——.6— CFC CSC 
+ 
1802 J 
ently indicates the flate in which it ic. 
The burning focus, of which we have 
{poken, 2 teal the fame refults. Somme 
bafaltic lava is alfo founds but in {mail 
quantity ; one {pecimen only, of 2 conf- 
derable weight and beautiful polith, at- 
tsalted our attention. 
- Om the north fide of the crater there are 
two large filures, ane of which is twenty 
feet in h, and the other about fiftecn. 
are like an imverted conc. 
The mate ane which are covered 
is entirely fimilar to that on the ret of the 
fusface. They emit neither fmoke nor 
heat; yet fome fulphurous prodyfiions 
inly thew, that the fire in thefe places 
not long exting. 
When we had finithed thele few obfer- 
vations, jt was neceflary that we thould 
think of returning. defcent is far 
lefs laborious than the afcent; for it is 
difficult to climb eminences where the 
points of fupport are fo moveable. Be- 
fides, people cannot afcend but one 2t a 
time in fucceffion, after long intervals, for 
fear of burying under a torrent of volca: 
nic matters thofe who follow, as the foot, 
when moved, difplaces the afhes, &c. to 
the difance of thirty feet round. 
When we arrived at the two precipices, 
we were obliged to alcend by mounting on 
the thoulders of aman placed at the bot- 
ype laying hold of a fick held by 
2 at the top, and to re% our feet no 
where but in a very gentle manzer. At 
length, by prudence and caution, we 
reached the fummit of Vefevius without 
any accident, but exhaufted with fatigue, 
and fo covered with athes and finoke, as 10 
be fcarcely diftingzifhable. Our fix com- 
panions, who had not defcended into the 
crater, wete overjoyed when they faw us 
again, and fepplied us with fome refreth- 
ments, of which we had great need. 
,, When one grand difficulty is farmount- 
ed, inferior ones are overlooked, as of little 
importance. «In lefs than twenty-five mi- 
nutes, we again defcended, having con- 
firmed, after examining various ftones, 
this obfervation, that Vefavius is the only 
known volcano which throws up from its 
bowels primordial fubfiances, without- 
being altered by the fire, and fuch as are 
found at prefent in banks and veins. 
- fat baifafter eight im the morning we 
arrived at Postici, the inhabitants of which 
were much furprifed to fee us return ail 
we then, 
tions to'Naples, which we seached in 
Account of Fohn Law, of Laurificn. 
1G 
The refuit of this excursion, which was 
ouly an experiment, can be of no further 
ule than to thew the pollibility of reaching 
the crater, and to open the way w it te 
prilofopbers, naturslifis, and chemifs, 
who, by exploring this iromenke furnace 
of nature at their leifuce, will finda variety 
A matters which will aford an ample ficld 
fox the application of thew. chemical 
knowledge, and may enable them to make 
Gifcoveries interchting fo the arts and the 
{ciences. i 
The names of the eight Frenchmen, in 
the order in which they delcended, are as 
follow: Deveer, fecttary to the Amba 
fador Alquier; Hodouzst, chief engineer 
of bridges and caufeways, attached to the 
army of lialy; Wickar, painter; Dam- 
pierre, adjuvant-commandant ; Bagucris, 
yiician to the army of obfervation ; 
refiinet and Andras, French travellers; 
and Moulin, isfpettor of pofts. 
— Ea . . 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
EE Number 79, page 339. ame 
the excerpts from the Put-folio of a 
Man of Letters, are inferted forme thetches 
Of the Life of the celebrated Jobn Law, 
projector of the Milhflippi Sytem. Hed 
this Man of Letters been, as every Man of 
Letters fhould be, acquainted wath the re- ~ 
cent publications on the fubj-& upon 
which he writes, he might have avoided 
Several notable errors which occur in that 
article. A Biographical Acconnt of Law, 
with a particulars Detail of his famous 
Financial Proj-Gis, was publithed in 1791, 
by Mr. John Woot, cf Edinburgh. Ia 
the Wew Annual Rezifier for that year, 
this piece is yicd ** an _interemg and 
plealing piece of bicgraphy, which con- 
t2ins asaple matter to gratify thecoricity 
of the reader.” In the Critical Review 
for April, 1752, it is mentioned in fimilag 
terms, and copious exteaGis ase iniected 
refpetting the Millfipp: fyfiem; and :2 
the Analytical Review sor Januasy, 17925. 
an Abfir2& of the Life of Law from this 
publication is given, the work itlcif being 
particularly taken notice of, as “* one that 
has 2 variety of elzims on the curiofity of 
the public.” This Biogravhical Sketch 
was fo wards inferted, in an inlasged 
and impfoved form ,in a fublequent work by 
thefame autuar,** The Antient and Moderg 
_ State of she Pasi of Cramond,”’ pub- 
lithed in 1794, by Mefirs.. Whites, Ficete. 
firect, in on¢ volume, quzrto,2 wark cha- 
saitesited in. the Critica) Review for Oc- © 
tober chet sear, 23 ** one of the mo <z3c 
znd 
