Page:Adventures of the extravagant wit, or, The English swindler.pdf/19

( 19 ) manned out, to procure water, if and good were there: among the reſt I went for one. Coming on ſhore, and ſeeing this hill now and then belch out flames, by my perſuaſions I made my fellows forget for a time their errand they came about, to make ſome inquiſition into this miracle of nature: whereupon we all reſolved to aſcend the hill, and with much difficulty we came ſo nigh the top, that we heard a moſt hideous noiſe proceeding from the concave thereof; ſo terrible it was, that we now began to condemn our raſh attempt, and ſtood at a convenient diſtance, judging it the only medium of our ſafety. Whilſt we were thus in a delirium, not knowing what was the beſt to be done, the mountain was inſtantly poſſeſſed with an ague-fit, and afterwards vomiting up ſmoke and ſtones into the air (which immediately after fell down in a ſhower upon our heads) we thought we could not eſcape without 2 miracle; and whilſt we were all ſtriving which way with greateſt expedition we might eſchew the danger, there roſe in the midſt of us ſuch an heap of earth, aſhes, and fire, as that all ſeemed as ſo many moveable burning beacons; and without any thoughts of helping each other, every one endeavoured to ſecure himſelf; and though I was the laſt in the company yet in this expedition it was much available to me; for my companions making more haſte than good ſpeed, tumbling down the hill before me, fell ſeveral of them together, which blocks lying in my way, obſtructed my paſſage, and do ſaved the breaking of my neck, which otherwiſe would have been inevitable In this prodigious conflict, moſt of us loſt the hair of our heads, not without receiving ſeveral batteries upon the out-works of our bodies. At firſt fight we were much afraid, but the conſequence made it appear we were not more afraid than hurt. We made a ſhift to crawl down the reſt of the way, and hav-