No. II. — Herculaneum, Pompeii^ and Stahice. 119 



mountain, and the showers of pumice, but from the sudden 

 retreat of the sea, (vadum subitum^) — another feature of the 

 description which exactly corresponds with modern observa- 

 tion. In this dilemma, instead of turning back as the pilot 

 advised, he ordered him to proceed to his friend Pomponianus 

 at Stabias. Here he remained the afternoon, and observed broad 

 flames spreading from the mountain, (e Vesuvio monte in plu- 

 ribus locis latissimce Jlammce et incendia relucebant,) which 

 Delia Torre * supposes to have proceeded from the stream by 

 .which Herculaneum was destroyed. Here, (at Stabiae,) after 

 .supper he went to rest, but was obliged to be roused, from the 

 quantity of stones and ashes (cinere missisque pumicibus) 

 which filled the court next which he lay. The roofs shook with 

 earthquakes ; they therefore went into the open air, but found 

 the shower of stones so abundant that they tied pillows and 

 napkins round their heads. Proceeding to the shore, the sul- 

 phurous fumes became so strong as to affect Pliny, who was 

 of a full habit of body, with breathlessness, and he was short- 

 ; ly after stifled by them. Meanwhile at Misenum, where the 

 younger Pliny remained, the shocks of earthquakes became 

 more vehement. He observed more minutely the regress of the 

 sea; " Certe processerat litus, multaque animalia maris in 

 siccis arenis detinebat."" He then mentions the tremendous 

 lightning, which appears to have proceeded from a black 

 cloud, extended as far as Misenum, no less than sixteen miles 

 from the volcano, — a phenomenon which, to more or less extent 

 is almost universal in the case of eruptions ; *[- and this remark- 

 able account of its extension from a credible eye-witness tends 

 to render it probable that this catastrophe is unequalled in the 

 Vesuvian annals. Pliny goes on to give an animated account 

 of the tremendous scene which the descent of the ashes pro- 

 duced, and which he mentions were in such quantity, and of 

 a white colour, as to resemble a deep snow in the morning. 

 We shall not, however, follow him more minutely in his de- 

 scription, of which we have given all the leading facts. | 

 Now it is very remarkable, that in this description we have 



* Storia del Vesuvio. 4to. Sect. 71. 



I See Hamilton's Campi Phleg, i. 30 ; and this Journal^ No. xiii. Art. ii. 

 ; + The whole will be found in his Epistles, lib. xvi. 16 and 20. 



