-1823.] 
Since the eruption of February last, the 
mountain, with the exception of a few 
trifling discharges, has been very quiet; 
observed on Sunday evening, that a good 
deal of fire was issuing from the top of 
the cone, and that a small stream of lava 
had been thrown out; on Monday it 
seemed rather quiet, but in the middle of 
the night, the people in the neighbour- 
hood were awakened by a tremendous ex- 
plosion, and the volcano presented to their 
athrighted eyes thespectacle of an immense 
body of fire arising high in the air from 
the summit of the mountain, anda broad 
and unusually rapid stream of lava rush- 
ing down the hill towards Portici and Re- 
sina. The scene was so appalling that 
mauy people hurried into Naples, and or- 
ders were uiven to remove the most valu- 
able objects from the royal palaces of Por- 
tici and of the Favorita, 
On Tuesday morning the mountain was 
enveloped in smoke, and intermitting 
volleys were discharged from the cone; 
but it was about two o’clock that it dis- 
played the most wonderful picture: I 
happened to be on the open terrace of 
Santa Lucia 4 Mare about that time; on 
asudden [ heard a long loud roar like 
thunder, and saw a body of smoke, of im- 
mense volume, rise from the crater; pre- 
sently it extend:d itself over the city, and 
presented for some minutes a spectacle of 
unparalleled grandeur,—a spectacle of 
which the pen can give no idea, and 
which the boldest pencil wonld scarcely 
attempt fo pourtray. All the mountain 
was veiled with a dark grey smoke, and 
the atmosphere behind it was almost 
black ; bat this body of smoke was of a 
silver white, and took the most beautiful 
forms. When it rose up from the cone, 
it had very much the figure of those cn- 
rious pine trees with long stems, the 
branches of which spring out from the 
summit; as it rolled over towards Naples, 
it was, if such a thing may be supposed, 
like the billows of the stormy Atlantic, di- 
vested of their fury and rapidity, but 
preserved in their shapes. ‘This extraor- 
dinary and beautiful spectacle lasted for 
several minutes; the smoke then spread 
-itself in the atmosphere, and soon veiled 
from my view all the opposite coast and 
mountains. Abont four o'clock I rode 
some way along the Portici road to ob- 
serve the eruption; but the smoke prevent- 
ed my distinguishing any thing. I met a 
great number of gentlemen’s carriages 
coming in, for at the beginning of the 
eruption, nearly all the Neapolitan gen- 
try were at their casini at Portici, Resi- 
na, and other places around the moun- 
tain, this being the season of their vileg- 
_ giatura. 
It was not till night came on that I felt 
all the sublimity and terror of the scene ; 
then indeed the eye saw a mountain of fire 
under a heaven of smoke, The discharge 
Monruty Mag. No, 576. 
Political Affairs in December. 
561 
from the crater did not cease for a mo- 
ment, and five broad streams of lava 
rolled downin different directions. The 
electicity communicated by the volcano, 
produced, at every instant, flashes of bril- 
liant and very peculiar lightning ; and at 
times electric fluid played low down the 
cone, in the midst of the volcanic fire and 
smoke. ‘The roaring of the mountain was 
heard distinctly in Naples, and many 
times the shock produced by its violent 
throes was felt all over the city. The 
open parts towards the sea were crowded 
to excess, the theatres were all deserted, 
anda silent awe prevailed, except when 
interrupted by the loud prayers and cries 
of the lower orders, who seemed per- 
suaded that the hour of their destruction 
was fast approaching. I was much struck 
with ohne circumstance as I was driving 
round St. Lucia, about nine o’clock; I 
passed a numerous procession of poor 
people, who were carrying an effigy of the 
Virgin and a few wax candles, and crying 
and singing their prayers with deafening 
loudness. Among other expressions of. 
grief and fear, I heard them say more than 
once, “Ah! this is becanse our king has 
left us, not to come back any more.” 
I set out about ten with the intention of 
ascending the mountain as far as possible; 
a fine dust which had been falling the 
greater part of the day, had at this hour 
much increased, and was very painful to 
the eyes, the immense quantity of smoke 
had hid the streams of lava, and nothing 
was visible but the bursting fire of the 
crater, whence proceeded the only light 
of the atmosphere; for the crescent moon 
and the stars were concealed behind the 
dingy vapours the volcano had created. 
On my road to Resina I saw an immense 
number of poor families going towards 
Naples, having fled from their houses in 
the town of the Torre del Greco, the vil- 
lage of Bosco, the Torre del Annunziata, 
&c. &e. The mass of these unfortunate 
people were on foot, and heavily Jaden; 
some, as the richer, or the old and the 
sick, had got calessi, little cars, horses, and 
asses ; some of the groups were deplora- 
ble, and consternation was imprinted on 
the faces of all. Here and there along 
the road I saw troops of poor wretches 
who had probably no place to go to either 
in Naples or iv any other part of the 
world, crouching round wood fires, When 
Treached Portici 1 found other crowds, 
wherever they had been permitted to stop, 
and the portico of a chureh, near the 
royal palace, was strewed with men, wo- 
men and children, huddled promiscuously 
together. 
When I began to asegnd the mountain 
from Resina, the noise of the eruption 
was like the roaring of the tempestnous 
sea rushing into deep rocky caves, and the 
Japili or cinders fell around me like a 
shower of rain. JT could not see the 
4C courses 
