images of public domain material from   
the ,google ,print project47            
,,observations ,,on ,,mount ,,vesuvius1 
,,mount ,,etna1 ,,and ,,other           
,,volcanos3  ,,in ,a ,,series ,,of      
,,letters1  ,addressed to ,,the ,,royal 
,,society1  ,from the ,honourable ,sir  
,w4 ,,hamilton1 ,k4,b4 ,f4,r4,s4  ,his  
,majesty's ,envoy ,extraordinary and    
,plenipotentiary at the ,court of       
,,naples4  ,to which are added1         
,explanatory ,,notes by the ,,author1   
hitherto unpublished4  ,a ,,new         
,,edition4  ,,london1 ,printed for ,t4  
,,cadell1 in the ,strand4 ,m ,,dcc      
,,lxxiv4     ,,the ,,editor ,,to ,,the  
,,public4   ,having mentioned to ,sir   
,,william ,,hamilton the general ,desire
 of all ,lovers of ,natural ,history1   
that his ,letters upon the ,subject of  
,,volcanos should be collected together 
in one ,volume1 particularly for the    
,convenience of such as may have an     
,opportunity of visiting the curious    
,spots described in them3 ,he was not   

only pleased to approve of my having    
undertaken this ,publication1 but has   
likewise favoured with the additional   
explanatory ,notes and ,drawings1       
,the ,,public's most obliged1           
and devoted                             
humble ,servant1                        
,t4 ,,cadell4  ,may #cj1 #aggb4         
,,observations ,,on ,,mount ,,vesuvius1 
c4     ,,letter ,i4  ,to the ,right     
,honourable the ,earl of ,,morton1      
,president of the ,royal ,society4      
,naples1 ,june #aj1 #agff4  ,my ,,lord1 
,as ,i have attended particularly to the
 various changes of ,mount ,vesuvius1   
from the #agth of ,november #agfd1 the  
day of my arrival at this capital2 ,i   
flatter myself1 that my observations    
will not be unacceptable to your        
,lordship1 especially as this ,volcano  
has lately made a very considerable     
eruption4 ,i shall confine myself merely
 to the many extraordinary appearances  
that have come under my own inspection1 
and leave their explanation to the more 

learned in ,natural ,philosophy4        
,during the first twelvemonth of my     
being here1 ,i did not perceive any     
remarkable alteration in the mountain2  
but ,i observed1 the smoke from the     
,volcano was much more considerable in  
bad weather than when it was fair#a2 and
 ,i often heard 7even at ,naples1 six   
miles from ,vesuvius7 in bad weather1   
the inward explosions of the mountain4  
,when ,i have been at the top of ,mount 
,vesuvius in fair weather1 ,i have      
sometimes found so little smoke1 that ,i
 have been able to see far down the     
mouth of the ,volcano2 the sides of     
which were incrusted with salts and     
mineral of various colors1 white1 green1
 deep and pale yellow4 ,the smoke that  
issued from the mouth of the ,volcano in
 bad weather was white1 very moist1 and 
not near so offensive as the sulphureous
 steams from various cracks on the sides
 of the mountain4  ,towards the month of
 ,september last1 ,i perceived the smoke
 to be more considerable1 and to        

continue even in fair weather2 and in   
,october ,i perceived sometimes a puff  
of black smoke shoot up a considerable  
height in the midst of the white1 which 
symptom of an approaching eruption grew 
more frequent daily2 and soon after1    
these puffs of smoke appeared in the    
night tinged like clouds with the       
setting sun4  ,about the beginning of   
,november1 ,i went up the mountain3 it  
was then covered with snow2 and ,i      
perceived a little hillock of sulphur   
had been thrown up1 since my last visit 
there1 within about forty yards of the  
mouth of the ,volcano2 it was near six  
feet high1 and a light blue flame issued
 constantly from its top4 ,as ,i was    
examining this phaenomenon1 ,i heard a  
violent report2 and saw a column of     
black smoke1 followed by a reddish      
flame1 shoot up with violence from the  
mouth of the ,volcano2 and presently    
fell a shower of stones1 one of which1  
falling near me1 made me retire with    
some precipitation1 and also rendered me

 more cautious of approaching too near1 
in my subsequent journies to ,vesuvius4 
,from ,november to the #bhth of ,march1 
the date of the beginning of this       
eruption1 the smoke increased1 and was  
mixed with ashes1 which fell1 and did   
great damage to the vineyards in the    
neighbourhood of the mountain#b4 ,a few 
days before the eruption ,i saw 7what   
,pliny the younger mentions having seen1
 before that eruption of ,vesuvius which
 proved fatal to his uncle7 the black   
smoke take the form of a pine-tree4 ,the
 smoke1 that appeared black in the      
day-time1 for near two months before the
 eruption1 had the appearance of flame  
in the night4  ,on ,good ,friday1 the   
#bhth of ,march1 at #g o'clock at night1
 the lava began to boil over the mouth  
of the ,volcano1 at first in one stream2
 and soon after1 dividing itself into   
two1 it took its course towards         
,portici4 ,it was preceded by a violent 
explosion1 which caused a partial       
earthquake in the neighbourhood of the  

mountain2 and a shower of red hot stones
 and cinders were thrown up to a        
considerable height4 ,immediately upon  
sight of the lava1 ,i left ,naples1 with
 a party of my countrymen1 whom ,i found
 as impatient as myself to satisfy their
 curiosity in examining so curious an   
operation of nature4 ,i passed the whole
 night upon the mountain2 and observed  
that1 though the red hot stones were    
thrown up in much greater number and to 
a more considerable height than before  
the appearance of the lava1 yet the     
report was much less considerable than  
some days before the eruption4 ,the lava
 ran near a mile in an hour's time1 when
 the two branches joined in a hollow on 
the side of the mountain1 without       
proceeding farther4 ,i approached the   
mouth of the ,volcano1 as near as ,i    
could with prudence2 the lava had the   
appearance of a river of red hot and    
liquid metal1 such as we see in the     
glass-houses1 on which were large       
floating cinders1 half lighted1 and     

rolling one over another with great     
precipitation down the side of the      
mountain1 forming a most beautiful and  
uncommon cascade2 the color of the fire 
was much paler and more bright the first
 night than the subsequent nights1 when 
it became of a deep red1 probably owing 
to its having been more impregnated with
 sulphur at first than afterwards4 ,in  
the day-time1 unless you are quite      
close1 the lava has no appearance of    
fire2 but a thick white smoke marks its 
course4  ,the #bith1 the mountain was   
very quiet1 and the lava did not        
continue4 ,the #cjth1 it began to flow  
again in the same direction1 whilst the 
mouth of the ,volcano threw up every    
minute a girandole of red hot stones1 to
 an immense height4 ,the #cast1 ,i      
passed the night upon the mountain3 the 
lava was not so considerable as the     
first night2 but the red hot stones were
 perfectly transparent1 some of which1  
,i dare say of a ton weight1 mounted at 
least two hundred feet perpendicular1   

and fell in1 or near1 the mouth of a    
little mountain1 that was now formed by 
the quantity of ashes and stones1 within
 the great mouth of the ,volcano1 and   
which made the approach much safer than 
it had been some days before1 when the  
mouth was near half a mile in           
circumference1 and the stones took every
 direction4 ,mr4 ,hervey1 brother to the
 ,earl of ,bristol1 was very much       
wounded in the arm some days before the 
eruption1 having approached too near2   
and two ,english gentlemen with him were
 also hurt4 ,it is impossible to        
describe the beautiful appearance of    
these girandoles of red hot stones1 far 
surpassing the most astonishing         
artificial fire-work4  ,from the #cast  
of ,march to the #ith of ,april1 the    
lava continued on the same side of the  
mountain1 in two1 three1 and sometimes  
four branches1 without descending much  
lower than the first night4 ,i remarked 
a kind of intermission in the fever of  
the mountain#c1 which seemed to return  

with violence every other night4 ,on the
 #ajth of ,april1 at night1 the lava    
disappeared on the side of the mountain 
towards ,naples1 and broke out with much
 more violence on the side next the     
,torre dell' ,annunciata4  ,i passed the
 whole day and the night of the twelfth 
upon the mountain1 and followed the     
course of the lava to its very source3  
it burst out of the side of the         
mountain1 within about half a mile of   
the mouth of the ,volcano1 like a       
torrent1 attended with violent          
explosions1 which threw up inflamed     
matter to a considerable height1 the    
adjacent ground quivering like the      
timbers of a water-mill2 the heat of the
 lava was so great1 as not to suffer me 
to approach nearer than within ten feet 
of the stream1 and of such a consistency
 7though it appeared liquid as water7 as
 almost to resist the impression of a   
long stick1 with which ,i made the      
experiment2 large stones thrown on it   
with all my force did not sink1 but1    

making a slight impression1 floated on  
the surface1 and were carried out of    
sight in a short time2 for1             
notwithstanding the consistency of the  
lava1 it ran with amazing velocity2 ,i  
am sure1 the first mile with a rapidity 
equal to that of the river ,severn1 at  
the passage near ,bristol4 ,the stream  
at its source was about ten feet wide1  
but soon extended itself1 and divided   
into three branches2 so that these      
rivers of fire1 communicating their heat
 to the cinders of former lavas1 between
 one branch and the other1 had the      
appearance at night of a continued sheet
 of fire1 four miles in length1 and in  
some parts near two in breadth4 ,your   
,lordship may imagine the glorious      
appearance of this uncommon scene1 such 
as passes all description4  ,the lava1  
after having run pure for about a       
hundred yards1 began to collect cinders1
 stones1 c42 and a scum was formed on   
its surface1 which in the day-time had  
the appearance of the river ,thames1 as 

,i have seen it after a hard frost and  
great fall of snow1 when beginning to   
thaw1 carrying down vast masses of snow 
and ice4 ,in two places the liquid lava 
totally disappeared1 and ran in a       
subterraneous passage for some paces2   
then came out again pure1 having left   
the scum behind4 ,in this manner it     
advanced to the cultivated parts of the 
mountain2 and ,i saw it1 the same night 
of the #abth1 unmercifully destroy a    
poor man's vineyard1 and surround his   
cottage1 notwithstanding the opposition 
of many images of ,st4 ,januarius1 that 
were placed upon the cottage1 and tied  
to almost every vine4 ,the lava1 at the 
farthest extremity from its source1 did 
not appear liquid1 but like a heap of   
red hot coals1 forming a wall in some   
places ten or twelve feet high1 which   
rolling from the top soon formed another
 wall1 and so on1 advancing slowly1 not 
more than about thirty feet in an       
hour#d4  ,the mouth of the ,volcano has 
not thrown up any large stones since the

 second eruption of lava on the #ajth of
 ,april2 but has thrown up quantities of
 small ashes and pumice stones1 that    
have greatly damaged the neighbouring   
vineyards4 ,i have been several times at
 the mountain since the #abth2 but1 as  
the eruption was in its greatest vigour 
at that time1 ,i have ventured to dwell 
on1 and ,i fear tire your ,lordship     
with1 the observations of that day4  ,in
 my last visit to ,mount ,vesuvius1 the 
#c;d of ,june1 ,i still found that the  
lava continued2 but the rivers were     
become rivulets1 and had lost much of   
their rapidity4 ,the quantity of matter 
thrown out by this eruption is greater  
than that of the last in the year #agfj2
 but the damage to the cultivated lands 
is not so considerable1 owing to its    
having spread itself much more1 and its 
source being at least three miles higher
 up4 ,this eruption seems now to have   
exhausted itself2 and ,i expect in a few
 days to see ,vesuvius restored to its  
former tranquillity4  ,mount ,etna in   

,sicily broke out on the #bgth of       
,april2 and made a lava1 in two         
branches1 at least six miles in length1 
and a mile in breadth2 and1 according to
 the description given me by ,mr4       
,wilbraham1 7who was there1 after having
 seen with me part of the eruption of   
,mount ,vesuvius7 resembles it in every 
respect1 except that ,mount ,etna1 at   
the place from whence the lava flowed   
7which was twelve miles from the mouth  
of the ,volcano71 threw up a fountain of
 liquid inflamed matter to a            
considerable height2 which1 ,i am told1 
,mount ,vesuvius has done in former     
eruptions4  ,i beg pardon for having    
taken up so much of your time2 and yet  
,i flatter myself1 that my description1 
which ,i assure your ,lordship is not   
exaggerated1 will have afforded you some
 amusement4 ,i have the honour to be1   
,my ,,lord1                             
,your ,lordship's                       
,most obedient                          
and most humble servant1                

,,william ,,hamilton4         99        
99       99       99       99           
,naples1 ,february #c1 #agfg4  ,since   
the account of the eruption of ,mount   
,vesuvius1 which ,i had the honour of   
giving to your ,lordship1 in my letter  
of the #ajth of ,june last2 ,i have only
 to add1 that the lava continued till   
about the end of ,november1 without     
doing any great damage1 having taken its
 course over antient lavas4 ,since the  
cessation of this eruption1 ,i have     
examined the crater1 and the crack on   
the side of the mountain towards ,torre 
dell' ,annunciata1 about a hundred yards
 from the crater from whence this lava  
issued3 and ,i found therein some very  
curious salts and sulphurs2 a specimen  
of each sort ,i have put into bottles   
myself1 even upon the mountain1 that    
they might not lose any of their force1 
and have sent them in a box directed to 
your ,lordship1 as you will see1 by the 
bill of lading3 ,i am sure1 you will    
have a pleasure in seeing them          

analyzed#e4 ,i have also packed in the  
same box some lava1 and cinders1 of the 
last eruption2 there is one piece in    
particular very curious1 having the     
exact appearance of a cable petrified4  
,i shall be very happy if these trifles 
should afford your ,lordship a moment's 
amusement4  ,it is very extraordinary1  
that ,i cannot find1 that any chemist   
here has ever been at the trouble of    
analyzing the productions of ,vesuvius4 
,the deep yellow1 or orange-color salts1
 of which there are two bottles1 ,i     
fetched out of the very crater of the   
mountain1 in a crevice that was indeed  
very hot4 ,it seems to me to be         
powerful1 as it turns silver black in an
 instant1 but has no effect upon gold4  
,if your ,lordship pleases1 ,i will send
 you by another opportunity specimens of
 the sulphurs and salts of the ,solfa   
terra1 which seem to be very different  
from these4  ,within these three days1  
the fire has appeared again on the top  
of ,vesuvius1 and earthquakes have been 

felt in the neighbourhood of the        
mountain4 ,i was there on ,saturday with
 my nephew ,lord ,greville2 we heard    
most dreadful inward grumblings1        
rattling of stones1 and hissing2 and    
were obliged to leave the crater very   
soon1 on account of the emission of     
stones4 ,the black smoak arose1 as      
before the last eruption2 and ,i saw    
every symptom of a new eruption1 of     
which ,i shall not fail to give your    
,lordship an exact account4     ,,letter
 ,,ii4  ,to the ,right ,honourable the  
,earl of ,,morton1 ,president of the    
,royal ,society4                        
,naples1 ,december #bi1 #agfg4  ,my     
,,lord1  ,the favourable reception1     
which my account of last year's eruption
 of ,mount ,vesuvius met with from your 
,lordship2 the approbation which the    
,royal ,society was pleased to shew1 by 
having ordered the same to be printed in
 their ,philosophical ,transactions2 and
 your ,lordship's commands1 in your     
letter of the #c;d instant2 encourage me

 to trouble you with a plain narrative  
of what came immediately under my       
observation1 during the late violent    
eruption1 which began ,october #ai1     
#agfg1 and is reckoned to be the        
twenty-seventh since that1 which1 in the
 time of ,titus1 destroyed ,herculaneum 
and ,pompeii4  ,the eruption of #agff   
continued in some degree till the #ajth 
of ,december1 about nine months in      
all#f2 yet in that space of time the    
mountain did not cast up a third of the 
quantity of lava1 which it disgorged in 
only seven days1 the term of this last  
eruption4 ,on the #aeth of ,december1   
last year1 within the ancient crater of 
,mount ,vesuvius1 and about twenty feet 
deep1 there was a crust1 which formed a 
plain1 not unlike the ,solfa terra in   
miniature2 in the midst of this plain   
was a little mountain1 whose top did not
 rise so high as the rim of the ancient 
crater4 ,i went into this plain1 and up 
the little mountain1 which was          
perforated1 and served as the principal 

chimney to the ,volcano3 when ,i threw  
down large stones1 ,i could hear that   
they met with many obstructions in their
 way1 and could count a hundred         
moderately before they reached the      
bottom4  ,vesuvius was quiet till ,march
 #agfg1 when it began to throw up stones
 from time to time2 in ,april1 the      
throws were more frequent1 and at night 
fire was visible on top of the mountain1
 or1 more properly speaking1 the smoak1 
which hung over the crater1 was tinged  
by the reflection of the fire within the
 ,volcano4 ,these repeated throws of    
cinders1 ashes1 and pumice stones1      
increased the little mountain so much1  
that in ,may the top was visible above  
the rim of the ancient crater4 ,the #gth
 of ,august1 there issued a small stream
 of lava1 from a breach in the side of  
this little mountain1 which gradually   
filled the valley between it and the    
ancient crater2 so that1 the #abth of   
,september1 the lava overflowed the     
ancient crater1 and took its course down

 the sides of the great mountain2 by    
this time1 the throws were much more    
frequent1 and the red hot stones went so
 high as to take up ten seconds in their
 fall4 ,padre ,torre1 a great observer  
of ,mount ,vesuvius1 says they went up  
above a thousand feet4  ,the #aeth of   
,october1 the height of the little      
mountain 7formed in about eight months7 
was measured by ,don ,andrea ,pigonati1 
a very ingenious young man1 in his      
,sicilian ,majesty's service1 who       
assured me that its height was #ahe     
,french feet4  ,from my villa1 situated 
between ,herculaneum and ,pompeii1 near 
the convent of the ,calmaldolese 7marked
 #g in ,plate ,i47 ,i had watched the   
growing of this little mountain2 and1 by
 taking drawings of it from time to     
time1 ,i could perceive its increase    
most minutely4 ,i make no doubt but that
 the whole of ,mount ,vesuvius has been 
formed in the same manner2 and as these 
observations seem to me to account for  
the various irregular strata1 which are 

met with in the neighbourhood of        
,volcanos1 ,i have ventured to inclose1 
for your ,lordship's inspection1 a copy 
of the abovementioned drawings4 7,plate 
,,iii47  ,the lava continued to run over
 the ancient crater in small streams1   
sometimes on one side1 and sometimes on 
another1 till the #ahth of ,october1    
when ,i took particular notice that     
there was not the least lava to be seen2
 owing1 ,i imagine1 to its being        
employed in forcing its way towards the 
place where it burst out the following  
day4 ,as ,i had1 contrary to the opinion
 of most people here1 foretold the      
approaching eruption#g1 and had observed
 a great fermentation in the mountain   
after the heavy rains which fell the    
#acth and #adth of ,october2 ,i was not 
surprized1 on the #aith following1 at   
seven of the clock in the morning1 to   
perceive from my villa every symptom of 
the eruption being just at hand4 ,from  
the top of the little mountain issued a 
thick black smoak1 so thick that it     

seemed to have difficulty in forcing its
 way out2 cloud after cloud mounted with
 a hasty spiral motion1 and every minute
 a volley of great stones were shot up  
to an immense height in the midst of    
these clouds2 by degrees1 the smoak took
 the exact shape of a huge pine-tree1   
such as ,pliny the younger described in 
his letter to ,tacitus1 where he gives  
an account of the fatal eruption in     
which his uncle perished#h4 ,this column
 of black smoak1 after having mounted an
 extraordinary height1 bent with the    
wind towards ,caprea1 and actually      
reached over that island1 which is not  
less than twenty-eight miles from       
,vesuvius4  ,i warned my family1 not to 
be alarmed1 as ,i expected there would  
be an earthquake at the moment of the   
lava's bursting out2 but before eight of
 the clock in the morning ,i perceived  
that the mountain had opened a mouth1   
without noise1 about a hundred yards    
lower than the ancient crater1 on the   
side towards the ,monte di ,somma2 and  

