Page:Burning mountains.pdf/7

(7) June, the inhabitants of Naples were all ſenſible a violent ſhock of an earthquake; the undulatory motion was evidently from eaſt to weſt, and appeared to have laſted near half a minute. The ſky, which had been quite clear, was ſoon after covered with black clouds. The inhabitants of the towns and villages, which are very numerous at the foot Veſuvius, felt this earthquake ſtill more ſenſibly, and ſay, that the ſhock at firſt was from the bottom upwards, after which followed the undulation from eaſt to weſt. This earthquake extended over the Campagna Felice; and the royal palace at Caſerta, which is fifteen miles from Naples, and one the moſt magnificent and ſolid buildings in Europe the walls being eighteen feet thick) was ſhaken in ſuch a manner as to cauſe great alarm, and all the amber bells rang. It was likewiſe much felt at neventum, about thirty miles from Naples; and Ariano in Puglia, which is at a much greater diſtance; both theſe towns, indeed, have been often afflicted with earthquakes.

On Sunday the 15th of June, ſoon after ten clock at night, another ſhock of an earthquake was felt at Naples, but did not appear to be quite violent as that of the 12th, nor did it laſt ſo long; at the same moment a fountain of bright fire, ended with a very black ſmoke and a loud rert, was ſeen to iſſue, and riſe to a great height, from about the middle of the cone of Veſuvius; on after another of the ſame kind broke out at e little diſtance lower down; then, as is ſupooſ by the blowing up of a covered channel full red hot lava, it had the appearance as if the lava d taken its courſe directly up the ſteep cone of the volcano Fresh fountains ſucceeded one another haſtily, and all in a direct line sending, for about a mile and a half down, towards the towns of