Observations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and other volcanos: in a series of letters, addressed to the Royal society, from the Honourable Sir W. Hamilton ... / To which are added, explanatory notes by the author, hitherto unpublished.
- William Hamilton
- Date:
- 1774
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and other volcanos: in a series of letters, addressed to the Royal society, from the Honourable Sir W. Hamilton ... / To which are added, explanatory notes by the author, hitherto unpublished. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![felf merely to the many extraordinary ap¬ pearances that have come under my own infpeftion, and leave their explanation to the more learned in Natural Philofophy. During the firft twelvemonth of my being here, I did not perceive any re¬ markable alteration in the mountain ; but I obferved, the fmoke from the Volcano was much more coniiderable in bad wea¬ ther than when it was fair [a] ; and I of¬ ten heard (even at Naples, fix miles from Vefuvius.) ift bad weather, the inward ex- ... . „ - , r , ‘ ‘ ' •- f (a] Having receded fince upon this circumfhmce, I rather believe that' the weight of the atmosphere in bad weather, preventing the free diffipation of the fmoke, and collecting it over the crater, gives it the ap¬ pearance of being more Coniiderable; whereas in fine weather the fmoke is difperfed foon after its emifiion. It is, however, the common-received opinion at Naples (and from my own obfervation is, I believe, well founded), that when Vefuvius grumbles, bad weather is at hand. The fea of the Bay of Naples, being parti¬ cularly agitated, and fwelling fome hours before tne arrival of a ftorm, may very probably force itfelf into crevices, leading to the bowels of the Volcano, and, by cauiing a new fermentation, produce thofe explofions and grumblings, piofions](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b3051390x_0012.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