,i plainly perceived1 by a white smoak1 
which always accompanies the lava1 that 
it had forced its way out3 as soon as it
 had vent1 the smoak no longer came out 
with that violence from the top4 ,as ,i 
imagined that there would be no danger  
in approaching the mountain when the    
lava had vent1 ,i went up immediately1  
accompanied by one peasant only4 ,i     
passed the hermitage 7#c4 in ,plate     
,i471 and proceeded as far as the spot  
marked 7,x71 in the valley between the  
mountain of ,somma and that of          
,vesuvius1 which is called ,atrio di    
,cavallo4 ,i was making my observations 
upon the lava1 which had already1 from  
the spot 7,e7 where it first broke out1 
reached the valley2 when1 on a sudden1  
about noon1 ,i heard a violent noise    
within the mountain1 and at the spot    
7,c71 about a quarter of a mile off the 
place where ,i stood1 the mountain      
split2 and1 with much noise1 from this  
new mouth1 a fountain of liquid fire    
shot up many feet high1 and then1 like a

 torrent1 rolled on directly towards us4
 ,the earth shook1 at the same time that
 a volley of pumice stones fell thick   
upon us2 in an instant1 clouds of black 
smoak and ashes caused almost a total   
darkness2 the explosions from the top of
 the mountain were much louder than any 
thunder ,i ever heard1 and the smell of 
the sulphur was very offensive4 ,my     
guide1 alarmed1 took to his heels2 and  
,i must confess1 that ,i was not at my  
ease4 ,i followed close1 and we ran near
 three miles without stopping2 as the   
earth continued to shake under our feet1
 ,i was apprehensive of the opening of a
 fresh mouth1 which might have cut off  
our retreat4 ,i also feared that the    
violent explosions would detach some of 
the rocks off the mountain ,somma1 under
 which we were obliged to pass2 besides1
 the pumice-stones1 falling upon us like
 hail1 were of such a size as to cause a
 disagreeable sensation upon the part   
where they fell4 ,after having taken    
breath1 as the earth still trembled     

greatly1 ,i thought it most prudent to  
leave the mountain1 and return to my    
villa2 where ,i found my family in a    
great alarm1 at the continual and       
violent explosions of the ,volcano1     
which shook our house to its very       
foundation1 the doors and windows       
swinging upon their hinges4 ,about two  
of the clock in the afternoon another   
lava forced its way out of the same     
place from whence came the lava last    
year1 at the spot marked ,b 7in ,plate  
,,ii472 so that the conflagration was   
soon as great on this side of the       
mountain1 as on the other which ,i had  
just left4  ,the noise and smell of     
sulphur increasing1 we removed from our 
villa to ,naples2 and ,i thought proper1
 as ,i passed by ,portici1 to inform the
 ,court of what ,i had seen2 and humbly 
offered it as my opinion1 that his      
,sicilian ,majesty should leave the     
neighbourhood of the threatening        
mountain4 ,however1 the ,court did not  
leave ,portici till about twelve of the 

clock1 when the lava had reached as far 
as 7#d4 in ,plate ,i47--,i observed1 in 
my way to ,naples1 which was in less    
than two hours after ,i had left the    
mountain1 that the lava had actually    
covered three miles of the very road    
through which we had retreated4 ,it is  
astonishing that it should have run so  
fast2 as ,i have since seen1 that the   
river of lava1 in the ,atrio di         
,cavallo1 was sixty and seventy feet    
deep1 and in some places near two miles 
broad4 ,when his ,sicilian ,majesty     
quitted ,portici1 the noise was greatly 
increased2 and the concussion of the air
 from the explosions was so violent1    
that1 in the ,king's palace1 doors and  
windows were forced open2 and even one  
door there1 which was locked1 was       
nevertheless burst open4 ,at ,naples1   
the same night1 many windows and doors  
flew open2 in my house1 which is not on 
the side of the town next ,vesuvius1 ,i 
tried the experiment of unbolting my    
windows#i1 when they flew wide open upon

 every explosion of the mountain4       
,besides these explosions1 which were   
very frequent1 there was a continued    
subterraneous and violent rumbling      
noise1 which lasted this night about    
five hours4 ,i have imagined1 that this 
extraordinary noise might be owing to   
the lava in the bowels of the mountain  
having met with a deposition of rain    
water2 and that the conflict between the
 fire and the water may1 in some        
measure1 account for so extraordinary a 
crackling and hissing noise4 ,padre     
,torre1 who has wrote so much and so    
well upon the subject of ,mount         
,vesuvius1 is also of my opinion4 ,and  
indeed it is natural to imagine1 that   
there may be rain-water lodged in many  
of the caverns of the mountain2 as1 in  
the great eruption of ,mount ,vesuvius  
in #afca1 it is well attested1 that     
several towns1 among which ,portici and 
,torre del ,greco1 were destroyed1 by a 
torrent of boiling water having burst   
out of the mountain with the lava1 by   

which thousands of lives were lost4     
,about four years ago1 ,mount ,etna in  
,sicily threw up hot water also1 during 
an eruption4  ,the confusion at ,naples 
this night cannot be described2 his     
,sicilian ,majesty's hasty retreat from 
,portici added to the alarm2 all the    
churches were opened and filled2 the    
streets were thronged with processions  
of saints3 but ,i shall avoid entering  
upon a description of the various       
ceremonies that were performed in this  
capital1 to quell the fury of the       
turbulent mountain4  ,tuesday the #bjth1
 it was impossible to judge of the      
situation of ,vesuvius1 on account of   
the smoak and ashes1 which covered it   
entirely1 and spread over ,naples also1 
the sun appearing as through a thick    
,london fog1 or a smoaked glass2 small  
ashes fell all this day at ,naples4 ,the
 lavas on both sides of the mountain ran
 violently2 but there was little or no  
noise till about nine o'clock at night1 
when the same uncommon rumbling began   

again1 accompanied with explosions as   
before1 which lasted about four hours3  
it seemed as if the mountain would split
 in pieces2 and1 indeed1 it opened this 
night almost from the spot ,e to ,c 7in 
,plate ,i474 ,the annexed plans were    
taken upon the spot at this time1 when  
the lavas were at their height2 and ,i  
do not think them exaggerated4 ,the     
,parisian barometer was1 as yesterday1  
at #bgi1 and ,fahrenheit's thermometer  
at #gj degrees2 whereas1 for some days  
preceding the eruption1 it had been at  
#fe and #ff4 ,during the confusion of   
this night1 the prisoners in the public 
jail attempted to escape1 having wounded
 the jailer2 but were prevented by the  
troops4 ,the mob also set fire to the   
,cardinal ,archbishop's gate1 because he
 refused to bring out the relicks of    
,saint ,januarius4  ,wednesday #bast1   
was more quiet than the preceding days1 
though the lavas ran briskly4 ,portici  
was once in some danger1 had not the    
lava taken a different course when it   

was only a mile and a half from it2     
towards night1 the lava slackened4      
,thursday #bb;d1 about ten of the clock 
in the morning1 the same thundering     
noise began again1 but with more        
violence than the preceding days2 the   
oldest men declared1 they had never     
heard the like2 and1 indeed1 it was very
 alarming3 we were in expectation every 
moment of some dire calamity4 ,the      
ashes1 or rather small cinders1 showered
 down so fast1 that the people in the   
streets were obliged to use umbrellas1  
or flap their hats2 these ashes being   
very offensive to the eyes4 ,the tops of
 the houses1 and the balconies1 were    
covered above an inch thick with these  
cinders#aj4 ,ships at sea1 twenty       
leagues from ,naples1 were also covered 
with them1 to the great astonishment of 
the sailors4 ,in the midst of these     
horrors1 the mob1 growing tumultuous and
 impatient1 obliged the ,cardinal to    
bring out the head of ,saint ,januarius1
 and go with it in procession to the    

,ponte ,maddalena1 at the extremity of  
,naples1 towards ,vesuvius2 and it is   
well attested here1 that the eruption   
ceased the moment the ,saint came in    
sight of the mountain2 it is true1 the  
noise ceased about that time1 after     
having lasted five hours1 as it had done
 the preceding days4  ,friday #bc;d1 the
 lavas still ran1 and the mountain      
continued to throw up quantities of     
stones from its crater2 there was no    
noise heard at ,naples this day1 and but
 little ashes fell there4  ,saturday    
#bdth1 the lava ceased running2 the     
extent of the lava1 from the spot ,c    
7,plate ,i471 where ,i saw it break out1
 to its extremity ,f1 where it          
surrounded the chapel of ,saint ,vito1  
is above six miles4 ,in the ,atrio di   
,cavallo1 and in a deep valley that lies
 between ,vesuvius 7#a47 and the        
hermitage 7#c471 the lava is in some    
places near two miles broad1 and in most
 places from sixty to seventy feet deep2
 at 7#d471 the lava ran down a hollow   

way1 called ,fossa grande1 made by the  
currents of rain water2 it is not less  
than two hundred feet deep1 and a       
hundred broad2 yet the lava in one place
 has filled it up4 ,i could not have    
believed that so great a quantity of    
matter could have been thrown out in so 
short a time1 if ,i had not since       
examined the whole course of the lava   
myself4 ,this great compact body will   
certainly retain some heat many         
months#aa2 at this time1 much rain      
having fallen for some days past1 the   
lava smoaks1 as if it ran afresh3 and   
about ten days ago1 when ,i was up the  
mountain with ,lord ,stormont1 we thrust
 sticks into the crevices of the lava1  
which took fire immediately3 ,but to    
proceed with my journal4  ,the #bdth1   
,vesuvius continued to throw up stones  
as on the preceding days3 during the    
whole of this eruption1 it had differed 
in this circumstance from the eruption  
of #agff1 when no stones were thrown out
 of the crater from the moment the lava 

ran freely4  ,sunday #beth1 small ashes 
fell all day at ,naples2 they issued    
from the crater of the ,volcano1 and    
formed a vast column1 as black as the   
mountain itself1 so that the shadow of  
it was marked out on the surface of the 
sea2 continual flashes of forked or     
zig-zag lightning shot from this black  
column1 the thunder of which was heard  
in the neighbourhood of the mountain1   
but not at ,naples3 there were no clouds
 in the sky at this time1 except those  
of smoak issuing from the crater of     
,vesuvius4 ,i was much pleased with this
 phaenomenon1 which ,i had not seen     
before in that perfection#ab4  ,monday  
#bfth1 the smoak continued1 but not so  
thick1 neither were there any flashes of
 the mountain lightning4 ,as no lava has
 appeared after this column of black    
smoak1 which must have been occasioned  
by some inward operation of fire2 ,i am 
apt to think1 that the lava1 which      
should naturally have followed this     
symptom1 has broke its way into some    

deeper cavern1 where it is silently     
brooding future mischief2 and ,i shall  
be much mistaken if it does not break   
out a few months hence4  ,tuesday #bgth1
 no more black smoak1 nor any signs of  
eruption4  ,thus1 my ,lord1 ,i have had 
the honor of giving your ,lordship a    
faithful narrative of my observations   
during this eruption1 which is          
universally allowed to have been the    
most violent of this century2 and ,i    
shall be happy1 if it should meet with  
your approbation1 and that of the ,royal
 ,society1 if your ,lordship should     
think it worthy of being communicated to
 so respectable a body4  ,i have just   
sent a present to the ,british ,museum  
of a complete collection of every sort  
of matter produced by ,mount ,vesuvius1 
which ,i have been collecting with some 
pains for these three years past2 and it
 will be a great satisfaction to me1 if1
 by the means of this collection1 some  
of my countrymen1 learned in natural    
history1 may be enabled to make some    

useful discoveries relative to          
,volcanos#ac4  ,i have also accompanied 
that collection with a view of a current
 of lava from ,mount ,vesuvius2 it is   
painted with transparent colours1 and1  
when lighted up with lamps behind it1   
gives a much better idea of ,vesuvius1  
than is possible to be given by any     
other sort of painting4                 
,i have the honor to be1                
,my ,,lord1                             
,your ,lordship's                       
,most obedient                          
and most humble servant1                
,,william ,,hamilton4   ,illustration3  
,plate ,i4 ,view of the ,,great         
,,eruption of ,,vesuvius #agfg from     
,portici4  ,,plate ,i4     ,a4 ,crater  
of ,mount ,vesuvius4     ,b4 ,mouth from
 whence came the lava of #agff2 and     
which opened       afresh1 ,october #ai1
 #agfg1 and produced the conflagration  
represented in ,plate ,,ii4     ,c4 ,the
 mouth which opened at #ab o'clock1     
,october #ai1 #agfg1 whilst       ,i was

 at the spot marked ,x2 from thence came
 all the lava       represented in      
,plate ,i4     ,d4 ,the lava4     ,e4   
,mouth from whence the lava flowed at   
eight o'clock1 ,october #ai1       when 
the eruption began first4     ,f4       
,chapel of ,saint ,vito1 surrounded with
 lava4     #a4 ,vesuvius4     #b4       
,mountain of ,somma4     #c4 ,hermitage1
 between which and ,vesuvius there is a 
deep valley       two miles broad4      
#d4 ,the ,fossa ,grande4     #e4 ,his   
,sicilian ,majesty's ,palace at         
,portici4     #f4 ,church of ,pugliano4 
#g4 ,calmaldolese ,convent1 near which  
is my ,villa4     #h4 ,saint ,jorio4    
#i4 ,barra4    #aj4 ,spot1 under which  
lies ,herculaneum4   ,illustration3     
,plate ,,ii4 ,view of the ,,great       
,,eruption of ,,vesuvius #agfg1 from    
,torre dell' ,annunziata4  ,,plate ,,ii4
     ,a4 ,crater of ,vesuvius4     ,b4  
,mouth1 from whence came the lava of    
#agff1 and which opened       afresh at 
two o'clock1 ,october #ai1 #agfg1 and   

caused the       conflagration on this  
side of the mountain4     ,c4 ,mouth    
which opened at #ab o'clock1 ,october   
#ai1 #agfg1 whilst ,i       was at the  
spot ,x1 and which produced all the lava
       represented in ,plate ,i4     ,d4
 ,rivulets of lava1 which flowed from   
the crater1 and united with       the   
great river ,e4     ,f4 ,extremities of 
the lava1 about five miles from ,b4     
#a4 ,mountain of ,somma4     #b4 ,mount 
,vesuvius4     #c4 ,montagna di         
,trecase4     #d4 ,trecase4     #e4     
,oratorio di ,bosco4     #f4 ,ottaiano4 
,illustration3 ,plate ,,iii4 ,the       
ancient ,crater of ,mount ,vesuvius4    
,with the gradual increase of the little
 ,mountain within the ,crater4  ,the    
exteriour black line marks each increase
  the interiour dotted line shews the   
state of the little ,mountain before    
that increase1 so that the dotted line  
in the ,drawing of ,oct #ah4th shews the
 ,size of the little ,mountain ,july    
#h4th the little spot ,a4 marks where   

the lava came out some days before the  
great ,eruption4 ,b4 ,c4 ,d4 mark the   
ancient ,crater  ,e4 the little         
,mountain the day before the ,eruption4 
,f4 ,g4 is the present ,crater1  the    
exteriour black line ,h4 ,f4 ,g4 the    
present shape of the top of ,mount      
,vesuvius4 ,since ,may last the         
,mountain is increased from ,b4 to ,f4  
which is near #bjj feet4  ,,plate ,,iii4
    ,views of the gradual increase of   
the little mountain within the          
ancient crater2 and of the present shape
 of ,mount ,vesuvius4     ,,letter      
,,iii4  ,to ,,mathew ,,maty1 ,m4 ,d4    
,secretary to the ,royal ,,society4     
,villa ,angelica1 near ,mount ,vesuvius1
                               ,october 
#d1 #agfh4  ,,sir1  ,i have but very    
lately received your last obliging      
letter1 of the #eth of ,july1 with the  
volume of ,philosophical ,transactions4 
,i must beg of you to express my        
satisfaction at the notice which the    
,royal ,society hath been pleased to    

take of my accounts of the two last     
eruptions of ,mount ,vesuvius4 ,since ,i
 have been at my villa here1 ,i have    
enquired of the inhabitants of the      
mountain1 after what they had seen      
during the last eruption4 ,in my letter 
to ,lord ,morton1 ,i mentioned nothing  
but what came immediately under my own  
observation3 but as all the peasants    
here agree in their account of the      
terrible thunder and lightning1 which   
lasted almost the whole time of the     
eruption1 upon the mountain only2 ,i    
think it a circumstance worth attending 
to4 ,besides the lightning1 which       
perfectly resembled the common forked   
lightning1 there were many meteors1 like
 what are vulgarly called falling stars4
 ,a peasant1 in my neighbourhood1 lost  
eight hogs1 by the ashes falling into   
the trough with their food3 they grew   
giddy1 and died in a few hours4 ,the    
last day of the eruption1 the ashes1    
which fell abundantly upon the mountain1
 were as white almost as snow#ad2 and   

the old people here assure me1 that is a
 sure symptom of the eruption being at  
an end4 ,these circumstances1 being well
 attested1 ,i thought worth relating4   
,it would require many years close      
application1 to give a proper and truly 
philosophical account of the ,volcanos  
in the neighbourhood of ,naples2 but ,i 
am sure such a history might be given1  
supported by demonstration1 as would    
destroy every system hitherto given upon
 this subject4 ,we have here an         
opportunity of seeing ,volcanos in all  
their states4 ,i have been this summer  
in the island of ,ischia2 it is about   
eighteen miles round1 and its whole     
basis is lava4 ,the great mountain in   
it1 near as high as ,vesuvius1 formerly 
called ,epomeus1 and now ,san ,nicolo1  
,i am convinced1 was thrown up by       
degrees2 and ,i have no doubt in my own 
mind1 but that the island itself rose   
out of the sea in the same manner as    
some of the ,azores4 ,i am of the same  
opinion with respect to ,mount          

,vesuvius1 and all the high grounds near
 ,naples2 as having not yet seen1 in any
 one place1 what can be called virgin   
earth4 ,i had the pleasure of seeing a  
well sunk1 a few days ago1 near my      
villa1 which is1 as you know1 at the    
foot of ,vesuvius1 and close by the     
sea-side4 ,at twenty-five feet below the
 level of the sea1 they came to a       
stratum of lava1 and ,god knows how much
 deeper they might have still found     
other lavas4 ,the soil all round the    
mountain1 which is so fertile1 consists 
of stratas of lavas1 ashes1 pumice1 and 
now-and-then a thin stratum of good     
earth1 which good earth is produced by  
the surface mouldering1 and the rotting 
of the roots of plants1 vines1 c4 ,this 
is plainly to be seen at ,pompeii1 where
 they are now digging into the ruins of 
that ancient city2 the houses are       
covered about ten or fifteen feet1 with 
pumice and fragments of lava1 some of   
which weigh three pounds 7which last    
circumstance ,i mention1 to shew1 that1 

in a great eruption1 ,vesuvius has      
thrown stones of this weight six        
miles#ae1 which is its distance from    
,pompeii1 in a direct line72 upon this  
stratum of pumice1 or rapilli1 as they  
call them here1 is a stratum of         
excellent mould1 about two feet thick1  
on which grow large trees1 and excellent
 grapes4 ,we have then the ,solfaterra1 
which was certainly a ,volcano1 and has 
ceased erupting1 for want of metallic   
particles1 and over-abounding with      
sulphur4 ,you may trace its lavas into  
the sea4 ,we have the ,lago d',averno   
and the ,lago d',agnano1 both of which  
were formerly ,volcanos2 and ,astroni1  
which still retains its form more than  
any of these4 ,its crater is walled     
round1 and his ,sicilian ,majesty takes 
the diversion of boar-hunting in this   
,volcano2 and neither his ,majesty nor  
any one of his ,court ever dreamt of its
 former state4 ,we have then that       
curious mountain1 called ,montagno      
,nuovo1 near ,puzzole1 which rose1 in   

one night1 out of the ,lucrine ,lake2 it
 is about a hundred and fifty feet high1
 and three miles round4 ,i do not think 
it more extraordinary1 that ,mount      
,vesuvius1 in many ages1 should rise    
above two thousand feet2 when this      
mountain1 as is well attested1 rose in  
one night1 no longer ago than the year  
#aech4 ,i have a project1 next spring1  
of passing some days at ,puzzole1 and of
 dissecting this mountain1 taking its   
measures1 and making drawings of its    
stratas2 for1 ,i perceive1 it is        
composed of stratas1 like ,mount        
,vesuvius1 but without lavas4 ,as this  
mountain is so undoubtedly formed       
intirely from a plain1 ,i should think  
my project may give light into the      
formation of many other mountains1 that 
are at present thought to have been     
original1 and are certainly not so1 if  
their strata correspond with those of   
the ,montagno ,nuovo4 ,i should be glad 
to know whether you think this project  
of mine will be useful2 and1 if you do1 

the result of my observations may be the
 subject of another letter#af4  ,i      
cannot have a greater pleasure than to  
employ my leisure hours in what may be  
of some little use to mankind2 and my   
lot has carried me into a country1 which
 affords an ample field for observation4
 ,upon the whole1 if ,i was to establish
 a system1 it would be1 that ,mountains 
are produced by ,volcanos1 and not      
,volcanos by ,mountains4  ,i fear ,i    
have tired you2 but the subject of      
,volcanos is so favourite a one with me1
 that it has led me on ,i know not how3 
,i shall only add1 that ,vesuvius is    
quiet at present1 though very hot at    
top1 where there is a deposition of     
boiling sulphur4 ,the lava that ran in  
the ,fossa ,grande during the last      
eruption1 and is at least two hundred   
feet thick1 is not yet cool2 a stick1   
put into its crevices1 takes fire       
immediately4 ,on the sides of the       
crevices are fine crystalline salts3 as 
they are the pure salts1 which exhale   

from the lava that has no communication 
with the interiour of the mountain1 they
 may perhaps indicate the composition of
 the lava4  ,i have done4 ,let me only  
thank you for the kind offers and       
expressions in your letter1 and for the 
care you have had in setting off my     
present to the ,museum to the best      
advantage2 of which ,i have been told   
from many quarters4                     
,i am1                                  
,,sir1                                  
,your most obedient                     
humble servant1                         
,w4 ,,hamilton4     ,,letter ,,iv4  ,to 
,,mathew ,,maty1 ,m4 ,d4 ,secretary to  
the ,royal ,,society4  ,an ,account of a
 ,journey to ,,mount ,,etna4            
,artificis naturae ingens opus aspice1  
nulla     ,tu tanta humanis rebus       
spectacula cernes4                      
,p4 ,,cornelii ,,severi ,a,etna4        
,naples1 ,oct4 #ag1 #agfi4  ,,sir1      
,encouraged by the assurances you give  
me1 in your last obliging letter of the 

#aeth of ,june1 that any new            
communication upon the subject of       
,volcano's would be received with       
satisfaction by the ,royal ,society2 ,i 
venture to send you the following       
account of my late observations upon    
,mount ,etna1 which you are at liberty  
to lay before our respectable ,society1 
should you think it worth its notice4   
,see ,plate ,,iv4  ,illustration3 ,plate
 ,,iv4 ,a ,view of ,,mount ,,aetna from 
,taormina4  ,after having examined with 
much attention the operations of ,mount 
,vesuvius1 during the five years that ,i
 have had the honour of residing as his 
,majesty's ,minister at this ,court1 and
 after having carefully remarked the    
nature of the soil for fifteen miles    
round this capital2 ,i am1 in my own    
mind1 well convinced that the whole of  
it has been formed by explosion4 ,many  
of the craters1 from whence this matter 
has issued1 are still visible2 such as  
the ,solfaterra near ,puzzole1 the lake 
of ,agnano1 and near this lake a        

mountain composed of burnt matter1 that 
has a very large crater surrounded with 
a wall1 to inclose the wild boars and   
deer1 that are kept there for the       
diversion of his ,sicilian ,majesty2 it 
is called ,astruni3 the ,monte ,nuovo1  
thrown up from the bottom of the        
,lucrine lake#ag in the year #aech1     
which has likewise its crater2 and the  
lake of ,averno4 ,the islands of ,nisida
 and ,procida are entirely composed of  
burnt matter2 the island of ,ischia is  
likewise composed of lava1 pumice1 and  
burnt matter2 and there are in that     
island several visible craters1 from one
 of which1 no longer ago than the year  
#acjc1 there issued a lava1 which ran   
into the sea1 and is still in the same  
barren state as the modern lavas of     
,vesuvius4 ,after having1 ,i say1 been  
accustomed to these observations1 ,i was
 well prepared to visit the most        
ancient1 and perhaps the most           
considerable1 ,volcano that exists2 and 
,i had the satisfaction of being        

thoroughly convinced there1 of the      
formation of very considerable mountains
 by meer explosion1 having seen many    
such on the sides of ,etna1 as will be  
related hereafter4  ,on the #bdth of    
,june last1 in the afternoon1 ,i left   
,catania1 a town situated at the foot of
 ,mount ,etna1 or1 as it is now called1 
,mon-,gibello1 in company with ,lord    
,fortrose and the ,canonico ,recupero1  
an ingenious priest of ,catania1 who is 
the only person there that is acquainted
 with the mountain3 he is actually      
employed in writing its natural history2
 but1 ,i fear1 will not be able to      
compass so great and useful an          
undertaking1 for want of proper         
encouragement4  ,we passed through the  
inferior district of the mountain1      
called by its inhabitants ,la ,regione  
,piemontese4 ,it is well watered1       
exceedingly fertile1 and abounding with 
vines and other fruit trees1 where the  
lava1 or1 as it is called there1 the    
sciara1 has had time to soften1 and     

gather soil sufficient for vegetation1  
which1 ,i am convinced from many        
observations1 unless assisted by art1   
does not come to pass for many ages#ah1 
perhaps a thousand years or more2 the   
circuit of this lower region1 forming   
the basis of the great ,volcano1 is     
upwards of one hundred ,italian miles4  
,the vines of ,etna are kept low1 quite 
the reverse of those on the borders of  
,vesuvius2 and they produce a stronger  
wine1 but not in so great abundance4    
,the ,piemontese district is covered    
with towns1 villages1 monasteries1 c4   
and is well peopled1 notwithstanding the
 danger of such a situation4 ,catania1  
so often destroyed by eruptions of      
,etna1 and totally overthrown by an     
earthquake towards the end of the last  
century#ai1 has been re-built within    
these fifty years1 and is now a         
considerable town1 with at least        
thirty-five thousand inhabitants4 ,i do 
not wonder at the seeming security with 
which these parts are inhabited1 having 

