Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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Judging By Mere
Inspection, I Should Have Thought The Funnel Of Still Less Depth.
Its Present State Is That Of A Solfatara; And It Is Rather An
Object Of Curious Investigation, Than Of Imposing Aspect.
The
majesty of the site consists in its elevation above the level of
the sea, in the profound solitude of these lofty regions, and in
the immense space over which the eye ranges from the summit of the
mountain.
The wall of compact lava, forming the enclosure of the Caldera, is
snow-white at its surface. The same colour prevails in the inside
of the Solfatara of Puzzuoli. When we break these lavas, which
might be taken at some distance for calcareous stone, we find in
them a blackish brown nucleus. Porphyry, with basis of pitch-stone,
is whitened externally by the slow action of the vapours of
sulphurous acid gas. These vapours rise in abundance; and what is
rather remarkable, through crevices which seem to have no
communication with the apertures that emit aqueous vapours. We may
be convinced of the presence of the sulphurous acid, by examining
the fine crystals of sulphur, which are everywhere found in the
crevices of the lava. This acid, combined with the water with which
the soil is impregnated, is transformed into sulphuric acid by
contact with the oxygen of the atmosphere. In general, the humidity
in the crater of the peak is more to be feared than the heat; and
they who seat themselves for a while on the ground find their
clothes corroded.
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