74 Sir william Hamilton’s Account of 
bloom. Many foxes, hares, and other game, were de- 
ftroyed by the fiery fhower in the diftrift of Somma and 
Ottaiano 
His Sicilian Majefty, whofe goodnefs of heart inclines 
him on all occafions to fhew his benevolence and affift 
the unfortunate, has ordered a confiderable fum of mo- 
ney to be diftributed among the unhappy fufferers of 
Ottaiano and its neighbourhood. 
On the 1 8th of September I went upon Mount Vefu- 
vius, accompanied by Lord Herbert and my ufual guide. 
We could not pofiibly reach its crater, being covered 
with a thick fmoke, too fulphureous and offenfive to be 
encountered ; neither would it have been prudent to have 
ventured up, had there not been that impediment, as it 
was evident, from the loud reports we heard from time 
to time, that there exifted ftill a great fermentation 
within the bowels of the volcano. We therefor^ con- 
tented ourfelves with examining the effects of the late 
extraordinary eruption on its cone, and in the valley be- 
tween it and the mountain of Somma. 
The conical part of Vefuvius is now covered with 
fragments of lava and fcoria , which makes the afcent 
(t ) Having had the honour of being on a (hooting party lately with the King 
of Naples, at the foot of Vefuvius and Somma, feveral dead hares were found, 
and we killed others whofe backs were quite bare, the fur having beenfmged off 
of them by the hot afhes. 
much 