been so long witness to the same near   
,mount ,vesuvius4 ,the operations of    
,nature are slow3 great eruptions do not
 frequently happen2 each flatters       
himself it will not happen in his time1 
or1 if it should1 that his tutelar saint
 will turn away the destructive lava    
from his grounds2 and indeed the great  
fertility in the neighbourhoods of      
,volcanos tempts people to inhabit them4
  ,in about four hours of gradual       
ascent1 we arrived at a little convent  
of ,benedictine monks1 called ,st4      
,nicolo dell' ,arena1 about thirteen    
miles from ,catania1 and within a mile  
of the ,volcano from whence issued the  
last very great eruption in the year    
#affi2 a circumstantial account of which
 was sent to our court by a ,lord       
,winchelsea1 who happened to be then at 
,catania in his way home1 from his      
embassy at ,constantinople4 ,his        
,lordship's account is curious1 and was 
printed in ,london soon after2 ,i saw a 
copy of it at ,palermo1 in the library  

of the ,prince ,torremuzzo#bj4 ,we slept
 in the ,benedictines convent the night 
of the #bdth1 and passed the next       
morning in observing the ravage made by 
the abovementioned terrible eruption1   
over the rich country of the            
,piemontese4 ,the lava burst out of a   
vineyard within a mile of ,st4 ,nicolo1 
and1 by frequent explosions of stones   
and ashes1 raised there a mountain1     
which1 as near as ,i can judge1 having  
ascended it1 is not less than half a    
mile perpendicular in height1 and is    
certainly at least three miles in       
circumference at its basis4 ,the lava   
that ran from it1 and on which there are
 as yet no signs of vegetation1 is      
fourteen miles in length1 and in many   
parts six in breadth2 it reached        
,catania1 and destroyed part of its     
walls1 buried an amphitheatre1 an       
aqueduct1 and many other monuments of   
its ancient grandeur1 which till then   
had resisted the hand of ,time1 and ran 
a considerable length into the sea1 so  

as to have once formed a beautiful and  
safe harbour2 but it was soon after     
filled up by a fresh torrent of the same
 inflamed matter3 a circumstance the    
,catanians lament to this day1 as they  
are without a port4 ,there has been no  
such eruption since1 though there are   
signs of many1 more terrible1 that have 
preceded it4  ,for two or three miles   
round the mountain raised by this       
eruption1 all is barren1 and covered    
with ashes2 this ground1 as well as the 
mountain itself1 will in time certainly 
be as fertile as many other mountains in
 its neighbourhood1 that have been      
likewise formed by explosion4 ,if the   
dates of these explosions could be      
ascertained1 it would be very curious1  
and mark the progress of time with      
respect to the return of vegetation1 as 
the mountains raised by them are in     
different states2 those which ,i imagine
 to be the most modern are covered with 
ashes only2 others of an older date1    
with small plants and herbs2 and the    

most ancient1 with the largest          
timber-trees ,i ever saw3 but ,i believe
 the latter are so very ancient1 as to  
be far out of the reach of history4 ,at 
the foot of the mountain1 raised by the 
eruption of the year #affi1 there is a  
hole1 through which1 by means of a rope1
 we descended into several subterraneous
 caverns1 branching out and extending   
much farther and deeper than we chose to
 venture2 the cold there being          
excessive1 and a violent wind frequently
 extinguishing some of our torches4     
,these caverns undoubtedly contained the
 lava that issued forth1 and extended1  
as ,i said before1 quite to ,catania4   
,there are many of these subterraneous  
cavities known1 on other parts of ,etna2
 such as that called by the peasants ,la
 ,baracca ,vecchia1 another ,la         
,spelonca della ,palomba 7from the wild 
pigeons building their nests therein71  
and the cavern ,thalia1 mentioned by    
,boccaccio4 ,some of them are made use  
of as magazines for snow2 the whole     

island of ,sicily and ,malta being      
supplied with this essential article 7in
 a hot climate7 from ,mount ,etna4 ,many
 more would be found1 ,i dare say1 if   
searched for1 particularly near and     
under the craters from whence great     
lavas have issued1 as the immense       
quantities of such matter we see above  
ground1 must necessarily suppose very   
great hollows underneath4  ,after having
 passed the morning of the #beth in     
these observations1 we proceeded through
 the second or middle region of ,etna1  
called ,la ,selvosa1 the woody1 than    
which nothing can be more beautiful4 ,on
 every side are mountains1 or fragments 
of mountains1 that have been thrown up  
by various ancient explosions2 there are
 some near as high as ,mount ,vesuvius2 
one in particular 7as the ,canon our    
guide assured me1 having measured it7 is
 little less than one mile in           
perpendicular height1 and five in       
circumference at its basis4 ,they are   
all more or less covered1 even within   

their craters1 as well as the rich      
vallies between them1 with the largest  
oak1 chesnut1 and firr trees1 ,i ever   
saw any where2 and indeed it is from    
hence chiefly1 that his ,sicilian       
,majesty's dockyards are supplied with  
timber4 ,as this part of ,etna was      
famous for its timber in the time of the
 ,tyrants of ,syracusa1 and as it       
requires the great length of time ,i    
have already mentioned before the matter
 is fit for vegetation1 we may conceive 
the great age of this respectable       
,volcano4 ,the chesnut-trees            
predominated in the parts through which 
we passed1 and1 though of a very great  
size1 are not to be compared to some on 
another part of the ,regione ,selvosa1  
called ,carpinetto4 ,i have been told by
 many1 and particularly by our guide1   
who had measured the largest there1     
called ,la ,castagna ,cento ,cavalli1   
that it is upwards of twenty-eight      
,neapolitan canes in circumference4 ,now
 as a ,neapolitan cane is two yards and 

half a quarter1 ,english measure1 you   
may judge1 ,sir1 of the immense size of 
this famous tree#ba4 ,it is hollow from 
age1 but there is another near it almost
 as large and sound4 ,as it would have  
required a journey of two days to have  
visited this extraordinary tree1 and the
 weather being already very hot1 ,i did 
not see it4 ,it is amazing to me1 that  
trees should flourish in so shallow a   
soil2 for they cannot penetrate deep    
without meeting with a rock of lava2 and
 indeed great part of the roots of the  
large trees we passed by are above      
ground1 and have acquired1 by the       
impression of the air1 a bark like that 
of their branches4 ,in this part of the 
mountain1 are the finest horned cattle  
in ,sicily2 we remarked in general1 that
 the horns of the ,sicilian cattle are  
near twice the size of any we had ever  
seen2 the cattle themselves are of the  
common size4 ,we passed by the lava of  
the last eruption in the year #agff1    
which has destroyed above four miles    

square of the beautiful wood            
abovementioned4 ,the mountain raised by 
this eruption abounds with sulphur and  
salts1 exactly resembling those of      
,vesuvius2 specimens of which ,i sent   
some time ago to the late ,lord ,morton4
  ,in about five hours from the time we 
had left the convent of ,st4 ,nicolo    
dell' ,arena1 we arrived at the borders 
of the third region1 called ,la ,netta1 
or ,scoperta1 clean or uncovered1 where 
we found a very sharp air indeed2 so    
that1 in the same day1 the four seasons 
of the year were sensibly felt by us1 on
 this mountain2 excessive summer heats  
in the ,piemontese1 spring and autumn   
temperature in the middle1 and extreme  
cold of winter in the upper region4 ,i  
could perceive1 as we approached the    
latter1 a gradual decrease of           
vegetation2 and from large timber trees 
we came to the small shrubs and plants  
of the northern climates3 ,i observed   
quantities of juniper and tanzey2 our   
guide told us that later in the season  

there are numberless curious plants     
here1 and that in some parts there are  
rhubarb and saffron in plenty4 ,in      
,carrera's ,history of ,catania1 there  
is a list of all the plants and herbs of
 ,etna in alphabetical order4  ,night   
coming on1 we here pitched a tent1 and  
made a good fire1 which was very        
necessary2 for without it1 and very warm
 cloathing1 we should surely have       
perished with cold2 and at one of the   
clock in the morning of the #bfth1 we   
pursued our journey towards the great   
crater4 ,we passed over vallies of snow1
 that never melts1 except there is an   
eruption of lava from the upper crater1 
which scarcely ever happens2 the great  
eruptions are usually from the middle   
region1 the inflamed matter finding 7as 
,i suppose7 its passage through some    
weak part1 long before it can rise to   
the excessive height of the upper       
region1 the great mouth on the summit   
only serving as a common chimney to the 
,volcano4 ,in many places the snow is   

covered with a bed of ashes1 thrown out 
of the crater1 and the sun melting it in
 some parts makes this ground           
treacherous2 but as we had with us1     
besides our guide1 a peasant well       
accustomed to these vallies1 we arrived 
safe at the foot of the little mountain 
of ashes that crowns ,etna1 about an    
hour before the rising of the sun4 ,this
 mountain is situated in a gently       
inclining plain of about nine miles in  
circumference2 it is about a quarter of 
a mile perpendicular in height1 very    
steep1 but not quite so steep as        
,vesuvius2 it has been thrown up within 
these twenty-five or thirty years1 as   
many people at ,catania have told me    
they remembered when there was only a   
large chasm or crater1 in the midst of  
the abovementioned plain4 ,till now1 the
 ascent had been so gradual 7for the top
 of ,etna is not less than thirty miles 
from ,catania1 from whence the ascent   
begins7 as not to have been the least   
fatiguing2 and if it had not been for   

the snow1 we might have rode upon our   
mules to the very foot of the little    
mountain1 higher than which the ,canon  
our guide had never been3 but as ,i saw 
that this little mountain was composed  
in the same manner as the top of        
,vesuvius1 which1 notwithstanding the   
smoak issuing from every pore1 is solid 
and firm1 ,i made no scruple of going up
 to the edge of the crater2 and my      
companions followed4 ,the steep ascent1 
the keenness of the air1 the vapours of 
the sulphur1 and the violence of the    
wind1 which obliged us several times to 
throw ourselves flat upon our faces to  
avoid being overturned by it1 made this 
latter part of our expedition rather    
inconvenient and disagreeable4 ,our     
guide1 by way of comfort1 assured us1   
that there was generally much more wind 
in the upper region at this time4  ,soon
 after we had seated ourselves on the   
highest point of ,etna1 the sun arose1  
and displayed a scene that indeed passes
 all description4 ,the horizon lighting 

up by degrees1 we discovered the        
greatest part of ,calabria1 and the sea 
on the other side of it2 the ,phare of  
,messina1 the ,lipari ,islands2         
,stromboli1 with its smoaking top1      
though at above seventy miles distance1 
seemed to be just under our feet2 we saw
 the whole island of ,sicily1 its       
rivers1 towns1 harbours1 c4 as if we had
 been looking on a map4 ,the island of  
,malta is low ground1 and there was a   
haziness in that part of the horizon1 so
 that we could not discern it2 our guide
 assured us1 he had seen it distinctly  
at other times1 which ,i can believe1 as
 in other parts of the horizon1 that    
were not hazy1 we saw to a much greater 
distance2 besides1 we had a clear view  
of ,etna's top from our ship1 as we were
 going into the mouth of the harbour of 
,malta some weeks before2 in short1 as  
,i have since measured on a good chart1 
we took in at one view a circle of above
 nine hundred ,english miles4 ,the      
pyramidal shadow of the mountain reached

 across the whole island1 and far into  
the sea on the other side4 ,i counted   
from hence forty-four little mountains  
7little ,i call them in comparison of   
their mother ,etna1 though they would   
appear great any where else7 in the     
middle region on the ,catania side1 and 
many others on the other side of the    
mountain1 all of a conical form1 and    
each having its crater2 many with timber
 trees flourishing both within and      
without their craters4 ,the points of   
those mountains that ,i imagine to be   
the most ancient are blunted1 and the   
craters of course more extensive and    
less deep than those of the mountains   
formed by explosions of a later date1   
and which preserve their pyramidal form 
entire4 ,some have been so far mouldered
 down by time1 as to have no other      
appearance of a crater than a sort of   
dimple or hollow on their rounded tops1 
others with only half or a third part of
 their cone standing2 the parts that are
 wanting having mouldered down1 or      

perhaps been detached from them by      
earthquakes1 which are here very        
frequent4 ,all however have been        
evidently raised by explosion2 and ,i   
believe1 upon examination1 many of the  
whimsical shapes of mountains in other  
parts of the world would prove to have  
been occasioned by the same natural     
operations4 ,i observed that these      
mountains were generally in lines or    
ridges2 they have mostly a fracture on  
one side1 the same as in the little     
mountains raised by explosion on the    
sides of ,vesuvius1 of which there are  
eight or nine4 ,this fracture is        
occasioned by the lava's forcing its way
 out1 which operation ,i have described 
in my account of the last eruption of   
,vesuvius4 ,whenever ,i shall meet with 
a mountain1 in any part of the world1   
whose form is regularly conical1 with a 
hollow crater on its top1 and one side  
broken1 ,i shall be apt to decide such a
 mountain's having been formed by an    
eruption2 as both on ,etna and ,vesuvius

 the mountains formed by explosion are  
without exception according to this     
description4 ,but to return to my       
narrative4  ,after having feasted our   
eyes with the glorious prospect         
above-mentioned 7for which1 as ,spartian
 tells us1 the ,emperor ,adrian was at  
the trouble of ascending ,etna71 we     
looked into the great crater1 which1 as 
near as we could judge1 is about two    
miles and a half in circumference2 we   
did not think it safe to go round and   
measure it1 as some parts seemed to be  
very tender ground4 ,the inside of the  
crater1 which is incrusted with salts   
and sulphurs like that of ,vesuvius1 is 
in the form of an inverted hollow cone1 
and its depth nearly answers to the     
height of the little mountain that      
crowns the great ,volcano4 ,the smoak1  
issuing abundantly from the sides and   
bottom1 prevented our seeing quite down2
 but the wind clearing away the smoak   
from time to time1 ,i saw this inverted 
cone contracted almost to a point2 and1 

from repeated observations1 ,i dare say1
 that in all ,volcanos1 the depth of the
 craters will be found to correspond    
nearly to the height of the conical     
mountains of cinders which usually crown
 them2 in short1 ,i look upon the       
craters as a sort of suspended funnels1 
under which are vast caverns and        
abysses4 ,the formation of such conical 
mountains with their craters are easily 
accounted for1 by the fall of the       
stones1 cinders1 and ashes1 emitted at  
the time of an eruption4  ,the smoak of 
,etna1 though very sulphureous1 did not 
appear to me so fetid and disagreeable  
as that of ,vesuvius2 but our guide told
 me1 that its quality varies1 as ,i know
 that of ,vesuvius does1 according to   
the quality of the matter then in motion
 within4 ,the air was so very pure and  
keen in the whole upper region of ,etna1
 and particularly in the most elevated  
parts of it1 that we had a difficulty in
 respiration1 and that1 independent of  
the sulphureous vapour4 ,i brought two  

barometers and a thermometer with me    
from ,naples1 intending to have left one
 with a person at the foot of the       
mountain1 whilst we made our observation
 with the other1 at sun-rising1 on the  
summit2 but one barometer was unluckily 
spoilt at sea1 and ,i could find no one 
expert enough at ,catania to repair it3 
what is extraordinary1 ,i do not        
recollect having seen a barometer in any
 part of ,sicily4 ,at the foot of ,etna1
 the #bdth1 when we made our first      
observation1 the quicksilver stood at   
#bg degrees #d lines2 and the #bfth1 at 
the most elevated point of the ,volcano1
 it was at #ah degrees #aj lines4 ,the  
thermometer1 on the first observation at
 the foot of the mountain was at #hd    
degrees1 and on the second at the crater
 at #efbb4 ,the weather had not changed 
in any respect1 and was equally fine and
 clear1 the #bdth and #bfth4 ,we found  
it difficult to manage our barometer in 
the extreme cold and high wind on the   
top of ,etna2 but1 from the most exact  

observations we could make in our       
circumstances1 the result was as        
abovementioned4 ,the ,canon assured me1 
that the perpendicular height of ,mount 
,etna is something more than three      
,italian miles1 and ,i verily believe it
 is so4  ,after having passed at least  
three hours on the crater1 we descended1
 and went to a rising ground1 about a   
mile distant from the upper mountain we 
had just left1 and saw there some       
remains of the foundation of an ancient 
building2 it is of brick1 and seems to  
have been ornamented with white marble1 
many fragments of which are scattered   
about4 ,it is called the ,philosopher's 
,tower1 and is said to have been        
inhabited by ,empedocles4 ,as the       
ancients used to sacrifice to the       
celestial gods on the top of ,etna#bc1  
it may very well be the ruin of a temple
 that served for that purpose4 ,from    
hence we went a little further over the 
inclined plain abovementioned1 and saw  
the evident marks of a dreadful torrent 

of hot water1 that came out of the great
 crater at the time of an eruption of   
lava in the year #agee1 and upon which  
phaenomenon the ,canonico ,recupero1 our
 guide1 has published a dissertation4   
,luckily this torrent did not take its  
course over the inhabited parts of the  
mountain2 as a like accident on ,mount  
,vesuvius in #afca swept away some towns
 and villages in its neighbourhood1 with
 thousands of their inhabitants4 ,the   
common received opinion is1 that these  
eruptions of water proceed from the     
,volcanos having a communication with   
the sea2 but ,i rather believe them to  
proceed merely from depositions of rain 
water in some of the inward cavities of 
them4 ,we likewise saw from hence the   
whole course of ancient lava1 the most  
considerable as to its extent of any    
known here2 it ran into the sea near    
,taormina1 which is not less than thirty
 miles from the crater whence it issued1
 and is in many parts fifteen miles in  
breadth4 ,as the lavas of ,etna are very

 commonly fifteen and twenty miles in   
length1 six or seven in breadth1 and    
fifty feet or more in depth2 you may    
judge1 ,sir1 of the prodigious          
quantities of matter emitted in a great 
eruption of this mountain1 and of the   
vast cavities there must necessarily be 
within its bowels4 ,the most extensive  
lavas of ,vesuvius do not exceed seven  
miles in length4 ,the operations of     
nature on the one mountain and the other
 are certainly the same2 but on ,mount  
,etna1 all are upon a great scale4 ,as  
to the nature and quality of their      
lavas1 they are much the same2 but ,i   
think those of ,etna rather blacker1 and
 in general more porous1 than those of  
,vesuvius4 ,in the parts of ,etna that  
we went over1 ,i saw no stratas of      
pumice stones1 which are frequent near  
,vesuvius1 and cover the ancient city of
 ,pompeii2 but our guide told us1 that  
there are such in other parts of the    
mountain4 ,i saw some stratas of what is
 called here tufa2 it is the same that  

covers ,herculaneum1 and that composes  
most of the high grounds about ,naples2 
it is1 upon examination1 a mixture of   
small pumice stones1 ashes1 and         
fragments of lava1 which is by time     
hardened into a sort of stone#bd4 ,in   
short1 ,i found1 with respect to the    
matter erupted1 nothing on ,mount ,etna 
that ,vesuvius does not produce2 and    
there certainly is a much greater       
variety in the erupted matter and lavas 
of the latter1 than of the former2 both 
abound with pyrites and                 
crystallizations1 or rather             
vitrifications4 ,the sea shore at the   
foot of ,etna1 indeed1 abounds with     
amber1 of which there is none found at  
the foot of ,vesuvius4 ,at present there
 is a much greater quantity of sulphur  
and salts on the top of ,vesuvius than  
on that of ,etna2 but this circumstance 
varies according to the degree of       
fermentation within2 and our guide      
assured me1 he had seen greater         
quantities on ,etna at other times4 ,in 

our way back to ,catania1 the ,canon    
shewed me a little hill1 covered with   
vines1 which belonged to the ,jesuits1  
and1 as is well attested1 was undermined
 by the lava in the year #affi1 and     
transported half a mile from the place  
where it stood1 without having damaged  
the vines4  ,in great eruptions of      
,etna1 the same sort of lightning1 as   
described in my account of the last     
eruption of ,vesuvius1 has been         
frequently seen to issue from the smoak 
of its great crater4 ,the antients took 
notice of the same phaenomenon2 for     
,seneca 7lib4 ii4 ,nat4 ,quaest47       
says1--,a,etna aliquando multo igne     
abundavit1 ingentem vim arenae urentis  
effudit1 involutus est dies pulvere1    
populosque subita nox terruit1 illo     
tempore aiunt plurima fuisse tonitrua et
 fulmina4  ,till the year #beb of       
,christ1 the chronological accounts of  
the eruptions of ,etna are very         
imperfect3 but as the veil of ,st4      
,agatha was in that year first opposed  

to check the violence of the torrents of
 lava1 and has ever since been produced 
at the time of great eruptions2 the     
miracles attributed to its influence1   
having been carefully recorded by the   
priests1 have at least preserved the    
dates of such eruptions4 ,the relicks of
 ,st4 ,januarius have rendered the same 
service to the lovers of natural        
history1 by recording the great         
eruptions of ,vesuvius4 ,i find1 by the 
dates of the eruptions of ,etna1 that it
 is as irregular and uncertain in its   
operations as ,vesuvius#be4 ,the last   
eruption was in #agff4  ,on our return  
from ,messina to ,naples1 we were       
becalmed three days in the midst of the 
,lipari islands1 by which we had an     
opportunity of seeing that they have all
 been evidently formed by explosion#bf2 
one of them1 called ,vulcano1 is in the 
same state as the ,solfaterra4          
,stromboli is a ,volcano1 existing in   
all its force1 and1 in its form of      
course1 is the most pyramidal of all the

 ,lipari ,islands2 we saw it throw up   
red hot stones from its crater          
frequently1 and some small streams of   
lava issued from its side1 and ran into 
the sea#bg4 ,this ,volcano differs from 
,etna and ,vesuvius1 by its continually 
emitting fire1 and seldom any lava2     
notwithstanding its continual           
explosions1 this island is inhabited1 on
 one side1 by about an hundred families4
  ,illustration3 ,plate ,v4 ,,stromboli1
 one of the ,,lipari ,,islands4  ,these1
 as well as ,i can recollect1 are all   
the observations that ,i made with      
respect to ,volcanos1 in may late       
curious tour of ,sicily2 and ,i shall be
 very happy should the communication of 
them afford you1 or any of our          
countrymen 7lovers of natural history7  
satisfaction or entertainment4          
,i am1                                  
,,sir1                                  
,with great regard and esteem1          
,your most obedient                     
humble servant1                         

