Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857 Vol 2.djvu/125

84 arranged to leave, with a gendarme and lanthoms, at four o'clock in the morning, so as to insure reaching Monte Vulture before the ensuing night. We started punctually to time, and commenced in darkness and intense hoar frosty with a driving mist from the north, the dreary ascent of about four miles, to the ridge of Monte Caruso. About four inches of snow, at the level of Avigliano summit, and about seven inches, on the crests of Caruso.

At 6·30 (23rd Feb.), Naples mean time, barometer reads 26·27 inches, upon the highest point of the road; thermo. 29° Fahr., and shows that we are 3581·2 feet above the sea, and only 275 feet above Avigliano, from which we had descended much, on first leaving it I hung a thermometer here, so as to be freely exposed to the wind and hoar fog, and after about half an hour, found it was at 17° Fahr. The cold was intense. The rounded tops of Monte Caruso, rise against the dawning sky-line to my right, apparently 800 feet above me. As daylight approaches, we commence to descend, between low rolling hills, along the course of the little stream, the Agromonte, and through the valley of the same name, opening out upon the nearly level plain of Atella. Tufa beds and ancient lavas, are visible to the right, at the opposite side of the stream, which has cut away its steep banks. It is obvious that the superficial covering of volcanic formations here, extends far beyond the boundaries assigned by Collegno's geological map, which marks their limit at Atella, five miles further north. To the east, at about half a mile, I pass the great Castello di Lago di Pesole, the lake itself being about a mile further east, but not visible—the property of Prince Doria Pamphili; its massive curtain walks