4 AUUNTAI^i. 
charged from these apertures, the lai'gest of ■which conti- 
nued for several months to emit torrents of fire. Even at 
the time when it had the appearance of being choked, 
tliere suddenly issued from it clouds of ashes, which de- 
scended, in the form of rain, on die city of Catania and its' 
environs, as well ;)s on the fields .situated at a very consider- 
able distance. A roaring, resembling that of die sea in the 
midst of a tempest, was heard to proceed from the interior 
of die mountain; and this sound, accompanied from time to 
time by dreadfiil explosions, resembling dmnder, re-choed 
through the vallies and spread terror on every side. 
MOUNT VESUVIUS, 
NEAR NAPLES. 
The fluid lake that works below. 
Bitumen, sniphur, salt, and iron scum. 
Heaves up its boilin™ tide. The lab’riBg mount 
Is torn with agonizing throes. At miee, 
Forth from its side disparted, blazing pours 
A mi'ditv river ; Innniiig ill prone waves, 
Tliat"gli’nimer tliro’ tlie night, to jondcr plain 
Divided there, a hmulred torrent streams. 
Each ploughing up its bod, roll dreadful on, 
K-csistless. Vill'ages, and woods, and rocks, 
Fail flat before tlieir sweep. Tlie region round. 
Where myrtle walks and grove.s of golden fruit 
UoSe fair ; where, harvc.st waved in all its pride ; 
And wliere the vineyard .spveail its purple store, 
Maturing into nectar ; now despoiled 
Of hell), leaf, fruit ami flower, from end to end 
Lies buried midev fire, a glowing sea! Mallet. 
This celebrated volcano, which has for so many ages 
attracted the attention of mankind, and tlie desolating 
eruptions of wliich have been so often and so fatally expe- 
ilenced, is distant, in an eastern direction, about seven 
miles from Naples, It rises, insulated, upon a vast and 
well-cultivated plain, presenting tw'o suiiimits on tlie same 
base in which particular it resembles Mount Parnassus. 
One' of thqse, T,a Somma, is generally agreed to have been 
the Vesuvius of Strabo and the ancients ; the other, hav- 
ing the greatest elevation, is the mouth of the volcano, 
which almost constantly emits smoke. Its height above thft 