,w4 ,,hamilton4     ,,letter ,v4  ,to   
,,mathew ,,maty1 ,m4 ,d4 ,secretary to  
the ,royal ,,society4  ,,remarks upon   
the ,,nature of the ,,soil of ,,naples1 
and its ,neighbourhood4    ,mille       
miracula movet saciemque mutat locis1 et
 defert montes1   subrigit plana1 valles
 extuberat novas1 in profundo insulas   
eregit4                                 
,,seneca1 ,de ,terra-motu4              
,naples1 ,oct4 #af1 #aggj4  ,,sir1      
,according to your desire1 ,i lose no   
time in sending you such further remarks
 as ,i have been making with some       
diligence1 for six years past1 in the   
compass of twenty miles1 or more1 round 
this capital4 ,by accompanying these    
remarks with a map of the country ,i    
describe ,plate ,,vi41 and with the     
specimens of different matters that     
compose the most remarkable spots of it1
 ,i do not doubt but that ,i shall      
convince you1 as ,i am myself convinced1
 that the whole circuit 7so far as ,i   
have examined7 within the boundaries    

marked in the map is wholly and totally 
the production of subterraneous fires2  
and that most probably the sea formerly 
reached the mountains that lie behind   
,capua and ,caserta1 and are a          
continuation of the ,appenines4 ,if ,i  
may be allowed to compare small things  
with great1 ,i imagine the subterraneous
 fires to have worked in this country1  
under the bottom of the sea1 as moles in
 a field1 throwing up here and there a  
hillock2 and that the matter thrown out 
of some of these hillocks1 formed into  
settled ,volcanos1 filling up the space 
between one and the other1 has composed 
this part of the continent1 and many of 
the islands adjoining4  ,from the       
observations ,i have made upon ,mount   
,etna1 ,vesuvius1 and its neighbourhood1
 ,i dare say1 that1 after a careful     
examination1 most mountains1 that are or
 have been ,volcanos1 would be found to 
owe their existence to subterraneous    
fire2 the direct reverse of what ,i find
 the commonly received opinion4         

,nature1 though varied1 is certainly in 
general uniform in her operations2 and  
,i cannot conceive that two such        
considerable ,volcanos as ,etna and     
,vesuvius should have been formed       
otherwise than every other considerable 
,volcano of the known world4 ,i do not  
wonder that so little progress has been 
made in the improvement of natural      
history1 and particularly in that branch
 of it which regards the theory of      
earth2 ,nature acts slowly1 it is       
difficult to catch her in the fact4     
,those who have made this subject their 
study have1 without scruple1 undertaken 
at once to write the natural history of 
a whole province1 or of an entire       
continent2 not reflecting1 that the     
longest life of man scarcely affords him
 time to give a perfect one of the      
smallest insect4  ,i am sensible of what
 ,i undertake in giving you1 ,sir1 even 
a very imperfect account of the nature  
of the soil of a little more than twenty
 miles round ,naples3 yet ,i flatter    

myself that my remarks1 such as they    
are1 may be of some use to any one      
hereafter1 who may have leisure and     
inclination to follow them up4 ,the     
kingdom of the ,two ,sicilies offers    
certainly the fairest field for         
observations of this kind1 of any in the
 whole world2 here are ,volcanos        
existing in their full force1 some on   
their decline1 and others totally       
extinct4  ,to begin with some degree of 
order1 which is really difficult in the 
variety of matter that occurs to my     
mind1 ,i will first mention the basis on
 which ,i found all my conjectures4 ,it 
is the nature of the soil that covers   
the antient towns of ,herculaneum and   
,pompeii1 and the interior and exterior 
form of the new mountain1 near ,puzzole1
 with the sort of materials of which it 
is composed4 ,it cannot be denied1 that 
,herculaneum and ,pompeii stood once    
above ground2 though now1 the former is 
in no part less than seventy feet1 and  
in some parts one hundred and twelve    

feet1 below the present surface of the  
earth2 and the latter is buried ten or  
twelve feet deep1 more or less4 ,as we  
know from the very accurate account     
given by ,pliny the younger to ,tacitus1
 and from the accounts of other         
contemporary authors1 that these towns  
were buried by an eruption of ,mount    
,vesuvius in the time of ,titus2 it must
 be allowed1 that whatever matter lies  
between these cities and the present    
surface of the earth over them1 must    
have been produced since the year #gi of
 the ,christian aera1 the date of that  
formidable eruption4  ,pompeii1 which is
 situated at a much greater distance    
from the ,volcano than ,herculaneum1 has
 felt the effects of a single eruption  
only2 it is covered with white pumice   
stones1 mixed with fragments of lava and
 burnt matter1 large and small3 the     
pumice is very light2 but ,i have found 
some of the fragments of lava and       
cinders there1 weighing eight pounds4 ,i
 have often wondered1 that such weighty 

bodies could have been carried to such a
 distance 7for ,pompeii cannot be less  
than five miles1 in a strait line1 from 
the mouth of ,vesuvius74 ,every         
observation confirms the fall of this   
horrid shower over the unfortunate city 
of ,pompeii1 and that few of its        
inhabitants had dared to venture out of 
their houses2 for in many of those which
 have been already cleared1 skeletons   
have been found1 some with gold rings1  
ear rings1 and bracelets4 ,i have been  
present at the discovery of several     
human skeletons myself2 and under a     
vaulted arch1 about two years ago1 at   
,pompeii1 ,i saw the bones of a man and 
a horse taken up1 with the fragments of 
the horse's furniture1 which had been   
ornamented with false gems set in       
bronze4 ,the skulls of some of the      
skeletons found in the streets had been 
evidently fractured by the fall of the  
stones4 ,his ,sicilian ,majesty's       
excavations are confined to this spot at
 present2 and the curious in antiquity  

may expect hereafter1 from so rich a    
mine1 ample matter for their            
dissertations3 but ,i will confine      
myself to such observations only as     
relate to my present subject4  ,over the
 stratum of pumice and burnt matter that
 covers ,pompeii1 there is a stratum of 
good mould1 of the thickness of about   
two feet and more in some parts1 in     
which vines flourish1 except in some    
particular spots of this vineyard1 where
 they are subject to be blasted by a    
foul vapour1 or mofete1 as it is called 
here1 that rises from beneath the burnt 
matter4 ,the abovementioned shower of   
pumice stones1 according to my          
observations1 extended beyond           
,castel-a-mare 7near which spot the     
ancient town of ,stabia also lies buried
 under them7 and covered a tract of     
country not less than thirty miles in   
circumference4 ,it was at ,stabia that  
,pliny the elder lost his life1 and this
 shower of pumice stones is well        
described in the younger ,pliny's       

letter4 ,little of the matter that has  
issued from ,vesuvius since that time1  
has reached these parts3 but ,i must    
observe1 that the pavement of the       
streets of ,pompeii is of lava2 nay1    
under the foundation of the town1 there 
is a deep stratum of lava and burnt     
matter4 ,these circumstances1 with many 
others that will be related hereafter1  
prove1 beyond a doubt1 that there have  
been eruptions of ,vesuvius previous to 
that of the year #gi1 which is the first
 recorded by history4  ,the growth of   
soil by time is easily accounted for2   
and who1 that has visited ruins of      
ancient edifices1 has not often seen a  
flourishing shrub1 in a good soil1 upon 
the top of an old wall8 ,i have remarked
 many such on the most considerable     
ruins at ,rome and elsewhere4 ,but from 
the soil which has grown over the barren
 pumice that covers ,pompeii1 ,i was    
enabled to make a curious observation4  
,upon examining the cuts and hollow ways
 made by currents of water in the       

neighbourhood of ,vesuvius and of other 
,volcanos1 ,i had remarked that there   
lay frequently a stratum of rich soil1  
of more or less depth1 between the      
matter produced by the explosion of     
succeeding eruptions#bh2 and ,i was     
naturally led to think1 that such a     
stratum had grown in the same manner as 
the one abovementioned over the pumice  
of ,pompeii4 ,where the stratum of good 
soil was thick1 it was evident to me    
that many years had elapsed between one 
eruption and that which succeeded it4 ,i
 do not pretend to say1 that a just     
estimate can be formed of the great age 
of ,volcanos from this observation2 but 
some sort of calculation might be made3 
for instance1 should an explosion of    
pumice cover again the spot under which 
,pompeii is buried1 the stratum of rich 
soil abovementioned would certainly lie 
between two beds of pumice2 and if a    
like accident had happened a thousand   
years ago1 the stratum of rich soil     
would as certainly have wanted much of  

its present thickness1 as the rotting of
 vegetables1 manure1 c4 is ever         
increasing a cultivated soil4 ,whenever 
,i find then a succession of different  
strata of pumice and burnt matter1 like 
that which covers ,pompeii1 intermixed  
with strata of rich soil1 of greater or 
less depth1 ,i hope ,i may be allowed   
reasonably to conclude1 that the whole  
has been the production of a long series
 of eruptions1 occasioned by            
subterraneous fire4 ,by the size and    
weight of the pumice1 and fragments of  
burnt erupted matter in these strata1 it
 is easy to trace them up to their      
source1 which ,i have done more than    
once in the neighbourhood of ,puzzole1  
where explosions have been frequent4    
,the gradual decrease in the size and   
quantity of the erupted matter in the   
stratum abovementioned1 from ,pompeii to
 ,castle-a-,mare1 is very visible3 at   
,pompeii1 as ,i said before1 ,i have    
found them of eight pounds weight1 when 
at ,castle-a-,mare the largest do not   

weigh an ounce4  ,the matter which      
covers the ancient town of ,herculaneum 
is not the produce of one eruption only2
 for there are evident marks that the   
matter of six eruptions has taken its   
course over that which lies immediately 
above the town1 and was the cause of its
 destruction4 ,these strata are either  
of lava or burnt matter1 with veins of  
good soil between them4 ,the stratum of 
erupted matter that immediately covers  
the town1 and with which the theatre and
 most of the houses were filled1 is not 
of that foul vitrified matter1 called   
lava1 but of a sort of soft stone1      
composed of pumice1 ashes1 and burnt    
matter4 ,it is exactly of the same      
nature with what is called here the     
,naples stone2 the ,italians distinguish
 it by the name of tufa1 and it is in   
general use for building4 ,its colour is
 usually that of our free stone1 but    
sometimes tinged with grey1 green1 and  
yellow2 and the pumice stones1 with     
which it ever abounds1 are sometimes    

large1 and sometimes small3 it varies   
likewise in its degree of solidity4     
,the chief article in the composition of
 tufa seems to me to be1 that fine burnt
 material1 which is called puzzolane1   
whose binding quality and utility by way
 of cement are mentioned by             
,vitruvius#bi1 and which is to be met   
with only in countries that have been   
subject to subterraneous fires4 ,it is1 
,i believe1 a sort of lime prepared by  
nature4 ,this1 mixed with water1 great  
or small pumice stones1 fragments of    
lava1 and burnt matter1 may naturally be
 supposed to harden into a stone of this
 kind#cj2 and1 as water frequently      
attends eruptions of fire1 as will be   
seen in the accounts ,i shall give of   
the formation of the new mountain near  
,puzzole1 ,i am convinced the first     
matter that issued from ,vesuvius1 and  
covered ,herculaneum1 was in the state  
of liquid mud4 ,a circumstance strongly 
favouring my opinion is1 that1 about two
 years ago1 ,i saw the head of an       

antique statue dug out of this matter   
within the theatre of ,herculaneum2 the 
impression of its face remains to this  
day in the tufa1 and might serve as a   
mould for a cast in plaister of ,paris1 
being as perfect as any mould ,i ever   
saw4 ,as much may be inferred from the  
exact resemblance of this matter1 or    
tufa1 which immediately covers          
,herculaneum1 to all the tufas of which 
the high grounds of ,naples and its     
neighbourhood are composed4 ,i detached 
a piece of it sticking to1 and          
incorporated with1 the painted stucco of
 the inside of the theatre of           
,herculaneum1 and shall send it for your
 inspection#ca4 ,it is very different1  
as you will see1 from the vitrified     
matter called lava1 by which it has been
 generally thought that ,herculaneum was
 destroyed4 ,the village of ,resina and 
some villas stand at present above this 
unfortunate town4  ,to account for the  
very great difference of the matters    
that cover ,herculaneum and ,pompeii1 ,i

 have often thought that1 in the        
eruption of #gi1 the mountain must have 
been open in more than one place4 ,a    
passage in ,pliny's letter to ,tacitus  
seems to say as much3 ,interim e        
,vesuvio monte pluribus locis latissimae
 flammae1 atque incendia relucebant1    
quorum fulgor et claritas tenebras      
noctis pellebat3 so that very probably  
the matter that covers ,pompeii         
proceeded from a mouth1 or crater1 much 
nearer to it than is the great mouth of 
the ,volcano1 from whence came the      
matter that covers ,herculaneum4 ,this  
matter might nevertheless be said to    
have proceeded from ,vesuvius1 just as  
the eruption in the year #agfj1 which   
was quite independent of the great      
crater 7being four miles from it71 is   
properly called an eruption of          
,vesuvius4  ,in the beginning of        
eruptions1 ,volcanos frequently throw up
 water mixed with the ashes4 ,vesuvius  
did so in the eruption of #afca1        
according to the testimony of many      

contemporary writers4 ,the same         
circumstance happened in #affi1         
according to the account of ,ignazzio   
,sorrentino1 who1 by his history of     
,mount ,vesuvius1 printed at ,naples in 
#agcd1 has shewn himself to have been a 
very accurate observer of the phaenomena
 of the ,volcano1 for many years that he
 lived at ,torre del ,greco1 situated at
 the foot of it4 ,at the beginning of   
the formation of the new mountain1 near 
,puzzole1 water was mixed with the ashes
 thrown up1 as will be seen in two very 
curious and particular accounts of the  
formation of that mountain1 which ,i    
shall have the pleasure of communicating
 to you presently2 and in #agee1 ,etna  
threw up a quantity of water in the     
beginning of an eruption1 as is         
mentioned in the letter ,i sent you last
 year upon the subject of that          
magnificent ,volcano#cb4 ,ulloa likewise
 mentions this circumstance of water    
attending the eruptions of ,volcanos in 
,america4 ,whenever therefore ,i find a 

tufa composed exactly like that which   
immediately covers ,herculaneum1 and    
undoubtedly proceeded from ,vesuvius1 ,i
 conclude such a tufa to have been      
produced by water mixing with the       
erupted matter at the time of an        
explosion occasioned by subterraneous   
fire2 and this observation1 ,i believe1 
will be of more use than any other1 in  
pointing out those parts of the present 
terra firma1 that have been formed by   
explosion4 ,i am convinced1 it has often
 happened that subterraneous fires and  
exhalations1 after having been pent up  
and confined for some time1 and been the
 cause of earthquakes1 have forced their
 passage1 and in venting themselves     
formed mountains of the matter that     
confined them1 as you will see was the  
case near ,puzzole in the year #aech1   
and by evident signs has been so before1
 in many parts of the neighbourhood of  
,puzzole2 without creating a regular    
,volcano4 ,the materials of such        
mountains will have but little          

appearance of having been produced by   
fire1 to any one unaccustomed to make   
observations upon the different nature  
of ,volcanos4  ,if it were allowed to   
make a comparison between the earth and 
a human body1 one might consider a      
country replete with combustibles       
occasioning explosions 7which is surely 
the case here7 to be like a body full of
 humours4 ,when these humours concentre 
in one part1 and form a great tumour out
 of which they are discharged freely1   
the body is less agitated2 but when1 by 
any accident1 the humours are checked1  
and do not find free passage through    
their usual channel1 the body is        
agitated1 and tumours appear in other   
parts of that body1 but soon after the  
humours return again to their former    
channel4 ,in a similar manner one may   
conceive ,vesuvius to be the present    
great channel1 through which nature     
discharges some of the foul humours of  
the earth3 when these humours are       
checked by any accident or stoppage in  

this channel for any considerable time1 
earthquakes will be frequent in its     
neighbourhood1 and explosions may be    
apprehended even at some distance from  
it4 ,this was the case in the year      
#aech1 ,vesuvius having been quiet for  
near #djj years4 ,there was no eruption 
from its great crater1 from the year    
#aaci to the great eruption of #afca1   
and the top of the mountain began to    
lose all signs of fire4 ,as it is not   
foreign to my purpose1 and will serve to
 shew how greatly they are mistaken1 who
 place the seat of the fire in the      
centre1 or towards the top1 of a        
,volcano2 ,i will give you a curious    
description of the state of the crater  
of ,vesuvius1 after having been free    
from eruption #dib years1 as related by 
,bracini1 who descended into it not long
 before the eruption of #afca3 ,the     
crater was five miles in circumference1 
and about a thousand paces deep2 its    
sides were covered with brush wood1 and 
at the bottom there was a plain on which

 cattle grazed4 ,in the woody parts1    
boars frequently harboured2 in the midst
 of the plain1 within the crater1 was a 
narrow passage1 through which1 by a     
winding path1 you could descend about a 
mile amongst rocks and stones1 till you 
came to another more spacious plain     
covered with ashes3 in this plain were  
three little pools1 placed in a         
triangular form1 one towards the ,east1 
of hot water1 corrosive and bitter      
beyond measure2 another towards the     
,west1 of water salter than that of the 
sea2 the third of hot water1 that had no
 particular taste4  ,the great increase 
of the cone of ,vesuvius1 from that time
 to this1 naturally induces one to      
conclude1 that the whole of the cone was
 raised in the like manner2 and that the
 part of ,vesuvius1 called ,somma1 which
 is now considered as a distinct        
mountain from it1 was composed in the   
same manner4 ,this may plainly be       
perceived1 by examining its interior and
 exterior form1 and the strata of lava  

and burnt matter of which it is         
composed4 ,the ancients1 in describing  
,vesuvius1 never mention two mountains4 
,strabo1 ,dio1 ,vitruvius1 all agree1   
that ,vesuvius1 in their time1 shewed   
signs of having formerly erupted#cc1 and
 the first compares the crater on its   
top to an amphitheatre4 ,the mountain   
now called ,somma was1 ,i believe1 that 
which the ancients called ,vesuvius3 its
 outside form is conical2 its inside1   
instead of an amphitheatre1 is now like 
a great theatre4 ,i suppose the eruption
 in ,pliny's time to have thrown down   
that part of the cone next the sea1     
which would naturally have left it in   
its present state2 and that the conical 
mountain1 or existing ,vesuvius1 has    
been raised by the succeeding eruptions3
 all my observations confirm this       
opinion4 ,i have seen antient lavas in  
the plain on the other side of ,somma1  
which could never have proceeded from   
the present ,vesuvius4 ,serao1 a        
celebrated physician now living at      

,naples1 in the introduction of his     
account of the eruption of ,vesuvius in 
#agcg 7in which account many of the     
phaenomena of the ,volcano are recorded 
and very well accounted for71 says1 that
 at the convent of ,dominican ,fryars1  
called the ,madona del ,arco1 some years
 ago1 in sinking a well1 at a hundred   
feet depth1 a lava was discovered1 and  
soon after another2 so that1 in less    
than three hundred feet depth1 the lavas
 of four eruptions were found4 ,from the
 situation of this convent1 it is clear 
beyond a doubt1 that these lavas        
proceeded from the mountain called      
,somma1 as they are quite out of the    
reach of the existing ,volcano4  ,from  
these circumstances1 and from repeated  
observations ,i have made in the        
neighbourhood of ,vesuvius1 ,i am sure  
that no virgin soil is to be found      
there1 and that all is composed of      
different strata of erupted matter1 even
 to a great depth below the level of the
 sea4 ,in short1 ,i have not any doubt  

in my own mind1 but that this ,volcano  
took its rise from the bottom of the    
sea2 and as the whole plain between     
,vesuvius and the mountains behind      
,caserta1 which is the best part of the 
,campagna ,felice1 is 7under its good   
soil7 composed of burnt matter1 ,i      
imagine the sea to have washed the feet 
of those mountains1 until the           
subterraneous fires began to operate1 at
 a period certainly of a most remote    
antiquity4  ,the soil of the ,campagna  
,felice is very fertile2 ,i saw the     
earth opened in many places last year in
 the midst of that plain1 when they were
 seeking for materials to mend the road 
from ,naples to ,caserta4 ,the stratum  
of good soil was in general four or five
 feet thick2 under which was a deep     
stratum of cinders1 pumice1 fragments of
 lava1 and such burnt matter as abounds 
near ,vesuvius and all ,volcanos4 ,the  
mountains at the back of ,caserta are   
mostly of a sort of lime-stone1 and very
 different from those formed by fire2   

though ,signior ,van ,vitelli1 the      
celebrated architect1 has assured me1   
that1 in the cutting of the famous      
aqueduct of ,caserta through these      
mountains1 he met with some soils1 that 
had been evidently formed by            
subterraneous fire4 ,the high grounds1  
which extend from ,castel-a-,mare1 to   
the point of ,minerva towards the island
 of ,caprea1 and from the promontory    
that divides the bay of ,naples from    
that of ,salerno1 are of lime-stone4    
,the plain of ,sorrento1 that is bounded
 by these high grounds1 beginning at the
 village of ,vico1 and ending at that of
 ,massa1 is wholly composed of the same 
sort of tufa as that about ,naples1     
except that the cinders or pumice stones
 intermixed in it are larger than in the
 ,naples tufa4 ,i conceive then that    
there has been an explosion in this spot
 from the bottom of the sea4 ,this      
plain1 as ,i have remarked to be the    
case with all soils produced by         
subterraneous fire1 is extremely        

fertile2 whilst the ground about it1    
being of another nature1 is not so4 ,the
 island of ,caprea does not shew any    
signs of having been formed by          
subterraneous fire2 but is of the same  
nature as the high grounds last         
mentioned1 from which it has been       
probably detached by earthquakes1 or the
 violence of the waves4 ,rovigliano1 an 
island1 or rather a rock1 in the bay of 
,castel-a-,mare1 is likewise of         
lime-stone1 and seems to have belonged  
to the original mountains in its        
neighbourhood3 in some of these         
mountains there are also petrified fish 
and fossil shells1 which ,i never have  
found in the mountains which ,i suppose 
to have been formed by explosion#cd4    
,you have now1 ,sir1 before you the     
nature of the soil1 from ,caprea to     
,naples4 ,the soil on which this great  
metropolis stands has been evidently    
produced by explosions1 some of which   
seem to have been upon the very spot on 
which this city is built2 all the high  

grounds round ,naples1 ,pausilipo1      
,puzzole1 ,baia1 ,misenum1 the islands  
of ,procita and ,ischia1 appear to have 
been raised by explosion4 ,you can trace
 still in many of these heights the     
conical shape that was naturally given  
them at first1 and even the craters out 
of which the matter issued1 though to be
 sure others of these heights have      
suffered such changes by the hand of    
time1 that you can only conjecture that 
they were raised in the like manner1 by 
their composition being exactly the same
 as that of those mountains which still 
retain their conical form and craters   
entire4 ,a tufa1 exactly resembling the 
specimen ,i took from the inside of the 
theatre of ,herculaneum1 layers of      
pumice intermixed with layers of good   
soil1 just like those over ,pompeii1 and
 lavas like those of ,vesuvius1 compose 
the whole soil of the country that      
remains to be described4  ,the famous   
grotto anciently cut through the        
mountain of ,pausilipo1 to make a road  

