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the south and south-west. It reached the base on the 30th, having flowed from the aperture in less than twenty-four hours, a                    distance of 3,053 feet, while its mean breadth appeared to be about 350, but at the base 860 feet. In its course it divided into four branches, and finally reached a spot called the Guide's Retreat. Its entire progress to this point was more than a mile, so that, taking a mean proportion, this lava flowed at the rate of eighty-six feet an hour. At the time of this eruption Kotzebue was at Naples. Vesuvius lay opposite to his window, and when it was dark he could clear- ly perceive in what manner the masses of fire rolled down the mountain. As long as any glimmering of light remained, that part of                    the mountain was to be seen, on the declivity of which the lava formed a straight but oblique line. As soon, however, as it was perfectly dark, and the mountain itself had vanished from the eye, it seemed as if a comet with a long tail stood in the sky. The spec- tacle was awful and grand! He ascended the mountain on the morn- ing succeeding the opening of a new gulf, and approached the crater as nearly as pru- dence would allow. From its centre ascend- ed the sulphureous yellow cone which the eruption of this year had formed: on the other side a thick smoke perpetually arose