452 A Narrative of' the Eruption of a Folcdno 



like an horizontal wheel, in various and irregular involu- 

 tions, expanding itself gradually on the lee side, when sud- 

 denly a column of the blackest cinders, ashes, and stones 

 would shoot up in form of a spire at an angle of from ten 

 to twenty degrees from a perpendicular line, the angle of 

 inclination being universally to windward : this was rapidly 

 succeeded by a st/coud, third, and fourth, each acquiruig 

 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 thtir ascending motion had 

 nearly ceased, they broke into various branches resembling 

 a groupe ot pines, these again fcrniing themselves into 

 festoons of white feathery smoke in the most fanciful 

 manner imaginable, intermixed with the finest particles of 

 falling ashes, which at one time assumed the appearance of 

 innumerable plumes of black and white ostrich feathers 

 surmounting each other ; at another, that of the light wavy 

 branches of a weeping willow. 



During these bursts, the n)ost vivid flashes of lightning 

 continually issued from the densest part of the volcano; 

 and the cloud of smoke now ascending to an altitude much 

 above the highest point to which the ashes were proj'.'Cted, 

 rolled oft' in iara:e masses of tleecy clouds, gradually ex- 

 panding themselves before the wind in a direction nearly 

 liorizontal, and drawing up to them a quantity of water 

 spouts, which formed a most beautiful and striking addi- 

 tion to the general appearance of the scene. 



That part of the sea where the volcano was situated, 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 clift", 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 dia- 

 meter of the crater being apparently about four or five hun- 

 dred feet. 



The great eruptions were generally attended with a noise 

 like the continued firing of cannon and rausquetry inter- 

 mixed, as also with slight shocks of earthquakes, several of 

 which having been felt by my companions, but none by 

 myself, f had become half sceptical, and thought their 



opinion 