from ,naples to ,puzzole1 gives you an  
opportunity of seeing that the whole of 
that mountain is tufa4 ,the first       
evident crater you meet with1 after you 
have passed the grotto of ,pausilipo1 is
 now the lake of ,agnano2 a small remain
 of the subterraneous fire 7which must  
probably have made the bason for the    
lake1 and raised the high grounds which 
form a sort of amphitheatre round it7   
serves to heat rooms1 which the         
,neapolitans make great use of in       
summer1 for carrying off diverse        
disorders1 by a strong perspiration4    
,this place is called the ,sudatorio di 
,san ,germano2 near the present bagnios1
 which are but poor little hovels1 there
 are the ruins of a magnificent ancient 
bath4 ,about an hundred paces from hence
 is the ,grotto del ,cane2 ,i shall only
 mention1 as a further proof of the     
probability that the lake of ,agnano was
 a ,volcano1 that vapours of a          
pernicious quality1 as that in the      
,grotto del ,cane1 are frequently met   

with in the neighbourhood of ,etna and  
,vesuvius1 particularly at the time of1 
before1 and after1 great eruptions4 ,the
 noxious vapour having continued in the 
same force constantly so many ages1 as  
it has done in the ,grotto del ,cane    
7for ,pliny mentions this ,grotto#ce71  
is indeed a circumstance in which it    
differs from the vapours near ,vesuvius 
and ,etna1 which are not constant4 ,the 
cone forming the outside of this        
supposed ,volcano is still perfect in   
many parts4  ,opposite to the ,grotto   
del ,cane1 and immediately joining to   
the lake1 rises the mountain called     
,astruni1 which1 having1 as ,i imagine1 
been thrown up by an explosion of a much
 later date1 retains the conical shape  
and every symptom of a ,volcano in much 
greater perfection than that ,i have    
been describing4 ,the crater of ,astruni
 is surrounded with a wall1 to confine  
boars and deers 7this ,volcano having   
been for many years converted to a royal
 chace74 ,it may be about six miles or  

more in circumference3 in the plain at  
the bottom of the crater are two lakes2 
and in some books there is mention made 
of a hot spring1 which ,i never have    
been able to find4 ,there are many huge 
rocks of lava within the crater of      
,astruni1 and some ,i have met with also
 in that of ,agnano2 the cones of both  
these supposed ,volcanos are composed of
 tufa and strata of loose pumice1       
fragments of lava and other burnt       
matter1 exactly resembling the strata of
 ,vesuvius4 ,bartholomeus ,fatius1 who  
wrote of the actions of ,king ,alphonso 
the ,first 7before the new mountain had 
been formed near ,puzzole71 conjectured 
that ,astruni had been a ,volcano4      
,these are his words3 ,locus ,neapoli   
quatuor millia passuum proximus1 quem   
vulgo ,listrones vocant1 nos unum e     
,phlegraeis ,campis ab ardore           
nuncupandum putamus4 ,there is no       
entrance into the crater of either      
,astruni or ,agnano1 except one1        
evidently made by art1 and they both    

exactly correspond with ,strabo's       
description of ,avernus2 the same may be
 said of the ,solfaterra and the ,monte 
,gauro1 or ,barbaro as it is sometimes  
called1 which ,i shall describe         
presently4  ,near ,astruni and towards  
the sea rises the ,solfaterra1 which not
 only retains its cone and crater1 but  
much of its former heat4 ,in the plain  
within the crater1 smoak issues from    
many parts1 as also from its sides2     
here1 by means of stones and tiles      
heaped over the crevices through which  
the smoak passes1 they collect in an    
aukward manner what they call sale      
armoniaco2 and from the sand of the     
plain they extract sulphur and alum4    
,this spot1 well attended to1 might     
certainly produce a good revenue1       
whereas ,i doubt if they have hitherto  
ever cleared #bjjl4 a year by it4 ,the  
hollow sound produced by throwing a     
heavy stone on the plain of the crater  
of the ,solfaterra seems to indicate1   
that it is supported by a sort of arched

 natural vault2 and one is induced to   
think that there is a pool of water     
beneath this vault 7which boils by the  
heat of a subterraneous fire still      
deeper71 by the very moist steam that   
issues from the cracks in the plain of  
the ,solfaterra1 which1 like that of    
boiling water1 runs off a sword or      
knife1 presented to it1 in great drops4 
,on the outside1 and at the foot of the 
cone of the ,solfaterra1 towards the    
lake of ,agnano1 water rushes out of the
 rocks1 so hot1 as to raise the         
quicksilver in ,fahrenheit's thermometer
 to the degree of boiling water#cf1 a   
fact of which ,i was myself an          
eye-witness4 ,this place1 well worthy   
the observation of the curious1 has been
 taken little notice of2 it is called   
the ,pisciarelli4 ,the common people of 
,naples have great faith in the efficacy
 of this water2 and make much use of it 
in all cutaneous disorders1 as well as  
for another disorder that prevails here4
 ,it seems to be impregnated chiefly    

with sulphur and alum4 ,when you        
approach your ear to the rocks of the   
,pisciarelli1 from whence this water    
ouzes1 you hear a horrid boiling noise1 
which seems to proceed from the huge    
cauldron1 that may be supposed to be    
under the plain of the ,solfaterra4 ,on 
the other side of the ,solfaterra1 next 
the sea1 there is a rock1 which has     
communicated with the sea1 till part of 
it was cut away to make the road to     
,puzzole2 this was undoubtedly a        
considerable lava1 that ran from the    
,solfaterra when it was an active       
,volcano4 ,under this rock of lava1     
which is more than seventy feet high1   
there is a stratum of pumice and ashes4 
,this ancient lava is about a quarter of
 a mile broad2 you meet with it abruptly
 before you come in sight of ,puzzole1  
and it finishes as abruptly within about
 an hundred paces of the town4 ,i have  
often thought that many quarries of     
stone1 upon examination1 would be found 
to owe their origin to the same cause1  

though time may have effaced all signs  
of the ,volcano from whence they        
proceeded4 ,except this rock1 which is  
evidently lava and full of              
vitrifications like that of ,vesuvius1  
all the rocks upon the coast of ,baia   
are of tufa4  ,i have observed in the   
lava of ,vesuvius and ,etna1 as in this1
 that the bottom1 as well as the surface
 of it1 was rough and porous1 like the  
cinders or scoriae from an iron         
foundery2 and that for about a foot from
 the surface and from the bottom1 they  
were not near so solid and compact as   
towards the centre2 which must          
undoubtedly proceed from the impression 
of the air upon the vitrified matter    
whilst in fusion4 ,i mention this       
circumstance1 as it may serve to point  
out true lavas with more certainty4 ,the
 ancient name of the ,solfaterra was1   
,forum ,vulcani2 a strong proof of its  
origin from subterraneous fire4 ,the    
degree of heat1 that the ,solfaterra has
 preserved for so many ages1 seems to   

have calcined the stones upon its cone1 
and in its crater1 as they are very     
white1 and crumble easily in the hottest
 parts4  ,we come next to the new       
mountain near ,puzzole1 which1 being of 
so very late a formation1 preserves its 
conical shape entire1 and produces as   
yet but a very slender vegetation4 ,it  
has a crater almost as deep as the cone 
is high1 which may be near a quarter of 
a mile perpendicular1 and is in shape a 
regular inverted cone4 ,at the basis of 
this new mountain 7which is more than   
three miles in circumference71 the sand 
upon the sea shore1 and even that which 
is washed by the sea itself1 is burning 
hot for above the space of an hundred   
yards2 if you take up a handful of the  
sand below water1 you are obliged to get
 rid of it directly1 on account of its  
intense heat4  ,i had been long very    
desirous of meeting with a good account 
of the formation of this new mountain1  
because1 proving this mountain to have  
been raised by mere explosion in a      

plain1 would prove at the same time1    
that all the neighbouring mountains1    
which are composed of the same          
materials1 and have exactly or in part  
the same form1 were raised in the like  
manner2 and that the seat of fire1 the  
cause of these explosions1 lies deep2   
which ,i have every reason to think4    
,fortunately1 ,i lately found two very  
good accounts of the phaenomena that    
attended the explosion1 which formed the
 new mountain1 published a few months   
after the event4 ,as ,i think them very 
curious1 and greatly to my purpose1 and 
as they are rare1 ,i will give you a    
literal translation of such extracts as 
relate to the formation of the ,monte   
,nuovo4 ,they are bound in one          
volume#cg4  ,the title of the first is1 
,dell ,incendio di ,pozzuolo1 ,marco    
,antonio delli ,falconi all             
,illustrissima ,signiora ,marchesa della
 ,padula nel ,,mdxxxviii4  ,at the head 
of the second is1 ,ragionamento del     
,terremoto1 del ,nuovo ,monte1 del      

,aprimento di ,terra in ,pozzuolo nell' 
,anno #aech1 e della significatione     
d'essi4 ,per ,piero ,giacomo da ,toledo2
 and at the end of the book1 ,stampata  
in ,nap4 per ,giovanni ,sulztbach       
,alemano1 a #bb;di ,genaro #aeci1 con   
gratia1 e privilegio4  ,first then 7says
 ,marco ,antonio delli ,falconi71 will  
,i relate simply and exactly the        
operations of nature1 of which ,i was   
either myself an eye-witness1 or as they
 were related to me by those who had    
been witnesses of them4 ,it is now two  
years that there have been frequent     
earthquakes at ,pozzuolo1 at ,naples1   
and the neighbouring parts2 on the day  
and in the night before the appearance  
of this eruption1 above twenty shocks   
great and small were felt at the        
abovementioned places4 ,the eruption    
made its appearance the #bith of        
,september #aech1 the feast of ,st4     
,michael the angel2 it was on a ,sunday1
 about an hour in the night2 and1 as ,i 
have been informed1 they began to see on

 that spot1 between the hot baths or    
sweating rooms1 and ,trepergule1 flames 
of fire1 which first made their         
appearance at the baths1 then extended  
towards ,trepergule1 and fixing in the  
little valley that lies between the     
,monte ,barbaro and the hillock called  
del ,pericolo 7which was the road to the
 lake of ,avernus and the baths71 in a  
short time the fire increased to such a 
degree1 that it burst open the earth in 
this place1 and threw up so great a     
quantity of ashes and pumice stones     
mixed with water1 as covered the whole  
country2 and in ,naples a shower of     
these ashes and water fell a great part 
of the night4 ,the next morning1 which  
was ,monday1 and the last of the month1 
the poor inhabitants of ,pozzuolo1      
struck with so horrible a sight1 quitted
 their habitations1 covered with that   
muddy and black shower1 which continued 
in that country the whole day1 flying   
death1 but with faces painted with its  
colours2 some with their children in    

their arms1 some with sacks full of     
their goods2 others leading an ass1     
loaded with their frightened family1    
towards ,naples2 others carrying        
quantities of birds of various sorts1   
that had fallen dead at the time the    
eruption began2 others again with fish  
which they had found1 and were to be met
 with in plenty upon the shore1 the sea 
having been at that time considerably   
dried up4 ,don ,pedro di ,toledo1       
,viceroy of the kingdom1 with many      
gentlemen1 went to see so wonderful an  
appearance2 ,i also1 having met with the
 most honourable and incomparable       
gentleman1 ,signior ,fabritio           
,moramaldo1 on the road1 went and saw   
the eruption and the many wonderful     
effects of it4 ,the sea towards ,baia   
had retired a considerable way2 though1 
from the quantity of ashes and broken   
pumice stones thrown up by the eruption1
 it appeared almost totally dry4 ,i saw 
likewise two springs in those           
lately-discovered ruins1 one before the 

house that was the ,queen's1 of hot and 
salt water2 the other of fresh and cold 
water1 on the shore1 about #bej paces   
nearer to the eruption3 some say1 that1 
still nearer to the spot where the      
eruption happened1 a stream of fresh    
water issued forth like a little river4 
,turning towards the place of the       
eruption1 you saw mountains of smoak1   
part of which was very black and part   
very white1 rise up to a great height2  
and in the midst of the smoak1 at times1
 deep-coloured flames burst forth with  
huge stones and ashes1 and you heard a  
noise like the discharge of a number of 
great artillery4 ,it appeared to me as  
if ,typheus and ,enceladus from ,ischia 
and ,etna with innumerable giants1 or   
those from the ,campi ,phlegrei 7which1 
according to the opinions of some1 were 
situated in this neighbourhood71 were   
come to wage war again with ,jupiter4   
,the natural historians may perhaps     
reasonably say1 that the wise poets     
meant no more by giants1 than           

exhalations1 shut up in the bowels of   
the earth1 which1 not finding a free    
passage1 open one by their own force and
 impulse1 and form mountains1 as those  
which occasioned this eruption have been
 seen to do2 and methought ,i saw those 
torrents of burning smoak that ,pindar  
describes in an eruption of ,etna1 now  
called ,mon ,gibello1 in ,sicily2 in    
imitation of which1 as some say1 ,virgil
 wrote these lines3    ,ipse sed        
horrificis juxta tonat ,a,etna ruinis1  
c4  ,after the stones and ashes with    
clouds of thick smoak had been sent up1 
by the impulse of the fire and windy    
exhalation 7as you see in a great       
cauldron that boils71 into the middle   
region of the air1 overcome by their own
 natural weight1 when from distance the 
strength they had received from impulse 
was spent1 rejected likewise by the cold
 and unfriendly region1 you saw them    
fall thick1 and1 by degrees1 the        
condensed smoak clear away1 raining     
ashes with water and stones of different

 sizes1 according to the distance from  
the place3 then1 by degrees1 with the   
same noise and smoak1 it threw out      
stones and ashes again1 and so on by    
fits4 ,this continued two days and      
nights1 when the smoak and force of the 
fire began to abate4 ,the fourth day1   
which was ,thursday1 at #bb o'clock1    
there was so great an eruption1 that1 as
 ,i was in the gulph of ,puzzole1 coming
 from ,ischia1 and not far from         
,misenum1 ,i saw1 in a short time1 many 
columns of smoak shoot up1 with the most
 terrible noise ,i ever heard1 and1     
bending over the sea1 came near our     
boat1 which was four miles or more from 
the place of their birth2 and the       
quantity of ashes1 stones1 and smoak1   
seemed as if they would cover the whole 
earth and sea4 ,stones1 great and small1
 and ashes more or less1 according to   
the impulse of the fire and exhalations1
 began to fall1 so that a great part of 
this country was covered with ashes2 and
 many1 that have seen it1 say1 they     

reached the vale of ,diana1 and some    
parts of ,calabria1 which are more than 
#aej miles from ,pozzuolo4 ,the ,friday 
and ,saturday nothing but a little smoak
 appeared2 so that many1 taking courage1
 went upon the spot1 and say1 that with 
the stones and ashes thrown up1 a       
mountain has been formed in that valley1
 not less than three miles in           
circumference1 and almost as high as the
 ,monte ,barbaro1 which is near it1     
covering the ,canettaria1 the castle of 
,trepergule1 all those buildings and the
 greatest part of the baths that were   
about them2 extending ,south towards the
 sea1 ,north as far as the lake of      
,avernus1 ,west to the ,sudatory1 and   
joining ,east to the foot of the ,monte 
,barbaro2 so that this place has changed
 its form and face in such a manner as  
not to be known again3 a thing almost   
incredible1 to those who have not seen  
it1 that in so short a time so          
considerable a mountain could have been 
formed4 ,on its summit there is a mouth 

in the form of a cup1 which may be a    
quarter of a mile in circumference1     
though some say it is as large as our   
market-place at ,naples1 from which     
there issues a constant smoak2 and      
though ,i have seen it only at a        
distance1 it appears very great4 ,the   
,sunday following1 which was the #fth of
 ,october1 many people going to see this
 phaenomenon1 and some having ascended  
half the mountain1 others more1 about   
#bb o'clock there happened so sudden and
 horrid an eruption1 with so great a    
smoak1 that many of these people were   
stifled1 some of which could never be   
found4 ,i have been told1 that the      
number of the dead or lost amounted to  
twenty-four4 ,from that time to this1   
nothing remarkable happened2 it seems as
 if the eruption returned periodically1 
like the ague or gout4 ,i believe       
henceforward it will not have such      
force1 though the eruption of the       
,sunday was accompanied with showers of 
ashes and water1 which fell at ,naples1 

and were seen to extend as far as the   
mountain of ,somma1 called ,vesuvius by 
the ancients2 and1 as ,i have often     
remarked1 the clouds of smoak proceeding
 from the eruption moved in a direct    
line towards that mountain1 as if these 
places had a correspondence and         
connection one with the other4 ,in the  
night1 many beams and columns of fire   
were seen to proceed from this eruption1
 and some like flashes of lightning#ch4 
,we have then1 many circumstances for   
our observation1 the earthquakes1 the   
eruption1 the drying up of the sea1 the 
quantity of dead fish and birds1 the    
birth of springs1 the shower of ashes   
with water and without water1 the       
innumerable trees in that whole country1
 as far as the ,grotto of ,lucullus1    
torn from their roots1 thrown down1 and 
covered with ashes1 that it gave one    
pain to see them3 and as all these      
effects were produced by the same cause 
that produces earthquakes2 let us first 
enquire how earthquakes are produced1   

and from thence we may easily comprehend
 the cause of the abovementioned events4
 ,then follows a dissertation on        
earthquakes1 and some curious           
conjectures relative to the phaenomena  
which attended this eruption1 clearly   
and well expressed1 considering1 as the 
author himself apologizes1 that at that 
time the ,italian language had been     
little employed on such subjects4  ,the 
account of the formation of the ,monte  
,nuovo1 by ,pietro ,giacomo di ,toledo1 
is given in a dialogue between the      
feigned personages of ,peregrino and    
,svessano2 the former of which says1 ,it
 is now two years that this province of 
,campagna has been afflicted with       
earthquakes1 the country about ,pozzuolo
 much more so than any other parts2 but 
the #bgth and the #bhth of the month of 
,september last1 the earthquakes did not
 cease day or night1 in the             
abovementioned city of ,pozzuolo2 that  
plain1 which lies between the lake of   
,averno1 the ,monte ,barbaro1 and the   

sea1 was raised a little1 and many      
cracks were made in it1 from some of    
which issued water2 and at the same time
 the sea1 which was very near the plain1
 dried up about two hundred paces1 so   
that the fish were left on the sand1 a  
prey to the inhabitants of ,pozzuolo4   
,at last1 on the #bith of the said      
month1 about two hours in the night1 the
 earth opened near the lake1 and        
discovered a horrid mouth1 from which   
were vomited furiously1 smoak1 fire1    
stones1 and mud composed of ashes2      
making1 at the time of its opening1 a   
noise like very loud thunder3 the fire1 
that issued from this mouth1 went       
towards the walls of the unfortunate    
city2 the smoak was partly black and    
partly white2 the black was darker than 
darkness itself1 and the white was like 
the whitest cotton3 these smoaks1 rising
 in the air1 seemed as if they would    
touch the vault of heaven2 the stones   
that followed were1 by the devouring    
flames1 converted to pumice1 the size of

 which 7of some ,i say7 were much larger
 than an ox4 ,the stones went about as  
high as a cross-bow can carry1 and then 
fell down1 sometimes on the edge1 and   
sometimes into the mouth itself4 ,it is 
very true that many of them in going up 
could not be seen1 on account of the    
dark smoak2 but1 when they returned from
 the smoaky heat1 they shewed plainly   
where they had been1 by their strong    
smell of fetid sulphur1 just like stones
 that have been thrown out of a mortar1 
and have passed through the smoak of    
inflamed gunpowder4 ,the mud was of the 
colour of ashes1 and at first very      
liquid1 then by degrees less so2 and in 
such quantities1 that in less than      
twelve hours1 with the help of the      
abovementioned stones1 a mountain was   
raised of a thousand paces in height4   
,not only ,pozzuolo and the neighbouring
 country was full of this mud1 but the  
city of ,naples also1 the beauty of     
whose palaces were1 in a great measure1 
spoiled by it4 ,the ashes were carried  

as far as ,calabria by the force of the 
winds1 burning up in their passage the  
grass and high trees1 many of which were
 borne down by the weight of them4 ,an  
infinity of birds also1 and numberless  
animals of various kinds1 covered with  
this sulphureous mud1 gave themselves up
 a prey to man4 ,now this eruption      
lasted two nights and two days without  
intermission1 though1 it is true1 not   
always with the same force1 but more or 
less3 when it was at its greatest       
height1 even at ,naples you heard a     
noise or thundering like heavy artillery
 when two armies are engaged4 ,the third
 day the eruption ceased1 so that the   
mountain made its appearance uncovered1 
to the no small astonishment of every   
one who saw it4 ,on this day1 when ,i   
went up with many people to the top of  
this mountain2 ,i saw down into its     
mouth1 which was a round concavity of   
about a quarter of a mile in            
circumference1 in the middle of which   
the stones that had fallen were boiling 

up1 just as in a great cauldron of water
 that boils on the fire4 ,the fourth day
 it began to throw up again1 and the    
seventh much more1 but still with less  
violence than the first night2 it was at
 this time that many people1 who were   
unfortunately on the mountain1 were     
either suddenly covered with ashes1     
smothered with smoak1 or1 knocked down  
by stones1 burnt by the flame1 and left 
dead on the spot4 ,the smoak continues  
to this day#ci1 and you often see in the
 night-time fire in the midst of it4    
,finally1 to complete the history of    
this new and unforeseen event1 in many  
parts of the new-made mountain1 sulphur 
begins to be generated4 ,giacomo di     
,toledo1 towards the end of his         
dissertation upon the phaenomena        
attending this eruption1 says1 that the 
lake of ,avernus had a communication    
with the sea1 before the time of the    
eruption2 and that he apprehended that  
the air of ,puzzole might come to be    
affected in summer time1 by the vapours 

from the stagnated waters of the lake2  
which is actually the case4  ,you have1 
,sir1 from these accounts1 an instance  
of a mountain1 of a considerable height 
and dimensions1 formed in a plain1 by   
mere explosion1 in the space of         
forty-eight hours4 ,the earthquakes     
having been sensibly felt at a great    
distance from the spot where the opening
 was made1 proves clearly1 that the     
subterraneous fire was at a great depth 
below the surface of the plain2 it is as
 clear that those earthquakes1 and the  
explosion1 proceeded from the same      
cause1 the former having ceased upon the
 appearance of the latter4 ,does not    
this circumstance evidently contradict  
the system of ,m4 ,buffon1 and of all   
the natural historians1 who have placed 
the seat of the fire of ,volcanos       
towards the center1 or near the summit  
of the mountains1 which they suppose to 
furnish the matter emitted8 ,did the    
matter which proceeds from a ,volcano in
 an eruption come from so inconsiderable

 a depth as they imagine1 that part of  
the mountain situated above their       
supposed seat of the fire must          
necessarily be destroyed1 or dissipated 
in a very short time3 on the contrary1  
an eruption usually adds to the height  
and bulk of a ,volcano2 and who1 that   
has had an opportunity of making        
observations on ,volcanos1 does not     
know1 that the matter they have emitted 
for many ages1 in lavas1 ashes1 smoak1  
c4 could it be collected together1 would
 more than suffice to form three such   
mountains as the simple cone or mountain
 of the existing ,volcano8 ,with respect
 to ,vesuvius1 this could be plainly    
proved2 and ,i refer to my letter upon  
the subject of ,etna1 to shew the       
quantity of matter thrown up in one     
single eruption1 by that terrible       
,volcano4 ,another proof1 that the real 
seat of the fire of ,volcanos lies even 
greatly below the general level of the  
country whence the mountain springs1 is1
 that was it only at an inconsiderable  

