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confifts of ftratas of lavas, afhes, pumice, and now- 
and-then a thin ftratum of good earth, which good 
earth is produced by the furface mouldering, and the 
rotting of the roots of plants, vines, &c. This is 
plainly to be feen at Pompeii, where they' are now 
digging into the ruins of that ancient city ; the houfes 
are covered, about lo or 15 feet, with pumice and 
fragments of lava, fome of which weigh three pounds 
(which laft circumflance I mention to fhew, that, in 
a great eruption, Vefuvius has thrown ftones of this 
weight fix miles, which is itsdiftance from Pompeii, in 
a direct line) j upon this ftratum of pumice, or rapilliy 
as they call them here, is a ftratum of excellent mould, 
about two feet thick, on which grow large trees, and 
excellent grapes. We have then the Solfatcrra, which 
was certainly a volcano, and has ceafed emptying, for 
want of metallic particles, and over-abounding with 
fulphur. You may trace its lavas into the fea. We 
have the Lago d’Averno and the Lago d’Agnano, 
both of which were formerly volcanos ; and Aftroni, 
which ftill retains its form more than any of thefe. 
Its crater is walled round, and his Sicilian Majefty 
takes the diverfion of boar-hunting in this volcano ; 
and neither his Majefty, or any one of his Court, ever 
dreamed of its former ftate. We have then that cu- 
rious mountain, called MontagnoNuovo, near Puzzole, 
which rofe, in one night, out of the Lucrine Lake ; 
it is about 150 feet high and three miles round. I do 
not think it more extraordinary, that Mount Vefuvius, 
in many ages, ftiould rife above 2000 feeti when 
this mountain, as. is well attefted, rofe in one night, 
no longer ago than the year 1538. I have a projedf, 
next fpring, of pafling fome days at Puzzole, and of 
dilTediug 
