Volcano of Allay In the Indian Ocean. 393 



stones, by the violence of which many unfortunate persons are 

 in a moment deprived of life. This unforeseen and cruel cir- 

 cumstance obliges us to make a pau^e in our career, and to shel- 

 ter ourselves under the houses ; but flames and burnt stones fall 

 from above, which in a short time reduce them to ashes. 



Who is capable of making an exact relation of scenes so sad 

 and melancholy, and of presenting them to the public in the same 

 manner that they occurred ? Which of us thought to escape with 

 life, i!!)on beholding such manifest signals of Divine justice ? As 

 for mvself, I remembered in those dreadful moments the dis- 

 astrous fate of the cities of Pentapolis, and I was then persuaded 

 that the unfortimate villages of Camarines were about to suffer 

 the same unhappy catastrophe. Terrible reflection*, it is true, 

 but founded upon the innnorality of manners which had long 

 been remarked in those villages ! 



In this dreadful situation, we called upon God, in such man- 

 ner as we could, from the bottom of our aflflicted and almost 

 broken hearts, beseeching hira for pardon and mercy. It be- 

 bame completely dark, and we remained enveloped and im- 

 mersed in the most thick and palpable darkness, comparable only 

 to that which in the time of Moses was witnessed in Egypt. 

 From this moment reflection is at an end, advice is no longer 

 given, and no person recognises another. The father abandons 

 his children, the husband his wife, she remembers not her be- 

 loved spouse, and the children forget their parents. No one 

 thinks that he can assist his fellows, because all believe that 

 they are about to die. 



But as man, even in the most critical and destitute situations, 

 endeavours by all ])ossible methods to preserve life, each one of 

 us, for tliis interesting object, makes use of all the means and 

 expedients that can be resorted to, in the terrible condition to 

 which we are reduced. Of what various and different methods 

 did not we, who have escaped with life, avail ourselves, that we 

 might not perish at that time ? In the houses we now found no 

 shelter. It was necessary to abandon them with all haste, in 

 order not to pei-ish with tiiem. To go out uncovered, was to 

 expose one's self to a danger not less imminent ; because the 

 stones that fell were of an enormous size, ami fell as thick as 

 rain itself. It is necessary, that we may not die in the one or the 

 other manner, to cover ourselves and defend ourselves as well as 

 we can. We do so. — Some cover themselves with hides, others 

 with tables and chairs, others with boards and tea-trays. Many 

 take refuge in the trunks of trees, others among the canos and 

 hedges, and some hide themselves in a cave, which the brow ol 

 a mountain offered them. Thoe only of ns sunive, who had 

 the good fortune to protect ourselves by one or other of those 



methods ; 