depth below the basis of the mountain1  
the quantity of matter thrown up would  
soon leave so great a void immediately  
under it1 that the mountain itself must 
undoubtedly sink and disappear after a  
few eruptions4  ,in the above accounts  
of the formation of the new mountain1 we
 are told that the matter first thrown  
up1 was mud composed of water and ashes1
 mixed with pumice stones and other     
burnt matter3 on the road leading from  
,puzzole to ,cuma1 part of the cone of  
this mountain has been cut away1 to     
widen the road4 ,i have there seen that 
its composition is a tufa intermixed    
with pumice1 some of which are really of
 the size of an ox1 as mentioned in     
,toledo's account1 and exactly of the   
same nature as the tufa of which every  
other high ground in its neighbourhood  
is composed2 similar also to that which 
covers ,herculaneum4 ,according to the  
above accounts1 after the muddy shower  
ceased1 it rained dry ashes3 this       
circumstance will account for the strata

 of loose pumice and ashes1 that are    
generally upon the surface of all the   
tufas in this country1 and which were   
most probably thrown up in the same     
manner4 ,at the first opening of the    
earth1 in the plain near ,puzzole1 both 
accounts say1 that springs of water     
burst forth2 this water1 mixing with the
 ashes1 certainly occasioned the muddy  
shower2 when the springs were exhausted1
 there must naturally have ensued a     
shower of dry ashes and pumice1 of which
 we have been likewise assured4 ,i own1 
,i was greatly pleased at being in this 
manner enabled to account so well for   
the formation of these tufa stones and  
the veins of dry and loose burnt matter 
above them1 of which the soil of almost 
the whole country ,i am describing is   
composed2 and ,i do not know that any   
one has ever attended to this           
circumstance1 though ,i find that many  
authors1 who have described this        
country1 have suspected that parts of it
 were formed by explosion4 ,wherever    

then this sort of tufa is found1 there  
is certainly good authority to suspect  
its having been formed in the same      
manner as the tufa of this new mountain1
 for1 as ,i said before1 ,nature is     
generally uniform in all her operations4
  ,it is commonly imagined that the new 
mountain rose out of the ,lucrine lake1 
which was destroyed by it2 but in the   
above account1 no mention is made of the
 ,lucrine lake2 it may be supposed then1
 that the famous dam1 which ,strabo and 
many other ancient authors mention to   
have separated that lake from the sea1  
had been ruined by time or accident1 and
 that the lake became a part of the sea 
before the explosion of #aech4  ,if the 
above-described eruption was terrible1  
that which formed the ,monte ,barbaro   
7or ,gauro1 as it was formerly called71 
must have been dreadful indeed4 ,it     
joins immediately to the new mountain1  
which in shape and composition it       
exactly resembles2 but it is at least   
three times as considerable4 ,its crater

 cannot be less than six miles in       
circumference2 the plain within the     
crater1 one of the most fertile spots ,i
 ever saw1 is about four miles in       
circumference3 there is no entrance to  
this plain1 but one on the ,east side of
 the mountain1 made evidently by art2 in
 this section you have an opportunity of
 seeing that the matter of which the    
mountain is composed is exactly similar 
to that of the ,monte ,nuovo4 ,it was   
this mountain that produced 7as some    
authors have supposed7 the celebrated   
,falernian wine of the ancients4  ,cuma1
 allowed to have been the most ancient  
city of ,italy1 was built on an         
eminence1 which is likewise composed of 
tufa1 and may be naturally supposed a   
section of the cone formed by a very    
ancient explosion4  ,the lake of        
,avernus fills the bottom of the crater 
of a mountain1 undoubtedly produced by  
explosion1 and whose interior and       
exterior form1 as well as the matter of 
which it is composed1 exactly resemble  

the ,monte ,barbaro and ,monte ,nuovo4  
,at that part of the basis of this      
mountain which is washed by the sea of  
the bay of ,puzzole1 the sand is still  
very hot1 though constantly washed by   
the waves2 and into the cone of the     
mountain1 near this hot sand1 a narrow  
passage of about #ajj paces in length is
 cut1 and leads to a fountain of boiling
 water1 which1 though brackish1 boils   
fish and flesh without giving them any  
bad taste or quality1 as ,i have        
experienced more than once4 ,this place 
is called ,nero's bath1 and is still    
made use of for a sudatory1 as it was by
 the ancients2 the steam that rises from
 the hot fountain abovementioned1       
confined in the narrow subterraneous    
passage1 soon produces a violent        
perspiration upon the patient who sits  
therein4 ,this bath is reckoned a great 
specifick in that distemper which is    
supposed to have made its appearance at 
,naples before it spread its contagion  
over the other parts of ,europe4        

,virgil and other ancient authors say1  
that birds could not fly with safety    
over the lake of ,avernus1 but that they
 fell therein2 a circumstance favouring 
my opinion1 that this was once the mouth
 of a ,volcano4 ,the vapour of the      
sulphur and other minerals must         
undoubtedly have been more powerful1 the
 nearer we go back to the time of the   
explosion of the ,volcano2 and ,i am    
convinced that there are still some     
remains of those vapours upon this lake1
 as ,i have observed there are very     
seldom any water-fowl upon it2 and that 
when they do go there1 it is but for a  
short time2 whilst all the other lakes  
in the neighbourhood are constantly     
covered with them1 in the winter season4
 ,upon ,mount ,vesuvius1 in the year    
#agff1 during an eruption1 when the air 
was impregnated with noxious vapours1 ,i
 have myself picked up dead birds       
frequently4  ,the castle of ,baia stands
 upon a considerable eminence1 composed 
of the usual tufa and strata of pumice  

and ashes2 from which ,i concluded ,i   
should find some remains of the craters 
from whence the matter issued3          
accordingly1 having ascended the hill1  
,i soon discovered two very visible     
craters1 just behind the castle4  ,the  
lake called the ,mare-morto was also1   
most probably1 the crater1 from whence  
issued the materials which formed the   
,promontory of ,misenum1 and the high   
grounds around this lake4 ,under the    
ruins of an ancient building1 near the  
point of ,misenum1 in a vault1 there is 
a vapour1 or mofete1 exactly similar in 
its effects to that of the ,grotto del  
,cane1 as ,i have often experienced4    
,the form of the little island of       
,nisida shews plainly its origin#dj4 ,it
 is half a hollow cone of a ,volcano cut
 perpendicularly2 the half crater forms 
a little harbour called the ,porto      
,pavone2 ,i suppose the other half of   
the cone to have been detached into the 
sea by earthquakes1 or perhaps by the   
violence of the waves1 as the part that 

is wanting is the side next to the open 
sea4  ,the fertile and pleasant island  
of ,procita shews also most evident     
signs of its production by explosion1   
the nature of its soil being directly   
similar to that of ,baia and ,puzzole2  
this island seems really1 as was        
imagined by the ancients1 to have been  
detached from the neighbouring island of
 ,ischia4  ,there is no spot1 ,i        
believe1 that could afford a more ample 
field for curious observations1 than the
 island of ,ischia1 called ,enaria1     
,inarime1 and ,pithecusa1 by the        
ancients4 ,i have visited it three      
times2 and this summer passed three     
weeks there1 during which time ,i       
examined1 with attention1 every part of 
it4 ,ischia is eighteen miles in        
circumference3 the whole of its soil is 
the same as that near ,vesuvius1        
,naples1 and ,puzzole4 ,there are       
numberless springs1 hot1 warm1 and      
cold#da1 dispersed over the whole       
island1 the waters of which are         

impregnated with minerals of various    
sorts2 so that1 if you give credit to   
the inhabitants of the country1 there is
 no disorder but what finds its remedy  
here4 ,in the hot months 7the season for
 making use of these baths71 those who  
have occasion for them flock hither from
 ,naples4 ,a charitable institution     
sends and maintains three hundred poor  
patients at the baths of ,gurgitelli    
every season4 ,by what ,i could learn of
 these poor patients1 those baths have  
really done wonders1 in cases attended  
with obstinate tumours1 and in          
contractions of the tendons and muscles4
 ,the patient begins by bathing1 and    
then is buried in the hot sand near the 
sea4 ,in many parts of the island1 the  
sand is burning hot1 even under water4  
,the sand on some parts of the shore is 
almost entirely composed of particles of
 iron ore2 at least they are attracted  
by the load-stone1 as ,i have           
experienced4 ,near that part of the     
island called ,lacco1 there is a rock of

 an ancient lava1 forming a small       
cavern1 which is shut up with a door2   
this cavern is made use of to cool      
liquors and fruit1 which it does in a   
short time as effectually as ice4       
,before the door was opened1 ,i felt the
 cold to my legs very sensibly2 but when
 it was opened1 the cold rushed out so  
as to give me pain2 and within the      
grotto it was intolerable4 ,i was not   
sensible of wind attending this cold2   
though upon ,mount ,etna and ,mount     
,vesuvius1 where there are caverns of   
this kind1 the cold is evidently        
occasioned by a subterraneous wind3 the 
natives call such places ventaroli4 ,may
 not the quantity of nitre1 with which  
all these places abound1 account in some
 measure for such extreme cold8 ,my     
thermometer was unluckily broken1 or ,i 
would have informed you of the exact    
degree of the cold in this ventaroli of 
,ischia1 which is by much the strongest 
in its effects ,i ever felt4 ,the       
ancient lavas of ,ischia shew1 that the 

eruptions there have been very          
formidable2 and history informs us1 that
 its first inhabitants were driven out  
of the island by the frequency and the  
violence of them4 ,there are some of    
these ancient lavas not less than two   
hundred feet in depth4 ,the mountain of 
,st4 ,nicola1 on which there is at      
present a convent of hermits1 was called
 by the ancients ,epomeus2 it is as     
high1 if not higher1 than ,vesuvius1 and
 appears to me to be a section of the   
cone of the ancient and principal       
,volcano of the island1 its composition 
being all tufa or lava4 ,the cells of   
the convent abovementioned are cut out  
of the mountain itself2 and there you   
see plainly that its composition no way 
differs from the matter that covers     
,herculaneum1 and forms the ,monte      
,nuovo4 ,there is no sign of a crater on
 the top of this mountain1 which rises  
almost to a sharp point3 time1 and other
 accidents1 may be reasonably supposed  
to have worn away this distinctive mark 

of its having been formed by explosion1 
as ,i have seen to be the case in other 
mountains1 formed evidently by          
explosion1 on the flanks of ,etna and   
,vesuvius4 ,strabo1 in his #eth book1   
upon the subject of this island1 quotes 
,timaeus1 as having said1 that1 a little
 before his time1 a mountain in the     
middle of ,pithecusa1 called ,epomeus1  
was shook by an earthquake1 and vomited 
flames4  ,there are many other rising   
grounds in this island1 that1 from the  
nature of their composition1 must lead  
one to think the same as to their       
origin4 ,near the village of            
,castiglione1 there is a mountain formed
 surely by an explosion of a much later 
date1 having preserved its conical form 
and crater entire1 and producing as yet 
but a slender vegetation3 there is no   
account1 however1 of the date of this   
eruption4 ,nearer the town of ,ischia1  
which is on the sea shore1 at a place   
called ,le ,cremate1 there is a crater1 
from which1 in the year #acja or #acjb1 

a lava ran quite into the sea2 there is 
not the least vegetation on this lava1  
but it is nearly in the same state as   
the modern lavas of ,vesuvius4 ,pontano1
 ,maranti1 and ,d4 ,francesco ,lombardi1
 have recorded this eruption2 the latter
 of whom says1 that it lasted two       
months2 that many men and beasts were   
killed by the explosion2 and that a     
number of the inhabitants were obliged  
to seek for refuge at ,naples and in the
 neighbouring islands4 ,in short1       
according to my idea1 the island of     
,ischia must have taken its rise from   
the bottom of the sea1 and been         
increased to its present size by divers 
later explosions4 ,this is not          
extraordinary1 when history tells us    
7and from my own observation ,i have    
reason to believe7 that the ,lipari     
islands were formed in the like manner4 
,there has been no eruption in ,ischia  
since that just mentioned1 but          
earthquakes are very frequent there2 two
 years ago1 as ,i was told1 they had a  

very considerable shock of an earthquake
 in this island4  ,father ,goree's      
account of the formation of the new     
island in the ,archipelago 7situated    
between the two islands called ,kammeni1
 and near that of ,santorini7 of which  
he was an eye-witness1 strongly confirms
 the probability of the conjectures ,i  
venture to send you1 relative to the    
formation of those islands and that part
 of the continent above described3 it   
seems likewise to confirm the accounts  
given by ,strabo1 ,pliny1 ,justin1 and  
other ancient authors1 of many islands  
in the ,archipelago1 formerly called the
 ,ciclades1 having sprung up from the   
bottom of the sea#db in the like manner4
 ,according to ,pliny1 in the #dth year 
of the ,c,x,x,x,vth ,olympiad1 #bcg     
years before the ,christian aera1 the   
island of ,thera 7now ,santorini7 and   
,theresia were formed by explosion2 and1
 #acj years later1 the island ,hiera    
7now called the great ,kammeni7 rose up4
 ,strabo describes the birth of this    

island in these words3 ,in the middle   
space between ,thera and ,theresia      
flames burst out of the sea for four    
days1 which1 by degrees1 throwing up    
great masses1 as if they had been raised
 by machines1 they formed an island of  
twelve stadia in circuit4 ,and ,justin  
says of the same island1 ,eodem anno    
inter insulas ,theramenem et ,theresiam1
 medio utriusque ripae et maris spatio1 
terrae motus fuit3 in quo1 cum          
admiratione navigantium1 repente ex     
profundo cum calidis aquis ,insula      
emersit4  ,pliny mentions also the      
formation of ,aspronisi1 or the ,white  
,island1 by explosion1 in the time of   
,vespasian4 ,it is known1 likewise1 that
 in the year #afbh1 one of the islands  
of the ,azores1 near the island of ,st4 
,michael1 rose up from the bottom of the
 sea1 which was in that place #afj      
fathoms deep2 and that this island1     
which was raised in fifteen days1 is    
three leagues long1 a league and a half 
broad1 and rises three hundred and sixty

 feet above water4  ,father ,goree1 in  
his account of the formation of the new 
island in the ,archipelago1 mentions two
 distinct matters that entered into the 
composition of this island1 the one     
black1 the other white4 ,aspronisi1     
probably from its very name1 is composed
 of the white matter1 which if1 upon    
examination1 it proves to be a tufa1 as 
,i strongly suspect1 ,i should think    
myself still more grounded in my        
conjectures2 though ,i must confess1 as 
it is1 ,i have scarcely a doubt left    
with respect to the country ,i have been
 describing having been thrown up in a  
long series of ages by various          
explosions from subterraneous fire4     
,surely there are at present many       
existing ,volcanos in the known world2  
and the memory of many others have been 
handed down to us by history4 ,may there
 not therefore have been many others1 of
 such ancient dates as to be out of the 
reach of history#dc8  ,such wonderful   
operations of ,nature are certainly     

intended by all-wise ,providence for    
some great purpose4 ,they are not       
confined to any one part of the globe1  
for there are ,volcanos existing in the 
four quarters of it4 ,we see the great  
fertility of the soil thrown up by      
explosion1 in part of the country ,i    
have described1 which on that account   
was called by the ancients ,campania    
,felix4 ,the same circumstance is       
evident in ,sicily1 justly esteemed one 
of the most fertile spots in the world1 
and the granary of ,italy4 ,may not     
subterraneous fire be considered as the 
great plough 7if ,i may be allowed the  
expression71 which ,nature makes use of 
to turn up the bowels of the earth1 and 
afford us fresh fields to work upon1    
whilst we are exhausting those we are   
actually in possession of1 by the       
frequent crops we draw from them8 ,would
 it not be found1 upon enquiry1 that    
many precious minerals must have        
remained far out of our reach1 had it   
not been for such operations of ,nature8

 ,it is evidently so in this country4   
,but such great enquiries would lead me 
far indeed4 ,i will only add a          
reflection1 which my little experience  
in this branch of natural history       
furnishes me with4 ,it is1 that we are  
apt to judge of the great operations of 
,nature on too confined a plan4 ,when   
first ,i came to ,naples1 my whole      
attention1 with respect to natural      
history1 was confined to ,mount         
,vesuvius1 and the wonderful phaenomena 
attending a burning mountain3 but1 in   
proportion as ,i began to perceive the  
evident marks of the same operation     
having been carried on in the different 
parts above described1 and likewise in  
,sicily in a greater degree1 ,i looked  
upon ,mount ,vesuvius only as a spot on 
which ,nature was at present active2 and
 thought myself fortunate in having an  
opportunity of seeing the manner in     
which one of her great operations 7an   
operation1 ,i believe1 much less out of 
her common course than is generally     

imagined7 was effected4  ,such remarks  
as ,i have made on the eruptions of     
,mount ,vesuvius1 during my residence at
 ,naples1 have been transmitted to the  
,royal ,society1 who have done them more
 honour than they deserved4 ,many more  
might be made upon this active ,volcano1
 by a person who had leisure1 a previous
 knowledge of the natural history of the
 earth1 a knowledge of chemistry1 and   
was practised in physical experiments1  
particularly those of electricity#dd4 ,i
 am convinced1 that the smoak of        
,volcanos contains always a portion of  
electrical matter2 which is manifest at 
the time of great eruptions1 as is      
mentioned in my account of the great    
eruption of ,vesuvius in #agfg4 ,the    
peasants in the neighbourhood of my     
villa1 situated at the foot of          
,vesuvius1 have assured me1 that1 during
 the eruption last mentioned1 they were 
more alarmed by the lightning and balls 
of fire that fell about them with a     
crackling noise1 than by the lava and   

the usual attendants of an eruption4 ,i 
find in all the accounts of great       
eruptions mention made of this sort of  
lightning1 which is distinguished here  
by the name of ,ferilli4 ,bracini1 in   
his account of the great one of         
,vesuvius in #afca1 says1 that the      
column of smoak1 which issued from its  
crater1 went over near an hundred miles 
of country1 and that several men and    
beasts were struck dead by lightning1   
issuing from this smoak in its course4  
,the nature of the noxious vapours1     
called here mofete1 that are usually set
 in motion by an eruption of the        
,volcano1 and are then manifest in the  
wells and subterraneous parts of its    
neighbourhood1 seem likewise to be      
little understood4 ,from some           
experiments very lately made1 by the    
ingenious ,dr4 ,nooth1 on the mofete of 
the ,grotto del ,cane1 it appears that  
all its known qualities and effects     
correspond with those attributed to     
fixed air4 ,just before the eruption of 

#agfg1 a vapour of this kind broke into 
the ,king's chapel at ,portici1 by which
 a servant1 opening the door of it1 was 
struck down4 ,about the same time1 as   
his ,sicilian ,majesty was shooting in a
 paddock near the palace1 a dog dropped 
down1 as was supposed1 in a fit2 a boy  
going to take him up dropped likewise2 a
 person present1 suspecting the accident
 to have proceeded from a mofete1       
immediately dragged them both from the  
spot where they lay1 in doing which1 he 
was himself sensible of the vapour2 the 
boy and the dog soon recovered4 ,his    
,sicilian ,majesty did me the honour of 
informing me himself of this accident   
soon after it had happened4 ,i have met 
with these mofetes often1 when ,i have  
been making my observations on the      
borders of ,mount ,vesuvius1            
particularly in caverns1 and once on the
 ,solfaterra4 ,the vapour affects the   
nostrils1 throat1 and stomach1 just as  
the spirit of hartshorn1 or any strong  
volatile salts2 and would soon prove    

fatal1 if you did not immediately remove
 from it4 ,under the ancient city of    
,pompeii1 the mofetes are very frequent 
and powerful1 so that the excavations   
that are carrying on there are often    
interrupted by them2 at all times       
mofetes are to be met with under ancient
 lavas of ,vesuvius1 particularly those 
of the great eruption of #afca4 ,in     
,serao's account of the eruption of     
#agcg1 and in the chapter upon mofetes1 
he has recorded several curious         
experiments relative to this            
phaenomenon4 ,the ,canonico ,recupero1  
who1 as ,i mentioned to you in a former 
letter1 is watching the operations of   
,mount ,etna1 has just informed me1 that
 a very powerful mofete has lately      
manifested itself in the neighbourhood  
of ,etna2 and that he found1 near the   
spot from whence it rises1 animals1     
birds1 and insects1 dead1 and the       
stronger sort of shrubs blasted1 whilst 
the grass and the tenderer plants did   
not seem to be affected4 ,the           

circumstance of this mofete1 added to   
that of the frequent earthquakes felt   
lately at ,rhegio and ,messina1 makes it
 probable that an eruption of ,mount    
,etna is at hand4  ,i am alarmed at the 
length of this letter4 ,by endeavouring 
to make myself clearly understood1 ,i   
have been led to make1 what ,i thought1 
necessary digressions4 ,i must therefore
 beg of your goodness1 that1 should you 
find this memoir1 in its present state1 
too tedious 7which ,i greatly apprehend7
 to be presented to our respectable     
,society1 you will make only such       
extracts from it as you shall think will
 be most agreeable and interesting4 ,i  
am1                                     
,,sir1                                  
,with great truth and regard1           
,your most obedient                     
humble servant1                         
,w4 ,,hamilton4   ,illustration3 ,plate 
,,vi4  ,,references to the ,,map1 ,plate
 ,,vi4     #a4 ,naples4     #b4         
,portici4     #c4 ,resina1 under which  

,herculaneum is buried4     #d4 ,torre  
del ,greco4     #e4 ,hermitage1 at which
 travellers usually rest1 in their way  
up       ,mount ,vesuvius4     #f4 ,st4 
,angelo1 a convent of ,calmaldolese1    
situated upon a cone of       a mountain
 formed by an ancient explosion4     #g4
 ,cones formed by the eruption of #agfj1
 and lava that ran from       them      
almost into the sea4     #h4 ,mount     
,vesuvius and ,somma4     #i4 ,village  
of ,somma4    #aj4 ,the convent of the  
,madona del ,arco1 under which lavas    
have       been found at #cjj feet      
depth1 and which must have proceeded    
from the mountain of ,somma1 when an    
active ,volcano4    #aa4 ,ottaiano4     
#ab4 ,torre del ,annunziata4    #ac4    
,castel a ,mare1 near which the ancient 
town of ,stabia is       buried1 and    
where ,pliny the elder lost his life4   
#ad4 ,vico4    #ae4 ,sorrento1 and the  
plain formed evidently by subterraneous 
fire4    #af4 ,massa4    #ag4 ,island of
 ,caprea4    #ah4 ,the ,grotto of       

