Page:Burning mountains.pdf/12

(12) the foot of the volcano, both on the ſea ſide and the Somma ſide, were often ſenſible of a tremor in the earth, as well as of the concuſſions in the air, but at Naples only the earthquakes of the 12th and 15th of June were diſtinctly and univerſally felt this fair city could not certainly have reſiſted, had not thoſe earthquakes been fortunately of a ſhort duration. Thoughout this eruption, which continued in force about ten days, the fever of the mountain, as has been remarked in former eruptions, ſhowed itſelf to be in ſome meaſure periodical and generally was moſt violent at the break of day at noon, and at midnight.

About four o'clock in the morning of the 16th the crater of Veſuvius began to ſhew ſigns of being open, by ſome black ſmoke iſſuing out of it; and at day-break another ſmoke, tinged with red, iſſuing from an opening near the crater, but on the other ſide of the mountain, and facing the town of Ottaiano, ſhewed that a new mouth had opened there from which a conſiderable ſtream of lava iſſued, and ran with great velocity through a wood, which it burnt; and having run about three miles in a few hours it ſtopped before it had arrived at the vineyards and cultivated lands. The crater, and all the conical part of Veſuvius, was ſoon involved in clouds and darkneſs, and ſo it remained for ſeveral days; but above theſe clouds, although of a great height, freſh columns of ſmoke were ſeen from the crater, riſing furiouſly ſtill higher, until the whole maſs remained in the uſual form of a pine-tree; and in that gigantic maſs of heavy clouds the ferilli, or volcanic lightning, was frequently viſible, even in the day time. About five o'clock in the morning of the 16th, the lava which had firſt broken out from the ſeveral new mouths on the ſouth ſide of the mountain, had reached the ſea, and was