ecipices of Monte di
Somma. This lava ceased flowing after a week, but the fumaroles pointed
out the cleft of the cone; and between the small re-made cone, which had
risen to the height of 35 metres, and the central crater, a new crater
of small dimensions and interrupted activity opened.

On the 23rd April (another full moon) the Observatory instruments became
agitated, the activity of the craters increased, and on the evening of
the 24th splendid lavas descended the cone in various directions,
attracting on the same night the visits of a great many strangers. All
these lava streams were nearly exhausted on the morning of the 25th;
only one remained, which issued from the base of the cone, not far from
the spot whence that of the preceding month had issued. Numbers of
visitors, attracted by the splendour of the lava streams of the
preceding night, which they supposed still continued, soon arrived, but,
finding them exhausted, were for the most part conducted by their guides
to see the one still flowing. It was almost inaccessible, and to reach
it one had to walk over the rough inequalities of the scoriae. It took me
two hours to get there from the Observatory, when I visited it that
morning, and therefore I endeavoured to dissuade those who wished to
visit it at night from the attempt, but set out myself from the
Observatory at 7 p.m., leaving my only assistant there. The instruments
were agitated. After midnight the Observatory was closed, and my
assistant retired to rest. Late and unlucky visitors passed unobserved
with an escort of inexperienced guides; at half-past 3 o'clock in the
morning of the 26th they were in the Atria del Cavallo, when the
Vesuvian cone became rent in a north-westerly direction, the fissure
commencing at the little cone which disappeared, and extending to the
Atria del Cavallo, whence a copious torrent of lava issued. Two large
craters formed at the summit of the mountain, discharging numerous
incandescent projectiles with white ashes, and glittering with particles
of mica, which frequently recurred.

A cloud of smoke enveloped these unfortunates, who were under a hail of
burning projectiles and close to the lava torrent. Some were buried
beneath it[B] and disappeared for ever; two dead bodies were picked up,
and eleven grievously injured, one of whom died close to the
Observatory. He alone revealed his name, Antonio Giannone. I learned
afterwards that he was a fine young fellow, and Assista