,pausilipo1 cut through the mountain    
anciently1       to make a road from    
,naples to ,puzzole4    #ai4 ,point of  
,pausilipo4    #bj4 ,the ,gaiola1 where 
there are ruins of ancient buildings1   
supposed to have belonged to ,lucullus4 
#ba4 ,the island of ,nisida1 evidently  
formed by explosion4    #bb4 ,the       
,lazaret4    #bc4 ,the ,bagnoli4    #bd4
 ,puzzole1 or ,pozzuolo4    #be4 ,the   
,solfaterra1 anciently called ,forum    
,vulcani3 between the       ,solfaterra 
and the lake of ,agnano1 are the boiling
 waters of       the ,pisciarelli4      
#bf4 ,the ,new ,mountain1 formed by     
explosion in the year #aech2 the        
sand of the sea shore at its basis      
burning hot4    #bg4 ,the lake of       
,agnano1 supposed the crater of an      
ancient ,volcano3       here are the    
baths called ,st4 ,germano1 and the     
famous ,grotto       del ,cane4    #bh4 
,astruni1 which has been evidently a    
,volcano1 and is now a       ,royal     
,chace1 the crater being surrounded with

 a wall4    #bi4 ,the ,monte ,gauro or  
,barbaro1 anciently a ,volcano4    #cj4 
,the lake of ,avernus1 evidently the    
crater of an ancient       ,volcano4    
#ca4 ,lake of ,fusaro4    #cb4 ,point of
 ,misenum1 from whence ,pliny the elder 
discovered the       eruption of        
,vesuvius that proved fatal to him2 near
 this       place1 in a vault of an     
ancient building1 is a constant         
vapour1 or mofete1 of the same quality  
with that of the       ,grotto del      
,cane4    #cc4 ,the ,mare ,morto1 the   
ancient ,roman ,harbour4    #cd4 ,baia2 
behind the castle are two evident       
craters of ancient       ,volcanos4     
#ce4 ,island of ,procita4    #cf4 ,a    
perfect cone and crater of a ,volcano   
near ,castiglione in the       island of
 ,ischia4    #cg4 ,lava that ran into   
the sea in the last eruption on this    
island1 in the year #acja1 or #acjb3 the
 place now called ,le       ,cremate4   
#ch4 ,town of ,ischia and castle4       
#ci4 ,lake of ,licola4    #dj4 ,lake of 

,patria4    #da4 ,the river ,volturnus4 
#db4 ,capua4    #dc4 ,caserta4    #dd4  
,aversa4    #de4 ,mataloni4    #df4     
,acerra4    #dg4 ,island of ,ischia1    
anciently called ,a,enaria1 ,inarime1   
and       ,pithecusa4    #dh4 ,the      
mountain of ,st4 ,nicola1 anciently     
called ,mons ,epomeus1       supposed   
the remains of the principal ,volcano of
 the island4    #di4 ,castiglione1 near 
which are the baths of ,gurgitelli4     
#ej4 ,lacco1 near which is that very    
cold vapour called by the       natives 
ventarole4    #ea4 ,ancient city of     
,pompeii1 where his ,sicilian ,majesty's
       excavations are carrying on at   
present4    #eb4 ,rovigliano4    #ec4   
,river of ,sarno4    #ed4 ,cuma4    #ee4
 ,hot sands and sudatory1 called ,nero's
 baths4    #ef4 ,the ,lucrine lake1     
supposed to have been here1 and of which
       there is still some little       
remain4    #eg4 ,villa ,angelica1 ,sir  
,william ,hamilton's villa1 from whence 
he       has made many of his           

observations upon ,mount ,vesuvius4     
#eh4 ,cones formed by an ancient        
eruption called viuli2 here are         
likewise cold vapours called ventaroli4 
#ei4 ,high grounds1 probably sections of
 cones of ancient ,volcanos1       being
 all composed of tufa and strata of     
loose pumice and       burnt matter4    
#fj4 ,plain of the ,campagna ,felice1   
four or five feet of excellent          
soil1 under which are strata of burnt   
and erupted matter4    444444 ,marks the
 boundary of ,sir ,william ,hamilton's  
observations4     ,,letter ,,vi4#de  ,to
 ,,mathew ,,maty1 ,m4 ,d4 ,secretary to 
the ,royal ,,society4                   
,naples1 ,march #e1 #agga4  ,since ,i   
had the pleasure of sending you my      
letter1 in which the nature of the soil 
of more than twenty miles round this    
capital is described2 examining a deep  
hollow way cut by the rain waters into  
the outside cone of the ,solfaterra1 ,i 
discovered1 that a great part of the    
cone of that ancient ,volcano has been  

calcined by the hot vapours above       
described4 ,pumice calcined seems to be 
the chief ingredient1 of which several  
specimens of 7as ,i suppose7 variegated 
unformed marble are composed1 and the   
beautiful variegations in them may have 
probably been occasioned by the mineral 
vapours4 ,as these specimens are now    
sent to the ,royal ,society1 you will   
see that these variegations are exactly 
of the same pattern and colours as are  
met in many marbles and flowered        
alabasters2 and ,i cannot help thinking 
that they are marble or alabaster in its
 infant state4 ,what a proof we have    
here of the great changes the earth we  
inhabit is subject to6 ,what is now the 
,solfaterra1 we have every reason to    
suppose to have been originally thrown  
up by a subterraneous explosion from the
 bottom of the sea4 ,that it was long an
 existing ,volcano1 is plain1 from the  
ancient currents of lava1 that are still
 to be traced from its crater to the    
sea1 from the strata of pumice and      

erupted matter1 of which its cone1 in   
common with those of other ,volcanos1 is
 composed1 and from the testimony of    
many ancient authors4 ,its cone in many 
parts has been calcined1 and is still   
calcining1 by the hot vapours that are  
continually issuing forth through its   
pores2 and its nature is totally changed
 by this chemical process of ,nature4   
,in the hollow way1 where ,i made these 
remarks1 you see the different strata of
 erupted matter1 that compose the cone1 
in some places perfectly calcined1 in   
others not1 according as the vapours    
have found means to insinuate themselves
 more or less4  ,a hollow way1 cut by   
the rains on the back of the mountain on
 which part of ,naples is situated1     
towards ,capo di ,china1 shews that the 
mountain is composed of strata of       
erupted matter1 among which are large   
masses of bitumen1 in which its former  
state of fluidity is very visible4 ,here
 it was ,i discovered that pumice stone 
is produced from bitumen1 which ,i      

believe has not yet been remarked4 ,some
 specimens shew evidently the gradual   
process from bitumen to pumice3 and you 
will observe that the crystalline       
vitrifications1 which are visible in the
 bitumen1 suffer no alteration1 but     
remain in the same state in the perfect 
pumice as in the bitumen4  ,in a piece  
of stratum1 calcined from the outside of
 the ,solfaterra1 the form and texture  
of the pumice stones is very            
discernible4 ,in several parts of the   
outside cone1 this calcining operation  
is still carried on1 by the exhalation  
of constant very hot and damp vapours1  
impregnated with salts1 sulphur1 alum1  
c4 ,where the abovementioned vapours    
have not operated1 the strata of pumice 
and erupted matter1 that compose the    
cone of the ,solfaterra1 are like those 
of all the high grounds in its          
neighbourhood1 which ,i suppose to have 
been thrown up likewise by explosion4 ,i
 have seen here1 half of a large piece  
of lava perfectly calcined1 whilst the  

other half out of the reach of the      
vapours has been untouched2 and in some 
pieces the centre seems to be already   
converted into true marble4  ,the       
variegated specimens then1 above        
described1 are nothing more than pumice 
and erupted matter1 after having been   
acted upon in this manner by the hot    
vapours2 and if you consider the        
process1 as ,i have traced it1 from     
bitumen to pumice1 and from pumice to   
marble1 you will think with me1 that it 
is difficult to determine the primitive 
state of the many wonderful productions 
we see in ,nature4  ,i found1 in the    
tufa of the mountain of ,pausilipo1 a   
fragment of lava3 one side ,i polished1 
to shew it to be true lava2 the other   
shews the signs of the tufa1 with which 
it is incorporated4 ,it has evidently   
been rounded by friction1 and most      
probably by rolling in the sea4 ,is it  
not natural then to imagine that there  
must have been ,volcanos near this spot1
 long before the formation of the       

mountain of ,pausilipo8 ,this little    
stone may perhaps raise in your mind    
such reflections as it did in mine1     
relative to the great changes our globe 
suffers1 and the probability of its     
great antiquity4   ,,footnotes3  #a     
,having reflected since upon this       
circumstance1 ,i rather believe that the
 weight of the atmosphere in bad        
weather1 preventing the free dissipation
 of the smoke1 and collecting it over   
the crater1 gives it the appearance of  
being more considerable2 whereas in fine
 weather the smoke is dispersed soon    
after its emission4 ,it is1 however1 the
 common-received opinion at ,naples 7and
 from my own observation is1 ,i believe1
 well founded71 that when ,vesuvius     
grumbles1 bad weather is at hand4 ,the  
sea of the ,bay of ,naples1 being       
particularly agitated1 and swelling some
 hours before the arrival of a storm1   
may very probably force itself into     
crevices1 leading to the bowels of the  
,volcano1 and1 by causing a new         

fermentation1 produce those explosions  
and grumblings4  #b ,these ashes destroy
 the leaves and fruit1 and are greatly  
detrimental to vegetation for a year or 
two2 but are certainly of great service 
to the land in general1 and are among   
the principal causes of that very great 
fertility which is remarkable in the    
neighbourhood of ,volcano's4  #c ,in the
 subsequent eruptions of ,vesuvius1 ,i  
have constantly remarked something of   
the same nature1 as appears in my       
account of the great eruption of #agfg4 
,i have found the same remark in many   
accounts of former eruptions of         
,vesuvius3 in the very curious one of   
the formation of a new mountain near    
,puzzole1 in #aech1 7as may be seen in  
my letter to ,dr4 ,maty1 ,oct4 #af1     
#aggjdf17 the same observation is made4 
,this phaenomenon1 is well worthy of a  
curious inquiry1 which might give some  
light into the theory of the earth1 of  
which1 ,i believe1 we are very ignorant4
  #d ,i am convinced1 that it might be  

very practicable to divert the course of
 a lava when in this state1 by preparing
 a new bed for it1 as is practised with 
rivers4 ,i was mentioning this idea at  
,catania in ,sicily1 when ,i was        
assured1 that it had been done with     
success during the great eruption of    
,etna1 in #affi2 that the lava was      
directing its course towards the walls  
of ,catania1 and advancing slowly like  
the abovementioned1 when they prepared a
 channel for it round the walls of the  
town1 and turned it into the sea2 that a
 succession of men1 covered with        
sheep-skins wetted1 were employed to cut
 through the tough flanks of the lava1  
till they made a passage for that in the
 centre 7which was in perfect fusion7 to
 disgorge itself into the channel       
prepared for it4 ,a book ,i have since  
met with gives the same account of this 
curious operation2 it is intituled1     
,relatione del nuovo incendio fatto da  
,mongibello #affi4 ,messina1 ,giuseppe  
,bisagni1 #afgj4 ,his ,sicilian         

,majesty's palace at ,portici1 and the  
valuable collection of antiquities that 
have been recovered from beneath the    
destructive lava's of ,vesuvius1 are in 
imminent danger of being overwhelmed    
again by the next that shall take its   
course that way2 whereas1 by taking a   
level1 cutting away and raising ground1 
as occasion might require1 the palace   
and museum would1 in all probability1 be
 insured1 at least against one eruption2
 and1 indeed1 ,i once took the liberty  
of communicating this idea to the ,king 
of ,naples1 who seemed to approve of it4
  #e ,the late ,lord ,morton was pleased
 to give these specimens to ,dr4        
,morris1 who has made several chemical  
experiments on them1 the result of which
 will be communicated to the ,royal     
,society4  #f ,from what ,i have seen   
and read of eruptions of ,vesuvius and  
,etna1 ,i am convinced that ,volcano's  
lie dormant for several years1 nay even 
for centuries1 as probably was the case 
of ,vesuvius before its eruption in the 

reign of ,titus1 and certainly was so   
before that of the year #afca4 ,when ,i 
arrived at ,naples in #agfd1 ,vesuvius  
was quiet1 very seldom smoak was visible
 on its top2 in the year #agff1 it      
seemed to take fire1 and has never since
 been three months without either       
throwing up red hot stones1 or          
disgorging streams of lava1 nor has its 
crater been ever free from smoak4 ,at   
,naples1 when a lava appears1 and not   
till then1 it is styled an eruption2    
whereas ,i look upon the five nominal   
eruptions ,i have been witness to1 from 
,march #agff to ,may #agga1 as1 in      
effect1 but one continued eruption4  #g 
,it is certain1 that1 by constant       
attention to the smoak that issues from 
the crater1 a very good guess may be    
given as to the degree of fermentation  
within the ,volcano4 ,by this alone ,i  
foretold#dg the two last eruptions1 and1
 by another very simple observation1 ,i 
pointed out1 some time before1 the very 
spot from whence the lava has issued4   

,when the cone of ,vesuvius was covered 
with snow1 ,i had remarked a spot on    
which it would not lie3 concluding very 
naturally that this was the weakest part
 of the cone1 and that the heat from    
within prevented the snow from lying2 it
 was as natural to imagine that the     
lava1 seeking a vent1 would force this  
passage sooner than another2 and so     
indeed it came to pass4  #h ,these are  
his words3 ,nubes 7incertum procul      
intuentibus ex quo monte ,vesuvium      
fuisse postea cognitum est7 oriebatur1  
cujus similitudinem  formam1 non alia   
magis arbor1 quam pinus expresserit4    
,nam longissimo veluti trunco elata in  
altum1 quibusdam ramis diffundebatur1   
credo quia recenti spiritu evecta1 dein 
senescente eo destituta1 aut etiam      
pondere suo victa1 in latitudinem       
evanescebat3 candida interdum1 interdum 
sordida  maculosa1 prout terram         
cineremve sustulerat4 ,plin4 lib4 vi4   
ep4 #af4  #i ,the windows at ,naples    
open like folding-doors4  #aj ,in       

several accounts of former eruptions of 
,vesuvius1 ,i have found mention of the 
ashes falling at a much greater         
distance2 that1 in the year #dgb and    
#dgc1 they had reached ,constantinople3 
,dio says1 that during the eruption of  
,vesuvius in the time of ,titus--tantus 
fuit pulvis ut ab eo loco in ,africam et
 ,syriam et ,a,egyptum penetraverit4 ,a 
book printed at ,lecce1 in the kingdom  
of ,naples1 in ,,mdcxxxii1 and          
intituled1 ,discorso sopra l'origine de 
fuochi gettati dal ,monte ,vesuvio di   
,gio ,francesco ,sorrata ,spinola       
,galateo1 says1 that the #afth of       
,december1 #afca1 the very day of the   
great eruption of ,vesuvius 7though     
perfectly calm71 it rained ashes at     
,lecce1 which is nine days journey from 
the mountain3 that the day was darkened 
by them1 and that they covered the      
ground three inches deep2 that ashes of 
a different quality fell at ,bari the   
same day2 and that at both these places 
the inhabitants were very greatly       

alarmed1 not being able to conceive the 
occasion of such a phaenomenon4 ,antonio
 ,bulifon1 in his account of the same   
eruption1 says1 that the ashes fell1 and
 lay several inches deep at ,ariano in  
,puglia2 and ,i have been assured1 by   
many persons of credit at ,naples1 that 
they have been sensible of the fall of  
ashes1 during an eruption1 at above two 
hundred miles distance from ,vesuvius4  
,the ,abbate ,giulio ,cesare ,bracini1  
in his account of the eruption of       
,vesuvius1 in #afca1 says1 that the     
height of the column of smoak and ashes1
 taken from ,naples by a quadrant1 was  
upwards of thirty miles4 ,though such   
uncertain calculations demand but little
 attention2 yet1 by what ,i have seen1  
,i am convinced1 that in great eruptions
 the ashes are sent up to so great a    
height as to meet with extraordinary    
currents of air1 which is the most      
probable way of accounting for their    
having been carried to so great a       
distance in a few hours4 ,in a book1    

intituled1 ,salvatoris ,varonis         
,vesuviani incendii ,libri tres3        
,neapoli1 ,,mdcxxxiv1 ,i found a very   
poetical description of the ashes that  
lay in the neighbourhood of ,vesuvius1  
after the eruption of #afca1 in depth1  
from twenty to a hundred palms3 ,quare1 
says this author1 multi patrio in solo  
requirunt patriam1 et vix ibi se credunt
 vivere ubi certo sciant sese natos1    
adeo totam loci speciem tempestas       
vertit4  #aa ,this conjecture has proved
 true2 for1 even in the month of ,april 
#agga1 ,i again thrust sticks into some 
crevices of this lava1 and they         
immediately took fire4 ,on ,mount ,etna1
 in #agfi1 ,i observed the lava1 that   
had been disgorged in #agff1 smoak in   
many parts4  #ab ,in all accounts of    
great eruptions of ,mount ,etna and     
,mount ,vesuvius1 ,i have found mention 
of this sort of lightning4 ,pliny the   
younger1 in his second letter to        
,tacitus upon the eruption of ,vesuvius 
in the time of ,titus1 says1 that a     

black and horrible cloud covered them at
 ,misenum 7which is above fifteen miles 
from the ,volcano71 and that flashes of 
zig-zag fire1 like lightning1 but       
stronger1 burst from it2 these are his  
words3 ab altero latere nubes atra et   
horrenda ignei spiritus tortis          
vibratisque discursibus rupta1 in longas
 flammarum figuras dehiscebat2          
fulgoribus illae et similes et majores  
erant4 ,this was evidently the same     
electrical fire1 and with which ,i am   
convinced that the smoak of all         
,volcanos is pregnant4 ,in several      
accounts of the great eruption of       
,vesuvius in #afca1 mention is made of  
damage done by the lightning that issued
 from the column of smoak4 ,bulifon1 in 
particular1 says1 that1 in the          
neighbourhood of the ,volcano1 people   
were struck dead in the same manner as  
if by lightning1 without having their   
cloaths singed4 ,pliny mentions a like  
instance1 which shews that the ancients 
had observed this phaenomenon2 for he   

says1 that at ,pompeii1 the day being   
fair1 ,marcus ,herennius was struck dead
 by lightning4 ,these are his words2 ,in
 ,catilianis prodigiis1 ,pompeiano ex   
municipio ,m4 ,herennius ,decurio serena
 die1 fulmine ictus est4 ,plin4 ,hist4  
,nat4 lib4 ,,ii4 cap4 ,,li4 ,the learned
 and ingenious ,father ,beccaria1 at    
,turin1 assured me1 that he had been    
greatly pleased with my observations on 
this species of lightning1 as coinciding
 perfectly with several of his          
electrical experiments4  #ac ,i am well 
convinced1 by this collection1 that many
 variegated marbles1 and many precious  
stones1 are the produce of ,volcanos2   
and that there have been ,volcanos in   
many parts of the world1 where at       
present there are no traces of them     
visible4 ,this is taken from a prior    
letter to ,lord ,morton1 dated ,april   
#g1 #agfg4  #ad ,in some accounts of an 
eruption of ,vesuvius in #affj1 ,i find 
mention made of ashes which fell in the 
shape of crosses1 and were looked upon  

as highly miraculous2 but in one book   
upon this subject1 intituled1 ,athanasii
 ,kircheri ,soc4 ,jes4 ,de prodigiosis  
crucibus1 c4 ,romae1 ,,mdclxi1 a very   
philosophical account is given of this  
phaenomenon2 he says1 that1 in #affj1   
from the #afth of ,august to the #aeth  
of ,october1 ,vesuvius cast up ashes1   
impregnated with nitrous1 saline1 and   
bituminous sulphur1 which upon linen    
garments took the form of crosses1      
probably directed by the cross-threads  
in the linen1 and therefore that the    
salts did not shoot into such a shape   
when they fell upon garments of woollen2
 a very particular description of these 
crosses may be found in page #ch1 of the
 abovementioned book4  #ae ,i have since
 found in this stratum of erupted matter
 at ,pompeii1 stones weighing eight     
pounds3 but many accounts of the great  
eruption of ,vesuvius1 particularly that
 of ,antonio ,bulifon1 mention that a   
stone like a bomb was thrown from the   
crater of ,vesuvius in #afca2 and fell  

upon the ,marquis of ,lauro's house at  
,nola1 which it set on fire4 ,as ,nola  
is twelve miles from ,vesuvius1 this    
circumstance seems rather extraordinary3
 however1 ,i have seen stones of an     
enormous size shot up to a very great   
height by ,mount ,vesuvius4 ,in ,may    
#agga1 having a stop watch in my hand1  
,i observed that one of these stones was
 eleven seconds falling from its        
greatest height1 into the crater from   
whence it had been ejected4 ,in #agfg1 a
 solid stone1 measuring twelve feet in  
height1 and forty-five in circumference1
 was thrown a quarter of a mile from the
 crater2 the eruption of #agfg1 though  
by much the most violent of this        
century1 was1 comparatively to those of 
the year #gi and #afca1 very mild4  #af 
,see ,letter ,v4 in this collection4    
#ag ,it is the common received opinion1 
that this mountain rose from the bottom 
of the ,lucrine lake4 ,i had not seen   
the very curious and particular account 
of its formation 7which account is in my

 next letter7 when ,i wrote this1 and   
was therefore in the same error4  #ah   
,this must depend greatly upon the      
quality of the lava's2 some have been in
 a more perfect state of vitrification  
than others1 and are consequently less  
liable to the impressions of time4 ,i   
have often observed on ,mount ,vesuvius1
 when ,i have been close to the mouth   
from whence a lava was disgorging       
itself1 that the quality of it varied   
greatly from time to time3 ,i have seen 
it as fluid and coherent as glass when  
in fusion3 and ,i have seen it          
farinacious1 the particles separating as
 they forced their way out1 just like   
meal coming from under the grindstones4 
,a stream of lava of this sort1 being   
less compact1 and continuing more earthy
 particles1 would certainly be much     
sooner fit for vegetation1 than one     
composed of the more perfect vitrified  
matter4  #ai ,this earthquake happened  
in the year #afic1 and destroyed        
forty-nine towns and villages1 nine     

hundred and twenty-two churches1        
colleges1 and convents2 and near one    
hundred thousand persons were buried in 
their ruin4  #bj ,it is intituled1 ,a   
true and exact relation of the late     
prodigious earthquake and eruption of   
,mount ,a,etna1 or ,monte ,gibello2 as  
it came in a letter written to his      
,majesty from ,naples1 by the ,right    
,honourable the ,earl of ,winchelsea1   
his ,majesty's late ,embassador at      
,constantinople1 who1 in his return from
 thence1 visiting ,catania in the island
 of ,sicily1 was an eye-witness of that 
dreadful spectacle2 together with a more
 particular narrative of the same1 as it
 is collected out of the several        
relations sent from ,catania2 published 
by authority4 ,printed by ,t4 ,newcomb1 
in the ,savoy1 #affi4  ,i accepted1 says
 the author1 p4 #ch1 the invitation of  
the ,bishop of ,catania1 to stay a day  
with him1 that so ,i might be the better
 able to inform your ,majesty of that   
extraordinary fire1 which comes from    

