MISCELLANIES. 
tive of the existence of the volca- 
no, and therefore all the appre- 
hension that it had formerly in- 
spired was gradually dissipating. 
Consequently, its extensive and 
spacious brow had been converted 
into a highly cultivatedandbeauti- 
fulgarden. In particular, theinha- 
bitants of Camalig and Budiao had 
planted upon it many cocoa-trees, 
and every kind of fruit trees, with 
a variety of roots and vegetables ; 
which, while they afforded an 
agreeable perspective,supplied,by 
their excellent productions, many 
industrious families with food. 
‘<Inthis statewasthe volcanoon 
the first day of February last. No 
person reflected inthe slightest de- 
gree upon the damages and losses 
that so bad a neighbour had been 
in the habit of occasioning. We 
had ‘become persuaded, in conse- 
‘quence of so long a silence, that it 
‘was now completely extinguished, 
and that all those subterraneous 
conduits were closed, through 
which it attracted to itself and 
kindled the combustible materials, 
which it had formerly so continu- 
ally thrown out. Nor had we seen 
or remarked any signs which 
might indicate to us beforehand 
what was about to takeiplace. In 
the former eruptions, there were 
heard, a considerable time previ- 
ous, certain subterraneoussounds, 
that were sure presages of them. 
It also.exhaled almost continually 
a thick smoke, by which it an- 
nounced them. But upon the pre- 
sent occasion, we remarked no- 
thing of ‘all this. It is true, that 
onithe last day of January, we per- 
ceived some slight shocks; but 
we scarcely noticed them, on ac- 
count of their having been very 
frequent since the earthquake that 
511 
we experienced on the 5th of Oc- 
tober of the year 1811. On Mon- 
day night the shocks increased. 
At two in the morning we felt 
one more violent than those we 
had hitherto experienced. It was 
repeated at four, and from that 
hour they were almost continual 
until the eruption commenced. 
«‘ Tuesdaydawned,and Iscarcely 
ever remarked atCamarinesa more 
serene and pleasant morning, ora 
clearersky. I observed, however, 
that the ridges nearest to the vol- 
cano were covered with a mist, 
that I supposed to be the smoke 
of some house thereabouts, that 
had been on fire in the night. At 
eight o’clock on that fatal morn- 
ing the volcano began suddenly to 
emit a thick column of stones, 
sand, and ashes, which with the 
greatest velocity was elevated ina 
moment to the highest part of the 
atmosphere. At this sight we 
were astonished, and filled with 
the utmost dread, and especially 
when we observed, that in an in- 
stant the brow of the volcano was 
covered by it. We had never seen 
a similar eruption, and were im- 
mediately convinced that a river 
of fire was coming towards us, 
and was about to consume us.— 
The first thing that was done in 
my village was to secure the holy 
sacrament from profanation, and 
betake ourselves to a precipitate 
flight. The swiftness with which 
that dreadful tide rolled towards 
us, did not give us much time 
either for reflection or conversa- 
tion. Thefrightful noise that the 
volcano:made caused great terror, 
even in the stoutest hearts. We 
all ran terrified, and filled with 
the greatest dismay and conster- 
nation, endeavouring to reach the 
