416 MisceUaneous Intelligence. 



and a Portuguese gentleman, and on our arrival at half-past 

 ten, we discovered the mouth of a criiter, several feet above 

 the surface of the sea; the quantity of sand and ashes thrown 

 up from the centre of the crater, formed an embankment as it 

 fell, which kept out the sea, except in one place, where an 

 embouchure of about thirty feet wide was discernible ; the sea 

 rushed into this part with incredible fury at every interval of 

 the eruption, which subsided only for a few minutes, returning 

 with redoubled force ; in less than three hours the crater had 

 increased in height above the level of the sea nearly sixty feet ; 

 having a pocket-compass, we took the bearings of the volcano, 

 and having measured a base line of 800 feet, we found the 

 distance from the spot of observation to be 5,100 feet, or nearly 

 an English mile. About one, P. M., a most tremendous ex- 

 plosion took place, which lasted nearly twenty minutes, and 

 darkened the atmosphere for several miles around ; the flashes 

 of lightning were very vivid, and produced a grand effect on 

 the black dense smoke of the volcano ; the rocks thrown up 

 were red hot, and caused a hissing noise on falling into the 

 sea, which was distinctly heard at intervals, when the subter- 

 raneous thunder ceased : part of the cliff, on whose banks we 

 were seated, fell into the sea, from the shock of an earthquake, 

 and obliged us to make a precipitate retreat for fear of a 

 repetition. At five o'clock we quitted this awful scene with 

 reluctance ; nothing could exceed the gratification felt by all 

 parties : on our road to the city we had frequent opportunities 

 of observing the damages done by the earthquakes : many 

 cottages were entirely thrown down, and others totally unin- 

 habitable ; the roads were choked and almost impassable, from 

 the hills having fallen in upon them in various places. On the 

 following day, Captain Tillard being anxious to have a view of 

 the volcano from the ship, he invited a party to take an excursion 

 by water, and I had the pleasure of making one. On rounding 

 the west end of the island, we found that the volcano during 

 the night had increased to a mountain, nearly conical, whose 

 base formed almost an equilateral triangle, so that within the 

 space of a few hours it had increased upwards of 600 feet in 