,mount ,gibel1 fifteen miles distant    
from that city1 which1 for its          
horridness in the aspect1 for the vast  
quantity thereof 7for it is fifteen     
miles in length1 and seven in breadth71 
for its monstrous devastation and quick 
progress1 may be termed an inundation of
 fire1 a flood of fire1 cinders1 and    
burning stones1 burning with that rage  
as to advance into the sea six hundred  
yards1 and that to a mile in breadth1   
which ,i saw2 and that which did augment
 my admiration was1 to see in the sea   
this matter like ragged rocks1 burning  
in four fathom water1 two fathom higher 
than the sea itself1 some parts liquid1 
and throwing off1 not with great        
violence1 the stones about it1 which1   
like a crust of a vast bigness1 and red 
hot1 fell into the sea every moment1 in 
some place or other1 causing a great and
 horrible noise1 smoak1 and hissing in  
the sea2 and that more and more coming  
after it1 making a firm foundation in   
the sea itself4 ,i stayed there from    

nine a clock on ,saturday morning1 to   
seven next morning2 7this must have been
 towards the middle or latter end of    
,april27 and this mountain of fire and  
stones with cinders had advanced into   
the sea twenty yards at least1 in       
several places2 in the middle of this   
fire1 which burnt in the sea1 it hath   
formed like to a river1 with its banks  
on each side very steep and craggy2 and 
in this channel moves the greatest      
quantity of this fire1 which is the most
 liquid1 with stones of the same        
composition1 and cinders all red hot1   
swimming upon the fire of a great       
magnitude2 from this a river of fire    
doth proceed under the great mass of the
 stones1 which are generally three      
fathoms high all over the country1 where
 it burns1 and in other places much     
more4 ,there are secret conduits or     
rivulets of the liquid matter1 which    
communicates fire and heat into all     
parts more or less1 and melts the stones
 and cinders by fits in those places    

where it toucheth them1 over and over   
again2 where it meets with rocks or     
houses of the same matter 7as many are71
 they melt and go away with the fire2   
where they find other compositions1 they
 turn them to lime or ashes 7as ,i am   
informed74 ,the composition of this     
fire1 stones1 and cinders1 are sulphur1 
nitre1 quicksilver1 sal ammoniac1 lead1 
iron1 brass1 and all other metals4 ,it  
moves not regularly1 nor constantly down
 hill#dh2 in some places it hath made   
the vallies hills1 and the hills that   
are not high are now vallies4 ,when it  
was night1 ,i went upon two towers1 in  
divers places2 and could plainly see at 
ten miles distance1 as we judged1 the   
fire to begin to run from the mountain  
in a direct line1 the flame to ascend as
 high and as big as one of the greatest 
steeples in your ,majesty's kingdoms1   
and to throw up great stones into the   
air2 ,i could discern the river of fire 
to descend the mountain of a terrible   
fiery or red colour1 and stones of a    

paler red to swim thereon1 and to be    
some as big as an ordinary table4 ,we   
could see this fire to move in several  
other places1 and all the country       
covered with fire1 ascending with great 
flames#di1 in many places1 smoaking like
 to a violent furnace of iron melted1   
making a noise with the great pieces    
that fell1 especially those which fell  
into the sea4 ,a ,cavalier of ,malta1   
who lives there1 and attended me1 told  
me1 that the river was as liquid where  
it issues out of the mountain1 as water1
 and came out like a torrent with great 
violence1 and is five or six fathom     
deep1 and as broad1 and that no stones  
sink therein4 ,i assure your ,majesty1  
no pen can express how terrible it is1  
nor can all the art and industry of the 
world quench or divert that which is    
burning in the country4 ,in forty days  
time1 it hath destroyed the habitations 
of #bg1jjj persons2 made two hills of   
one1 #ajjj paces high apiece1 and one is
 four miles in compass2 of #bj1jjj      

persons1 which inhabit ,catania1 #cjjj  
did only remain2 all their goods are    
carried away1 the cannons of brass are  
removed out of the castle1 some great   
bells taken down1 the city-gates walled 
up next the fire1 and preparations made 
to abandon the city4  ,that night which 
,i lay there1 it rained ashes all over  
the city1 and ten miles at sea it       
troubled my eyes4 ,this fire in its     
progress met with a lake of four miles  
in compass2 and it was not only         
satisfied to fill it up1 though it was  
four fathom deep1 but hath made of it a 
mountain4  #ba ,i have heard since1 from
 some of our countrymen who have        
measured this tree1 that its dimensions 
are actually as abovementioned1 but that
 they could perceive some signs of four 
stems having grown together1 and formed 
one tree4  #bb ,no great stress should  
be laid upon these observations1 as the 
many inconveniences we laboured under1  
and the little practice we had in such  
nice operations1 must necessarily have  

rendered them very inaccurate4 ,the     
,canon ,recupero1 who was our guide1    
attended ,mess4 ,glover1 ,fullerton1 and
 ,brydone1 up ,mount ,etna in ,june     
#aggj4 ,the latter is a very ingenious  
and accurate observer1 and has taken the
 height of many of the highest mountains
 in the ,alps4 ,his observations1 as the
 ,canon informed me1 were as follows3   
,at the top of the mountain the         
quicksilver in the thermometer was #i   
degrees below freezing point1 when at   
the foot of the mountain it rose to #gf4
 ,at the foot of the little mountain    
that crowns the ,volcano the barometer  
stood at #bj deg4 #d-b_/c'1 half way up 
this little mountain it was at #ai deg4 
#f'2 but the wind was too violent for   
them to attempt any more observations4  
,the barometer and thermometer were of  
,fahrenheit's4 ,mr4 ,brydone remarked1  
as he went up in the night1 that he     
could distinguish the stars in the milky
 way with wonderful clearness1 and that 
the cold was much more intense than he  

had ever felt upon the highest mountains
 of the ,alps4  #bc ,this passage1 in   
,cornelius ,severus's poem upon ,etna1  
seems to confirm my opinion3            
,placantesque etiam caelestia numina    
thure     ,summo cerne jugo1 vel qua    
liberrimus ,a,etna     ,improspectus    
hiat2 tantarum semina rerum     ,si     
nihil irritet flammas1 stupeatque       
profundum4  #bd ,a better account of the
 formation of tufa will be seen in my   
next letter4  #be ,the dates of the     
eruptions of ,mount ,etna1 recorded by  
history1 are as follows3 ,before the    
,christian aera four1 in the years      
#cebe4 #cech4 #ceed4 #chdc4 ,after      
,christ1 twenty-seven have been         
recorded1 #aage4 #abhe4 #acba4 #acbc4   
#acbi4 #adjh4 #aecj4 #aecf4 #aecg4      
#aedj4 #aede4 #aeed4 #aeef4 #aeff4      
#aegi4 #afad4 #afcd4 #afcf4 #afdc4      
#affi4 #afhb4 #afhi4 #afib4 #agjb4      
#agdg4 #agee4 #agff4  ,the dates of the 
eruptions of ,vesuvius are as follows3  
,after ,christ--#gi4 #bjc4 #dgb4 #eab4  

#fhe4 #iic4 #ajcf4 #ajdc4 #ajdh4 #aacf4 
#aejf4 #aech1 the eruption at ,puzzole4 
#afca4 #affj4 #afhb4 #afid4 #agja4      
#agjd4 #agab4 #agag4 #agcj4 #agcg4      
#agea4 #aged4 #agfj4 #agff4 #agfg4      
#aggj4 #agga4  #bf ,pliny1 in his       
account of these islands1 in the ,,ix   
chapter of the third book of his        
,natural ,history1 seems to confirm this
 opinion4  ,lipara cum civium ,romanorum
 oppido1 dicta a ,liparo rege1 qui      
successit ,a,eolo1 antea ,melogonis vel 
,meliganis vocitata1 abest ,,xii millia 
pass4 ab ,italia1 ipsa circuitu paulo   
minori4 ,inter hanc et ,siciliam altera1
 antea ,therasia appellata1 nunc ,hiera2
 qui sacra ,vulcano est1 colle in ea    
nocturnas evomente flammas4 ,tertia     
,strongyle1 a ,lipara millia passuum ad 
exortum solis vergens1 in qua regnavit  
,a,eolus1 quae a ,lipara liquidiore     
flamma tantum differt3 e cujus fumo     
equinam flaturi sint venti1 in triduum  
praedicere incolae traduntur2 unde      
ventos ,a,eolo paruisse existimatum4    

,quarta ,didyme1 minor quam ,lipara4    
,quinta ,ericusa2 sexta ,phoenicusa2    
pabulo proximarum relicta4 ,,novissima1 
eademque ,minima1 ,evonymos4  #bg ,see  
,plate ,v4  #bh ,the ,abate ,giulio     
,cesare ,bruccini describes very        
elegantly1 in his account of the        
eruption of ,vesuvius in #afca1 his     
having made an observation of the like  
nature--his words are 7after having     
particularized the different strata of  
erupted matter lying one over           
another7--parendo appunto che la natura 
ci abbia voluto lasciare scritto in     
questa terra tutti gli incendii         
memorabili raccontati delli autori4  #bi
 ,these are his words1 book ,,ii4 chap4 
vi4  ,de ,pulvere ,puteolano4  ,est     
etiam genus pulveris1 quod efficit      
naturaliter res admirandas4 ,nascitur in
 regionibus ,baianis1 et in agris       
municipiorum1 quae sunt circa ,vesuvium 
montem1 quod commixtum cum calce et     
caemento non modo caeteris aedificiis   
praestat firmitates1 sed etiam moles1   

quae construuntur in mari1 sub aqua     
solidescunt4 ,hoc autem fieri hac       
ratione videtur1 quod sub his montibus  
et terra ferventes sunt fontes crebri1  
qui non essent1 si non in imo haberent1 
aut de sulfure1 aut alumine1 aut        
bitumine ardentes maximos ignes3 igitur 
penitus ignis1 et flammae vapor per     
intervenia permanans et ardens1 efficet 
levem eam terram1 et ibi1 qui nascitur  
tophus1 exugens est1 et sine liquore4   
,ergo cum tres res consimili ratione1   
ignis vehementia formatae in unam       
pervenerint mixtionem1 repente recepto  
liquore una cohaerescunt1 et celeriter  
humore duratae solidantur1 neque eas    
fluctus1 neque vis aquae potest         
dissolvere4  ,about ,baia1 ,puzzole1 and
 ,naples1 we have an opportunity of     
remarking the truth of these last words4
 ,several of the piers of the ancient   
harbour of ,puzzole1 vulgarly called    
,caligula's bridge1 and which are       
composed of bricks joined with this sort
 of cement1 are still standing in the   

sea1 though much exposed to the waves2  
and upon every part of the shore you    
find large masses of brick-walls rounded
 and polished by friction in the sea1   
the brick and mortar making one body1   
and appearing like a variegated stone4  
,large pieces of old walls are likewise 
often cut out into square pieces1 and   
made use of in modern buildings instead 
of stone4  ,soon after the first        
quotation1 ,pliny says1 ,si ergo in his 
locis aquarum ferventes inveniuntur     
fontes1 et in montibus excavatis calidi 
vapores1 ipsaque loca ab antiquis       
memorantur pervagantes in agris habuisse
 ardores1 videtur esse certum ab ignis  
vehementia ex topho terraque1           
quemadmodum in fornacibus et a calce1   
ita ex his ereptum esse liquorem4       
,igitur dissimilibus1 et disparibus     
rebus correptis1 et in unam potestatem  
collatis1 callida humoris jejunitas aqua
 repente satiata1 communibus corporibus 
latenti calore confervescit et          
vehementer effecit ea coire1            

celeriterque una soliditatis percipere  
virtutem4  #cj ,scipione ,falcone1 a    
very good observer1 in his ,discorso    
naturale delli cause et effetti del     
,vesuvio1 says1 that he saw1 after the  
eruption of ,vesuvius in #afca 7which   
was attended with hot water71 the mud   
harden almost to a stone in a few days2 
his words are these--fatta dura a modo  
di calcina e di pietra non altrimenti di
 cenere1 perche dopo alcuni giorni vi ci
 e caminato per sopra e si e conosciuta 
durissima che ci vogliono li picconi per
 romperla4 ,this account1 with other    
circumstances mentioned in this letter1 
make it highly probable1 that all the   
tufas in the neighbourhood of ,vesuvius 
have been formed by a like operation4   
#ca ,this piece is now in the ,museum of
 the ,royal ,society1 together with     
other specimens1 mentioned in this and  
in the following letter4 ,m4 ,m4  #cb   
,letter ,,iv4  #cc ,strabo1 in his fifth
 book of ,geography1 says1 ,supra haec  
loca situs est ,vesuvius mons agris     

cinctus optimis3 dempto vertice1 qui    
magna sui parte planus1 totus sterilis  
est1 adspectu cinaereus1 cavernasque    
ostendens fistularum plenas et lapidum  
colore fuliginoso1 utpote ab igni       
exesorum1 ut conjecturam facere possit  
ista loca quondam arsisse1 et crateras  
ignis habuisse1 deinde materia          
deficiente restincta fuisse4  ,diodorus 
,siculus1 in his fourth book1 describing
 the voyage of ,hercules into ,italy1   
says1 ,phlegraeus quoque campus is locus
 appellatur a colle nimirum1 qui        
,a,etnae instar ,siculae magnam vim     
ignis eructabat2 nunc ,vesuvius         
nominatur1 multa inflammationis         
pristinae vestigia reservans4 ,and      
,vitruvius1 in the sixth chapter of the 
second book1 says1 ,non minus etiam     
memoratur antiquitus crevisse ardores et
 abundasse sub ,vesuvio monte et inde   
evomuisse circa agros flammas4 ,tacitus1
 mentioning the eruption of ,vesuvius in
 the reign of ,titus1 seems to hint     
likewise at former eruptions1 in these  

words3 ,jam vero novis cladibus1 vel    
post longam saeculorum repetitis        
afflictae1 haustae aut abrutae          
fecundissima ,campaniae ora et urbs     
incendiis vastata4  #cd ,bracini1 in his
 account of the eruption of #afac1 says1
 that he found many sorts of sea shells 
on ,vesuvius after that eruption2 and   
,p4 ,ignatio1 in his account of the same
 eruption1 says1 that he and his        
companions picked up many shells        
likewise at that time upon the mountain3
 this circumstance would induce one to  
believe1 that the water thrown out of   
,vesuvius1 during that formidable       
eruption1 came from the sea4  #ce ,in   
book xi4 c4 #ic4 he observes1 that about
 ,sinuessa and ,puteoli1 ,spiracula     
vocant--alii ,caroneas scrobes1         
mortiferum spiritum exhalantes4 ,and    
,seneca1 ,nat4 ,quaest4 lib4 vi4 cap4   
#bh4 ,pluribus ,italiae locis per       
quaedam foramina pestilens exhalatur    
vapor1 quem non homini ducere1 non ferae
 tutum est4 ,aves quoque si in illum    

inciderint1 antequam coelo meliore      
leniatur1 in ipso volatu cadunt1        
liventque corpora1 et non aliter quam   
per vim elisae fauces tument4  #cf ,i   
have remarked1 that1 after a great fall 
of rain1 the degree of heat in this     
water is much less1 which will account  
for what the ,padre ,torre says 7in his 
book1 entituled1 ,histoire et           
,phenomenes du ,vesuve71 that1 when he  
tried it in company with ,monsieur de la
 ,condamine1 the degree of heat1 upon   
,reaumur's thermometer1 was #fh deg4    
#cg ,this very scarce volume has been   
presented by ,sir ,william ,hamilton to 
the ,british ,museum4 ,m4 ,m4  #ch ,here
 again we have an example of the        
electrical fire attending a great       
eruption4  #ci ,the cup1 or crater1 on  
the top of the new mountain is now      
covered with shrubs2 but ,i discovered  
at the bottom of it1 in the year #aggj1 
amidst the bushes1 a small hole1 which  
exhales a constant hot and damp vapour1 
just such as proceeds from boiling      

water1 and with as little smell2 the    
drops of this steam hang upon the       
neighbouring bushes4  #dj ,the noxious  
vapours which ,lucan mentions to have   
prevailed at ,nisida1 favour my opinion 
as to its origin3              --,tali  
spiramine ,nesis     ,emittit stygium   
nebulosis aera saxis4                   
,lucan4 lib4 vi4  #da ,giulio ,cesare   
,capaccio1 in his account of this       
island1 says1 that there are eleven     
springs of cold water1 and thirty-five  
of hot and mineral waters4  #db ,by     
having remarked1 that all the implements
 of stone brought by ,mess4 ,banks and  
,solander from the new-discovered       
islands in the ,south-,seas1 are        
evidently of such a nature as are only  
produced by ,volcanos2 and as these     
gentlemen have assured me1 that no other
 kind of stone is to be met with in the 
islands2 ,i am induced to think1 that   
these islands 7at so great a distance   
from any continent7 may have likewise   
been pushed up from the bottom of the   

sea by like explosions4  #dc ,any one1  
the least conversant in ,volcanos1 must 
be struck with the numberless evident   
marks of them the whole road from the   
lake of ,albano to ,radicofani1 between 
,naples and ,florence2 and yet1 though  
this soil bears such fresh and undoubted
 marks of its origin1 no history reaches
 the date of any one eruption in these  
parts4  #dd ,may not the air in         
countries replete with sulphur be more  
impregnated with electrical matter than 
the air of other soils8 and may not the 
sort of lightning1 which is mentioned by
 several ancient authors to have fallen 
in a serene day1 and was considered as  
an omen1 have proceeded from such a     
cause8  ,horace says1 ,ode xxxiv4       
--,namque ,diespeter     ,igni corusco  
nubila dividens       ,plerumque per    
purum tonantes         ,egit equos      
volucremque currum4        ,non alias   
coelo ceciderunt plura sereno           
,fulgura----                            
,virgil4 ,georgic4 i4      ,aut cum     

terribili perculsus fulmine civis       
,luce serenanti vitalia lumina liquit4  
,cic4 i4 de ,divin4 n4 #ah4             
--,sabinos petit aliquanto tristior1    
quod sacrificanti hostia   aufugerat3   
quodque tempestate serena tonuerat4     
,sueton4 ,tit4 cap4 #aj4  #de ,this     
letter was not received by ,dr4 ,maty in
 its present form3 and is rather the    
substance of an explanatory catalogue1  
which was sent to that gentleman with   
sundry specimens of the different       
materials that compose the soil         
described in the preceding letter2 which
 catalogue remains1 with the specimens1 
in the ,museum of the ,royal ,society1  
for the inspection1 and1 ,i flatter     
myself1 the satisfaction1 of the curious
 in natural history4  #df ,see p4 #ajc  
of this collection4  #dg ,see ,letter   
,i4 p4 #ah4  #dh ,having heard the same 
remark with respect to the lava's of    
,vesuvius1 ,i determined1 during an     
eruption of that ,volcano1 to watch the 
progress of a current of lava1 and ,i   

was soon enabled to comprehend this     
seeming phaenomenon2 though it is1 ,i   
fear1 very difficult to explain4        
,certain it is1 that the lava's1 whilst 
in their most fluid state1 follow always
 the law of other fluids2 but when at a 
great distance from their source1 and   
consequently incumbered with scoriae and
 cinders1 the air likewise having       
rendered their outward coat tough1 they 
will sometimes 7as ,i have seen7 be     
forced up a short ascent1 the fresh     
matter pushing forward that which went  
before it1 and the exterior parts of the
 lava acting always as conductors 7or   
pipes1 if ,i may be allowed the         
expression71 for the interior parts1    
that have retained their fluidity by not
 having been exposed to the air4  #di   
,the flames ,lord ,winchelsea mentions1 
were certainly produced by the lava     
having met with trees in the way2 or    
perhaps his ,lordship may have mistaken 
the white smoak which constantly rises  
from a lava 7and in the night is tinged 

by the reflection of the red hot        
matter71 for flame1 of which indeed it  
has greatly the appearance at a         
distance4 ,i have observed upon ,mount  
,vesuvius1 that1 soon after a lava has  
borne down and burned a tree1 a bright  
flame issues from its surface2 otherwise
 ,i have never seen any flame attending 
an eruption4   ,,the ,,end4             
,,imported from ,,naples1  ,by ,t4      
,,cadell1 in the ,strand4   ,a          
,collection of ,etruscan1 ,greek1 and   
,roman ,antiquities1 from the ,cabinet  
of the ,hon4 ,sir ,,william ,,hamilton1 
,k4,b4 ,f4,r4,s4 ,his ,majesty's ,envoy 
,extraordinary at the ,court of ,naples4
 ,the ,whole to be comprised in four    
,volumes ,folio4 ,the ,plates finely    
coloured4 ,the ,price to ,subscribers   
#il4 #is4 in ,sheets2 ,six ,guineas of  
which is to be paid on the ,delivery of 
the first and second ,volumes1 and the  
remaining ,three ,guineas upon the      
,delivery of the third and fourth4      
,after the ,subscription is closed1 the 

,price will be considerably raised4     
,specimens of all the ,plates of the    
third ,volume are arrived1 and the      
fourth and last ,volume is now doing2 so
 that the ,public may be assured the    
,whole of this elegant ,work will be    
finished with all possible ,expedition4 
9999 ,those ,noblemen and ,gentlemen who
 subscribed for the first ,volume may   
have the second upon paying #bl4 #bs4   
,transcriber's ,notes   ,this document  
was taken from hand-written letters in  
the eighteenth century1 and also        
contains quotes from other authors4 ,as 
such1 it's no surprise that there are   
many spelling and punctuation           
irregularities4 ,except where explicitly
 noted below1 these were kept as is4    
,spelling variants that were preserved  
include3 ,abbate and ,abate2            
abovementioned and above-mentioned2     
,a,enaria and ,enaria2 ancient and      
antient 7and derivatives72 ,astruni and 
,astroni2 ,averno and ,avernus2 ,giulio 
,cesare ,bracini and ,giulio ,cesare    

,bruccini2 ,castel-a-,mare1             
,castel-a-mare1 ,castel a ,mare and     
,castle-a-,mare2 centre and center2     
colour and color 7and derivatives72 deer
 and deers 7for the plural of deer72    
enquiry and inquiry2 entirely and       
intirely2 entituled and intituled2      
exteriour and exterior2 honour and      
honor2 interiour and interior2 lavas and
 lava's 7for the plural of lava72       
,mare-morto and ,mare ,morto2 mere and  
meer2 ,mon-,gibello1 ,mongibello1 ,mon  
,gibello1 ,monte ,gibello and ,mount    
,gibel2 o'clock and a clock2 ,procida   
and ,procita2 rain water and rain-water2
 smoke and smoak 7and derivatives72     
,solfaterra and ,solfa terra2 strata and
 stratas 7for the plural of stratum72   
,torre dell' ,annunciata1 ,torre dell'  
,annunziata and ,torre del ,annunziata2 
,volcanos and ,volcano's 7for the plural
 of ,volcano72 ,volcano's and ,volcanos 
7for the possessive of ,volcano74       
,changed that to than on page #he3 on   
the top of ,vesuvius than on that of    

,etna4  ,changed thermomether to        
thermometer on page #abb3 ,fahrenheit's 
thermometer4  ,inserted missing word a  
on page #abi3 fell a great part of the  
night4  ,a small right-pointing hand    
appeared at the beginning of the last   
line of the advertisement4 ,it was      
replaced by two asterisks4  ,in the text
 version of this book1 the oe-ligature  
character was replaced by the separate  
characters1 oe4