Volcanoes. 267 



abundance, taking its course towards Portici and Resina. 

 The inhabitants of Torre del Greco, rejoiced to find a pros- 

 pect of their escape from the destroying fluid, were assembled 

 together to return thanks for their deliverance, and to sup- 

 plicate for their unfortunate neighbours, when they received 

 the melancholy tidings that the lava had changed its direc- 

 tion, and was approaching their city. In flowing down a 

 declivity, it had divided itself into three streams ; one directing 

 its course towards S. Maria del Pagliano, another towards 

 Resina, and a third towards La Torre. 



During the whole of this time the mountain was greatly 

 convulsed, and deep hollow sounds were heard, which, toge- 

 ther with the impetuous ejection of the lava, shook the moun- 

 tain itself to its very base. When the oscillatory motion of 

 the mountain ceased, the sounds became less frequent, but 

 more distinct; the lava flowed more abundantly, and the 

 action itself seemed as though it were suffering under the last 

 paroxysm of its dying energies. This was about four o'clock 

 in the morning of the 16th, and at that time the intumescent 

 mass had spread itself through all the streets of Torre del 

 Greco, and thence had flowed into the sea, forming a cur- 

 rent at that place 1127 ft. broad ; nor was it stayed by its 

 contact with the waters, but covered the bed of the sea 

 362 ft. beyond its margin. The whole distance from the 

 point of ejection to the place where its progress was arrested 

 was 12,961 ft. 



During the progress of the eruption the summit of Vesu- 

 vius was perfectly quiescent, and nothing remarkable was 

 observed round its crater. But towards the dawn of day the 

 heights of the mountain were hidden by a dense cloud of 

 comminuted sand, which, by degrees spreading itself, in a 

 short time covered the whole scene ; the sun was darkened, 

 and the heavens were covered by a mantle of impenetrable 

 clouds. 



That imagination must be unusually strong which can 

 bring before it the horrors of that night. The fiery ejections 

 of Vesuvius, the flames of the burning Torre, the inexpres- 

 sible groans of the mountain, the deathlike stillness of the 

 atmosphere, and the cries of the thousands who had been 

 driven from their homes and all the pleasures of life, must, 

 together, have presented a picture to the observer which no 

 imagination can realise. 



But it was not on the western side only that the lava spread 

 its destructive effects. There was also a current on the east, 

 which was ejected from a less elevated crater. This stream 

 flowed into and filled the valley of Torienta, which was 65 ft. 



