512 «= Account of a Doftent into the Grater of Mount Vefuvius. [Jan. 1, 
the meslman, or the confumer, that he had 
from the middleman. Put what many 
will think the worft cafe, and’ fuppofé that 
the farmer has received a higher price from 
theregrater, than he would have received 
if the regrater had not been’ prefent— 
«* The farmer is certainly benefited’; but 
does not the public fuffer in’ proportion ?”’ 
IT an{wer, is it the obje&t of the foes to 
withholding corn,'to make corn cheap by 
diftreffing the farmer in confequence of 
his want of capite]? Tt was his want of 
capital that made him bring forward his 
corn prematurely. If he had had capital, 
he would have done the fame harm or 
good to the public as the regrater, who 
now ftands exactly in his place. The re- 
grater will keep the corn till there is a de- 
mand for it; beginning to fell to-day, if 
the demand fhould begin to-day. The 
advantage ‘to him will be thus trading on 
hisown capital; and the advantage to the 
public is, that the fupply will be forth- 
coming, not when a {mall farmer wants 
money, but when the confumers want and 
demand a fupply. The market will be 
fupplied regularly, infead of being liable 
to thole diftrefling variations which, by 
fometimes inducing habits of profufion, 
make want at other times to be more fe-~ 
verely felt. The farmer, ‘in ‘the mean 
time, is employing his newly acquired ca- 
pital, and his /abeur, which he could not 
otherwilfe have employed, in benefiting 
the ‘public by a freth produce. The {mall 
farmer, now that he is affifted by the corn- 
dealer, is doing the fame as the rich far- 
mer, who has his corn *ftill in his barn. 
The rich farmer is, at. leaft for a time, 
both farmer and corn-dealer. The {mall 
farmer and the corn-dealer together havea 
capita] equal only to the capital of the rich 
farmer, and are, therefore, to the public, 
but one. 
And it- makes no difference if gocds 
pafs through many hands. The profit 
wiich each fucceflive buyer, in) his 
turn becoming a feller, makes, on the 
awhole (tor the profit is by no means cer- 
tain and regular), is the profit to which 
he is intitled for his labour, information, 
time, capital, and care. “Aud'he’ benefits 
the public by fupplying the capital that 
flows back to the original producer, and 
faving Ais labour and time. “If A fells to 
B, and B to C, and fo on to’Z, the exif! 
tence of the faét is a proof that the next 
purchafer could furnifh fome of the above 
improvements, which the purchafer imme- 
diately before him could not. “And, in 
proportion as thole improvements are 
more abundantly and~ regularly fuppli- 
ed by and through every improver to 
the producer, in that proportion is the ade 
vantage to the public. = MisoRHeToR. 
—on a 
For the Monthly Magazine. . ~». 
ACCOUNT of a DESCENT into the CRATER 
of MOUNT vesuvius;, by Eight 
FRENCHMEN, omihe Night between the 
18th aad 19th of Fuly, vBor*. 
O alcend to the fummity f Mount Ve- 
fuvius, whichis elevated 3600 fect 
above the level of the fea, isanenterprife of 
great difficulty, as it is neceflary for nearly - 
half the height te climb an. exceedingly 
fieep declivity. up to the knees in afhes. 
Some philofophical men of eminence, how~- 
ever, as Spallanzani, Dolomieu, Dr. 
Moore, &c. have overcome all thefe diffi- 
culties. Sir William Hamilton, who 
caufed a great many views of Vefuyius to - 
be defigned during his long refidence in 
Naples, afcended tothe fummit of it fixty- 
two times ; but no one, at leaft ince the 
eruption in 1779, ever ventured to defcend 
into the crater of this volcano, not even 
Sir William Hamilton, who confidered it 
under fo many points of view, and who vi- 
fited it fo many times. It was referved for 
eight Frenchmen to hazard this dange- 
rous enterprife, and to fucceed in it com- 
pletely, notwithftanding the timidity of 
their guides, the impoflibiiity which. the 
Neapolitans attached to it, and the in- 
ftances they mentioned of rath travellers, 
who had loft their lives in the attempt, 
and been fwallowed up by the volcano. 
To be able to appreciate the danger of 
this enterprife, it will be neceflary to haye 
a correct idea of the form and pofition 
of Vetuvius, and of the matters which it 
throws up. This volcano has the form 
of a truncated cone, and’ a part of its 
bafe, which is altogether three leagues fin 
circumference, is wafhed by the Mediter- 
ranean; its mouth, or upper bafe, which 
is a little inclined to the axis, is 5722 
feet in circumference. The earth, from 
the bafe to half the height, confifts of ve- 
getable mould mixed with lava and ftones 
_which have not been attacked by the fire, 
tufas, pumice, and calcareous flones, dif- 
ferent in their nature and colour, aceord- 
ing to the different degrees of impreffion 
which have been made on them by the 
fire.. pte as - ¥) Mere ee a ' é 
* This article firft appeared in the Journal , 
de Phyfique, and we have adopted this tranf- 
lation from the ja& Philofophical Magazine. 
Pant SPE a ois oS The 
a 
