76 Sir william Hamilton’s Account of 
a manner, cafed up the conical part of Vefuvius with a 
Jtratum of hard Jcorire : on the fide next the mountain of 
Somma, that Jlratum is furely more than one hundred 
feet thick, forming a high ridge. The valley between 
Vefuvius and Somma has received fuch a prodigious 
quantity of lava and other volcanic matter during this 
laft eruption, that it is raifed, as is imagined, two hundred 
and fifty feet or more. Three fuch eruptions as the laft 
would completely fill up the valley, and, by uniting Vefu- 
vius and Somma, form them into one mountain, as they 
molt probably were before the great eruption in the reign 
of titus. In fliort, I found the whole face of Vefuvius. 
changed. Thofe curious channels, in which the lava ran in 
the month of May laft, are all buried. The volcano ap- 
pears to have likewife increafed in height ; the form of the 
crater is changed, a great piece of its rim towards Somma 
being wanting ; and on the fide towards the fea it is alfo 
broken. There are fome very large cracks towards the point 
of the cone of the volcano, which makes it probable, that 
more of the borders of the crater will fall in. The ridge 
of frefh volcanic matter on the cone of Vefuvius towards 
Somma, and the thick Jlratum in the valley, are likewife 
fubterraneous exhalations having forced their way into the cauldron of the vol- 
cano (if I may be allowed the expreffton) replete with matter in fulion, and 
blown its whole contents, with what even oppofed its paffage, at once into the 
air ? 
full 
