S86 Condition of Vesuvius. 



of sodium and muriate of ammonia similarly situated, and a specimen 

 of recent calcareous conglomerate, containing petrifactions among 

 which there is a species of the genus pecten, also of cardium and 

 what appears to be a donax, and in addition some small turreted uni- 

 valves. I have other minerals, but I cannot state with certainty 

 their names. The labels of many that I purchased were evidently 

 wrong. We descended the cone at a rapid rate along a steep decliv- 

 ity of loose cinders and volcanic sand. 



Not till the fifth of June, was there any change of consequence 

 in the state of the volcano. On this day, (Friday) a slight earth- 

 quake was perceived near Pompeii. There was a considerable swell 

 on the sea during the day, which, as there had been calm weather for 

 several days, I had imputed, without a knowledge of the earthquake, 

 to a distant gale. Possibly the earthquake was the cause. At night 

 the bursts of incandescent matter from the crater were far more bril- 

 liant and extensive than on former nights. At many of these expira- 

 tions, (if I may use the term ; it seems to convey better than any 

 other, an idea of these slight eruptions, which are not unlike the 

 spouting of some huge leviathan in a fiery hquid,) small streams of 

 lava run down the northern side of the small cone. On Saturday, 

 smoke was continually rolling from the crater to the north. In 

 the evening, I observed that a new source of light had arisen to- 

 the north of the small cone, and towards the southeast, a line of 

 light extended partly down the mountain towards Pompeii, arising 

 probably fi:om the same stream of liquid lava that I saw when there, 

 now enlarged. The crater itself was far less active than usual. 

 During Sunday Vesuvius was in quite a dull state. At night, but 

 little light was to be seen, and the fiery expirations were not frequent. 

 As we were leaving the harbor on Monday, June 8th, a blacker and 

 more abundant smoke issued from the crater, and at night the stream 

 to the south east shone with increased brilliancy. The next morning 

 Vesuvius was far below the horizon. It would have been a source 

 of no little gratification, could I have witnessed Vesuvius exhibiting 

 her immense fireworks on her grandest scale. However the slight 

 exhibitions of the past few days were, as seemed to me full of gran- 

 deur, and they made a faint impression of the power, which now is 

 nearly dormant. They passed off entirely unnoticed by the mass 

 of the inhabitants of the country. It is astonishing with what an 

 absence of fear they rebuild their destroyed cities, whence just be- 

 fore they ran for their lives, driven by these tremenduous torrents of 



