And
studied most of their poets, particularly il divino Ariosto, I now and
then caught a scintilletta from his verse. We now took a cordial farewell
of our worthy old host, mounted our mules and descended the mountain. On
arrival at Portici we dismissed our guide Salvatore with a scudo pour
boire, besides the stipulated price. Salvatore asked me to give him a
written certificate of his services, which he generally sollicits from all
those whom he conducts to the Volcano. I asked him for his certificate
book, and begged to know whether he would have it in prose or verse. He
laughed and said: Vostra Excellenza e padrone. I took out my pencil and
wrote the following quatrain:
Dal monte ignivomo tornati siam stanchissimi,
E del buon Salvator siam tutti contentissimi;
Felice il pellogrin che a Salvator si fida,
Che di lui non si puo trovare un miglior guida.
I never saw any body so delighted as Salvatore appeared when I read to him
what I had written in his book.
I have another observation to make before I take leave of this celebrated
mountain, which is, that the liquid lava which it ejects is far more
dangerous and destructive than the eruption of stones and ashes; the lava
flows from the flanks of the mountain in a liquid stream. Sometimes there
will be an eruption and no lava flowing: at other tunes the lava flows from
the flanks of the mountain, without any eruption from the crater; at other
times, and then it is most alarming, the eruption takes place accompanied
by the flowing of the lava. All this demonstrates that the volcano is the
effect of the efforts of the subterraneous fire to get some vent and escape
from its confinement. This time I did not observe any lava flowing, except
a slight vein of it on the spot where Mr R.D. fell down and burned his
hands; but it is easy to observe on the side of the mountain the course and
route taken at different times by the lava, which has become hardened and
is very plainly to be distinguished, as it resembles a river (if I may
use the word) of slate meandering between the green sward of the mountain
and descending toward the sea. You can plainly distinguish the course and
direction of the lava which destroyed part of Torre del Greco and swept it
into the sea.
At Portici, having washed ourselves at the inn from head to foot in order
to get rid of our blacksmith's appearance, and having purchased a new pair
of shoes and stockings each, we visited the Royal Palace and Museum with a
view principally of examining the objects of art and valuables discovered
in Pompeii.
