95 



noise, resembling the discharge of a whole battery of 

 cannon, and under our feet we perceived a rumbling, 

 like the boiling of a large caldron. At last we reached 

 the place where the largest volcano was formerly situ- 

 ated. But it is now not only choaked up, but covered 

 with a round pile of ashes and lava. Thirty years since 

 there was a plain of about three thousand \ards to cross, 

 before you came to the skirts of this new mountain. 

 But it is now so enlarged, that in most places, the plain 

 is but 'about thirty yards broad. Probably in a few 

 years it will be quite filied up, and the two mountains 

 joined in one. Here the increase of heat was very sen- 

 sible, especially at every explosion, when the ashes flew 

 so strongly in our faces, that we were obliged to cover 

 our eyes. The ground also was so hot under our feet, 

 that it burnt the soles of our shoes. Every eruption 

 was attended with a whizzing noise, like that of maiay 

 rockets thrown up at once. The clouds of smoke, and 

 the multitude of stones thrown into the air, totally ob- 

 scured the sky. Most of the stones, (especially if large) 

 fell again into the abyss from which they were pro- 

 jected. Great quantities however fell on the sides of 

 the mountain, and rolled down with a hideous noise. 



Even when all is still, the bottom of the cavity is sel- 

 dom seen, by reason of the smoke. When it is, it is 

 subject to great variation. Sometimes it is of a prodi- 

 gious depth ; at other times hardly more than a hun- 

 dred feet, according to the rising or falling of the melted 

 matter, since the last eruption, by the hardening f 

 which, this bottom is formed. 



Since the birth of Christ, there are recorded upwards 

 of twenty memorable eruptions of Vesuvius. One of 

 the most violent, was that which happened in the reign 

 of Titus Vespasian, and destroyed the cities Herculane- 

 um, Stabice, and Pompeii, which then stood near Na- 

 ples. During that eruption the ashes were driven as 

 far as Africa, Syria, and Egypt, and even at Rome, the 

 sun was darkened by them. These cities were partly 

 swallowed up, partly buried in the burning lava, so that 

 not the least remains of them were to be seen. 



