97 



aqueduct. These waters have not the least heat in them. 

 Nay, a cold wind is felt to blow, from several fissures 

 and chasms of the mountain. 



The whole country, for twenty miles or more round 

 Naples, is the product of subterraneous fires. Proba- 

 bly the sea reached the mountains that lie behind Capua 

 and Caserta. These fires seem to have worked under 

 the bottom of the sea, as moles in a field, throwing up 

 here and there a hilloc. And the matter thrown out of 

 some of these hillocs formed into settled volcanos, fill- 

 ing up the space between them, lias composed this part 

 of the continent, and many of the islands adjoining. 



Were the matter carefully examined, it would be 

 found (just contrary to the common opinion) that most 

 mountains which are or have been volcanos, owe their 

 existence to subterraneous fires. 



It cannot be denied that Herculaneum and Pompeii 

 once stood above the ground, though now the latter is 

 buried ten or twelve feet deep ; the former hi no part 

 less than seventy, in some parts a hundred and twelve. 

 As these were buried by an eruption of Vesuvius, A. D* 

 79, it must be allowed, that whatever matter lies fee* 

 tween them and -the surface of the earth over tftem, 

 must have been produced skice this time, 



Pompeii being farther off, felt the effects of a single 

 eruption only. It is covered with white pumice stones, 

 mixed with fragments of lava and burnt mattei. Over 

 this there is a stratum of good mould, about two feet 

 thick. The shower of pumice stones covered also the 

 town of Stabiae, with a tract of country thirty miles in 

 circumference. It is observable, the pavement of the 

 streets of Pompeii is of lava: nay, under the foundation 

 of the town, "there is a deep stratum of lava and burnt 

 matter: hence it is clear, there have been eruptions be- 

 fore that, of 79, the first which is rec6rded in history* 



The matter which covers Herculaneum, is not the pro- 

 duce of one eruption only. From the strata of mould 

 intermixed it appears, that five or six eruptions have 



