11 VOl'AfeE IN SEARCH 



form of a cone, to a prodigious elevation. Hence 

 our profpect foared above all the mountains, 

 which form as it were fo many flights of fteps 

 that we had been obliged to afcend, in order to 

 arrive at this fpot. 



The place called La Rambhtle, fituated to- 

 wards the north -weft, offered to our curiofity 

 a few apertures made in the rock ; fome were a 

 decimeter in width ; others were Ample clefts, 

 whence iffued a watery vapour, without fmell, 

 although their brinks were covered with eryftals 

 of fulphur, placed on a very white earth, which 

 had every appearance of clay. 



A mercurial thermometer, graduated according 

 to Reaumur's fcale, was introduced into fome 

 of thefc apertures, where, in the fpacc of a mi- 

 nute, it indicated 43 above o. In feveral others, 

 the mercury rofe only to 30 . 



We were now arrived at the place the moft 

 difficult to climb up, for the Peak is very ilcep. 

 Having reached about one third of its elevation, 

 although the furface of the ground was not 

 heated in a greater degree than is commonly ex- 

 perienced at fuch a height, I was induced to 

 dig a hole about a double decimeter in depth, 

 whence immediately iffued a watery and inodorous 

 fmell, and where the thermometer when intro- 

 duced ftood at 51 above o. 



Tht * m fupranubktm was the lafl fhrub 



that I met u ith before I arrived at the foot of the 



cone : 



