An Excursion on Etna. 183 
bare plain. Here wasa yawning chasm so deep and so wide 
that Vesuvius might be set ‘down in it and have room to spare on 
either side, while its summit cone would hardly reach up to our 
feet! Vast indeed was the engulfment which had swallowed up 
so wide an area—and yet how small was that area compared 
with the whole surface on the flanks of this grand dome. In 
this view the remark of Spallanzani seems just, that compared to 
Etna, Vesuvius was a cabinet volcano. 
The position of the sun, as it shone in our eyes, was not favor- 
able for a good view of the valley ; yet under the disadvantages, 
its bold crags, sharp wall-like dykes projecting from the sides, 
with a frigid yet tumultuous ocean of lava currents below us, 
were remarkably grand and impressive. ‘‘Capra” and ‘ Musara” 
stand like sole remaining sentinels of the conflict in the midst 
the scene; and in the distance lay the Mediterranean with 
_ From the Val del Bove we turned our steps down the mountain 
in the general direction in which we had ascended. And now 
in the bright light of day, the weary wastes of unbroken snow 
seemed more extensive than on ourascent. We had been nearly 
or quite six miles over the snow but it was in the dark and we 
could not see its extent. Now on every side, we saw only an 
arctic winter, while below us, and almost in sight, were standing 
fields with vines, figs and olives, lemons, besides grain all yellow 
to the harvest. It was about 64 when we at last reached our 
mules and took our breakfast. The descent we found more 
enough to hide their forms while they give life and beauty in @ 
Surprising manner. These trees were completely vocal with 
birds as we rode through, but we recognized no familiar faces 
among the songsters. ‘This morning we were too soon ‘ 
