1806.] | 
ties. The reft of that coaft exhibits. a 
fmiling appearance, which forms a con- 
traft with the fombre afpe&t of Vefuvius. 
The towns which you perceive on the de- 
clivity of the hills, are Vico, Sorrento, 
and Mafia. They are furrounded by 
numerous villages, and in thefe places, 
once dear to the Nymphs and the Mufes, 
Pan, Ceres, Bacchus, and Pomona, lavith 
their bleffings on the indolent natives. 
This portion of the continent is terminated 
by the Cape of Minerva ; and laflly, to. 
ward the fouth, the ifland of Caprcee is 
the laft objeé&t that claims our notice. 
*« Situated oppofite to Naples, this 
ifland feems to clofe up the entrance of its 
gulph, as a boundary placed by nature to 
prevent the vagrant eye from lofing itfelf 
in the vaft expanded fea. The fummits 
of its rocks and its mountains, cut into 
the form of rays, afford, in their combi- 
nation, the image of an immenfe crown, 
and appear deftined to remind us that one 
of the mafters of the world once chofe this 
ifle for the theatre of his pleafures, his de- 
bauchery, and his cruelttes. You per- 
ceive, that in defcribing the other portion 
of the circle, we have again arrived at the 
fea, the ifland of Caprez being the latt 
point on that fide, as Mount Mifenum is 
on the other. 
‘<You muft not imagine (added he) 
that a fpeétacle like this can ever become 
indifferent to the lovers of the arts and of 
nature. Though always the fame, it is 
evernew. Calms and tempefts, the ftate 
of the fky, the diferent appearances of 
the fea, the fingular operations of Vefu- 
vius, every day exhibit a new picture, 
impart to it life and motion, and incef- 
fantly furnith frefh caufes for admiration, 
frefh food for the eager curiofity of the {pec- 
tator, The pleafures afforded by this fcene 
of enchantment are not limited to the time 
when the San illumines our hemifphere. 
Night, which elfe where effaces images, and 
renders one of our fenfes in. fome meafure 
ufelefs, here contributes very often to aug- 
ment our delight, and furpafles even day 
itfelf in the grandeur and variety of the 
prodigies it difplays to the view Let us 
fuppofe that an eruption is at hand, or ts 
beginning to manifeft itfelf, while the difk 
of the Moon is reflected and multiplied in 
each of the waves that roll at the bottom 
of the gulph, the volcano emits a hollow 
and ominous found., To the murmurs of 
the Nereids fucceed pis bellowings of the 
Cyclops; the fons of Eolus efcape roaring 
from the caverns of Vefuvius, and frequent 
Jightnings darting from the mountain pro- 
claim to mortals an awful crifig of nature. 
Account of the Linvirons of Naples. — 131 
The column of fmoke becomes thicker, 
and expanding in the air, exhibits a.refem- 
blance of thofe lofty pines whofe bare and 
branchlefs tems are crowned by a vat ca- 
nopy of, verdure. The cloud continues 
to grow more black and move extenfive ; 
but a luminons blood-red {pot.appears in 
the mid& of the chaos. The vapours be- 
come red, and impregnated with fire; the 
luminous portion increafes, and the fud- 
ftances dilcharged by the volcano glow 
with every tint, and exhibit every poffible | 
fhade of colour. Here the flame refembles 
that of the funereal torch, there itis of the 
mot lively vermilion ; farther off it is 
white, and dazzles the eye with its excef- 
five brightnefs: in another part it is of a 
murky mixture of purple and of foot 3 
over the mouth of the furnace the vapours 
hover inthe form of a golden cloud; and 
thefe which, from their diftance, are inca- 
pable of refleéting the light, fhroud the 
whole {cene in 9 fable veil, which, by the 
elafhing contraft, heighteng all the co- 
lours, and imparts double brilliancy to 
the phenomenon. : 
‘But other wonders appear at the 
mouth-of the volcano. Sometimes thow- 
ers of ignited ftones fhoot upward to an 
immenfe height, and thir parabolic de- 
{cent is a grand imitation of our artificial 
fireworks ; at others, an arrow of fre 
flies towards heaven, which it feems ta pe- 
ne‘rate. Now a tuft of ardent vapours. 
crowns the mountain, and emits to a con. 
fiderable diftance innumerable fparks; 
and now again lightnings, burfting from 
the bofom of the abyfs, cut through the 
furrounding {m ke in their zig-zag courfe, 
One moment the flame aflumes the figure 
of a column, whole height is thrice that 
of the volcano; and the next it is an im- 
menfe tongue, which wavers for fome time 
in the air, then fuddenly returns, and 
feems to lick the edge of the terrific 
gulph. 
‘¢ Meanwhile the fides of the mountain 
are incapable of containing the melted 
fub&ances which rife and prefs againf 
them. A dreadful noife announces a rup- 
ture; the mountain opens with a vaft ef- 
fort, and its ioflamed entrails are expofed 
to view. Rivers of lava already roll be- 
neath the new bridge which is jut form- 
ed: the fiery torrent, the image of Phie- 
geton, rufhes into the valley that fepa. 
rates Somma from Vefuvius; its devaftat- 
ing ftream increafes at the expence of 
every objec which it meets, and acquires 
an extent of feveral miles. The frongett 
trees difappear b<fore it, like fecble blades 
of grafs before the {cythe of ‘the mower : 
forefts, 
