Volcano of Allay in the Indian Ocean. 391 



nounced their identity. Here also the sciences of chemistry 

 and crystallography mutually illustrate each other ; whereas the 

 empirical methods of colours and external characters are as fluc- 

 tuating and various as the number and character of observers. 



VOLCANO OF ALBAY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN. 



A dreadful eruption of this volcano took place on the I-st day 

 of February 1814. 



This volcanic mountain is situated in the province of Cama- 

 rines, on the southern part of the Island of Lucon, or Luconia, 

 one of the Philippine isles in the Indian Ocean, 



Five populous towns were entirely destroyed by the eruption ; 

 more than twelve hundred of the inhabitants perished amidst the 

 ruins ; and the twenty thousand who survived the awful catastro- 

 phe were stript of their possessions and reduced to beggary. 



The following account of this awful visitation was drawn up 

 by an eye-witness, and intended as an appeal to the charitable 

 feelings of the inhabitants of the Manilla Islands : 



More than 13 years had elapsed, during which the volcano of 

 Albay, by some called Mayon, had preserved a continued and 

 profound silence, without giving the least sign of its existence. 

 It was no longer viewed with that distrust and horror, with which 

 volcanoes usually inspire those who inhabit the vicinity. In the 

 year 1800 its last eruptions took place, in which it emitted a 

 great quantity of stones, sand, and ashes, (as had always been 

 usual,) and occasioned considerable damage to the same villages 

 that it has now completely destroyed ; rendering useless a great 

 number of fertile fields, which thenceforth were converted into 

 arid and frightful sands. In the latter part of October of that 

 year the last eruption happened, and caused more damage to 

 those villages. 



Since that time we had not remarked any circumstance in- 

 dicative of the existence of the volcano, and therefore all the 

 apprehension that it had formerlv inspired was gradually dis- 

 sipating. Consequently, its extensive and spacious brow had 

 been converted into a highly cultivated and beautiful garden. 

 In particular, the inhabitants 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. 



In this state was the volcano on the first day of February last. 



No person reflected in the slightest degree upon the damages 



and losses that so bad a neighbour had been in the habit of 



occasioning. We had become persuaded, in consequence of so 



B b 4 long 



