His habitation is a comfortable cottage, with a chapel, and a shrubbery adjoining, at the extremity of one of the small mountains, of which there are several round Vesuvius; and although half way up to the crater, this spot is secured from the lava by a ridge which separates it from the great cone; and should the burning matter run in this direction, it would be thrown on each side. But it is not impossible that he may some day be surrounded by it; and he is always exposed to the stones and ashes thrown up by the mountain. At three o'clock the next morning we prepared for the grand ascent, but it rained so hard that our guide assured us it was impossible to proceed; and, to our infinite disappointment, the weather did not clear up till after daylight. We then took leave of our friendly hermit, and after scrambling over large fields of rough lava, in less than two hours reached the crater--an unfathomable fiery gulph, sunk from the summit of a monstrous cone, which rises above every other branch of the mountain. It emits an amazing column of smoke, so strongly impregnated with sulphur, that it was not without danger of being suffocated, that we were able to look down it, even on the side from which the wind blew. The smoke and daylight prevented our seeing to any depth, but at night I imagine that we should occasionally have discerned fire at the bottom. We repeatedly heard a rumbling noise, not so much like that of thunder, as of a brazen carriage rolling over a bridge. These were succeeded by small explosions, which threw up large quantities of stones, accompanied by a flame, which the light prevented our seeing to advantage. Whilst the mountain is in this dangerous state, it is impossible to measure the circumference of the crater exactly, but I am led to think that it has been exaggerated, and that it does not exceed three hundred yards. Its sides however sometimes fall in, and then the circumference may be much greater. Figure to yourself what a volume of smoke may be emitted from such a source, and what an overwhelming torrent of liquid fire such a gulph may produce! Our shoes were burnt in getting to its edge, for it is surrounded either with new lava, or a hot, drossy substance powdered with sulphur. Sometimes the mountain is perfectly quiet for weeks together, but it has been smoking ever since we arrived, with occasional explosions, which threaten an approaching eruption. There was a slight one a few days before we entered the bay, but the lava only descended about a mile from the crater. It is still red hot, and at night may be seen at many leagues distance.