Earthquake. 365 



left me to sit down to supper in the dining-room next the 

 terrace, and wished me to come ; — but the scene before me 

 kept me some minutes longer. — I joined her, and had not 

 sat down a minute when her English maid called to us that 

 the eruption was beginnino-. In an instant we were on the 

 terrace, and observed its having overflowed on tlie same 

 side as last year, and rushed down with such rapidity as to 

 run more than a mile in ten minutes, and in a very short 

 time it reached the valley, towards Torre del Greco. This 

 stream of lava was immense, and extended with amazing- 

 rapidity over the country ; it divided itself in three branches, 

 one of which, beyond the Torre del Greco, surrounded the 

 country-house of the cardinal archbishop of Naples, and be- 

 fore morning reached the sea, and continued running into 

 it. The stream of lava is much diminished ; but when it 

 broke out last niglit, about ten minutes after ten o'clock, 

 until twelve, it was a grand and splendid sight ; and as it 

 ran from north to south, and I was west of it, it repre- 

 sented the back scenery of flell at an opera ; figure to your- 

 self an immense sheet of flames rising at least half a mile 

 from the ground, and crowned by a black cloud which 

 vanished by degrees. 



" Many very valuable vineyards and farm-houses have 

 been destroyed ; and as the lava rushed out \Aitb very little 

 noise and great rapidity, I am afraid some habitations on 

 the brow of the hill will have been surrounded before the 

 people were aw are of the danger, or had time to escape : but 

 a great part of the lava ran on that of last )ear, } 779, which 

 renders the mischief less. It surprises many strangers, how 

 people will cultivate and live on such a spot, as the lava con- 

 stantly takes that direction, south and south-east: but the 

 land is so very productive, that the temptation is not easily 

 combated. 



" All my family were perfectly composed during the 

 whole of the eruption, and returned quietly to bed at mid- 

 night, as I had often tauglit them to wish for it since the 

 earthquake*, as a security from new shocks. 



" One cannot but regret that such a beautiful country as 

 this, blessed with an admirabU; soil, fine situation, healthy 

 climate, and pure sky, should be liable to such drawbacks 

 and convulsions of luiturc. But in this world we cannot 

 expect enjoyments without some alloy, and we nmst sub- 

 mit to Providence, who has i.erhaps decreed in its wisdom, 

 that a people too nuich iuchued to vices and inmiorabty, 

 should be now and then recalled to a sense of its duties by 



\ol. 22. No. bB. .SV^p/. ibOo. A a such 



