Page:Burning mountains.pdf/19

19 ide of the mountain, came down with a horrid ing noiſe; and ſome of then, after having ed their way through the narrow gullies of the ntain, roſe to the height of more than twenty and were wear half a mile in extent. The, of which the torrents were compoſed, being nd of natural mortar, completely caſed up and ed ſome thouſand acres of rich vineyards; for on becomes ſo hard, that nothing leſs than a axe can break it up.

The laudable curioſity of our author induced him o upon Mount Veſuvius, as ſoon as it was cont with any degree of prudence, which was not the 30th of June, and even then it was ated with ſome riſk. The crater of Veſuvius, pt at ſhort intervals, had been continually obed by the volcanic clouds from the 16th, and ſo on that day, with frequent flashes of light playing in thoſe clouds, and attended as usud a noiſe like thunder; and the fine aſhes were falling on Veſuvius, but ſtill more on the ntain of Somma. Sir William went up the way by Reſina, and obſerved, in his way ugh that village, that many of the ſtones of the ment had been looſened, and were deranged he earthquakes, particularly by that of the, which attended the falling in of the crater of  volcano, and which had been ſo violent as to w many people down, and obliged all the intants of Reſina to quit their houſes haſtily, to ch they did not dare return for two days. The s of all the vines were burnt by the aſhes that fallen on them, and many of the vines themes we buried under the aſhes, and great iches of the trees that ſupported them had been  off by their weight. In ſhort, nothing but and deſolation was to be ſeen. The a