But the violence of the eruption is over; and it has now more of the curious and beautiful, than of the awful and sublime. The side of the mountain has closed, and the lava issues from it, without its source being seen, in a stream of liquid fire, at present not more than four feet wide. It moves at a slow rate, and, although so much a fluid as to be capable of this motion, yet it has such a degree of solidity, that stones of some pounds weight, thrown with force, did not penetrate its surface. No flame was emitted by the lava, except when we threw slicks, paper, or other combustible matter upon it, which immediately took fire, and blazed. Water had no effect, but that of blackening, for a moment, the part it fell upon.
After having sufficiently admired this beautiful phenomenon, we scrambled up the cone, and went into the inside of the old crater, which I find is already assuming its former state; the working of the fire in the bowels of the earth, having overcome the weight above it, and formed a chasm in its former direction, to the very summit of the mountain.
This aperture is continually widening, and will soon again become a monstrous fiery gulph. I heard several explosions below, which were accompanied by flashes of fire, which, darting from side to side, in the direction of the chasm, came up like so many immense flashes of forked lightning.
We began the ascent before sun-set; and our attention was so well engaged, that it was near day-light before we returned to Naples.
The Princess Belmonté has renewed her civilities; and the Nobile have sent us tickets for their musical Conversazione.
LETTER XXV.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Palermo, May 2d, 1788.
MY DEAR FRIEND,