OUTBURSTS OF VESUVIUS. 99 



The ordinary action of Vesuvius consists only 

 in throwing up vapours and stones, which, are 

 sometimes piled up in conical heaps within the 

 crater, which is sixteen hundred feet wide. In the 

 more violent convulsions of the mountain these 

 discharges are more and more increased, and pass 

 at last into an uninterrupted stream of fiery masses 

 hurled into the air. Lava now gushes forth from 

 the mountain's throat, with the never-failing va- 

 pours, and fills the crater to overflowing \ or it 

 breaks forth from other spots on its side, with 

 an awful noise, making the mountain tremble, 

 while red-hot matter is still shot forth from the 

 crater. However, the outbursts do not always go 

 so far; for the volcano generally returns to 

 rest after a short period of activity, not quite so 

 violent as this, and the red-hot melted matters 

 cool and solidify in the crater. However, there 

 have been many instances, even in very modern 

 times, of destructive outbursts of Vesuvius. 



The outbursts of 1805 and 1822 are especially 

 remarkable for the enormous quantity of ashes 

 thrown up. On the 24th of October, 1822, nearly 

 the whole country round was shrouded in the 

 thickest darkness, by a cloud of ashes cast up 

 from the crater, and people were obliged to go 

 about on the roads with lanterns. On this occa- 

 sion the noise within the mountain was so loud that 

 the ceilings of the apartments in the palace at 



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