

of 



com. 



iask 



em. 



n 



n > : nor 



m, been 



1( 1 when 

 8 a eon- 



. Above 



:on. • the 

 )ther by 

 : lie col- 

 ervation 



• in soft 



ernate, 



. Delia 



is super- 



•,/ dm)] 



till near 

 re ia ast 



ering 

 iation 



of 

 of 



seap 



o 



ort 



the W 



las 



a i s 







Icani^ 



4. 



Ch. XXV.] 



HEKCULANEUM AND POMPEII. 



647 



matter, and not to elevation by earthquakes, for there has 

 been no change in the relative level of land and sea. Pom- 

 peii stood on a slight eminence composed of the lavas of the 

 ancient Vesuvius, and flights of steps led down to the water's 

 edo-e. The lowermost of these steps are said to be still on 

 an exact level with the sea. 



•After these ob- 



Condition and contents of 

 servations on the nature of the strata enveloping and sur- 

 rounding the cities, we may proceed to consider their internal 

 condition and contents, so far at least as they offer facts of 

 geological interest. 



Notwithstanding the much greater depth 

 at which Herculaneum was buried, it was discovered before 

 Pompeii, by the accidental circumstances of a well being 

 sunk, in 1713, which came right down upon the theatre, 



Hercules 



Whether 



them 



Greek colonies, was the more considerable, is not yet deter- 

 mined ; but both are mentioned by ancient authors as among 

 the seven most flourishing cities in Campania. The walls of 

 Pompeii were three miles in circumference ; but we have, as 

 yet, no certain knowledge of the dimensions of Herculaneum. 

 In the latter place the theatre alone is open for inspection ; 



Tempi 



workmen 



from 



ground. Even the theatre is only seen by torchlight, and 

 the most interesting information, perhaps, which the geolo- 

 gist obtains there, is the continual formation of stalactite in 

 the galleries cut through the tuff ; for there is a constant 

 percolation of water charged with carbonate of lime mixed 



ma 



Such mineral 



rocks; especially 



time, create great changes in many 



may 



amy 



Some geologists, therefore, are unreasonable when they ex- 

 pect that volcanic rocks of remote eras should accord precisely 

 with those of modern date ; since it is obvious that many of 

 those produced in our own time will not long retain the same 

 aspect and internal composition. 



