The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-27


The ground is fiat, with here aud there pools
OF white stagnant mud drying on It's sur
lace. Elsewhere the ground is broken and
parity covered by vegetation. The point
OF chief interest appears to be the
vent, which is at the farthest extremity,
and IS always emitting steam at high tenn
perature. Tue whole ground resounds TO the
heavy stamp of a foot, as If it were hollow. On
approaching the principal vent, an almost con-
tinuous pun OF steam is seen, accompanied by
q strong rushing sound and on going near, the
temperature IS found to be extremely high
too high, indeed, to allow one to make an OBJ
servation within the crevice or cavity from
which the vapor issues. If lighted match or
piece OF paper be placed near the point of erup-
ton, large clouds of dark smoke roll out being
rendered visible, II would seem, by the ap.
proach of flame. There is a sensible smell of
chlorine accompanying the vapor, and both
sulphur and arseuc are deposited by sublima
tion on the stones around. Sulpburetted hydro
gen and sulphurous acid seem to be present in
the issuing vapor but In very small quantities.
The presence of arsenic has been remarked 10
the district, and the quantity here is rather con-
siderable.
The bottom of the crater OF the solfatara is
about two hundred and seventy-6ve feet above
the sea, and its walls (the ancient cone) are
now probably about two hundred feet higher
than the bottom of the water. They are rather
steep, and are composed chiefly of volcanic tuH,
the beds OF which show marks of fitting IN one
part, near which are small caverns from which
tumaroles issue. They are, however, much
weatherwoIn. The principal vent is within a
fssure or crevice at least one hundred yards in
length, extending towards the south west; and
on the line of this crevice are numerous smaller
fumaToles, from which hot steam also proceeds.
At one of these, near the principal vent was
able to note the temperature, and found IL to be
81 c., or within three degrees Centierade of
the boiling point OF water, within eight
inches of the surface. The rest were less
hot, only because they were more COW
cred and less accessible. To the north
of this main fssure there are others. One
OF Them uStnOus shn blp in fha n oil
alluded to- which are so hot that one does not
willingly remain long in them. They are of
no great size, and run in only about thirty or
forty yards; but they are interesting from the
exquisite and delicate crystals which line their
walls. A rare mineral (Coquimbite) is espe-
cially abundant and beautiful, but the crystals
are too fragile and delicate to be easily con-
veyed away. AT many points where fumaroles
show themselves, the peculiar phenomenon of
smoke arising i'll abundance on the contact of
flame, or even OF smouldering red heat such as
the end OF cigar, may always be observed.
The cone next in order, aud far the largest
OF all, is that OF the Astroni, the crater of
which is now the nursery for the King of
Italy's wild boars, and Is only accessible by
tanned without difficulty II is a very large
and regular depression, the top being mile
and third across IN its larger diameter
and mile in its smaller. The crater is nearly
mile across at its widest part, and three quar-
tiers OF mile in its smaller. The outer circuit
or rim, of the cone is more than four miles, ana
is entirely unbroken, except at the entrance
Av.ew of the Astroni and the Lake of Agnano
from me monastery OF the Camaldol is almost
necessary to appreciate the very singular fea.
lures OF the district and also clears up points
that seem confused and obscure w1en only the
lower ground is travelled over Looking down
from the terraces of the convent, at an elevation
of about fourteen hundred ieet above the sea,
one is able to perceive the outline Of large
cone, now much broken, but still fairly indi
cated, partly by the ridge between NaDles and
N1Slta connecting itSaf with of
castle OF st. Elmo, and partly by the low
hills OF Aienela and the higher elevation on
which the convent. is built. These have in
closed long oval space, about two miles
across, and four or five miles from northeast to
southwest, but most OF the rim of the crater il
gone. part of the bottom of the crater
,pread at ones feet covered With small vii.
ages and well cultivated. Much of the cone
vas destroyed by the eruption of the smaller
crater is now lake. This destruction Of one
crater by another is common enough and is
we'll illustrated in Vesuvus itself, whose present
cone occupies the place of the more ancient cone
ol Monte Somma. The group of cones beyond
Of which the Astroni is the best, may be re-
5arded as belonging to the same series OF cruz.
lions, all taking their origin in the main fssure
In date than that of whose cone the Camadoli
range now affords the best Indication, and the
exact order OF sequence Is not quite clear.
After visiting the Camaldoli, the next visit
one OF the most striking and picturesque places
near Naples. The road to ii is past the Lake OF
Agnano, whose crater has been partly DESTROYED
and mtruded on by the formation of the Astfoni
cone. This is as nearly perfect as if it had been
formed yesterday. The circumference of the base
is that OF the present cone of Vesuvius, and the
crater is larger. But as the cone of Vesuvius
rises from plateau nearly three thousand feet
above the sea, and that of Astroui rom the
level OF the sea, the appearances are different
Inc actual elevation OF the Astroni cone is also
much less considerable, and the outer slope
much more gradual than in the case of Vesu-
vlus, though still very steep. The lowest part
Of the Astroni cone is towards the east and Is
not more than two hundred and sixty feet above
the sea. The higher part is perhaps another
hundred feet The Vesuvus cone rises fifteen
hundred feet.
But II must be remembered that after q few
years OF WeAthering little more than
The hard core OF rock belonging to a volcanic
cone can ever remain, and therefore the original
outer coat of ashes of Astroni may have been
once lofty and imposing enough. 1t is not till
we enter the crater that any idea can be had OF
the singular appearance there presented. Out
side it looks only steep hill of no great eleva-
Lion. The moment the lodge is passed Ia kind
Ot tower constructed at the lowest point OF the
rim of the crater), the full meaning of the hill Is
for not even IN Vesuvlus ls the cup
like appearance better seen.
The read enters the hill as if from a crack in
the nm, and presents to view complete cup
with somewhat irregular rim, depressed about
LwO hundred and fifty feet, or nearly to the
evel of the sea. The sides of this cup are
partly naked rock, but for the most part are
richly clothed with vegetation Where the
;teepness s hot too great, forest trees rise from
little ledges, or thrust their roots into the
creyices of the rock. The bottom is nearly
level, with the exception of a small hill lalso
oonical, and provided with another little crater)
which rises out OF it to the right Three lakes
one Of tolerable size and considerable depth, are