486 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



in summer. In a quiescent state, 

 it h:»d the appearence of u circular 

 cloud revolving on the water like 

 a horizontal wheel, in various and 

 irrejjular involutions, expanding 

 itself tfraHually on the lee side; 

 when suddenly a column of the 

 blackest c inders, ashes, and stones 

 would shoot up in form of a spire 

 at an angle of from ten to twenty 

 degrees I'rom a perpendicular tine, 

 the angle of inclination being uni- 

 versally to windward : this was 

 rapidly succeeded by a second, 

 third, and fourth, each acquiring 

 greater velocity, and overtopping 

 the other till they had attained an 

 altitude as much above the level 

 of our eye, as the sea was below it. 



As the impetus with which the 

 columns were severally propelled 

 diminished, and their ascending 

 motion had nearly censed, they 

 broke into various branches resem- 

 bling a group of pines, these 

 again forming themselves into 

 festoons of white featherj- smoke 

 in the most fanciful manner ima- 

 ginable, intermixed with the finest 

 particles of falling ashes, which at 

 one time assumed the apjiearance 

 of innumerable plumes of black 

 and white ostrich feathers sur- 

 mounting each other ; at another, 

 that of the light wavy branches of 

 a weeping willovv. 



During these bursts, the most 

 vivid flashes of lightning conti- 

 nually issued from the densest part 

 of the volcano ; and the cloud of 

 smoke now ascending to an altitude 

 much above the highest point to 

 >vhich the ashes were projected, 

 rolled off in large masses of fleecy 

 clouds, gradually expanding them- 

 selves before the wind in a direction 

 nearly horizontal, and drawing up 

 Xd them a quantity of water-spouts, 



which formed a most beautiful and 

 striking addition to the general 

 apy)eaiance of the scene. 



That part of the sea, where the 

 volcano was situate, was upwards 

 of thirty fathoms deep, and at the 

 time of our viewing it, the volcano 

 was only four days old. Soon after 

 our arrival on the clifi", a peasant 

 observed he could discern a peak 

 above the water : we looked, but 

 could not see it ; however, in less 

 than half an hour it was plainly 

 visible, and before we quitted the 

 place, which was about three hours 

 from the time of our arrival, a 

 complete crater was formed above 

 the water, not less than twenty 

 feet high on the side where the 

 greatest quantity of ashes fell ; the 

 diameter of the crater being ap- 

 parently about four or five hundred 

 feet. 



The great eruptions were gene- 

 rally attended with a noise like the 

 continued firing of cannon and 

 musquetry intermixed, as also with 

 slight shocks of earthcpiakes, seve- 

 ral of which having been felt by 

 my companions, but none by my- 

 self, 1 liad become half sceptical, 

 and thought their opinion arose 

 merely from the force of imagina- 

 tion; but while we were sitting 

 within five or six yards of the edge 

 of the clifl", partaking of a slight 

 repast which had been brought 

 with us, and were all busily en- 

 gaged, one of the most magnificent 

 bursts took place which we had 

 yet witnessed, accompanied by a 

 very severe shock of an earthquake. 

 The instantaneous and involuntary 

 movement of each was to spring 

 upon his feet, and I said " this 

 admits of no doubt " The words 

 had scarce passed my lips, before 

 we observed a large portion of the 



face 



