The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-08-09

FROM rHE ANTHOLOGY.
Original Letters, from an .fmeriean Trayeler
in Euroytr, TO Ms friends in this corntry.
LETTER FOURTEENTH.
Concluded.

The lava of vesuyus is very different substance,cr
No speak more correctly collection or combination
of substances, from what we should be he'd TO believe
from the polished specimens OF II which we have
seen in America. Those which have seen in
country are solid, compact and close grained, capa-
hle OF receiving high polish. II is true that the
infcour part Of the lava is Of that description but
none of that presents itself TO your eye YOU
pass over the different courses Of lava.
II is The genera opinion OF philosophical gentle
men, that the lava is a combination OF the several
mineral bodies. which ure fcurd in the interoar Of
the mour,lin, and which, by extreme heat, are
difccd 20 state offuson, and thus produce an homo
geneous,, or apparently homoCe neous body The
great and general principle Of union is esteemed to
be bituinen, which untes the metall ,earthy, and
cacarcous parts This 10 inferred from the action Of
the lava afIcr il issues from the mountain 1t is al
Seays found In state Of violent eflelyesccncc,
tinuay endeavouring to dilate itself, and throwing
up in its agitatons the lighter and imperecty mel
ted parts. This scum, or froth, which the hterati
call scori.e has perfect resemblance to the half
burnt Goals ar .lcrs, which we at the door Of
blacksmith, hard, shining, and full OF small cavi.
and o,er g Souics, Whicn ran upon s,e lava as,a,
the eruption, forms the external surface, and is all
which be scon of the form nature Of it. except
where il has been arthcinlly opened.
Thec!lorts Of the internal air produced by efTer-
vcsccnc are observable in the rrcgularty of the sur
face of the lava, which is thrown into aa infinite VA.
fiety Of sinsulr and gro,esque forms With the aid
ofimaginaton many philosophers have in these
beds of lava regular aqucducts will, their arches.
cirious caves, and rc.;ln,ick grots and in one in.
stance they have believed that they discovered
complete temple with its dome and internal coniqr-
uration But l was not equally happy in my remarks.
j discerncd nothing on it but wild irregular mis-
shapen torrent, suddenly arrested by the relrgcra-
ton Of itS parts fr (.
In a,srost all che c,iptcns Of The few last ccnt,l
rcs, The lava has most usually burst the sides of the
mountain, not having, presume, sufficient agitation
raise to The crater, and there to Grd its natural
sxent. After Issuing from the oriticc thus fo.cbly
made it has taken it's exactly like other fluids,
according 60 the slope or descent Of the ground,
seeking The lowest vi'iies, and turning away from any
obstacle, which it encountered.s ~
Most writer's represent its motions as extremely
slow estimating IFS progress at half mile ali hour,
but am persuaded this must refer TO its motions
after it had been some time out Of the orator II is
very dcnce body and extremely easily refrigerated,
hut Mr.. Haytcr an English clergyman, sent hither
by the Prince of Wales to assist ia The examination Of
the manuscripts at portci, assured me that The last
lava ran three miles in avery few minutes after its
first eruption bur soon cooled and proceeded with its
usual sugeishness. shall however procure rcgu-
lar and exact account Of thc phrhomcHa, whch7a at
tended the late eruptions, and Of which no account
has yet publickly appeared in England.
Afterpassing over several miles of the country,
which has been laid waste Ivy this destructive volcano,
you arrive vt AN hermitage, which was built and is
preserved, believe, chiefly for the rcfrcshment Of
whose
tain. This hermitage, called Al Saliva torc, ,"s the
Savour,"s situated upon little cmineIte at tho dis
lance of one mile from the base Of the perpendicular
part Of the mountain. It is raised so high, and the
hill which stands is solid, that it is perfectly
from the effects of ordinary eruptons and has
hitherto been free from the effects OF the earthquakes,
which always prevail here in pcliods Of eruption,
though many proud cities and rich plans, at much
greater distance, have been laid waste By them.
To this spot, in times Of volcanick violence, the
ltera and other inhabitants Of Naples repair to view
the grand and imposing spectacle of convulsed Ma
turc Here, at the distance Of only mile from the
crater they calmly and securely witness All the
phenomcna count The number and duratirr the
earthquakes, measure the altitude Of the ed
bodies, trace the progress, aud mark the of
tho liquid torrcnts which issued from the 1 lsrcd
surface of the Mountai After taking some refresh
ments here. syou proceed over the valley. called
"Atrco del CaSalo," amidst little mountains AND vs-
lies Of rude lava, to the base Of the Perpendicular
hill, which contains the crater This part ofthe Nil
appears to be wholly formed Of the ashes, cnders.
ard light bodies, which have issued from the crSicr
They any SO extremely light, moveablc. and desltvte
Of enaciy, that Il is impossible 70 form tojersbie
path IL them. Though 1t had rs;ned exoscxEseiy
hard ali the proceeding day and night yrt Il ~ not
prodnri the least degree of oonstsnsy - solidity