•3P2 Volcano of Allay in the Indian Ocean. 



lon» 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 combustil)le materials, which 

 it had formerly so continually thrown out, Nor had we seen 

 or remarked any signs which might indicate to us beforehand 

 what was about to take place. In the former eruptions, there 

 were heard, a considerable time previous, certain subterraneous 

 sounds, that were sure presages of them. It also exhaled al- 

 mof-t continually a thick smoke, by which it announced them. 

 But upon the present occasion we remarked nothing of all this. 

 It is triic, that on the last day of January we perceived some 

 slight shocks ; but wc scarcely noticed them, on account of their 

 having been -very frequent since the earthquake that we expe- 

 rienced on the 5 th of October of the year 1811. On Monday 

 night the shocks increased. At two in the morning we felt one 

 more violent than tliosc we had hitherto experienced. It was 

 repeated at four, and from that hour they were almost continual 

 until the eruption commenced. 



Tuesday dawned, and I scarcely ever remarked at Cama- 

 rines a more serene and pleasant morning, or a clearer sky. I 

 observed, however, that the ridges nearest to the volcano 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 morning the volcano began suddenly to 

 emit a thick column of stones, sand, and ashes, which with the 

 greatest velocity was elevated in a moment to the highest part 

 of the atmosphere. At this sight wc were astouisbed, and filled 

 with the utmost dread, and especially when we observed that 

 in an instant the brow of the volcano was covered by it. We 

 had never seen a similar eruption, and were immediately con- 

 vinced that a river of fire was coming towards us, and was about 

 to consume us. Tiie first thing that was done in my village was 

 to secure the holy sacrament from profanation, ^nd l)et:ike our- 

 r5elves to a precipitate flight. The swiftness with which that 

 dreadful tide rolled towards us, did not give us much time either 

 for reflection or con^'ersation. The frightf'il noise that the vol- 

 cano 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 highest and most distant places, 

 \n order to preserve ourselves from so imminent a danger. The 

 horizon began to darken, and our anxieties redoubled. The 

 noise of the volcano continually increases ; the darkness aug- 

 ments; and we continue our flight for the preservation of our 

 lives, removing further and further from an object so terrific. 

 But notwithstanding the swiftness with which we run, we are 

 overtaken in our disastrous flight by a heavy shower of huge 



stones, 



