IN NAPLES. 379 



Dohrn and his amiable family. A month later we 

 went to Amalfi, but not before Sorrento did the long 

 ardently desired blue Italian sky at last smile upon us. 

 There I first began to feel my strength returning when, 

 taking a walk with my wife, we were attracted by 

 the prospect of a fine view and reached the highest 

 point of the neighbourhood, the monastery of Deserto. 

 My hope of being able to pay another visit to Vesuvius, 

 and perhaps of taking another look into the sources 

 of its changing activity, unfortunately remained unful- 

 filled, on account of the unfavourable weather. It gave 

 me however much pleasure to see it again, for one 

 clings to persons and things, which have earned our 

 gratitude. For during an ascent in the year 1878 

 Vesuvius had given me such unmistakable indications 

 of the cause of its activity by its regularly recurring 

 explosion-like eruptions, that the sphere of my ideas 

 concerning the formation of the earth's crust and the 

 underlying forces was considerably enlarged. 



At the beginning of May we returned home, but 

 unfortunately I had yet to sustain two violent attacks 

 of fever. Having now luckily got the better of these 

 likewise, I hope that the sick period of my old age 

 is passed and that a calm and cheery evening of life 

 will be granted me in the midst of my beloved ones. 



I have already in the foregoing pages frequently 

 spoken of my brothers and sisters, but considering the 

 great influence, which they had on my career, I feel 



