394 Folcano of Albay in the Indian Ocean, 



methods ; but those who were in the open air, with nothing at 

 hand with which they could cover themselves, almost all perished 

 or were wounded. 



The horrid and frightful noise of the volcano increases to its 

 utmost ; the shower of stones and thick sand augments ; the 

 burning stones and meteors continue to fall, and in a very short 

 time reduce to ashes the most beautiful villages of the province of 

 Camarines. Would you have signs more analogous to those 

 that are to take place at tlie last judgement? The animals of the 

 mountain descend precipitately to the villages, to seek in them a 

 secure asylum. The domestic animals run terrified with the 

 greatest disorder and affright, uttering cries that indicate their 

 approaching end. Nothing interested us in those dreadful mo- 

 ments but the preservation of our own lives. But, alas! Divine 

 justice has already marked and pointed out, with the finger of 

 Omnipotence, a great number of victims, who are to perish in 

 this day of wrath and fury, in every respect very similar to what 

 wc read in the holy Scriptures concerning the day of the last 

 judgement. 



At about ten in the forenoon it ceased to rain heavy stones, 

 and each one endeavoured to remain in the situation he then 

 was^ waiting until the rain of thick sand which succeeded it 

 should also cease, or u^jtil some new and unforeseen calamity 

 should terminate the existence of us all. 



We tlius continued until half past one in the afternoon, at 

 which hour the noij^e of the volcano began to diminish, and the 

 horizon to clear a little, at sight of which there was revived in 

 us the hope of life, which until then had been almost wholly ex- 

 tinguished. At about two in the afternoon it became entirely 

 clear, and we began to perceive distinctly the lamentable and 

 dreadful ravages that the darkness had hitherto concealed from 

 us. We saw with terror tlie ground covered with dead bodies, 

 part of whom had been killed by the stones, and the others con- 

 sumed by the fire. Two hundred of those perished in the church 

 of Budiao; thirty-five in a single house in that village. The 

 joy that all felt at having preserved life through such imminent 

 dangers, was in many instantly converted hito the extremity of 

 sorrow at finding themselves deprived of their relations, friends, 

 ■rind acquaintances. There, a father finds his children dead; 

 here, a husband his wife, and a wife her husband ', particularly 

 in the villag-e of Budiao, where there are very few who have not 

 iost some of their nearest connexions. In another place, at 

 every step orte meets innumerable other unhappy wretches ex- 

 tended upon the groimd, who, though not deprived of life, are 

 wounded or bruised in a thousand ways. Some with their legs 

 broken, some without arms, some with their sculls fractured, and 



others 



