DANA'S ASCENT OF VESUVIUS, 1834 



of the iron-ore beds of Kent, and similar beds in the 

 Green Mountain range. 



" It is greatly to be desired that the biography you 

 have in hand should contain the map * of Connecticut 

 which illustrates his Geological Report. With but brief 

 explanations, especially if the trap ridges and dikes were 

 colored, it would give to the reader the grander results of 

 the Survey, which few are acquainted with, even among 

 those that are especially interested in such subjects, be- 

 cause of the limited edition of the Report published by the 

 State." 



TO B. SILLIMAN 

 Ascent of Mt. Vesuvius, in 1834. 



This selection of letters will be brought to a close by 

 the insertion of one of the earliest letters written by Pro- 

 fessor Dana on a scientific theme. It was printed long 

 ago in the American Journal of Science. To the general 

 reader this letter will appear somewhat dry; but those 

 who are interested in the development of Professor 

 Dana's mind, and in his career as an observer of geo- 

 logical phenomena, will perceive that this ascent of 

 Vesuvius made a strong impression on the youthful stu- 

 dent and that he often recurred to this experience in 

 subsequent years, and especially in his study of the 

 Hawaiian volcanoes. 



" U. S. FRIGATE United States, SMYRNA, July 12, 1834. 



" It would have afforded me much gratification to have 

 had it in my power to have communicated with Dr. Gen- 

 mellaro of Catania, agreeable to the request I received 

 from you through Mr. Herrick. But we were subject to 

 the disappointment of not even touching the coast of 

 Sicily on our course from Naples to this place. We did 

 flatter ourselves, and with no little confidence, that an 

 anchor would be dropped at Messina, and our ship was 



* On account of the cumbersome form in which this map was printed, it 

 cannot easily be reproduced. 



367 



