FIRST EDITION. Folio, 2 volumes in one, hand-coloured engraved map by Giusseppe Guerra; 59 hand-coloured engraved plates after Fabris, ruled in black over grey-wash borders; full straight-grained red morocco, elaborate gilt borders with a floral tool and Greek key design. All edges gilt, raised bands, gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers. They are preserved in a paper-covered slipcase. The authors best-known work on volcanic activity and the most lavishly illustrated. He describes the illustrations as "executed with such delicacy and perfection as scarcely to be distinguished from the original drawings themselves." The author and the commissioned artist, Pietro Fabris, climbed Vesuvius some 22 times over four years, often at significant personal risk! **This work is perhaps one of the most beautiful publications on Naples and its surroundings.** Coloured plates in order: 1. Title page. 2. [Map of the environs of Naples.] 3. [Several 'attitudes' of Mt. Vesuvius.] 4. View of Naples taken from Pausilipo. 5. View of Naples from the sea shore near the Bridge of the Maddalena. 6. View of the eruption of Lava from the Crater of Mt. Vesuvius. 7. View of the great eruption of Vesuvius from the mole of Naples in the night of Oct 20th, 1767. 8. View of Mt. Vesuvius from the sea shore, at Resina, between Portico and Torre del Greco. 9. Representation of a thick Stratum of Lava that ran into the sea from Mt. Vesuvius in the terrible eruption of 1631. 10. Interior view of the Crater of Mt. Vesuvius as it was before the great eruption of 1767. 11. Interior view of the Crater of Mt. Vesuvius. 12. View of the Monte S. Angelo on which there is a Convent of Camaldolesi Monks. 13. View of an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, which began the 23 Dec 1760 and ended the Jan 5th, 1761. 14. View of the present state of the little mountains raised by the explosion in the year 1760, taken from the foot of the cone of Vesuvius looking towards the sea... 15. View of the Crater, or inside of the little mountain which is above 200 palms deep. 16. Section of a part of the cone of the mountain of Somma. 17. Entrance of the Grotta of Pausilipo. 18. A Bird's eye view from the Convent of the Camaldoli, the highest ground near Naples. 19. The Lake of Agnano, evidently the Crater of an ancient volcano; near the Grotta del Cane... 20. View of a section of a part of the cone of Astruni taken at the entrance of this volcano. 21. View into the Crater of Astruni taken from the spot represented in the preceding plate. 22. View of the hot spring called Pisciarelli issuing from a part of the cone of the Solfaterra. 23. View of the Porto Pavone in the Island of Nisida, very evidently a portion of the Crater of the ancient volcano which gave birth to the Island. 24. View of a part of the outside of the cone of the Solfaterra. 25. View of Puzzle taken from the spot represented in the preceding plate, where there is little building at the point. 26. View of the Solfaterra, being the Crater of the ancient volcano called by Strabo Forum Vulcani. 27. View taken from the spot near Puzzoli, on which anciently was Cicero's Villa called the Accademia. 28. View taken from the bottom of the Crater of Monte Nuovo, or the new mountains, formed in 48 hours in 1538, near Puzzoli. 29. View from the top of Monte Gauro or Barbaro into its Crater, at the bottom of which is a rich and fertile plain. 30. View of the Lake Avernus taken from the road between Puzzoli and Cuma. 31. View of the Island of Ischia from the sea. 32. A bird's eye view of the territory raised by volcanic explosions, and which the Ancients comprehended under the name of 'Campi Phlegraei.' 33. View of a part of the Island of Ischia called Lacco. 34. View into the Valley called Atrio di Cavallo between Somma and Vesuvius. In the evening, Vesuvius has often turned a purple hue, as represented in this plate. 35. View from the sea of the Promontory called Capo dell' Arco in the Island of Ventotiene, anciently Pandataria. 36. View of a part of the inside of the cone of the mountain of Somma, taken from the Valley between the mountain and Vesuvius. 37. View of Mount Etna from Catania. 38. View of the Island of Stromboli. 39. A night view of a current of Lava that ran from Mt. Vesuvius towards Resina, May 11th, 1771. 40. Interior view of one of the deepest hollow ways cut by the torrents of rain water, on the flanks of Mt. Vesuvius, called the Fossa Grande. 41. View of a hollow road leading from the Grotto of Paulilipo to Pianura... 42. View of the first discovery of the Temple of Isis at Pompei... 43. Specimens of Tufas from the Quarrys neat the Grotta of Paulilipo. 44. Specimens of a curious volcanic matter taken from a hollow road leading from the Pisciarelli to the Solfaterra. 45. Piece of Lava covered with Sulphur taken from the inside of the Crater of Vesuvius. 46. Piece of Tufa attached to a piece of the painted stucco of the inside of the ancient theatre of Herculaneum. 47. Specimens of different volcanic matter found in the Crater of Vesuvius. 48. Piece of marble composed of fragments of various sorts of marble found in the Fossa Grande. 49. Specimens of curious stones found by the author on Mt. Vesuvius. 50. [12] Specimens of the Lavas of Vesuvius polished. 51. Marble and other mixed stones of Vesuvius polished. 52. Lava, Scoriae, and Pumice stones &c of Mt. Vesuvius. 53. Vitrifications and other volcanic productions. 54. Productions of the Solfaterra. 55. Stones of Crystals commonly called 'Gems' of Mt. Vesuvius. Supplement. 56. [Title page.] Six views of the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius on Au.g 8th, 1779, taken from the King's Palace at Paulilipo. 57. View of the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius on Aug 8th, 1779, taken from an original drawing by Mr. Fabris near His Sicilian Majesty's Palace at Paulilipo at the moment of eruption. 58. Fragments of a very curious vitrified matter of purple hue, and which emits strong sparks of fire, when struck with steel... 59. Fragments of new Lava, the pores of which are filled with a perfect vitrified matter, some of this matter by the confined air has been blown into bubbles on its surface, which are semi-transparent like common glass bottles...