VOL. XLVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 178 



open area; for all the rooms and places they have yet found, are so filled with 

 lava, that it sticks on to the sides of the walls; and they can advance no farther 

 than as they can make their way by digging ; which is such labour, that when 

 they cease to find any thing worth their search, they fill up the place again, and 

 begin to dig elsewhere. By which means no place is quite cleared. Conse- 

 quently it does not appear how many stories high the houses may be ; nor is any 

 thing to be seen over head but lava. In this are vast numbers of burnt beams, 

 that seem to have been joists of floors ; though they are now little more than 

 black dust; and where they are quite mouldered away, one may plainly see the 

 grain of the wood imprinted on the lava, so close did it stick. 



A skeleton was found in a door-way, in a running attitude; with one arm ex- 

 tended, which appeared to have had a bag of money in the hand of it, for the 

 lava had taken so exact an impression of the man, that there was a hole under 

 the hand of the extended arm ; which hole was apparently the impression of the 

 bag, and several pieces of silver coin were found in it. This man therefore must 

 have had notice enough of the danger, to endeavour to secure his treasure; 

 though he must have been instantaneously encompassed with liquid fire, in at- 

 tempting it. No manuscripts have yet been found; but they have met with 

 some few inscriptions on marble, but none of any consequence, or which serve 

 to give new light on any point of antiquity. 



The writer proceeds next to give some account of the paintings, and observes 

 that, much the greatest part of them are little better than what you will see on 

 an alehouse wall. They are all painted on plaster, which has been very carefully 

 separated from the wall, in as large pieces as possible. These pieces are now 

 framed, and there are above 1500 of them, but not above 20 that are tolerable. 

 The best of them are 3 large pieces; one of which is a sort of history piece, 

 containing 4 figures, with some expression in their faces; but even these best, if 

 they were modern performances, would hardly be thought worthy of a place in a 

 garret. There are about a dozen little pieces, of women dancing, centaurs, &c. 

 the attitudes of which are very genteel, and the drawing pretty, but the shading 

 is mere daubing. 



The colouring is allowed to be surprisingly fresh and well preserved, considering 

 how long it has been done, but the painters seem to have been masters of only 

 a few simple colours, and those not very good. The red is the brightest and 

 best. The lava was found sticking to all the painting; which, some think, has 

 helped to preserve it. The paint is liable to be rubbed off; to prevent which 

 inconvenience, they have slightly varnished it. 



The designs of the greatest part of these paintings are so strange and uncouth, 

 that it is almost impossible to guess what was aimed at. Much of it looks like 

 such Chinese borders and ornaments as we see painted on skreens. There are 



