A  VISIT  TO  VESUVIUS. 
183 
the  mass  beneath.  It  was  of  a  dark  gray  color,  very  hard  and  sonorous 
when  struck.  Passing  around  to  the  south  or  highest  side  we  saw  a  num- 
ber of  laborers  engaged  in  an  excavation  on  the  inside  of  the  edge  of  the 
crater  near  the  the  top,  gathering  sulphur  into  bags,  which  they  carried 
on  poles  to  the  place  of  descent.  It  is  very  impure  and  used  only  for  the 
vine  disease.  We  seated  ourselves  here,  and  whilst  enjoying  one  of  the 
grandest  panoramas  in  existence,  partook  of  the  lunch  brought  up  by  our 
guide,  and,  in  the  absence  of  water  which  had  been  forgotten,  substituted 
some  very  good  Lachrama  Ohristi,  the  well  known  wine  of  Vesuvius. 
The  view  was  superb.  The  entire  bay  of  Naples,  its  enclosing  islands, 
and  the  promontories  of  Sorrento  and  Misenium;  Naples  spread  out  like 
a  map,  the  distant  Appenines  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Mediterranean  on 
the  other,  whilst  below,  beyond  the  base  of  the  cone  were  the  lavas  of 
latter  times,  and  further  down  the  villas,  peasant  houses  and  villages  that 
numerously  dotted  the  gently  inclined  base  of  the  mountain  down  to*  the 
towns  along  the  bay  shore.  Six  miles  off  lay  disentombed  Pompeii, 
whilst  all  around,  but  more  especially  toward  the  bay,  lay  the  scene  where 
the  terrible  eruptions  of  centuries  have  vented  their  fury,  and  piled  up 
stratum  on  stratum  of  ashes  and  lava  and  scoria.  Leaving  the  sulphur 
gleaners  at  their  disagreeable  labors,  we  continued  around  the  edge  of 
the  crater,  the  highest  point  being  nearly  south,  towards  Pompeii;  from 
here  the  cone  of  scoria  stones  and  ashes  in  the  centie  of  the  crater  is 
seen  to  the  best  advantage,  and  a  considerable  depression  existing  on 
this  side  affords  a  better  idea  of  a  crater  than  on  the  other.  In  com- 
pleting the  circuit  we  had  walked  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  The 
guide  now  conducted  us  over  the  dislocated  blocks  of  lava  by  a  very 
irregular  route  to  the  central  cone,  stopping  on  the  way  to  put  some  eggs 
in  a  crevice  to  be  cooked  by  our  return.  The  actual  elevation  of  the 
central  cone  was  not  known,  but  it  was  probably  thirty  or  forty  feet 
above  the  lava  upon  which  we  crossed.  It  consists  of  ashes,  stones  and 
scoria,  the  latter  of  various  shades  of  color,  from  gray  and  yellow  to 
orange  red  and  almost  vermillion  red.  From  a  spot  on  one  side  sulphur- 
ous vapor  issues,  and  our  guide,  by  thrusting  in  a  piece  of  paper,  caused 
its  ignition.  This  and  the  heat  sensibly  felt  issuing  from  some  of  the 
crevices  in  the  lava,  were  the  only  indications  that  the  energy  of  the 
volcano,  though  dormant,  still  existed,  and  by  the  old  rule  of  a  full  cra- 
ter may  be  expected  to  rouse  itself  ere  long.  After  a  full  view  of  the 
cone  itself  and  the  surrounding  crater  from  this  point,  we  returned  across 
the  lava  bridge,  securing  the  cooked  eggs  en  route  and  soon  arrived  at 
the  place  of  descent.  This  is  along  side  and  east  of  the  route  of  ascent, 
and  is  an  inclined  plane  of  loose  ashes.  The  only  care  requisite  is  to  keep 
erect,  and  use  the  feet  as  in  walking  as  fast  as  possible,  each  step  caus- 
ing a  descent  of  from  three  to  six  feet,  according  to  the  energy  of  the 
traveller,  the  trip  down  being  made  in  about  ten  minutes.  Sometimes 
the  most  ludicrous  scenes  occur  in  this  journey  by  persons  losing  their 
