. Scrope saw it soon after the eruption, its 

 depth was reduced by more than 1,000 feet. 



Of late, Vesuvius has been as busy as ever. In 

 1833 and 1834 there were eruptions; and it is but 

 twelve years since a great outburst took place. Then, 

 for three weeks together, lava streamed down the 

 mountain-slopes. A river of molten lava swept away 

 the village of Cercolo, and ran nearly to the sea at 

 Ponte Maddaloni. There were then formed ten small 



