Year: 1867

some weeks, II not months. IL so-and
IL is the opinion OF those most expe


renced in these matters-all the world
may see II Gs soon as the groundess
fears as to the state Of Naples have van
ished. For the first one or two nights
the mountain was modest enough in its
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of fire shot
up to announce its internal agitation,
and thin stream Of lava iriokled
down behind in the direction Of Ottaiano,
which lies on the southeast side of Vesu-
vius. Some friends who went up there
early gave vague idea Of the scene,
and spoke Of eight or ten new craters,
being no more than so many fssures
opened by the explosive force of the
m mountain, and which change in number
and character from day TO day. Forth
last two or three nights, however, the
scene has been as grand MS can well be
conceived; but before giving details, let
me describe the actual state and appear
ance of the mountain. Since December,
| 1861, it has been almost quiescent, with
the exception of one or TWO sulky aud
uncertain pufs, and our clear blue
atmosphere has ceased to be marked with
the spiral columns Of smoke. On the very
summit has gaped the huge crater,
measuring nearly 700 feet in cireum-
ference, around which even children
might have played, being careful only
to avoid certain sulphurous cxhalations
which were emitted at intervals. During
the last two years small cone has been
formed by the matter gradually elected
from the sulphurous hole; we could
scarcely see its head above the walls Of
the large crater but within the last week,
| like some presumptuous STRIPPING, It
has shot up above its venerable parent,
and this it is which has been iuming and
splutteriug and storming with all the
arrogant impotence Of youth since last
Wednesday,. IL has sent forth an i'm
mense quantity of lava, converting the
sutrouuding crater into LAKE OF fire.
| At first the high circling walls kept it
within bounds, but gradually il has risen
aud risen until it is now flowing down in
several directions where the abrupt and
irregular wall admits of passage, The
4 result has shown that it is lower in the
direction Of 0ttajano, on the southeast,
and those who do not care to make the
ascent may have a glorious view of it
from Sorrento. Still there is nothing
like mounting to the top, so let us be off;
yet, better still, suppose it to have been
done, and that last night Giovanni
| Cozzolino was our guide, who, by virtue
of having accompanied Humboldt and
many of the scientific and literary men
of the age, expects his ewn name to be
enrolled in literary anna's. He is, how.
ever, a very safe and intelligent guide.
There was no incident to mark until we
got to the foot of the main cone, when
we heard the thunder of the mountain
and felt shocks as of an earthquake at
every effort made to disgorge the liquid
fire. Ascending by the usual road, we
were compelled, on approaching the sum
NIT, to skirt little round to the south
east, for two reasons-frst, TO get on the
blind side of the wind, which might
have brought down upon US an inconve-
nient shower of stones; and, secondly,
to obtain better view of the main
stream, which was fed not only by the
great crater, but by another orifce
opened outside, about twenty feet In
| diameter. From this spot the stream OF
living fire, full twenty to thirty feet in
width, poured down to the bottom OF the
mountain rapidly, where it met no OBJ.
stacles, and where it did, struggling en-.
ergetically until it carried everything
before it. To the edge Of the crater it
was impossible to approach the heat
was scorching Aud what would have
been the consequences had the lava
boiled over and come down upon us2 1t
was difficult, therefore, to form any fair
estimate of its size, but one might have
supposed that twas not more than sew
enty feet in diameter. 1t was not
moment, however, for figures when
Nature was exhibiting her power in one
of it grandest forms. There was a
roar and shock, and then shot forth
flames and stones full 1000 feet in hight
at intervals of from one to five seconds,
according to the watch of one of the
marty These tremendous convulsions
were repeated, and then came the de
scending shower, composed of stones Of
various sizes, some half ton in weight


Judging by the bulk. We could mark
their course by the eye as long as they


retained their red heat, but on approach'
ing the earth they hlaokened, aRd then
the ear alone could tell what was spot
ting and pitting the earth around. By
the same person who had already acted
as calculator it was declared that the de-
scent occupied five seoonds--much in
excess, | would imagine, of the actual
time Precision, of course, was impossi.
BILE in the excitement of such scene, and
if We say that one thousand feet was the
hight attained we shall not be wide Of
the mark. 1t was nervous proximity to
danger on which to stand, so the whole
party sooR decamped, and got back 10
Naples shortly after midnight, sws-strucb
by a scene that can never be forgotten.
Yet, without the fatigues of an ascent,
any one can from the city enjoy a spec.
tacle of marvellous beauty, only dimin.
ished in proportions as compared with
that which l have just described. There
is no sound, but there are those everlast


ing lames, across the center of which is
sometimes- drawn a swAthe of dark
clouds, giving to their SUBMITS the ap-
pearanQe Of greater hight; and the sky
is glowing with deep red color; aud
mighty stones, reduced by distance, are
falling like myriads of stars on the sum
NIT of the mountains, the foot Of which
is wrapped in darkness. What gorgeous
scene, aud how much more gorgeous il