63 



AxNNUAL REGISTEll, 1812. 



claps ; and now, indeed, the hur- 

 ly-burly began. Those only who 

 have witnessed such a sight, can 

 form any idea of the magnificence 

 and variety of the lightning and 

 electric flashes ; some forked zig- 

 zag playing across the perpendi- 

 cular column from the crater — 

 others shooting upwards from the 

 mouth like rockets of the most 

 dazzling lustre — others like shells 

 with t|ieir trailing fuses flying in 

 different parabolas, with the most 

 vivid scintillations from the dark 

 sanguine column, which now seem- 

 ed inflexible and immoveable by 

 the wind. Shortly after 7 p. m. 

 the mighty caldron was seen to 

 simmer, and the ebullition of lava 

 to break out on the N. W. side. 

 This, immediately after boiling over 

 the orifice, and flowing a short 

 way, was opposed by the acclivity 

 of a higher point of land, over 

 which it was impelled by the im- 

 mense tide of liquified fire that 

 drove it on, forming the figure 

 V in grand illumination. Some- 

 times, when the ebullition slack- 

 ened, or was insufficient to urge it 

 over the obstructing hill, it recoiled 

 back, like a refluent billow from 

 the rock, and then again rushed 

 forward impelled by fresh supplies, 

 and scaling every obstacle, carrying 

 rocks and woods together, in its 

 course down the slope of the 

 mountain, until it precipitated it- 

 self down some vast ravine, con- 

 cealed from our sight by the inter- 

 vening ridges of Morne Ronde. 

 Vast globular bodies of fire were 

 seen projected from the fiery fur- 

 nace, and bursting, fell back into 

 it, or over it, on the surrounding 

 bushes, which were instantly set 

 in flames. About four hours from 



the lava boiling over the crater, it 

 reached the sea, as we could ob- 

 serve from the reflection of the 

 fire and the electric flashes attend- 

 ing it. About half-past one, ano- 

 ther stream of lava was seen 

 descending to the eastward towards 

 Rabacca. The thundering noise 

 of the mountain, and the vibration 

 of sound that had been so formida- 

 ble hitherto, now mingled in the 

 sullen monotonous roar of the 

 rolling lava, became so terrible, 

 that dismay was almost turned into 

 despair. At this time the first 

 earthquake was felt : this was fol- 

 lowed by showers ofcindersjthatfeli 

 with the hissing noise of hail during 

 two hours. At three o'clock, a 

 rolling on the roofs of the houses 

 indicated a fall of stones, which 

 soon thickened, and at length de- 

 scended in a rain of intermingled 

 fire, that threatened at once the 

 fate of Pompeii, or Herculaneum. 

 The crackling and coruscations 

 from the crater at this period ex- 

 ceeded all that had yet passed. 

 The eyes were struck with mo- 

 mentary blindness, and the ears 

 stunned with the glomeration of 

 sounds. People sought shelter in 

 cellars, under rocks, or any where, 

 —for every where was nearly the 

 same ; and the miserable negroes, 

 flying from their huts, were knock- 

 ed down, or wounded ; and many 

 killed in the open air. Several 

 houses %vere set on fire. The 

 estates situated in the immediate 

 vicinity seemed doomed to destruc- 

 tion. Had the stones that fell 

 been proportionably heavy to their 

 size, not a living creature could 

 have escaped without death ; these 

 having undergone a thorough fu- 

 sion, they were divested of their 



natural 



