12
the south and south-west. It reached the
base on the 30th, having flowed from the
aperture in less than twenty-four hours, a
distance of 3,053 feet, while its mean breadth
appeared to be about 350, but at the base
860 feet. In its course it divided into four
branches, and finally reached a spot called the
Guide's Retreat. Its entire progress to this
point was more than a mile, so that, taking
a mean proportion, this lava flowed at the
rate of eighty-six feet an hour.
At the time of this eruption Kotzebue was
at Naples. Vesuvius lay opposite to his
window, and when it was dark he could clear-
ly perceive in what manner the masses of fire
rolled down the mountain. As long as any
glimmering of light remained, that part of
the mountain was to be seen, on the declivity
of which the lava formed a straight but
oblique line. As soon, however, as it was
perfectly dark, and the mountain itself had
vanished from the eye, it seemed as if a comet
with a long tail stood in the sky. The spec-
tacle was awful and grand!
He ascended the mountain on the morn-
ing succeeding the opening of a new gulf,
and approached the crater as nearly as pru-
dence would allow. From its centre ascend-
ed the sulphureous yellow cone which the
eruption of this year had formed: on the
other side a thick smoke perpetually arose
