After having examined with much attention the 
operations of Mount Vefuvius, during the hve years, 
that I have had the honour of refidine as his ma- 
m O 
je fly’s minifter at this court, and after having care- 
fully remarked the nature of the foil for fifteen miles 
round this capital, I am, in my own mind, well con- 
vinced, that the whole of it has been formed by 
explofion. Many of the craters, from whence 
this matter has ilfued, are flill vifible ; fuch as the 
Salfaterra near Puzzole, the lake of Agnano, and 
near this lake a mountain compofed of burnt matter, 
that has a very large crater furrounded with a wall to 
inclofe the wild boars, and deer, that are kept there 
for the diverfion of his Sicilian majefly ; it is called 
Aflruni : the Monte Nuovo thrown up from the, 
bottom of the iucrine lake in the year 1538, which 
has likevvife its crater, and the lake of Averno. 
The iflands of Nifida and Procida are entirely com- 
pofed of burnt matter ; the ifland of Ifchia is like- 
wile compofed of lava, pumice, and burnt matter ; 
and there are in that ifland feveral vifible craters, from 
one of which, no longer ago than the year 1303, 
there iffued a lava which ran into the fea, and is flill 
in the fame barren date as the modern lavas of Ve- 
iuvius. After having, I fay,, been accuflomed to 
thefe obfervations, I was well prepared to vifit the 
mod ancient, and perhaps the mod confiderable 
volcano that exids; and I had the fatisfadlion of 
being thoroughly convinced there, of the formation 
of very confiderable mountains by meer explodon, 
having leen many fuch on the fides of Etna, as will 
be related hereafter. 
On 
